Cinema Vs Stay at home

[jaybee]

Tonight I took my family out to the cinema. The costs:

1) 2 x Adult tickets using Orange Wednesday 2 for 1 deal = £10.70
2) 2 x child tickets = £15.40
3) Drink, pack of maltesers and a very small pick and mix = £11.50
4) Car parking = £2.50
5) Having chavs kick the back of my seat and munch nachos and popcorn throughout the film whilst talking loudly and mucking about with their phones = free

TOTAL= £40.10
EXPERIENCE = Poor even with 3D gimmicks


The other day I stayed in and watched a bluray in full 1080p on my 46" screen with 5.1 True HD surround. The costs:

1) Film = Free from my "collection" or £12.99 @ play
2) Food and drink including alcohol = "free" and plentiful
3) 7 people watching including friends in comfort = free
4) Car parking = free
5) Annoyances = none

TOTAL = "free" or whatever you want to call the cost of the film and/or food.
EXPERIENCE = Nice



I keep leaving cinemas feeling like I've been robbed! Anyone else?

 

[mame]

I know what you mean. Years ago could pay £2.50 to watch a film on the cinema or you had to wait 2 years or more to be able to buy a film on VHS for £16.99 and watch it on a 21" CRT TV. It's changed quite a bit!

The cinema used to be what you did when you were skint! Not any more!

 

[Rotty]

you have a very expensive cinema

also why not take your own sweets/drinks ?

 

[Glaucus]

yep cinema is insane price(£7.20 ) and I very rarely watch at the cinema these days. Much rather watch it on the telly with beer/food.

and can make popcorn for so cheap and what ever flavour you want. 51p will do at least 5 massive kitchen mixing bowls.

 

[Danm54]

Totally agree!

I dont visit the cinema much now, we dont have HD or surround sound, but its free, warm, and chav free!

Plus you can watch a film and have a curry, its the future!

 

[Steve2000]

I haven't been to the cinemas in 33 years now. Last time I was there was to see Star Wars, the first one.

 

[Jamesbcd]

As Rotty said. Buy snacks from a shop nearby or bring your own. No need to pay the ridiculous prices!

 

[Bennie-Mac]

£2.50 a ticket here on tuesday. The only day i go to the cinema

 

[Dr.EM]

It's certainly now possible, quite readily and affordably, to create a home theatre experience better than your average cinema.

I only go at cheap times, usually with Orange deal too, and if it's something I really want to see and/or can't think of anything else to do!

 

[jaybee]

As Rotty said. Buy snacks from a shop nearby or bring your own. No need to pay the ridiculous prices!

I quite agree. We took the kids two drinks in in her handbag. But kids will be kids and I feel awful being mr stinge with the sweets so at least let them have some munchies as it's part of the fun for them. I stupidly bought myself a large fanta @ a whopping £4.50. Gotta laugh.

 

[secretspy]

i have an unlimited card so i make the most of it and save a fair bit. Car park is free so have no worries with that.

i normally sneak in my own sweets or drink.

i don't have my own place so sitting on my bed watching a film on a 22" tv isn't all that great lol and I can't have friends round so a trip to the cinema makes a nice change for me.

cinema tickets are ridiculous though. Its now £8 at cineworld. £6 at our local cinema but i'd rather go out of town because the seats are so uncomfortable at the local one and even only being 5'6" my knees are nearly right up in my chest.

I remember when i paid £2.50 to see The Lion King!

 

[chrisxuk]

Just get a big bag of pistachios, other nuts are available, from Aldi for £1.20ish!

 

[scorza]

Cinemas in this country are an abysmal experience, I haven't been since 2002.

Thing is, I remember the demise of the old flea pit cinemas that used to be in town/city centres. When the big, multi screen, out-of-town places opened everyone said it was fantastic because the anti-social yobs couldn't get out to the cinema. Now it seems they can and modern cinemas need to do something about it or they'll go the way of the flea pit.

 

[Haly]

Came back from the cinema a little while ago.
£6.10 for 2 people thanks to Orange Wednesday. Took my own sweets but even then I'm not too fussed about eating at the cinema.

Audience were as quiet as can be and it was a good experience

Regularly go, at least twice a month always Orange Wednesday and always enjoy the experience.

 

[Kiyoshi]

You should have taken your own snacks/drinks but agree about the rest.

The only 'plus' about going to the cinema to me is the new 3D-ness, I've only seen that once when I saw Avatar and even then it wasn't anything super-amazing.

 

[jaybee]

Did I mention I'm also 6ft2"? Mmm comfort.

 

[TS7]

The cinema I go to is £8 for a ticket. £4 for medium popcorn. £4.25 for medium Nachos. Drinks are similarly priced. £2 for unlimited parking if I go after 5pm or 2.50 an hour. I don't mind paying that as it's a new cinema with very nice seats and the viewing experience isn't bad as it outprices the chavs who go to the old cinema.

Still, ludicrous price for popcorn.

 

[Scam]

Not to nitpick but the DVD isn't free. If you want to even it up you could say you snuck into the cinema -- it's the same thing. And what about buying food and drink for the home too? As others have said, your mistake is buying the food at the cinema.

Don't get me wrong, I think cinemas are horrendously overpriced but the whole industry is squeezed for profit as much as it possibly can be. Hence why drinks and food are so expensive -- it's the only place they can make a profit.

As for me, I don't go to the cinema as often as I'd like (because it is very expensive in London), so I make do with a Lovefilm account. I don't think you can ever replicate the cinema viewing experience in your own home. In my mind it's a bit like a huge football fan saying they don't need to go see a game live because they've got a HD telly and good speakers. It's not comparable.

 

[sorn21]

You haven't factored in the initial outlay for your HT system...

Nor the money for the original purchase of food, and the cost of acquiring friends!!

 

[Dr.EM]

I don't think you can ever replicate the cinema viewing experience in your own home. In my mind it's a bit like a huge football fan saying they don't need to go see a game live because they've got a HD telly and good speakers. It's not comparable.

That's a live event compared to a televised event! The cinema is already a 'televised' event. You absolutely can recreate it at home, you're not getting anything from the cinema audience except annoyance in my experience, it doesn't add to the atmosphere as in a football match.

Won't take a great expense to beat our local cinema experience. Scratchy sound with poorly integrated low end and an often out of focus picture, a good Blu-ray HD setup with seperates speaker system and you'll be way ahead! If you have the space for it and friends, I suppose I should add.