[Closed] Am I now officially old and tight?? (cinema content)

It has got rather expensive. We booked tickets for toy story online and got charged £1.50 for the privilege! And the standard price is £8 odd for a ticket not. Explains why orange wednesdays are so popular although I just cant bring myself to queue for an hour in the hope that I get into the film that I want!

our local chain offers a membership scheme where you can pay £7.99 per person per year & then you pay £3.99 for any film.

The same card gives you 10% off snacks & booze.

I think we made the money back within a month...

And they wonder why people download movies!!!

No you're not tight. I don't know how old you are.

I refuse to buy popcorn at the concession stand, all I can see is 10p worth of ingredients for a large bag. I'd rather not be dry-bummed immediately before sitting down for a couple of hours, thank you!

We recently bought a popcorn pan, it'll pay for itself in 3 or 4 cinema visits if we can get organised enough to make a batch before heading out.

I think the issue with illegal downloads isn't related to the price of popcorn, it's more to do with folks who don't want to pay for something they enjoy. Personally I enjoy the cinema, it's an event. I support my local, independent cinema and the people who make the films that they show.

I'm 35 and thought I was starting to get a touch of the victor meldrews!! When my doey eyed 8 yr old asked for popcorn tho I couldn't refuse. Thankfully the mrs was prepped with drinks an sweets in her bag or it would have been no holiday at the end of the month!!!! Oh and talking of booking charges, it was a pound a ticket, on the bloody interweb so you do all the work yourself!!!!!
Thieves!!

Don't mind paying for the cinema tickets but the optional extras are just bloody ridiculous. The cinemas have improved loads over the years with large comfortable seats, surround sound and air con that actually works.

Sweets, popcorn etc... have just got more and more expensive. No wonder people sneak in bags of sweets and drinks with them.

We used to buy pick n mix from Wollies in readiness for cinema visits. It really is obscene how much they charge.

A default status of Tightwad is a good thing, as long as you can be persuaded by those around you to occasionally bend. I've been actively living the life of Victor since my twenties. I have no problem buying nice things and spending money but popcorn prices are guaranteed to be met with extreme rant!

Orange Wednesdays + Snax from Lidl/Aldi on the way in = Night out for 2 for £10. 8)

Hey, you can get Woolies pick'n'mix online now, I know this as I helped build the website! BTW the website is pants ...oh the shame!

I always take in supplies - the prices they ask for food and drink is just ridiculous. I'm aware and accept that I'll be paying way over supermarket prices, but not THAT much!

Film prices are getting bad too - I'm renting DVDs more and more these days.

Yeah the drinks etc are ridiculously priced and I never buy them. I don't mind paying for the films though since it's much better quality than anything I'll download at home (cba to wait for hd stuff to download either), bigger screen, better atmosphere (apart from the rustling as mentioned below) and much better sound quality.

Anyone else get annoyed when there's a quiet bit and all you can hear is rustling of sweet packets and munching of popcorn? I bloody hate it, there's not really any need to eat in a cinema..

Things don't seem to stay on long at the cinema these days. Films have normally been and gone by the time we think about going, luckily they come out on dvd shortly after and buying that is cheaper than the cinema anyway

Cinema seats might be comfy but they've always got the air con cranked on full so it's freezing and plays havoc with my eyes (contact lenses), it's a far nicer experience watching stuff at home.

if you're near a cineworld, the unlimited cards (£12/month for unlimited films) make sense if you go more than once a month. They've started charging extra for 3d films now, which is a bit of a pain, however if you go on wednesday the orange 2 for 1 still works, meaning you get 2 folk in for free

And they wonder why people download movies!!!

Thank god for the Bay eh? I only ever go on Orange Wednesdays anymore. My partner is a student, so you pay for one student ticket which works out as a few quid each then another few quid for some nibbles from the supermarket. Sorted.

Irritates the **** out of me too. Orange Wednesdays FTW.

3 quid Monday to Friday at Bognor Picturdrome. A whole pound more at the weekend. Stuck in the fifties but in a nice way..
http://www.picturedromebognor.com/

The combination of orange Wednesdays and my out-of-date student card get me and the missus into the canary wharf cinema for 3.75 each. Wednesday is also the day we have an overnight babysitter (gfs mum) and the cinema is next to my gym so i can grab the tickets at lunchtime while there's no queue.

There is almost always a 2for1 voucher for one of the restaurants here as well, and there is a Lloyds bar near the cinema too. We can do a meal, cinema, and get drunk all for about 30 quid between the two of us.

