Movie madness

[mustachepungoeshere]

I wont punch you. I much prefer the professional,theater inviewing a film. Here at home, or at the home of my friend where we watch a lot of stuff, there are interruptions--dongs, bathroom breaks, etc.

What in the world is going on when you are watching movies?  lol

When they were newly retired, my parents once went to a matinee together.  They enjoy bourbon and Coke, so my mom snuck in a small flask and they both bought large Cokes and took their seats.  Wanting to be discrete, my mother waited until the lights had dimmed before pouring some of the bourbon in my dad's cup, then some in hers.  As the movie went on, she could barely taste the alcohol so she kept pouring a bit more in - all to no avail.  Eventually she just decided it was such a large drink that the bourbon was too watered-down to taste.

Well, the lights come up and they get up to leave, and my dad almost pitches over on the floor.  That's when mom realized that in the dark she had accidentally poured all of the bourbon into dad's drink, and he had just spent the last ninety minutes getting blissfully plastered.  Till the day he died dad insisted that he never remembered even seeing that movie.  :)

Amazing story. :D :D :D

[iris lily]

I wont punch you. I much prefer the professional,theater inviewing a film. Here at home, or at the home of my friend where we watch a lot of stuff, there are interruptions--dongs, bathroom breaks, etc.

What in the world is going on when you are watching movies?  lol

When they were newly retired, my parents once went to a matinee together.  They enjoy bourbon and Coke, so my mom snuck in a small flask and they both bought large Cokes and took their seats.  Wanting to be discrete, my mother waited until the lights had dimmed before pouring some of the bourbon in my dad's cup, then some in hers.  As the movie went on, she could barely taste the alcohol so she kept pouring a bit more in - all to no avail.  Eventually she just decided it was such a large drink that the bourbon was too watered-down to taste.

Well, the lights come up and they get up to leave, and my dad almost pitches over on the floor.  That's when mom realized that in the dark she had accidentally poured all of the bourbon into dad's drink, and he had just spent the last ninety minutes getting blissfully plastered.  Till the day he died dad insisted that he never remembered even seeing that movie.  :)

Haha dongs, that would a different kind of film I think.

No it is DOGS that distract us here.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

One more thing, has anyone ever snuck a canned drink into a theatre? Pshhh... *Everyone looks around because they don't sell cans here*

Nah. A flask is more my speed: if there's no volunteer for designated driver, we draw straws before heading out.

If I'm going to break the rules I do it up right.

Ahh, memories. My cousin was going to see the midnight release of Dark Knight with his girlfriend. Apparently she was not feeling well because he called me at around 930 saying, "I'm picking you up, be outside in 5 minutes," and then hung up. So I went outside and got her ticket to the movie. He had a bottle of Seagrams with him. I bought us sodas. He poured the entire botle in our 2 cups and we got pretty drunk waiting for the movie to start and sobered up in time to get home.

Yeah I feel no shame sneaking things into the movie theater. I've brought a bag of my own popcorn in, ice cream, cans of sodas, candy, and more. In high school I knew many of the people working at the theater so I was pretty ballsy but even now I don't believe that theaters will do much to stop you unless you are obnoxious about it and very obvious.

Once, back during the Dark Ages when fresh, hot pretzels were new and exciting and movie theaters didn't sell them, this cute brunette and I were trying to sneak some of those fresh, hot pretzels into the movies. We has them discreetly wrapped up in a brown paper bag like vintage Euro porn, but the management had stationed a poor, acne-covered young lad at the door to deter lawbreakers like us.

"What's in the bag?" He demanded archly as my friend blanched and stammered.

Quickly, I cast about to think of the one thing most feared by young males. Dragons? Nope: too fictional. Rejection? Nope: too abstract to fit in the paper bag. And, if I told him it was vintage Euro porn, he'd probably want to share it. Then, inspiration struck.

