For the last two weeks, I didn’t want to go to the movies. My wife loves going and I do too, until I reach the ticket counter. “$10 Please. Oh, you want two - $20.” Ouch! Now when I lived in South Florida, I could use my trusty student ID of which I am the oldest living GWU Freshman under 65.
I got used to seeing movies for cheap until I came up to Maryland, where everyone is a student or a senior (just stay off the roads). Since I am intolerant of high prices, I had few options to choose from:
1 - Not go, which is easy as more movies these days seem to lack the appeal of an original plot, believable characters or a script that a toddler didn’t write.
2 - Go to a horrible movie and then feel ashamed about the money that could have been donated to the people starving in Africa.
3 - Find a cheaper ticket, and there are several options.
Entertainment Book – Although the discount varies from place to place, you expect to save $4-$8 a ticket. When you run out, you can order directly from the website.
AAA – Depending on which regional AAA you belong to, you can save on movie tickets to popular theater chains like AMC and Regal.
Costco – I have seen several Costco’s offer 2 cinema tickets to Regal for up to 25%.
Geico – As strange as this sounds, Geico offers a savings site, which include saving on movie tickets
Reward Cards – many theaters have their own reward card program, which is free to join and ultimately builds credits toward a free movie!
There are plenty of options to choose from to find cheap movie tickets. While I suspect $2 Tuesdays will be gone forever, giving up my favorite pastime doesn’t have to be financially burdensome, just bring your own candy.
A Review of DVD Services: Blockbuster and Netflix
I figure one day, movies will get so expensive that the ticket prices could be paid in installments. When that happens, I shall hang up my top hat, stay home and wait for my movies to be delivered. But why wait? Both Blockbuster and Netflix offer movies that can be delivered to your house in a few days, and I have used them both.
With Blockbuster, I have experienced excellent online customer service. Movies have been delivered on time and only a few have been unplayable or scratched to hell. The nice thing is I can exchange my delivered DVDs for in-store DVDs. While they have limited the amount exchange as per the plan you pick, they give a discount to in-store exchanges beyond your exchange plan. It’s a decent system, especially if there is a Blockbuster near you.
I also have used Netflix. Since they don’t have brick and mortar stores, they are slightly cheaper and have become a little more inventive in their approach to capturing customers. Like Blockbuster, Netflix offers a delivery plan by mail. But instead of in-store rentals, they provide instant DVDs that you can watch on your computer.
Since I tend to watch a few programs on YouTube, I wanted to try it out. I found the setup pretty easy (requiring XP or Vista), and thought the clarity of watching a movie on my computer was surprisingly good – just like TV! Although, I have run into a few “technical” problems with instant downloads.
I would suggest only using a static connection, as a Wifi connection could drop and cause the movie to reload. I also find you need loud speakers as the sound tends to be low. Netflix could also improve the control menu when playing the instant DVDs. Finally, the selection of instant downloads wasn’t as large as I would like with few first runs. I suppose they have to make money on their tiered plans somehow.
While both services are decent, I would rather search through Netflix’s instant download then get into a car, spend the gas and time to go to Blockbuster, and get a DVD that may or may not be there.
The Last Line of (Entertainment) Defense
For those of you who just don’t want to spend the money on the movies or a DVD service, your local library offers a few FREE gems of entertainment. Now this option relies mostly on past patrons to provide a decent collection or whether the library offers intra-library loans from other locations. However, I have found some great classics and a few “close to” 1st runs to watch. They also offer some CDs to help build your MP3 collection.
What happened to TV?
What about television? Years ago, I made an unusual suggestion to my wife, Diana. Let’s get rid of TV and just watch movies and DVDs. I was tired of the “brain drain,” but I thought a DVD or movie once or twice a week would be a great substitution for letting our brains rest.
Once we did this, Diana and I found ourselves walking more, being more productive (like this blog) or just simply talking and enjoying life. Not to worry, I still get any essential news from the internet. Yet, I have felt that I didn’t miss a thing. In addition, I save on not paying for cable. It’s kind of refreshing not to be clued in. Besides, everything I learned on TV came from reruns of MASH.
“Ladies and gentleman, take my advice: Pull down your pants, and slide on the ice.”
-Dr. Sydney Freedman, M*A*S*H
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