# Would you pay $20 for a movie ticket? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 21, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199 "2010-05-21T01:40:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/21 "2010-05-21T07:22:26Z")
A while ago my family was going to see Alice In Wonderland and the ticket price was AUD$18, which was 3D but not IMAX. I said no, I wasn’t going to pay that for a ticket. However it was mostly because I could take or leave seeing Alice In Wonderland on the big screen. If it was something I was really anticipating and it was a real “big screen” movie - like Avatar for example, then I’d pay that. ---
**Author:** ![Anduinel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Anduinel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduinel)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/22 "2010-05-21T07:59:15Z")
Absolutely not. If it was something I really wanted to see, I’d find a way to hit a matinee or Early Bird special showing. Anything else I can likely get the DVD for $16 day of release at Best Buy and trade it in to the local used shop if it turns out to be crap. There’d be no reason for me to pay $20 for a single viewing with a pack of strangers. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_a\_Platypus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d26b3c/32.png) [@Not\_a\_Platypus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_a_Platypus)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/23 "2010-05-21T08:04:10Z")
The only time I’ll pay that much for a movie is at one of the fancy theaters, with the recliners and dinner/drink service, and I’ve only done that once. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/24 "2010-05-21T08:19:01Z")
I wouldn’t pay $10 for a movie ticket. Abstractly, I like seeing movies in theaters. I like the community experience of seeing a new movie with other people, the buzz of anticipation when nobody knows what to expect. In practice, however, most theaters are nasty experiences, unpleasant at any price. [This](http://newrivervoice.com/archives/3269) is one exception that’s sort of near me. A Main Street location, not an island in a parking lot–a walk away from restaurants for before or after. One screen. Five-dollar tickets. Fresh popcorn with real butter. Popcorn and sodas for non-stupid prices; a small soda (which is actually small) is a buck. People thank the operator when they leave. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/25 "2010-05-21T08:26:25Z")
I have paid roughly the equivalent of that in pounds sterling. It’s Imax 3D, not any old cinema; at home I have a projector that gives me a 70" screen, but it’s still worth the occasional proper cinema trip. Spending twice as much again on popcorn and a drink, though? Er … no. How could you possibly spend that much on snacks? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/26 "2010-05-21T08:31:59Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > I remember going to see dollar movies as a kid. Wow inflation makes you feel old lol. Dollar movies still exist. I normally go to second run theaters that charge $2 a ticket for nighttime showings. Of course, around here, theaters just broke the $10 barrier. I think $20 would give me a stroke. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/27 "2010-05-21T12:46:42Z")
Let’s see in NYC, the minimum wage is $7.25/hr. So after taxes and deductions you probably have about 85% to spend. So that’s 7.25 X 0.85 = 6.16. And the ticket would be $20/$6.16 = 3.25 So it would take a minimum wage worker 3 and a quarter hours (net-roughly) to see a movie at that price. I guess that would be a better way to ask. Would you work 3.25 hours to see a movie? 🙂 I wouldn’t ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/28 "2010-05-21T12:58:04Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > I wouldn’t pay $10 for a movie ticket. > > Abstractly, I like seeing movies in theaters. I like the community experience of seeing a new movie with other people, the buzz of anticipation when nobody knows what to expect. > > In practice, however, most theaters are nasty experiences, unpleasant at any price. > > [This](http://newrivervoice.com/archives/3269) is one exception that’s sort of near me. A Main Street location, not an island in a parking lot–a walk away from restaurants for before or after. One screen. Five-dollar tickets. Fresh popcorn with real butter. Popcorn and sodas for non-stupid prices; a small soda (which is actually small) is a buck. > > People thank the operator when they leave. I love the linked article; it reads like a parody. Everything is “Radford”. The town is Radford. Radford University. Radford Theatre. Main Street Radford. Radford City Florist. The word Radford appears 25 times, including the headline, and the article is only about 700 words long. 😃 Sounds like a great theatre tho. I’d totally see movies Radford-style at the Radford Theatre if I was a resident of Radford living in Radford. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/29 "2010-05-21T13:12:26Z")