"I didn't want to tell you," I leaned forward and whispered confidentially, "but they're feminine hygiene products." I grabbed the bag and unrolled it, ignoring the carb-tastic aroma of buttered pretzel wafting out of it. "Here," I offered, making as if to show him.

"No!" He recoiled in terror. "It's, uh, all right."

"Are you sure? I mean, none of it's been used."

"No-- no, go right on in. Enjoy the show."

[marty998]

I sneak coke cans and Pringles in at every opportunity!

One wonders what sort of look I'd get if I said feminine hygiene products...

[krustyburger]

This thread reminds me of Black Books...
"Excuse me, there seems to be some sort of mistake. I bought a drink and some popcorn and now I have no money."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r58BSAK1HE

[Philbert]

I love going to the movies. Ever since I was a little kid, it's been my favorite thing to do. I walk in and smell that familiar popcorn aroma, and it's like I'm home. Movie popcorn is my biggest vice. A movie without popcorn just doesn't feel right to me. Moviegoing is slightly less fun nowadays because of people who use their cell phones. I always seem to wind up sitting behind someone who whips out his/her in the middle of the show. But I digress...

Here are some tips I've picked up along the way to save money at the movies:
1) Sign up for rewards programs. Most theaters have them, and most of them are free. You get points for buying tickets and refreshments which can be used for free tickets and refreshments in the future. AMC has a 10% rate of return (you get a $5 coupon for every $50 spent.) AMC's movie club program costs $15/yr, but for your birthday month, you get a coupon for a free large popcorn and free large soda. So it pays for itself. And they pay for Fandango fees. Regal runs promotions where you can earn extra points for watching trailers online or get bonus points for seeing certain movies. Even if you only go a handful of times per year, that can add up to 1 free ticket or 1 free popcorn. Because I'm a frequent Regal moviegoer, I get 1000 extra points every time I go to a show. (DH jokes that I'm a diamond platinum Regal member.)

2) Go on off days! Tuesday is discount days at most theaters. At AMC, Fri-Sat-Sun showtimes before noon are steeply discounted. It's only $6 in downtown Chicago. Regal movie club members are all privy to 50% off popcorn on Tuesday and 25% candy on Mondays. Before I got moviepass, I'd see most films on Tuesdays (only $6-7/ticket).

3) Moviepass! I signed up in late August, and I think it's a must for anyone who goes to the movies fairly regularly. In Chicago, where tickets are about $12 apiece, paying $10/month for unlimited movies is a steal. Just going once a month makes it worth the investment. Even better, you still get movie club points when you purchase via moviepass. Hell, you can purchase a ticket on moviepass, get your points, then not even see the movie. (The theater still earns the full cost of the ticket.) Note: Moviepass doesn't work on all theaters. It's not valid at Landmark or Arclight, which screen most of the indie Oscar bait movies first.

4) Gift cards! Whenever people want to get me a gift for my birthday or Christmas, I always suggest movie gift cards. It's something I know I'll use.

5) Courtesy cups! I've been trying to drink less soda at the movies and stick with water. But rather than pay $4-5 for a bottle of water, you can ask the concession worker for a courtesy cup. It's just a regular paper cup, but you can fill it up at the water fountain, and bring it into the movie theater. Whalla - free drink!

6) Sneaking stuff in. This goes without saying. While I love my movie popcorn, if I want something sweet, I'll buy a bag of M&M's at Walgreens. They sell the candy boxes, too, for only $1 apiece. Easy to sneak in a pocket.

[WootWoot]

We only go once or twice a year. This year, we went to see "Blade Runner 2049" because we knew it would be mind-blowing on screen. (A couple years ago, a theater showed the original BR and though I had seen it at home many times, it was quite a different experience!)

On my birthday, we went to see "Cezanne et Moi" and "Monterey Pop" at a local theater that runs film festivals several times a year. I do enjoy supporting this indie venue, and you'll see things there that never show up on Netflix or in the local library. 

[Cranky]

I love going to the movies! We hardly went at all for years and years, because we were broke students and then we had a passle of little kids, but I have rediscovered how much I love it.

