I am starting a nation-wide boycott of movie theaters. Last weekend, I took my wife and three teenage children to see "Revolutionary Road" at a local theater. The tickets were $9.50 each, we also got two small sodas, a medium popcorn, a package of M&M's, and a package of sour patch kids candy. The total came to $70.00. That is beyond ridiculous.
When did movies become so expensive? And when did we allow ourselves to be so ripped off by the ridiculous prices for drinks/slash food? For the same price I paid for a small soda, I can walk into a Fry's grocery store and buy a twelve-pack. The seats were uncomfortable, the print of the film was far from perfect, and the floor was sticky. This is absurd. We have become a nation of stupid consumers, willingly paying ridiculous prices for two hours of mediocre entertainment. To quote a great movie from the late 70's, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"
I say it's time to act. Despite my life-long love of movies, I will personally not see another movie in a theater until the prices come down. The only way we can expect change is if every single person agrees, and joins my boycott of movie theaters. Believe me, if people stop going to the movies, things will change. If not, a trip to the local movie theater will continue to be a major rip-off.
Join my boycott. Don't go to the movies until things change. Movie-lovers of the world, unite!!
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3 comments:
I'd like to believe that a boycott would do something good. My cynical side says that boycotts will make movie theaters close, and will convince distribution that people are ready to abandon the "Theater" model and fully embrace the "at home" model. Sheesh!
I do believe in selectively boycotting theaters like the one you described with respect to cleanliness, comfort, and audiovisual quality. We have a theater in my town that sounded a lot like the one you describe. Instead, we now go 20-30 minutes out of our way to get to one where the prices are just as high, but the experience is worlds better.
I hate paying over $10 a ticket. (Remember James Bond triple-features for $1! :-D OK -- sounding WAY old!). But, compared with prices for live performances, it's still a good deal and (at a better theater) a good night out.
By the way - after spending too much on theater food for too many years, we now stop at a convenience or drug store to stock up, then smuggle the food in. It's rare around here these days when a theater cares, unless it looks like you have enough to sell the excess! Made a big difference.
I feel your pain, but I'm not ready to give up movies at a good theater. I should add that we only go about four times a year. But we do subsidize our youngest from time to time.
Just my 2 cents.
-- BUCK.
Since we adopted our little girl from China, over a year ago, we have not seen a single movie in a movie theatre.
It is unlikely that we will be going to see one for at least another year, when our little girl is old enough, perhaps, to enjoy an afternoon at the Midway.
Therefore, I would be happy to ...
Oops -- Forgot to check the SAG Rules. Oh. Never mind.
Right there with you! I'm shocked, though, that by now some entrepreneur hasn't come in and offered an upgraded movie experience--old style huge screens, gourmet food, etc--or that someone hasn't hit the other end of the market with older movies, cheap, with reasonable food prices.
Either way, the current system is the worst of all worlds.
It's like at the ballpark--OK you want to charge me $7.50 for a beer? Can we at least make it cold and not flat?
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