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Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive

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Jesse in Japan
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
Movie theater popcorn has the fat equivalent of about two days' worth of meals, so that's actually a bargain if you think about it in a tangential, bizarre way.
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Quilt
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
I would sneak in candy, but I really like eating popcorn during the movie. It's a mindless little activity to do that helps you concentrate on the film. There's always too much salt though, so I can never finish a whole bag (even a small). I always feel a little ripped off, but whatcha ya going to do?
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dtm
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
One of my jobs in high school(1980-82) was as an usher at the local multiplex. At that time the numbers looked like this...

a fifty pound bag of unpopped popcorn cost the theater $5 us

from that fifty pound bag the theater would make approx. $600 us in sales

When I asked my manager how we could justify our prices and why anyone would pay that much for popcorn and candy he told me something that I still remember to this day..."If there's a seat, there's an ass to sit in it."
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EBone
03/13/09

@dtm: Remember that time you had the crush on the chick at the photo store across the way in the mall and you spent like 50 bucks on film and you didn't even have a camera?
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EBone
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
I stopped going to the movies when ticket prices went over $12 and movies were released on DVD three months after the theater premier.
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fuchikoma
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
Yep, and don't forget 15 minutes solid worth of ads for everything from new movies to Mazda and Skittles. Taking up more of your time, and making more cash for the theatres.

Now I'll go to a movie or two per year, but most of them I'd download because I'm not going to pay as much as I would for a DVD just to see a movie once and go home.
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Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
The worst part is that it's not even made fresh anymore. They just take already popped kernels and warm them under a heat lamp...
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Justin Paulson
03/13/09

@Jrsy Devil's Food Cake®: wow what crappy theatre do you go to? Any theatre I've worked at has completely new corn every day
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Justin Paulson was starred Justin Paulson was unstarred

Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
03/13/09

@Justin Paulson: AMC Theaters. Perhaps you've heard of them..
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Monty
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
If you want theaters to survive (which is an open debate given our personal home theaters), you almost have to buy a bag of popcorn to give them some sort of profit - ignoring the small mortgage you have to take out to afford your night out. Personally, I think the box office needs to raise their price on the ticket so they can make a larger profit and charge a more reasonable price on the refreshments (although I recognize that the agreement they have with the MPAA makes that nearly impossible to do without giving more money to the studio). Then again, I wouldn't think a higher ticket price made sense if my wife did not demand the jumbo popcorn and pop every time we were watching a new flick. Damn those nights out are expensive.
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Kaiser-Machead
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
I generally go to the Regal Battery Park 11 theater since it's so close to my office. They don't care what I bring in there. Me and some other people once went to a late showing with Chinese takeout. Nuts to theaters with their concession rules. I already paid $12.50+ to see their movie, I'm not buying their high-priced vittles. WHAT A BUNCH OF.......
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Hello Mister Walrus
03/13/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Ah, I see your reference to a defunct commenter.
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It's not my baby, baby!
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
Those prices are low! I live in central Missouri for Wozniak's sake and tickets are 30% more than that!
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nutbastard
03/13/09

@bmocbarker:

Speaking of movies and Woz, I once got talked into seeing this horrible chick flick with him and his girlfriend (Now Fiance) last year.

I can't even remember the title, but good lord, it was awkward.
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Gordon McAlpin
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
Guys, that's average movie ticket price, factoring in all the matinees and cheapie theaters in existence. In the sticks, movies are less expensive, too.

[www.natoonline.org]
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Mark Wilson
03/13/09

@Gordon McAlpin: Thanks Gordon, we appreciate people who read the article before commenting.
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Mark Wilson was starred Mark Wilson was unstarred

Thanassi Karageorgiou
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
Why is it that you giz guys have been photoshopping everything with the apple/itunes store styling/advertising lately? (i.e. the white background and planar reflection below subject) This post has absolutely nothing to do with apple or anything related to it. Do you just think its cool? Its getting a little redundant and annoying.
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Hello Mister Walrus
03/13/09

@Thanassi Karageorgiou: You're getting a little redundant and annoying.
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d_r_e
03/13/09

@Thanassi Karageorgiou:

You do realize that many other companies have used that same background for years? Probably not. Either way, go suck a tailpipe from an SUV you damned troll.
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Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
03/13/09

@Thanassi Karageorgiou: Maybe your hatred of Apple products has you seeing them where none exist, like figments of your imagination...
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nutbastard
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
The theater around here is really, really cool.

You can bring in ANYTHING from outside. When I saw Watchmen the other day, I brought in a Red Robin Cheeseburger meal, and a 12 pack of PBR, no hassle, no problem (OK we put the beer in a backpack, as it isn't legal to BYOB to a business without paying for 'corkage')
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KronikFpLiOnYkD
03/13/09

@nutbastard (Everyone come to snowmodo!!!): Same with ours, it's great.
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KronikFpLiOnYkD was starred KronikFpLiOnYkD was unstarred

nutbastard
03/13/09

@KronikFpLiOnYkD:

Where you at?
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nutbastard was starred nutbastard was unstarred

Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
03/13/09

@nutbastard (Everyone come to snowmodo!!!): And you probably spent more on the ticket then you did on the PBR...lol
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nutbastard
03/13/09

@Jrsy Devil's Food Cake®:

about twice as much, yes.
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nutbastard was starred nutbastard was unstarred

Richard Buyak Jr
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
What people need to remember about concession prices is that theaters make on average $1.08 per movie ticket. This won't even cover most theater rent costs. Concession is the only way to make a theater profitable.
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Richard Buyak Jr was starred Richard Buyak Jr was unstarred

Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
03/13/09

@Richard Buyak Jr: "What people need to remember about concession prices is that theaters make on average $1.08 per movie ticket"

Yeah but when it's a 15 screen multiplex with show times running throughout three quarters of the day that ain't exactly chump change either..
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Dragonis
03/13/09

@Jrsy Devil's Food Cake®:

The bigger the theater, the larger the upkeep.
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Justin Paulson
03/13/09

@Jrsy Devil's Food Cake®: Actually it is chump change. Most theatres are running bulbs that are 2000-5000 watt xenon bulbs. Just the bulbs alone are pumping out 2-5 killowatt hours every hour. It takes a LOT of money for a theatre to stay profitable.
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Justin Paulson was starred Justin Paulson was unstarred

Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
03/13/09

@Dragonis: In some of the theaters around here 'upkeep' is purely optional..
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Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
03/13/09

@Justin Paulson: Please supply actual dollar figures before declaring it chump change.
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d_r_e
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
It is completely absurd that they charge that much for popcorn, and that people will actually buy that shit.
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ppeetteeyy
03/13/09

In reply to Movie Theater Popcorn, It Really Is That Expensive
Your prices are low. Here tickets are $10 and popcorn is about $5.
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Mark Wilson
03/13/09

@ppeetteeyy: Keep in mind, these ticket prices are averages of all tickets sold per year. So that average is always brought down by the amount of child tickets sold.
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Mark Wilson was starred Mark Wilson was unstarred

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