> [@Valgard](#): > > For $20 I expect: > > 1. A helluva good movie. > 2. Not one single commercial. Trailers are fine. > 3. Comfy seats. > 4. Audience that behaves. > 4a. If anybody’s cellphone rings during the movie the projectionist pauses the film so that everybody else can dismember that person and trade his limbs in for a free tub of popcorn, with real butter not that faux orange “fluid”. Here there’s a screen that is €20 but the seats are comfier and more spaced out, no children are allowed and you get a glass of wine or beer and popcorn. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/30 "2010-05-21T14:08:35Z")
If it’s a really nice theater, and a movie I’m highly anticipating seeing on the big screen? Yeah. In fact, The Senator theater in Baltimore went bankrupt a couple of years ago, and were forced to close their doors. But when we lived close to Baltimore, we’d have gladly paid $20.00 a ticket to see a movie there. Why? Well, number one, it was a _real movie theater_ with _one_ ginormous screen. Two, they still showed a cartoon before the movie! (Ahhhh, what price, nostalgia? Lol!). Three, they put _real butter_ on their popcorn! Four, the seats were comfy. Five, the lobby and restrooms were Art Deco, all the floors done in inlaid marble. Oh, and an added bonus? The ladies’ room still had a couple of comfy chairs and a sofa in it! How many years had it been since I’d seen _that_?!? They always gave first-preference to movies that had anything to do with Baltimore. In fact, the fact that it was playing at The Senator was the _only_ reason we went to see _Guarding Tess_, but hubby and I both enjoyed it. We also got to see _Amistad_ there. Hell, even when we lived in Cumberland (a 2.5 hour drive), it became tradition for hubby to take our middle daughter to The Senator to see the new Harry Potter flicks as they came out. So, figuring in the cost of gas, plus time making it _necessary_ to stop for a meal, they may as well have been paying $20.00 a ticket! With all the people saying “I don’t go to the movies anymore, because I can get the same viewing experience at home these days”, I’ve thought for a while that theaters are going to have to change their business models, and start offering more premium services! ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/31 "2010-05-21T14:11:29Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Everything is “Radford”. Yeah. Mostly small towns round here. When you’ve only got one or so of anything in town, a lot of 'em wind up like that. Makes it easy to remember where things are. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/32 "2010-05-21T14:24:45Z")
We don’t pay for movies at all because we get them for free on Tuesdays. My fiance’s aunt has the triple play package from some cable company and they give her a card for free movies in NYC but she lives in CT so it is useless for her. She just gave us the card to use at our leisure and so far it has been pretty wonderful to get a free movie every week. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/33 "2010-05-21T17:31:16Z")
I’d pay $20.00 for the **Avatar** sequel(s) but that’s it. I think, hope, it comes to pass that people will soon realize that 3D _doesn’t_ add all that much to regular movies so why the hell are they paying $3-10 extra every time? It’s a scam, except in the case of a movie specifically made for 3D, and people should come to their senses pretty quickly. I go to the theater more than enough to make up for the people in this thread. I’ve seen 70 movies in the theater so far this year. And we have a really nice home theater system with a 4’x7’ screen and ceiling-mounted projector, big-ass speakers/surround-sound/all that crap, and over 1500 DVDs. I PREFER going to the theater at this point in my life. I just like the theater experience and luckily I never have any of the problems people seem to attract to themselves at the theater. > [@gaffa](#): > > But then I see 160+ films in the theater every year and never pay full ticket price. At AMC theaters, where I see most films, I’ll go see films as part of their “AM Cinema” program ($5 locally, $7 maximum), or “Weekday Escape” program (same $5-$7 Monday-Thursday). If I have to see one on a weekend, I’ll buy passes at CostCo which gets the ticket price even at