Cinema Rip-Offs

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I know these places charge a fortune for soft drinks, popcorn and sweets (in bloody crinkly, noisy bags) but today they have stooped to a new low for me.

Taking the kids, one of their chums and Mrs TRHK to see Toy Story 3. Apart form the fact tht adult prices start at 13, I had to pay £1 each for the 3D glasses (extra fiver) and £2.95 for an online booking fee. WTF is all that about?

You don't buy something from an online shop and then get charged for th honour of making the purchase.

So on top of the £50 it is costing me to take five people to the cinema, there's another £8 for what is essentially nothing. As my 17 year old says "it's no wonder people pirate".

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Ever since I was charged over £2 for a bottle of water in the cinema I've taken my own food and drinks. Couldn't care less that it's not allowed - I'm paying them to supply me with a film not food.

 

[beardy gull]

Well, it's an extra £7.95 for 5 pairs of 3d specs which you wont have to buy again rather than nothing but I do agree it's expensive.

 

[windowlicker]

£2.50 for adults in Bognor and £3.80 for a large popcorn

 

[Meade's Ball]

I had to argue my way into a Cineworld with a banana the other week. I had to state that despite their "Do not take your own food or water into a screening!" ruling they had no alternative to my banana. If they had a fruit and veg section, i would have eaten my banana and bought one of their bananas to take in. Admittedly, i was debating manfully with a small woman who couldn't really give a shit.
I am a Cineworld watch-as-many-as-you-want-for-£16pcm man, i confess, and therefore appreciate their sometime-arty screenings for foreign fare, but i'll never buy their popcorn, taking instead a nice banana or just a litre of concealed water to quietly watch.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

The online booking fee covers the cost of the card transaction and £2.50 pure profit to the cinema for the privilege of guaranteeing a seat because you cant be arsed to queue up. The 3D glasses are yours to keep , in the knowledge that the next time you go to see a 3D film you forget to bring them along with you. Take your own soft drinks , popcorn and goodies in a plastic shopping bag.

 

[highway61]

I had to argue my way into a Cineworld with a banana the other week. I had to state that despite their "Do not take your own food or water into a screening!" ruling they had no alternative to my banana. If they had a fruit and veg section, i would have eaten my banana and bought one of their bananas to take in. Admittedly, i was debating manfully with a small woman who couldn't really give a shit.
I am a Cineworld watch-as-many-as-you-want-for-£16pcm man, i confess, and therefore appreciate their sometime-arty screenings for foreign fare, but i'll never buy their popcorn, taking instead a nice banana or just a litre of concealed water to quietly watch.

Dont blame you, my plan was always to buy a bag or two of M amd Ms from local garage, usually got 2 for price id pay for one there. I do agree its a total rip-off.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I had to argue my way into a Cineworld with a banana the other week. I had to state that despite their "Do not take your own food or water into a screening!" ruling they had no alternative to my banana. If they had a fruit and veg section, i would have eaten my banana and bought one of their bananas to take in. Admittedly, i was debating manfully with a small woman who couldn't really give a shit.
I am a Cineworld watch-as-many-as-you-want-for-£16pcm man, i confess, and therefore appreciate their sometime-arty screenings for foreign fare, but i'll never buy their popcorn, taking instead a nice banana or just a litre of concealed water to quietly watch.

Didn't you think of concealing the banana in your trouser pocket ?

 

[Smith DID score]

Just got back from seeing TS3 at the Connaught in Worthing paid £7-00 a head - adults and children same price - £1-50 booking fee for total order plus 3D glasses free.

(Also didn't pay for the free sauna it was steaming in there)

 

[Nibble]

The cinema food etc is extortianate however the fault doesn't lie solely with the cinema itself. The distribution companies charge so much for the cinema to run the films that they barely make a profit from ticket sales anymore and have to recoup money through sundries. One chain, I forget who it was took a stand a few years back with Warner Bros I believe and refused to pay such high prices, as a result the cinema wasn't allowed to show any Warener films and lost a bloomin fortune. Unfortunaetly piracy does directly affect this as the distribution companies now charge even more to gain back money they lose through illegal downloads, dodgy dvd's etc.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

If cinemas were forced to charge regular prices for the food and drinks they would become unviable as this is how they make a profit.

 

[Barry Izbak]

£2.50 for adults in Bognor and £3.80 for a large popcorn

So its cheaper to buy an adult in Bognor than a bucket of popcorn

 

[Spider]

Cinema tickets with the 3D add ons make it SO expensive. Cost £15 for 2 students to see Toy Story 3. I have Unlimited card so doesn't affect me too much.