One of my young adult kids works at the movie theatre, and she gets to go to as many movies as she wants, plus take a guest, for free. We'll go see all the Oscar nominees over the winter.

The other chain in town, we go to the matinee or on Senior Citizen Day.

I don't usually buy snacks, but if you do, Cinemark sells a special cup and popcorn box in January, and you get them filled up all year for not very much ($1, maybe?)

Dh and I are going to the opening screening of The Last Jedi as a Christmas activity, and the seats at the theatre with the recliner were $25 each and you get free popcorn. I didn't think that was too bad.

We saw Orient Express last weekend, and it was $7.50 each.

[WhiteTrashCash]

I used to go to the movies quite a bit when I was younger, but now that I'm a little older, it's all basically the same old stuff that I've seen two or three times before.

I am, however, obsessed with Marvel movies, because they are almost all really awesome. I saw "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2" with a gift card I got from exchanging change at a Coinstar machine at the supermarket. I saw "Spider-Man: Homecoming" at the drive-in theater and paid for the tickets with bottle return money. I'm planning to go see "Thor: Ragnarok" with ticket passes I got with AMEX credit card reward points.

That's pretty much how I pay for movies in a nutshell. Anything else would be really wasteful in my opinion.

[LaineyAZ]

We have 2 movie theaters close to us:  one is a major chain, and the other is an independent discount theater. 

The discount theater is owned by a local real estate guy, and rumor is he doesn't make any money on it and keeps it open basically for the community.  It's clean and nicely decorated with updated comfortable seats.  It allows groups of seniors, or daycare kids, or disabled adults to enjoy a movie as cheap entertainment.  For that reason when we visit this theater we always buy a drink or popcorn or candy - no sneaking anything in, because we want the theater to continue to stay open. 
Side note:  I understand Michael Moore runs the same type of discount theater set-up in Traverse City, Michigan.  He also gives preference to job applicants who are veterans.

[sparkytheop]

I've been trying to talk my son into working at a movie theater while in college, but he's not interested in working there.

Tuesdays are $5 here.  I discovered that when I went to see IT by myself and he didn't want to go.  We went to see Blade Runner (whatever year) a few weeks later.  Also on a Tuesday.

Matinees have been bumped up to something like $6.50.  Still 50% than an evening movie, but not the great deal it was at one time.

I bought my son the "kids pack" a few times-- a drink, a large amount of popcorn, and a large bag of fruit snacks.  I'd pocket the fruit snacks to give him later, and we'd share the popcorn.  As he got older, I told him I would pay for the tickets, but he would have to pay for his own snacks/drinks if he wanted them.  Oddly enough, he no longer cared to have them during the movies.  I just get a cup for water, if I feel like I'm going to need any.  It's free, and I should drink more than I do.

I had a coworker who would go to the movies, take his wife and a grandkid or two, and end up spending $100.  I can't imagine spending that much to see a movie.  However, I "get it" for live theater, since I have to admit I bought tickets today to see The Book of Mormon for the third time; we're going for my birthday.  And I spent too much for Hamilton tickets for my son for Christmas, but at least I was able to get them straight from the theater, and not have to pay third party/scalper prices (which I would not have done).  I prioritize my frugalness, so I can spend where I want.  I also had to work a holiday, so that paid for the tickets.

[WootWoot]

LOVE, love, love Black Books!

This thread reminds me of Black Books...
"Excuse me, there seems to be some sort of mistake. I bought a drink and some popcorn and now I have no money."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r58BSAK1HE

[Chesleygirl]

I went to the Dollar Theater last night and bought a coke at the drug store, put in my handbag and smuggled into the theater.

[Slee_stack]

I last went 4 or maybe 5 years ago.  I don't recall the movie.

I won a company door prize at some event and it was a $25 movie pass or some thing.

It sat for a year or so until I finally unloaded it on a gift card site.


I like (some) movies, but I just have less than zero interest in going to a crowded place to watch one.