Chicago’s most expensive theaters to $8. And that’s just for first run. Lots of cheaper alternatives on second-run, like the Brew&View at the Vic theater, which gets me a second run triple feature. Or $6 Tuesdays at Chicago’s City North 14. Or their “Five Buck Club” for movies on their 3rd week. Yes to all this for me too. There’s also a $5 Mondays at the Music Box for arthouse/indie films, and $6.50 matinees at Evanston Century. There are some movies I will pay full price for. The Gene Siskel Center is having an Akira Kurosawa retrospective. Tomorrow I’m going to see **Throne of Blood** , and there are at least 3 more I can make work with my odd work schedule ( **Seven Samurai, Dersu Uzala and Kagemusha** ) and they will be worth full price tickets, which are $10. Anyway, $20 for a non-event movie? Especially for _Shrek_?? Hell no. Fuck them. I will never pay a penny extra for another 3D movie unless, again, it’s an **Avatar** sequel. ---
**Author:** ![Sudo\_Intellectual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sudo\_Intellectual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudo_Intellectual)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/34 "2010-05-21T17:44:45Z")
I already have paid that. A few times now. Mostly for movies with the 3-D Surcharge. I Saw Avatar and Alice 3 - D at that price and paid $17.50 last week for Iron Man 2. My boyfriend absolutely loves the new Icon theater in the South Loop. Not only are the seats ridiculously comfortable (and large enough that I can curl up and cuddle), it is adults only, they have a full bar accessible and they are VERY Strict about talking / cell phones / disruptions in general. Plus parking is free. (At least for now, I’m sure that won’t last). I feel like the extra 5 dollars that I pay compared to the City North or Webster is completely worth it for the better seats, and overall better patrons. It’s wonderful to be able to see an action movie at 9:00 at night and not have a screaming infant / child / adult disrupting everything. Plus, um, they sell Bacon Popcorn. It’s a beautiful thing. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/35 "2010-05-21T18:14:15Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > $20 for the Dark Knight or $50 to see a regular season Cubs game? You can get a ticket to a Cubs game for as little as $8. Admittedly, it’ll be a pretty crappy seat, and you can only get it for certain games, but still. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/36 "2010-05-21T18:37:34Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > I can download BluRay 720p quality movies for free (I do what I want cause a pirate is free) and watch them on my 42" flatscreen with 5.1 sound. Me and the teens can watch it and eat dinner and I can have a beer. The movie starts right away. OR, I can pay $60 for three people if I want to take the kids to the movies. I also get to watch “the 20” which is what they call their stream of commercials. THEN watch 4 previews. Yea no thanks. You’ll never get to learn that MASH KNOT unscrambles to “Tom Hanks” with _that_ attitude, buddy… ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/37 "2010-05-21T20:28:49Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > You’ll never get to learn that MASH KNOT unscrambles to “Tom Hanks” with _that_ attitude, buddy… That’s not Tom Hanks. It’s Otm Shank, India’s answer to Brian Dennehey. ---
**Author:** ![jlasserton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@jlasserton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jlasserton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/38 "2010-05-21T20:38:07Z")
Wow, $20 is a lot. I think it is already getting expensive to see a movie anyway. I would not pay this much, I would prefer to wait until I could rent it through Redbox for $1. Movies have been coming out on DVD a lot faster now. [Redbox](http://www.redbox.com/) ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/39 "2010-05-21T21:14:59Z")
is it just me, or is a movie bubble burst inevitable? steadily inflating prices in a sector whose product is not nearly improving as much as the prices dictate? the government HAS to step in before it’s too late. (i write this only half in jest. the movie industry is going to be in for a rude awakening soon, mostly actors i suspect.) ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199/40 "2010-05-21T21:26:59Z")
Hell no. Of course, I have seen two movies in the theater since 2008 (and one of them my sister paid for as a birthday gift) so it’s reasonable to assume that I wouldn’t pay _anything_ for a movie ticket. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-pay-20-for-a-movie-ticket/540199.md?page=3)