Bad news for the fight against high ticket prices at cinemas, it appears that the UK has had one of its strongest years ever with the Guardian reporting:
Market data analysts Nielsen EDI said British filmgoers spent an all-time high of £838m on tickets last year. The number of admissions climbed by approximately eight million to 156.7 million between January and November, according to The Sun.
The US and Canada might have to fight their fight alone. Or at least until our prices rise so much as to stop us going to the cinema in droves.
What do the British readers think of the current prices in cinemas? What about the extras? Are there things that aren’t being offered, or are prices too high? What about the quality of the cinema itself and the picture and sound? Also, what do you think of your local cinema as opposed to the Multiplex, have you a locally run cinema that’s independent? Is it any good?
Respondez! Let’s get some comparative feelings for the cinema experience and costs in the UK against those in John’s ongoing tirade against the overseas pricing structure.
hello
i am very happy with the amount of money made for the uk.
As an american living in the UK, I love the lower movie prices here in Edinburgh – with my student discount it’s £3.00, and even without it the price is only £4.00 or so. I paid far more in Nowhere, America, so I was pretty surprised at the lower prices in a big UK city.
As an aside, I love the old-fashioned UK cinemas with the curtain across the screen, the intermission with the snack lady, the pints in the cinema. It seems much more like cinema-going as a night out rather than just a one-off event.
Well, I am in California, and everything fun costs money. We have huge theatres, and I am lucky enough to live withing 6 miles of an IMAX (useful for the occaisional Matrix movie or Polar Express). But man, if ticket prices get any higher, they better offer mid-movie “full release” lobby girls, cause it is getting that pricey.
I dont leave home without my UGC Unlimited Card I can always catch a movie not having to worry about having to dig so deep in my pockets. Like what I have already said in a previous post or what Justin here has already mentioned gives you unlimited access to films.
They have to worry when Episode III comes out, I’m like going to watch it about 10 times! LOL
Living in London you get used to high prices a lot of the time and it’s no different with cinema tickets.
Most of the multiplexes work out at arond ¬£8.50 (just shy of $16) for an evening screening – and for that you more often than not get a scruffy screening room that’s had a two minute sweep around from the last showing: so it’s popcorn, sweet wrappers and such like scattered a little. (Not to mention kids texting each other if they been force to sit apart on a busy night.)
As for the facilities… toilets are generally good but when it comes to food and drinks again you’re getting stung with a bag of M&Ms or similar costing about ¬£2.5 ($4.6) compared to around ¬£1.50 ($2.8) in a typical store.
Saying that though one major chain – UGC (owned by a French group I believe) – operate a monthly card service giving unlimited access. Outside of the capital this is just ¬£10 a month ($18.7) and inside the city it’s ¬£13 ($24.3) – and like I said there’s no limit on the number of film you can see! Needless to say I’ve had one of these for the past three years…
As for indie cinemas – that’s the beauty of the capital city I suppose – there are many. But there is still quite a range of qualities from the cheap and cheerful where you can get a ticket to a film maybe two months old as well as seeing special director seasons from just ¬£1.5 ($2.8) at Leicester Square’s Prince Charles Cinema and are allowed to take in beers bought in the bar to The Electric Cinema at Portobello where you can book special two seater leather sofas for ¬£30 ($56) for the ultimate date movie!
The indie generally go that extra mile – and the National Film Theatre is a must for anyone coming over here to visit with tickets mid price, a great bar, no food/drink policy in the screeeing room so NO noise/rubbish and a free information sheet produced for every film they screen.
Just one last word to say farewell to an old friend as last month saw the close down of The Other Cinema on Rupert Street. This place was a great asset where Iranian season’s jostled alongside screenings of Matthew Barney’s Cremaster Cycle, alongside the recent Director’s cut of Donnie Darko. If only I’d had a couple of million to save the place…
Well, I can’t speak for those in the UK, but here in Orlando the theaters are excellent, abundant and pricey. Matin√©e around here runs about $6.50 to $8.00 with full price anywhere from $8.00 to $10.50. Not to bad compared to some theaters in NYC, which I have heard tix going for upwards of $14! Unfortunately we only have one indie theater, with only one screen. They run the same film for about 3 weeks, leaving many a smaller film treat unconsumed. Occasionally an indie shows up at the bigger chains, but only if it is heavily buzzed on – and even then they seem to only schedule screenings during the day – leaving the nights for more mainstream fare.
As far as an experience, I can’t see movies on opening night anymore. Too many cell-phones, jackasses and crying babies for my taste. If I can’t catch an advanced screening, I wait till a weekday after release weekend.