MOVIE MARATHON

PREFACE
Today I saw three movies in a row at the local theater. It's called "theater-hopping" when you pay for one ticket to see one movie but go into other movies without paying to see them. And while it may even be considered illegal, it's not enforced very often by the theater managers or staff. The reason is that theaters don't make very much money on ticket sales.

STORY
The first week or two the movie is shown, most or all of the money from ticket sales goes to the distributor of the film. One movie (with all its reels) can cost $10,000 for the theater to show and until that money is made, the theater doesn't make any profit. Think about the modern day multiplex theaters with 12-15-18-24 screens, showing multi-copies of several films and you can imagine the money invested. Some theaters are now showing older films at morning matinees for $1 admission...nostalgia movies at a nostalgia price. It still sells popcorn, candy, and soda!

Concession is where the money is made, (with a little $ from vending & game machines but not as much as in the past). I had a "combo special" between the first and second movies which consisted of two jumbo all-beef hotdogs and a VAT of ICEE (frozen slushy coke with free refills) and it cost me $14! I got in on a reduced weekday ticket rate of $4.75 and saw three movies. So I still saved about $8 on the deal.

Why do you think theater managers are so eager to give you passes when you don't like a movie? Unless you've never complained about a movie or wanted your money back for a disturbance in a movie...I guess you may not know that they want you to come back again and spend at the concession stand.

CONCLUSION
I saw Sorcerer's Apprentice, Despicable Me, and Inception...6 1/2 hours in a dark theater...thrills, humor, action, laughter, tears, confusion, intrigue, awesome effects. Well worth the investment of money and time. It gives me joy to watch movies. And I'm worth it!