By RORY MCCARTY

Senior Reporter

Ten dollars a ticket.

That is how much it is costing movie patrons to see flicks during weekend

evening hours at AMC Theaters in the OU area. AMC Theaters aren’t the only

ones, either. Many have raised the prices of movie tickets in the last year.

 

During this summer blockbuster movie season, a plethora of big-budget,

star-filled films have flooded theaters. But students hoping to catch one of

these films on the weekend might suddenly find it out of their price range.

According to employees at AMC and MJR theaters, this change is called price

organization because, while prices during peak hours have gone up, the prices

during matinee times have actually gone down. AMC, for example, only charges $5

for a matinee during the week and twice that on a weekend. This means that

patrons willing to get up early to go see movies can actually save some money.

Another way for savvy moviegoers to save money is to wait a few months longer

and see films at second-play theaters like the Cinemark Movies 16 at Universal

Mall in Warren.  

The Cinemark runs a special on Monday where groups of three or more people can

get in for 50 cents per person.

Though it seems that moviegoers would flock to second-play theaters to avoid

rising ticket prices, the patronage at Cinemark has actually declined.

“The attendance fell off about four years ago with the bad economy,” said Carol

Watters, a cashier at the Cinemark theater. “Also, maybe because some of the

movies aren’t as good.”

Other venues, like The Magic Bag in Ferndale,

started specifically to present people cheap movie-going options with its Brew

& View shows. Held on Wednesdays and Thursdays, the Brew & View tickets

are only $2 and the Magic Bag sells beer and mixed drinks during the movie. All

showings are 21 and up.

“The way the economy is in Michigan

right now, we want to present entertainment that will fit into everybody’s

budget,” said Magic Bag publicist Willy Wilson.

Wilson also said he doesn’t feel as

if attendance has been affected by the sluggish economy.

“As far as shows go, attendance has pretty much stayed on an even keel. I think

the attendance for Brew & Views has more to do with what movie is showing

as opposed to the cost,” Wilson

said.

With movie attendance showing no signs of slowing down in the weeks to come,

movie patrons may need to find ways like this to save money.  

The last piece of advice attendees will want to consider: don’t buy the $5

small popcorn if you can avoid it.