Tight? Moi?

£6.90 each by us, doesn't seem that long ago it was £2 something.

Doubt I'll bother again!

£4 for stalls and £4.50 for circle @ the Regent, Marple. Ice creams £1 each in the intermission too. Yum

http://www.regent-marple.co.uk/

Back when I was a canny lad about town, a night at the cinema was the cheap option - £2.50 a go. Popcorn wasn't much more expensive either (at 1992 prices).

I think the cinema chains have exploited a captive audience to some extent, but then my interest in blockbusters has waned.

Only go once or twice a year now. It's not that I can't afford it; I just hate paying that sort of money. Have a blu-ray player and big TV at home instead. As others have said, it's no bloody wonder that people pirate movies.

Also... NACHOS! Why would you want to sit in a f***** cinema and eat something so obnoxious it overpowers a 2000W IMAX soundtrack and simultaneously has everyone within 20 feet of you trying not to throw up.

we usually go to the supermarket down the road and buy our junkfood there. Cinemas can't stop you taking your own sweeties in.

I've never seen the point of the cinema. Especially in a date type secenario, no talking, can't look at each other, sitting next to each other in silence for hours at a time. I've got years of married life ahead of me for that!!

£5/£6/£7/£8 a head to watch a big telly wedged into a seat, no elbow room and a sticky carpet and some dick talking through it or dropping popcorn down your neck.

Do me a favour...

I have always maintained that the cinema is the one thing that you do if there is abouluotley positivly NOTHING else worth doing.
I'd rather be outside or doing something more positive, riding my bike perhpas to take an example entirly at random.

Yeah people who come to the cimena for a bloody picnic instead of watching the film wind me up a little bit. I very rarely eat anything at the cinema, I'm there to watch a film not eat crappy fast food

Is there a relationship between piracy and cinema prices?

£34 would get you 1 ticket for a premier league game with entertainment last the same period of time.
£38 would get you a ticket to Alton Towers for a day's worth of entertainment

It's all relative.

I'm off work today. About to head out and watch Inception for £3. Special price on a Tuesday. The 3D screenings are the same price as standard, £3 on a tuesday and £5 rest of the week. Nice cinema as well.

I can't abide big cinemas - aside from the fact that blockbuster films hold no appeal for me, the whole experience looks miserable.

Standing in an endless queue of delinquent tracksuit-wearers with no manners before being charged an exorbitant ticket price then herded through a gaudy, sticky-carpeted buffet for the morbidly obese to then sit for the duration of the film amongst people who find it perfectly acceptable to use mobile phones, endlessly eat and [b]talk[/b] during a film with no consideration for anyone else.

Pass me the Social Cleanser.

Naranjada - Member

I refuse to buy popcorn at the concession stand, all I can see is 10p worth of ingredients for a large bag.

I support [s]my local, independent cinema and[/s] the people who make the films that they show.

I think that's what you meant to say. The cost of cinema tickets covers distribution of the reel (or digital copy if the cinema has a digital projector) and basically goes straight back to the distributor and the film makers. Which is good. But doesn't pay for the existence of the cinema, which makes its money through the sale of food and drink.

I work in a cinema and it gets my goat when middle aged grumps moan about the cost of food or the tickets. You're not being forced to go! And please don't moan or make a sarcastic/withering comment to whoever serves you - we're all on minimum wage and frankly the last thing we need on a 10hr shift is to bear the brunt of some miserable c**t's whinging!

Ahem.

And as mentioned, there are cheap options e.g. our cinema has a kids screening on Saturday and Sunday mornings so tickets are 95p each for parent and child, there's a cheap Tuesday where you can get tickets as cheap as £2.60, and of course Orange Wednesdays. There's little enforcement these days of people bringing their own food with them - our customers happily bring Starbucks, M&S and Boots meal deals etc with them. One good example where I work is packets of Minstrels/Maltesers/etc, where we sell them for £3.50. You can get them from Asda down the street for £1 or in the newagents in the centre for £2. Same with Oasis at £2.15 a bottle, or buy from the vending machines that most folk walk past on the way from the carpark for £1.

I went to the flicks recently and there weren't any of those problems, the rustling of wrappers stopped at the end of the adverts, no talking in the film, and for a moment at the end of the film I thought there'd be a round of applause.

(Inception on the second day after release)

I just cant
bring myself to queue for an hour in the hope that I get into the film that I want!

I went to see Inception last Wed. The ticket queue was right out the door and through the car park.

