Sticker shock when going to the movies

Forums › Off topic › Sticker shock when going to the movies - $32.5 for Imax

lchiu7

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#315074 11-Jun-2024 15:42

Decided to go see Bad Boys Ride and Die in the IMAX theatre in Queensgate.

I almost fainted when I saw the price - $65 for two adults! Clearly the prices have gone up a bit since the last time I went to the movies in 2022.

After that shock I could not bear myself to buy any popcorn or icecreams and went to the The Warehouse to get some munchies.

As an aside there is no point in paying more to see this film in Imax. It was filmed in 2.39:1 AR so the image was cropped. It would have been better to see it in the VMAX screen which is cheaper and has Dolby Atmos.

I did enjoy the movie though. But was it worth $32.5 - probably not. I should have gone on a Tuesday and used my Cinebuzz membership.

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#3247500 11-Jun-2024 16:04

If you have a OneNZ or AA account you can get discounted tickets - worth having a look if you have either. Full price is ridiculous these days.

timmmay

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#3247504 11-Jun-2024 16:12

My wife took our son to a movie the other day, $61 for the both of them. We won't be going to the cinema very often. I remember not all that long ago there were $10 specials.

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#3247560 11-Jun-2024 17:02

Our local Hoyts is good, ticket price generally low, and we have a loyalty card with them anyway which gets us free tickets etc.

Unlimited popcorn as well..... :D

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DjShadow

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#3247565 11-Jun-2024 17:19

+1 use One NZ Rewards or your AA Membership (if you have one) to get a discount off Event pricing, otherwise Reading Cinemas over in Porirua are $13 each

johno1234

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#3247569 11-Jun-2024 17:28

Haven't bought popcorn, ice cream or a drink at the movies for decades - those have long been key revenue generators and extremely expensive but as a captive monopoly they could get away with it.

I guess now the f&b gouge is not enough hence the elevated ticket price.

Stu1

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#3247576 11-Jun-2024 18:11

Not IMAX but Monterey Upper Hutt is good value

gzt

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#3247579 11-Jun-2024 18:19

there is no point in paying more to see this film in Imax. It was filmed in 2.39:1 AR so the image was cropped.

and they wonder why they don't have more takers for IMAX when they do silly stuff like this. I guess there are hardly any IMAX specific movies made and around we go..

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gzt

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#3247580 11-Jun-2024 18:28

I do enjoy the $25 recliners new in my local. It is sometimes a little hard to find convenient session times with those.

lchiu7

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#3247639 11-Jun-2024 20:14

DjShadow:

+1 use One NZ Rewards or your AA Membership (if you have one) to get a discount off Event pricing, otherwise Reading Cinemas over in Porirua are $13 each

Yes AA seems to be one option. Others seem to be going on a Tuesday when the prices are quite decent other cinemas. But then sitting thtrough he obligatory trailers before the main event, there were no movies that would attract me out to the movies, even if they are cheap.

And looking at the upcoming movies list, https://www.eventcinemas.co.nz/Movies/ComingSoon there is no movie there that I am even remotely interested in.

As for Imax, well it should really be called Faux Max. There was only one movie recently that was actually shot on Imax format, Oppenheimer and there is no theatre in NZ that can show it in true Imax format. The only theatre is in Melbourne.

But to be fair the picture and sound were pretty impressive for the Bad Boys movie.

Handsomedan

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#3247755 12-Jun-2024 10:25

That's at least one positive with being fairly close to a Hoyts cinema - leather recliners as standard and quite often the newer movies are in the larger and more well-equipped theatre.

It helps that being slightly older-looking these days, nobody bats an eyelid when I get Seniors tickets, due to my Hoyts Rewards membership having an incorrect birth year on it - not by design, but by some weird glitch, which apparently can't be altered...I found it offensive at first, now I find it advantageous.

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JimmyH

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#3249112 14-Jun-2024 17:47

I hardly ever go to the movies these days. Over the last year or two a combination of a line-up that (other than Oppenheimer and Dune II) didn't really grab my interest, ticket prices that are getting a tad silly, and the closure of Welly Reading further reducing cinema choices have put me off.

Mostly I have a decent TV with adequate sound, and stream now. And I have been tending to watch older films rather than new releases any way because, as per above, there aren't many new releases that look terribly interesting of late.

And yeah and $32.5 for a ticket, for two adults by the time we pay for parking and overpriced cinema snacks we are up around $100 or more just to see a film. Which isn't really value for money.

lchiu7

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#3249139 14-Jun-2024 19:27

JimmyH:

I hardly ever go to the movies these days. Over the last year or two a combination of a line-up that (other than Oppenheimer and Dune II) didn't really grab my interest, ticket prices that are getting a tad silly, and the closure of Welly Reading further reducing cinema choices have put me off.

Mostly I have a decent TV with adequate sound, and stream now. And I have been tending to watch older films rather than new releases any way because, as per above, there aren't many new releases that look terribly interesting of late.

..

I have a fairly decent HT system with Atmos 5.1.2 but only a 1080P projector onto a 100" screen. If I can get the appropriate approval I am keen to upgrde to a 4K (not faux K) projector :-)

tchart

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#3249203 14-Jun-2024 20:11

Stu1:
Not IMAX but Monterey Upper Hutt is good value

Yeah +1 for my local.

I go there unless it’s something I want to see in IMAX (eg Dune 2 - although I did see it a second time at Monterey)

Monterey have recently put their prices up but you can sign up for their members club and get a few dollars off the ticket price. Either way it’s still cheaper than Event most of the time. I think they have changed owners recently as they have upped their game. I’m happy to buy exorbitant priced popcorn to support a small local cinema. I’d watch far less movies if there wasn’t a cinema in Upper Hutt.

gehenna

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#3249212 14-Jun-2024 20:30

People aren't going to the cinema in big numbers anymore. When demand goes down, prices go up. It'll probably be $50 for a recliner eventually. These are the last gasps of a dying industry.

Senecio

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#3249246 15-Jun-2024 07:22

gehenna:

People aren't going to the cinema in big numbers anymore. When demand goes down, prices go up. It'll probably be $50 for a recliner eventually. These are the last gasps of a dying industry.

Funny thing is. People stopped going because it was too expensive. So what do they do to counter the reduced numbers? Make it even more expensive.

I actually think the biggest challenge that cinemas have these days is that people have become dissatisfied with the crap that Hollywood is producing. The lack of originality and the need to milk every cent from any mildly successful movie by churning out 5 pointless sequels is wearing thin. Compare that to the quality of some of the movies and TV series that are being produced from the top streaming platforms and people are voting with their feet. Add in that the content is delivered to your lounge room whenever you want it and cinemas really haven't got a chance.

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