At my 'local' Cineworld in London it would cost about £35 for two adults to watch a 3D film and get a drink each and a popcorn. It's really mad.

What's especially annoying is that the cinema experience is so shit now. No one seems to know how to behave and the cinemas do nothing about it. I've always found it odd that they don't do more to control rowdy teens and the like - since that, more than anything else, must drive the rest of the customers out of the cinemas and back to their front rooms.

Really hope it comes to bite cinemas on the arse pretty soon. If the Unlimited card at Cineworld didn't exist I wouldn't bother going at all I'd just stick with my DVD rental.

 

[clippedgull]

£2.95 for an online booking fee. WTF is all that about?

You don't buy something from an online shop and then get charged for th honour of making the purchase.

You have never bought a ticket from our very own BHA online then?

 

[Guy Fawkes]

I had to argue my way into a Cineworld with a banana the other week. I had to state that despite their "Do not take your own food or water into a screening!" ruling they had no alternative to my banana. If they had a fruit and veg section, i would have eaten my banana and bought one of their bananas to take in. Admittedly, i was debating manfully with a small woman who couldn't really give a shit.
I am a Cineworld watch-as-many-as-you-want-for-£16pcm man, i confess, and therefore appreciate their sometime-arty screenings for foreign fare, but i'll never buy their popcorn, taking instead a nice banana or just a litre of concealed water to quietly watch.

Why bother hiding the drinks etc, Cineworld (especially the one at the Marina) don't stop you if you carry food and drink in using a carrier bag.

They did try to stop people taking in their own stuff a few years ago but so many boycotted the cinema that they then dropped the policy as it was costing the cinema too much money to continue with.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

We always ensure we leave our empty supermarket bought drinks, popcorn and sweet wrappers on the floor when we leave, a small pathetic protest, but one that, in some very small way, might show them that people won't be held to ransom with ridiculous pricing.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Why bother hiding the drinks etc, Cineworld (especially the one at the Marina) don't stop you if you carry food and drink in using a carrier bag.

They did try to stop people taking in their own stuff a few years ago but so many boycotted the cinema that they then dropped the policy as it was costing the cinema too much money to continue with.

I always cycle to the cinema, so the helmet i have undonned is the perfect size to host two bananas neath the gloves housed thereon. I just don't want to have a debate about my right to eat a banana safely in a cinema with a minimum-waged person who'd really rather say nothing at all, and certainly not want to watch me either rant or eat the banana disdainfully in front of them. I know they are slippery buggers if i just tossed the skin after eating, but i don't want to feel the need to convince these little people that i am a non-skin-tosser (in daylight hours).

Any real film won't eat something noisy in a cinema. I had an internal brouhaha when a man waltzed in 20 minutes into a shit film a few weeks back and tear open the greasy papers of a kebab still steaming turdily. The din of torn paper and the scent of fried badger-leg annoyed me. Being yellow-bellied, i of course said nothing.

 

[brunswick]

watch ALL films online - can hit pause, lay down, get birds boobs out - all sorts, and no driving or fees

 

[beorhthelm]

The cinema food etc is extortianate however the fault doesn't lie solely with the cinema itself. The distribution companies charge so much for the cinema to run the films that they barely make a profit from ticket sales anymore and have to recoup money through sundries. ... Unfortunaetly piracy does directly affect this as the distribution companies now charge even more to gain back money they lose through illegal downloads, dodgy dvd's etc.

the distribution companies are part of the problem, but then its chicken and egg: they charge more due to the increased revenue potential the cinemas have and want a slice of the pie. but the piracy arguement is empty, very few see pirate versions of new releases and most of those a dedicated fan who will go along to the screenings anyway. despite claims of piracy killing the movie industry it has still grown for years.


the booking fees are dumb but people pay them. the CC companies charge 2-3.5% and you dont get charged if you pay with a CC at the kiosk. its abotu time OFT looked into this area.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

the booking fees are dumb but people pay them. the CC companies charge 2-3.5% and you dont get charged if you pay with a CC at the kiosk. its abotu time OFT looked into this area.

Didn't know that - and of course I've paid it to BHA for years and begrudge that as well!

I suppose my point is that the best entertainment is when you feel that you are wanted and that the venue is doing their best to make the whole experience memorable. My evening out does not start well when it feels like the staff at the venue are pulling on the rubber gloves when they hear me coming.

Enjoyed Toy Story 3 last night - not as great as some people suggested it might be - but a good third part to the story.

Last comment - popcorn and sweets in bags that make so much noise you can't hear the film ...... but enough moaning for now.