Whipped out my phone, booked tickets on interweb, went inside and collected them from the machine which had no queue at all. Job done. 😀

For all those who can't stand the rustling of sweet packets, may I suggest you never attend a cinema in India.

And, unless it's the first time you've been (in which case you'll have been too awestruck at the size of the screen), then surely you know that there is bound to be more in the way of distraction than you'd get at home with the telephone unplugged?

I'm sorry kit but I'm neither middle aged nor grumpy, but I haven't got thus far in life by being bent over, and as someone else up there said "dry humped"!!! No matter what£ 6.40 for a drink and pop corn is eyewateringly expensive, and the fact you say "we're all on minimum wage" would make me even angrier because I reckon there's probably £5.50's worth of mark up there!!!

Kit - Member
[snip] There's little enforcement these days of people bringing their own food with them...[/snip]

In life before kids, MrsG and I used to take a bottle of wine and a pie (pie for me) to the cinema. Many disapproving looks. 8)

Am I now officially old and tight??

I had to use the toilet at "The Plough" on Coldharbour at the top of Wolven's Lane recently and had to buy something that would make me a "customr" and give me access.

They charged me £1 for a packet of peanuts and I immediately got grumpy about it. "£1? Are you sure?" etc..

On reflection, I realised that I had acheived that state of grumpy grace that comes to all who reach "a certain age" so in answer to your question:

Yes.

But doesn't pay for the existence of the cinema, which makes its money through the sale of food and drink.

There's little enforcement these days of people bringing their own food with them

projector screen and popcorn maker at home now - paid for itself very quickly.

(plus I don't have to cough up for a babysitter - at £5 an hour to watch tv and eat my food..... oh yeah and look after the safety of my children, but still...)

[i]Orange Wednesdays + Snax from Lidl/Aldi on the way in = Night out for 2 for £10.[/i]

[shirley bassey]The minute you walked in the joint, I could tell you were a man of distinction, a real big spendaaaaaar![/shirley bassey]

🙂

@ mr woppitt!! 😉 I'm with you then!!

It's true, cinemas can only make money from the popcorn etc because the film companies are doing them over in turn. The only people who are not being done over are those at the top of the chain - the studios, and the big stars.

$20m for six months work - do me a favour.

That's where your money is going.

No matter what£ 6.40 for a drink and pop corn is eyewateringly expensive, and the fact you say "we're all on minimum wage" would make me even angrier because I reckon there's probably £5.50's worth of mark up there!!!

So are you saying that cinemas are not a business and shouldn't be allowed to make money? Cinemas aren't charities! It's actually very difficult for a cinema to make money - try setting one up yourself and see how you get on, without charging high prices for either tickets or food (or both) AND provide comfy seats, pleasant air conditioning for everyone, clean toilets, quality sound and projection, and friendly, enthusiastic customer service.

I'm sure the vast majority of people know that food at cinemas is expensive and always has been (for me anyway, and I'm 30) so why do people still insist on buying it then moaning about the price!

Re: chicken and egg - its accepted that people bring their own food and cinemas would probably lose a significant number of customers if they weren't allowed to. The high prices reflect the only way that a large cinema can make money to pay their staff, cover overheads etc as your ticket price covers largely distribution only.

Oh, and I'm not saying that I don't like the high prices either, but that's how it is and always will be, so you either accept it and enjoy the cinema experience, or don't go! Just don't complain to the cinema staff about it...

There is definitely a 'no bring your own' policy at Reel Cinemas.

When challenged (which I was) I asked if they could guarantee their concessions were nut free? They backed off.

I only asked 🙂

100% sure neither myself or my sprogs have any kind of allergy..

That said, I don't mind ticket prices too much - only go maybe 3 times a year, and it's not bad value really for the experience. I know several people with very high end TVs and BluRay and Surround, and whilst it's very very very good, it still isn't the same as a monster screen.

Old and tight? No, just sensible in my opinion.

I haven't bothered with going to the cinema for years. If a film looks like it is going to be any good I just wait until the DVD comes out and then wait another couple of months until it is reduced to half price. That way I can watch the film for less than the price of a cinema ticket in a comfy seat with a few beers and not have to worry about some chav in the row behind chewing with his mouth open whilst talking into a mobile phone.

hebden bridge cinema is best if you'll waite a bit longer. £4 or something per adult and theres loads of leg room

I genuinely don't understand the vastly inflated prices, don't they understand the tesco philosophy - low profit high turnover?

e.g. bag of minstrels costs 50p to them
Asda/Tesco etc. charge £1.00
Cinema charges £3.00
Person buys minstrels in tesco
Profit to cinema = £0

Cinema charges £1.50
Far more people buy in cinema rather than extra hassle of going prepared
Profit to cinema = £1 per bag

Kit - Member

Naranjada - Member

I refuse to buy popcorn at the concession stand, all I can see is 10p worth of ingredients for a large bag.

