Lights Out at the Cineplex: A $60 Movie-Night Rant
The entire cinema eco-system needs to do better - here's how much tickets and a box of popcorn should really cost if theaters are going to make a comeback
When ticket prices burn a hole in your Gen X heart, even a lifelong movie goer starts asking why.
I recently took my son to Thunderbolts* (The New Avengers).
Two tickets: $40
One pretzel & one ICEE: $20
Sixty bucks to see a possibly mediocre movie (I heard it was good though).
$60 ÷ 126 minutes = about 48 cents per minute.
Either way, that’s one very expensive ICEE-fueled event.
Guess what… I was ready to look past that because the first ¾ of the film was pretty good. But then, in typical Marvel fashion, the ending became a fast-paced convoluted mess, concluding with one of my most hated things in modern super-hero films, and that is that everything was undone by a single act of chance by the heroes.
Frustrated me to no end.
And honestly, I’d consider myself a very patient and understanding movie goer. I mean, I’ve read most of the comic books, understand the character backgrounds, and I know most films will disappoint in some minor way. No film is perfect (… well, except for maybe Godfather II and Galaxy Quest), so I go into the film with an open mind and none of that “hate the idea of sequels first” mentality.
Like, look at this poll about the upcoming Superman movie I posted the other day… there’s a lot of “hate the movie first” mentality in the comments…
BUT, COME ON MARVEL — PLEASE WRITE REAL VILLAINS AND IF THEY COMMIT CRIMES AND ATROCITIES, MAKE THEM STICK… WE JUST WANT TO HATE THE VILLAIN FOR ONCE AND FOR YOU NOT TO MAKE THEM AN ANTI-HERO WITH SPLIT-PERSONALITY, FUNNY IF YOU GET TO KNOW THEM, KINDA VILLIAN!!
That’s just BS.
(This is something DC does way better than Marvel, by the way, but the difference is DC films suck for a great 3/4s of the way in) DC = Good villains. Movie sucks.
This is why we can’t have nice things at the cinema anymore.
But The New Avengers had so much promise. I really mean it.
The villain in The New Avengers is so badass… at first.
I still recommend seeing it, just know the ending, after the “shadow-forming” of everyone and the entire city, is pretty meh and leaves you wondering how they could have built up a villain like this and just as quickly took everything back at the end.
So back to my gripe with the theatre experience today.
Ticket + Snack Guilt: The math is soul-crushing. Americans now average 2.3 theater visits per year (down from 5.2 two decades ago), even as costs explode. I assume the .3 is people leaving in the middle of every Marvel movie since Thor Love and Thunder. A medium popcorn runs about $8 (It costs around $10 in San Diego – the price of a matinee ticket – and two drinks plus a shareable popcorn can hit $25 (again, more in San Diego). Even the cashier grudgingly acknowledges the sticker shock. Putting that on the credit card, are you? No wonder 72% of folks say they'd go more often if tickets and snacks were cheaper. I think a movie ticket and popcorn shouldn’t cost more than $15. The period is emphasized. Period. Theatres, film distributors, studios, I don’t care, they just need to figure this out and that’s the number. $15 per person… I guarantee you theatres would fill back up. Also, drop the price on the concessions… an ICEE should not cost $10!! Go ahead and pad the cost to make some money, sure… $4 for an ICEE. Fine, I’ll take one.
Blockbuster Fatigue: Yes, Barbie and Oppenheimer packed theaters, but those were anomalies. Barbenheimer-level hits are rare, and Marvel mojo is running low. The rest of the slate? Often cookie-cutter sequels or half-baked reboots, each daring you to spring for the next installment. The result is a risky trip and strained wallet for flicks that are just okay. Here’s an idea – bring back 80s, 90s, and 2000s film to cinemas on a regular basis. So many younger generations today have not experienced some of the fantastic films of the past in theatres. My generation would appreciate it too. In the meantime, work on the new films longer and make them better. Tell better stories dammit!
Theater Experience = WTF: Going out should be fun, not infuriating. Instead, you roll the dice on crying babies, phone-texting neighbors, and sticky floors. Oh, I almost forgot. Annoying tweens and the people that order their dinner because God forbid they wait two hours before they get back home to eat. Staying home has perks: decent surround sound, a remote, and cheap popcorn. Even Netflix’s Ted Sarandos flat-out calls theaters “outdated,” noting most folks prefer home viewing. True. At least on my couch the biggest interruption is my five-year-old asking for more popcorn, and not the server delivering someone’s Gruyere cheeseburger and fries during a key scene.
Outdated Theaters: There’s been talk that theaters are outdated, and that’s why people don’t go anymore. I think that’s probably true to a small degree. Why do theaters get outdated in the first place? It’s usually because of low revenues to fill the “updates and renovations” pot for the establishment. Ultimately, that’s because movie goers are not going to see films at the theater. Work on the prices. Are studios going to have to renegotiate actor salaries and make a smaller cut? Sure. Are distributors going to make a smaller cut? Sure. But if theaters are going to make it, this needs to happen.
Saving Cinema Or Letting It Die
On that note… Is there hope? Some industry pros say yes. Sony exec Tom Rothman puts it plainly, “Lower the prices and you’ll sell more.” What have I been saying? Also, theaters have to deliver more of what people want. Clean theaters (get rid of the silly dinners please. I don’t want to smell broccoli… have you smelled broccoli?), great films, and fair pricing. If Hollywood can master that sequel, maybe the box office will too. If they don’t, theaters might just roll credits early. For now, I’ll keep my popcorn fresh and the TV remote closer, and I will continue to be extremely discerning as to which movie I’m going to go see in theaters.
How about you? I want to know what price you think is the magic number (all in, with popcorn and a drink… obv necessary when going to the theatre) to get you out to the movies:
Five bucks for matinee. No cell phones allowed. Limit trailers to four or five instead of the current 27.
Thanks for sharing John. Realistically, ticket with snacks (meaning a drink, popcorn and hottamales lol) should run no more then $25 per person. Especially in more expensive places like Cali or NY for Ex. Ideally everything should be cheaper but yeah for sure an experience going to a movie anymore is kinda nauseating; especially when the movie is rushed and not a piece of fully thoughtful fine art. Next question you should ask is Marvel or DC, which do you prefer in terms of story telling?