$25

This was the cost of two movie tickets at Arc Light in the Sherman Oaks Galleria!  And one of the reasons we haven't been to the movies in about two years.  Sheesh!  But it was our anniversary so we thought we'd SPLURGE and spend $25 to watch a movie we could have waited three years to see for free on t.v.

Granted, the theater is very nice -- stadium seating (which I actully found annoying because the head rest angled toward me and made it uncomfortable to look UP at the screen), cafe & bar, gift shop, reserved seating, and of course clean bathrooms.  It's in the Galleria which has lots of restaurants (PF Chang's, El Torito Grill, Cheesecake Factory, Hana Grill) and DSW (yea!).  So I'm guessing the rent it sky high, hence the $12.50 per ticket.  And that's the matinee price!

What was also surprising was that there were no employees selling tickets.  There were a dozen or so kiosks from which we had to buy our tickets.  I guess that's cheaper for Arc Light, especially since there really weren't many people there watching movies in the early afternoon.  Our theater had about 20 people and another had maybe five people (according to one of my students who was in that theater).

I will admit that, before going to the movie I searched online for theaters showing Dinner for Schmucks and found one nearby that had tickets for only $6.  So why did we go to Arc Light? you ask.  Because I also read reviews of that other theater online and, shall we say, the reviews did not applaud the theater's ambiance and cleanliness.  Sounded like the only thing going for this cheaper theater was the cheap ticket prices.  In this economy that isn't a bad thing!  I think next time, if there is a next time, we will try the cheaper one.

To rub salt into my open wound, yesterday I walked past a theater charging $3!!!  Only $2 for a matinee!  The catch -- the movies are not always the newest, big box office releases.  And for us, it's about a 20-25 minute drive to get there which costs money for gas. 

I now remember why I don't go the movie theaters.  Luckily, there are a lot of shows I like on the telly.  And with DVR, I'm happy staying home, watching Burn Notice, Warehouse 13, Modern Family, and Castle.  And popping my own popcorn in the microwave.  Oh yeah, the regular popcorn at Arc Light was $5.50.

A hui hou
=^..^=