I support [s]my local, independent cinema and[/s] the people who make the films that they show.

I think that's what you meant to say. The cost of cinema tickets covers distribution of the reel (or digital copy if the cinema has a digital projector) and basically goes straight back to the distributor and the film makers. Which is good. But doesn't pay for the existence of the cinema, which makes its money through the sale of food and drink.

Well thanks for putting me straight. I was referring to the Cornerhouse in Manchester, to whose accounts I do not have access. I can ask Tom next time I'm in there though. I can tell you that they don't sell popcorn, nachos, hotdogs or fizzy drinks, but they do have a bar/cafe/restaurant/niche bookshop that they obviously profit from. I simply do not take your point that they make [b]nothing[/b] from the cost of admission. And what about the advertising?

[i]Back in the day[/i] I got kicked out of a cinema... me and a mate took a bucket of KFC in with us and the woman behind complained.

the same fella got kicked out of pizza hut when he stuck his head under the ice cream machine.

ebygomm - cinemas adopt the same philosophy as motorway service stations i.e. a captive audience (so to speak). You'd be surprised how many people actually buy food at the cinema. Folk tend not to plan ahead and so buy what's on site at the time. And of course maybe customers weren't hungry when they left home or didn't think they would be, and then at the cinema there's all this food on offer so they get tempted. Marketing plays a part too.

I can't be the only one who thinks I'd prefer to have nothing at all than pay that price

I guess we must be outnumbered by the easily tempted people though

Well thanks for putting me straight. I was referring to the Cornerhouse in Manchester, to whose accounts I do not have access. I can ask Tom next time I'm in there though. I can tell you that they don't sell popcorn, nachos, hotdogs or fizzy drinks

Ah I see, so when you said "concession stand" and then mentioned your local cinema I was to assume that the two were [b]not[/b] connected? I can't mind read so sorry for misrepresenting you!

I simply do not take your point that they make nothing from the cost of admission. And what about the advertising?

What about advertising? Do you mean "doesn't advertising make the cinema a profit"? Well probably not, no! And of course you're assuming that every film that's shown at every time on every day of the week has enough customers to pay for the film - many early morning, daytime and late weekend shows will get very few customers (if any!) however the cinema still has to pay its staff and overheads to run the film for several hours with or without paying guests. And outwith 'summer' (i.e. July/August) and Christmas/New Year, cinemas are usually pretty quiet except for opening Friday/Saturdays of new releases so there's very little income generated during the remainder of the year.

Perhaps Tom's business model is very different, but for big cinemas then the above would apply.

What is it with cinemas and enormous seats these days? Stupid oversize things that wobble about alarmingly, half an inch of leg room, the rake is so flat even average height people can't see properly.

Fair enough Kit.

Cornerhouse have reduced the number of screenings in the last year due to financial constraints. And there are deffo more adverts than ever. Like you say, if there's nobody to see a film what's the point in showing it?

It's a precarious business.

I genuinely don't understand the vastly inflated prices, don't they understand the tesco philosophy - low profit high turnover?

I'm sure they've thought about it a bit.

Lots of people buy stuff at the cinema. Only a certain percentage of careful money-minders will 'plan ahead' and bring stuff with them. Everyone else will pay £3.50.

The cost of cinema tickets covers distribution of the reel (or digital copy if the cinema has a digital projector) and basically goes straight back to the distributor and the film makers. Which is good. But doesn't pay for the existence of the cinema, which makes its money through the sale of food and drink.

Not entirely accurate.

Payment to distributor is on a percentage of ticket sales, but it only kicks in once a minimum amount has been recovered from overall ticket sales to cover the cinema's fixed costs. The percentage varies from film to film, and depending how assertive the cinema is in their negotiations could see the distributor taking an 80% cut.

There are some awful films that the cinema will be under contract to show, for at least a minimum number of screenings per week, but this is part of the overall package agreed between the head office and the distributor.

In terms of concessions, cinemas need to inflate their prices to turn a profit, and they go for price over increased sales. Pence/spend per person is the key driver in concessions, hence the proliferation of combo deals and hot dogs (pointless food for cinema snacking IMO as they're gone in seconds). If anything, discount schemes like Orange Wednesdays erode the spend per person as those most likely to seek a bargain are those least likely to spend on concessions.

