So I’m on my way to see 28 days later. But wait, inspiration strikes me!
“Pull into Wal-Mart,” I say to my friend. He complies, and we head to the candy aisle. Ha! Four times the snackage per bag, at least a sixth of the cost.
With my one-pound bag of Starburst in pocket, I smugly sit down for the movie. Of course, that much sugary sweetness eventually took its toll, and I wanted a soda.
“A large Sprite, please,” I say to the girl at the counter.
She fills it up and sets it in front of me. Mmm. Carbonated goodness.
“That’ll be four dollars.”
FOUR DOLLARS! FOR A SODA!
Damn you! Damn you to the lowest circles of hell! I will have my revenge, movie theater concession stand! Victory will be mine in the end!
I remember when my family used to go to movies. We’d always stop at convenience stores first and load up on candy. That was fun.
Nowadays, I rarely go to movies, and I don’t think to go get stuff beforehand when I do. No biggie, I usually don’t need to snack during movies now anyway. Besides, I figured I knew how expensive movie food can be, having worked at one some years ago. I guess when I worked there, it never penetrated my brain how much I was charging folks.
When I went to see a matinee showing of Finding Nemo not long ago, I’d just gotten off work and I needed food badly. So I broke down and got a nearly-stale pretzel (with nacho cheese! :eek: ) and a small soda.
$7.80.
$7.80. I coulda bought a damn good dinner for that. That was more than the cost of the ticket.
I guess I never really thought about it when selling, but it sure as hell hits you when you’re buying. Ugh.
I’ve never understood the compulsive need of some people to have a snack during a movie. I know people who cannot watch a movie without a drink and candy.
I think it’s partially habit and partially a need to create the best movie experience possible by adding pleasurable foods (I like to snack while playing computer games, so I know the feeling).
I’ll occasionally bring some sugar-free candy to the movie, but usually just mints or gum. I don’t like to drink anything during the movie, though, because I’ll have to get up and go to the restroom in the middle of it.
They have those in Edmonton, and they’re freaking expensive. It’s like $10 just for the ticket. I know their seats can recline, but that’s a little much.
Anyway, the small town movie theatre I go to only offers popcorn, candy, pop, and slushy.
I like to bring a big purse and stick a sub sandwich in there.
Normally, though, I don’t eat at all at the theater. The sound of eating and rustling candy wrappers irritates me too much. (You know, besides the expense . . . it’s $8.50 per ticket at my favorite movie theater.)
The whole problem is that the theaters all put heroin in the artificial butter-flavored grease. I’d be willing to sneak other things in, but that popcorn…must have the popcorn…
It not quite the ass raping you think. In a lot of theatres the average ticket cost is near break even for the theatre owner vs his expenses. The main substantive profit is on the concessions. Without expensive concessions they might well go out of business.
Heh. I’ve found if you really want to impress someone by spending a lot of money on them, just take 'em to a movie.
2 tickets: $17-$21
2 large popcorns: $9-$12
2 large sodas: $8-$10
2 boxes of Junior Mints*: $7-$9
Total: $41-$52**
Ridiculous. Dropping around $50 for two people (who eat a lot of concessions) for one movie which probably isn’t worth watching on HBO.
[sub]* It ain’t a movie without Junior Mints.
** All figures painstakingly researched with the invaluable help of Dr. James Schlürgendorfer, Professor of Proctological Statistics[/sub]
You took the words right out of my mouth. I used to work at the movies and this is where the money comes from to pay the concessionists, the ushers, the movie ticket booth personnel. Every bit of the money that is sold in tickets goes to RENT the movie from the studios.
Hell I’d suck it up about the price if they would just fucking LISTEN to me. I’ve been going to movies for a couple decades now. I know what is available, and I know what I want. Listen to me, I give you all of the info up front. Typical conversation:
Many times the above has gone on. I typically then demand a manager. They are supposed to have cups for ice for those drinking high priced water. If the manager will not provide them, I have on several occaisions demanded a refund for the popcorn and the movie tickets. I then write a nasty email (with employee names) to the company about how no one is doing their job at this theater. I inform them that I was about to spend $40+ and would not because they would not provide me with .000001 cents worth of ice and cup. I’ve gotten a bunch of free movie tickets as a result, but to be honest, I’d rather just get my popcorn, water, and ice when I fucking order it.
dalovindj, if you were in my theater when i was working there, i would have had your billegeran ass thrown out so fast it would have made your head spin. First off, have you ever ever worked behinf a counter anywhere? Because it sucks, people ordering are generally twenty times dumber than you can imagine. They will order one thing and then claim another, its a very good idea to double check. Its also often comapny policy to offer things like Combos, on top of that when you work in a movie theater with 150 other people, things like courtesy cups get moved. Assholes who write just to get free tickets when things dont go perfect are the biggest pain in everyones ass. Seriously, they sounded to be somewhat helpful so lay the fuck off. Seriously, that conversation doesnt sound that bad had the “retard” said “hey fuckhole i dont want get your courtesy cup” then youd have grounds to complain but you are complaining that they were doing there best. Seriously, they do more buisness than probably any other cashier in town, and people like you make their job difficult. Fucking adapt! Give orders one at a time. Assfuck. JUst because they are on the other side of the counter doesnt make them inferior to you in any way shape or form.
Jeez, psychomonkey, maybe you should lay off the caffeine. Sounds to me like dalovindj’s request wasn’t all that difficult, and his complaints were (a) that the retard couldn’t remember ANY part of it without repeated questioning every inch of the way, and (b) he just wanted his order in the first place, not to have to complain to management. It’s not THAT hard to remember a regular popcorn with butter, a small bottle of water, and a cup of ice. Even for the average Teenage Concession Moron.
That being said, our local movie theater serves daiquiris. And Hurricanes (a local specialty drink, well-known for its lethality). I suspect a lot of folks don’t even NOTICE the movie…
