To wonder how large cinema chains get away with it?

[Orangeanddemons]

The cost. The cost is outrageous. It has just cost me £15.00 for one adult and one child. Said child wanted some popcorn. I never ever usually buy stuff as it costs so much but let her have the kids deal for £3:25. But there was a Fuit Shoot for £2:20. I shit you not. a Fruit Shoot.

We have o independent cinema near me. So I paid nigh on £20.00 for a mediocre film in a small pokey cinema. All the way through the film, I kept going on about the cost of that Fruit Shoot.

How do they get away with charging so much? How can I complain?

Cinema attendance is rising, not falling and the industry is not in trouble.

You don't have to buy food there. Everyone knows that it's expensive at cinemas, it would hardly come as a shock. The margins cinemas operate at are tiny, so they do have to make a profit somewhere.

I figured as much shewept, like most things its the ones at the top who make the money then.

Personally I'd like to see big cinemas showing a wider range of films. I know the big blockbusters make them the most money but its irritating when theres a small film you'd like to see but the local multiplex is only showing the latest transformers across several screens all day.

My local multiplex is sold out at peak times for the biggest films on a regular basis, so plenty of people are willing to pay.

I rarely buy food. But if I do, I find a coffee and two or three bits of pic n mix cost the same as the equivalent in a high street coffee shop.

Also, I have a cineworld unlimited card - £17 per month for unlimited cinema seems pretty cheap to me If you make good use of it.

All the way through the film, I kept going on about the cost of that Fruit Shoot.

• you didn't have to buy the fruit shoot

• shame you couldn't have enjoyed the (overpriced) experience for what is was, and

• how irritating for the few other cinema goers, and your DC to hear whispered comments about the price of the Fruit Shoot all through the film...

We always smuggle in sweets and drinks..I refuse to pay cinema prices.

I'm constantly amazed that anyone buys their overpriced food and drink - I always stock up beforehand. In fact, if their prices were more sensible I suspect they might sell more.

Our local cinema is always really busy (Cineworld). We have a small independent too, which is cheaper, but they only show 2-3 films a week and not the big blockbusters, so if you want to see something like Fast 7 or Transformers, you have to go to Cineworld.

It's not dying out, people make the use of deals (bargain Tuesday, Orange Wednesday, unlimited cards, 10% off when you book online etc). If you want a wide range of movies, the cost will keep rising. The more films a cinema is showing, the more money they have to pay the film companies to show them, which is why independents can "afford" to be cheaper - they're only paying for 3/4 showings a day, not 40+ showings a day like the multiplexes.

I go to the Vue on a Tuesday & get a third off. I buy the kids snack box for myself for about £3, which I don't think is too bad.

Last films I've been to recently - the cinemas have been empty and we often bring our own sweets and drinks.

Maybe if ticket prices were lower, more people would go and more money spent on extras like popcorn. Put more bums on seats!

I didn't buy the frigging Fruit Shoot!

We were sat at the back, there was no one near us for about 20 rows, so I was fine to mutter about Fruit Shoots

This is why I only go on the cheap day and never buy stuff from there. £2:20 for a bottle of coke. I dont think so.

I guess you know the price beforehand so make the decision to go based on that. Myself and 5DCs went to see Big Hero 6 this morning at Odeon - I was so delighted at £12 entry cost, treated us all to popcorn!! I know the movie has been out a while but DC enjoyed the cinema experience and it lasted over 2hrs - it was busy too - a very enjoyable morning

They charge what people are willing to pay.

If people were happy to pay £10 for a can of coke they're perfectly entitled to charge that amount - but you don't have to buy it.

Everyone knows cinema food is expensive and you can just take some supermarket snacks with you in your bag

No point complaining

The cinema near me has a chef deal on the ticket price on a Tuesday and is less than five minutes away from a £ shop....

Cheap deal

I love the cinema so me and the fella got a cineworld unlimited card. Only have to see 2 films a month on a weekend for it to be worth it. Defiantly comes into its own over the summer when there's a loads of films we want to see

My local independent cinema is quite cheap compared too others DC and I went the other day and it cost 38 they had lunch a very large hot dog the bun was the size of a medium baguette, a medium cola for me, a large slush for them, popcorn and sweets to share this included tickets. The last time I went to the Odeon it cost 11 for tickets then I ordered a medium drink and popcorn 8.50! I don't mind buying stuff at the cinema though we tend to go maximum 3 times a year.

KidLorne - I'm in the US and here and in Canada movie tickets sales have been declining every year and last year were at the lowest levels ever. The drop is sharpest among 18-39 year olds.

Aside from the price, which might or might not put me off, I feel deterred from buying stuff by the 'bundling' of deals which I don't understand and the pricing of which I suspect of being deliberately obscure.

We saw Cinderella yesterday. We had a £1 pack of giant buttons in my bag so we finished them off.

Oh and I always carry water. In fact I started to cough during the film. You know the type where you're gasping for breath and tears course down your cheeks. Good job I had water and a mint or we would all have suffered!

Cinema is a rare treat for me, but if I go and food/drink is overpriced Ijustdon't buy it.

Why would you need to eat during a movie anyway?

I go to watch a film, not to eat, so just make sure we eat first.

oh - and Orange Wednesdays have finished...

I think the big chains are just greedy to be honest, there's a local independent near me that charges 5.99 for films all day every day! It's a bit rough round the edges though so it depends if you don't mind having shiny toilets and a flashy foyer.
The food is still overpriced though, can't really be arsed to get angry about that when you could buy before you go in, the profit they make from popcorn must be insane!! I can never resist it though it's part of the experience for me.

OP, did you seriously "keep going on" about the Fruit Shoot during the film? That must have been a right pain for your child.

I used to love going to the cinema. Now its a rare treat, or dragged along to a kid film.

Yes its expensive, the 'treats' are mad priced and they seem to run with less than the bare minimum of staff (all machine tickets these days near us).

Worst of all is the other customers (not you lot, I'm sure). Scoffing, slurping, boozing, talking throughout, fiddling with their sodding phones (face booking during a film!!!), kids bored with a film tjatbisnt really age appropriate crying/whinging/complaining/yelling/loud parenting (ohhh look - yes dahling, that's the taj mahal - remember when mimi took you there on the elephant? Can you remember the me of the man who built it?).

People, pah...