Cinema Prices

Posted on 2003/02/24 14:25:39 (February 2003) by john.

Has anyone else noticed how over-priced cinemas are?

Yesterday I popped along to the Warner Village to watch The Two Towers. I have no complaints about the film - it was staggeringly great and I loved every minute of it.

However, whilst sitting waiting for the film to come on, I did begin to wonder a bit. I had paid to come and sit in this cinema, getting on for six quid, and for the first twenty minutes or so I was subject to advertising. I am paying to watch this film, and yet I still have to sit through a load of adverts. Yes, I hear you say, I could have gone into the cinema a few minutes after the official start time to skip this bit, but the film was almost sold out, and so the chances of getting a decent seat were almost non existent. I don't mind the trilers for other films so much, it is still a bit of a nerve, but if they're well targeted then I might well see something I like and make a mental note to watch it at some point. It's all the other adverts that bother me. Following this, more often than not modern films are littered with product placement and are then part of big advertising deals, merchandising contracts and promotions all over the place. Not to mention the insane price of popcorn, drinks and so on in cinemas (yesterday I went to the newsagents round the corner instead).

Why does it all have to be so commercial? Whatever happened to the days when I paid to watch a film, and that's all I got - a film, nothing more, and nothing less.

You went to Warner Village. They are notorious for having huge numbers of adverts and trailers. Don't go there. ;)

Posted by Mark at 2003/02/24 15:20:25.

Personally, I felt that the lighting was terrible and there was no atmosphere.

Posted by dsp at 2003/02/25 14:42:37.

I kind of enjoy the adverts. Not the actual adverts per se, rather the few minutes they're running. It allows me time to settle into the seat and adjust my mind into 'sitting still and staring mode'.

Posted by Rusty at 2003/02/25 19:30:30.

Yup. The adverts are a time to talk about what's coming and go back to the foyer and buy the overpriced foodstuffs.

Posted by tom at 2003/02/25 22:22:47.

Imagine the cost if you had a family of say 4. 4 x tickets + 4 x drinks + 4 x popcorn. Of course this can be factorised: 4 x (tickets + drinks + popcorn). Its gotta be £30-£40. That's a dear do!

Posted by dsp at 2003/02/26 14:12:44.

The 'food' annoys me. It always smells really nasty and it lends the cinema that nauseating taint of pork products and liquid cheese. Mmmmm.

I'm a soda slut though; drinks are a must. So, you're staring in disbelief at the price of a small fizzy Fanta when you notice that for a mere 20p more you can get a medium and for an extra 40p a large... What happens? Well, you end up with a bucket of Fanta that blatently isn't going to fit in the 'specially designed' cup holders. A bucket of Fanta that you have to hold for the entire length of the movie or risk having it kicked over; something that you don't want happening considering how much you've just shelled out for the damn stuff. Grrr and double grrr.

Posted by Rusty at 2003/02/26 14:22:46.

Ticket prices are balanced such that the Hollywood actors can have their big salaries.

Take your own food in with you.

Posted by Rob Lang at 2003/02/26 15:02:17.

Yeah, and some beer. Always take beer! I find that the bucket of Fanta gets more attractive if liberally topped-up with vodka, too. My personal fave for overpriced food is that "Liquid cheese on nachos with hot chillis" dish. It's non-alcoholic, but (due to the chillis) manages to taste hot long after its gone stone cold. Or perhaps it was stone cold in the first place. MMmm anyway!

Posted by Jimmy at 2003/02/27 13:17:43.

i think the rate of the prices at the cinemas are stupid why pay that much when you mite aswell wait for it to come out on dvd or video!

Posted by joanne harding at 2004/09/30 10:40:32.

I think silver city is the best for the picture of the movie and for the lighhting but otherwise the prices just Suck.
like you can buy a whole box of popcorn at the store for the same amount of money as the popcorn they make at the cinema and the slushes are like 3 bucks but at 7-11 there 99cents now that cost allot of money if you wanna spend it like that haha $$$$

Posted by Alaina at 2005/10/21 17:49:20.

I think silver city is the best for the picture of the movie and for the lighhting but otherwise the prices just Suck.
like you can buy a whole box of popcorn at the store for the same amount of money as the popcorn they make at the cinema and the slushes are like 3 bucks but at 7-11 there 99cents now that cost allot of money if you wanna spend it like that haha $$$$

Posted by Alaina at 2005/10/21 17:49:29.

cinema prices are perfetic cause i wanna go for my birthday but its to dear

Posted by aleisha at 2005/11/08 19:31:22.

hi, all i complain about is the prices of the food!!! Does anyone agree? My local cinema (Stoke On Trent, United Kingdom) is Odeon in festival park.
The butterkist popcorn is £3.50 in there. Whereas the same bag at tesco is 99p!!!!!
Also the bloomin ice cream was a rip off!! About 50ml of Ben & Jerrys was £2.50 and in tesco its £1.68 for 500ml!!!!!!!!! The bloody redicoulus. You can take ur own stuf wifout them havin a go at u

Posted by matt at 2007/07/24 16:21:30.

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