In terms of income spread over the year, the business forecasts will be driven on the anticipated performance of new releases, and so stock and staffing will be adjusted accordingly. It is still possible to turn a profit through the year while maintaining a consistent margin. The admissions will be down when there's nothing out, but so will the number of staff on the floor.

Do you mean "doesn't advertising make the cinema a profit"? Well probably not, no!

It does. Internal posters, slides, standees and audio/video tracks do contribute to the bottom line. While trailers increase potential future sales and are required by contract from the distributor, the actual paid-for advertising is separate to this and its benefit can be clearly measured.

Alasdair
Ex cinema manager

Ex cinema manager

I love STW 🙂

Some more factoids as knowledge is power and all that. Anything from 35%-80% of the ticket price can make its way straight to the distributor. That figure is based several factors including how much the distributor knows it can squeeze out of the cinemas due to demand (e.g. Avatar 70%) and how many titles released by that distributor the cinema has/will agree to show throughout the year. The remaining cut of the box office sales may just cover the running costs of the cinema, but this is very unlikely. Therefore, the bulk of the profit must therefore come from food sales.

The argument that reducing food prices would make more money in the long run by increasing food sales is rubbish. The suits at head office have calculated the premium prices that people will pay to strike the balance between food sales and profits. If they could make more money by charging less for food, don't you think they would be doing it?!

Consider the running costs of these places. You're looking at monthly ground rent for the site itself running to 6 figures for multiplexes. The energy requirements to power the Xenon bulb in the projector for 2+ hours. The air con to cool/heat the cavernous room. Gas. Water. Property tax. COG's. Cleaning supplies. Couriers. Maintenance. Advertising. IT. The payroll to clean up the filth left after each showing (as people no longer have the manners to put their rubbish in bins anymore). How about the body fluid kits to clean up the vomit on a Saturday afternoon because parents think it’s a good idea to ply their kids with pure carbs?

Ticket price is subjective as mentioned before. £7.00 for 2 hours of entertainment you can at least research beforehand to gauge if you will enjoy it? Or £40 to watch your footy team lose in the pouring rain. £30 for a restaurant meal for two. I’d spend £7.00 in an hour whilst at the pub…

I’m not defending the chains here, I’m aware of how much the cinema I work at makes each year, it just really bugs me when people go on and on about these same issues. Please, please, don’t moan about the food and drink. Just don’t buy it! I’m pretty sure the human body can survive without food and drink for two hours. Ask for tap water if you must or smuggle in some sweets. Why do people feel the need to consume a full meal whilst watching a movie FFS? It constantly amazes me how many families turn up to watch terrible, terrible kids films, whine on and on about the prices, all on perfectly sunny days when they could be in the park or exploring the countryside for free actually engaging with their kids.

If I had to spend £8 on food of the guilty pleasure variety it would be A 'spoons beer and burger before or after the movie... Cinemas are great if you're stuck away from home or something, but I just don't feel the magic the way I used to...

It's all about [i]perceived [/i]value, isn't it.

On the one hand, thirty quid to watch a film and get a catering pack of stale popcorn is extortionate.

On the other hand, an evening out for all the family and you only spent 30 quid, that's a bargain.

As an aside, many moons ago I used to work in a bowling alley, one of the big national chains. They were no strangers to charging high prices, the branch manager used to justify this by saying that you're not just paying for a drink or whatever, you're paying for the 'experience,' ie. for your time spent hanging out in the 'bowl.

Some of the pricing was pretty interesting though; one of the single biggest mark-ups in the entire building was on soft drinks. A 'large' Coke (cost to the consumer, around two quid) actually cost less to buy in than one of those little pots of ketchup (cost to the consumer, about 10p); the stuff's almost pure profit. It's kind of ironic which price generated the most complaints.

Regardless of all the above, in my mind £4.10 for a bag of whank popcorn is a rip off!

it just really bugs me when people go on and on about these same issues. Please, please, don’t moan about the food and drink. Just don’t buy it!

High fives Dreg! Just finished my box office shift - lots of happy customers tonight as we do cheap tickets. Bargain at £2.60 🙂

Cinemas charge what they do because people will pay it, end of.

The same applies in any business, it's just that it seems worse at a cinema when you're buying in such big quantities. Scale down cinema postmix drink serving sizes and they're comparable with pub prices but people miss this fact.

They're overpriced in pubs too. (-:

hot date
dark cinema
popcorn with a hole cut in the bottom
Nuff said!