My operatives would avenge my death...and some of them are Vulcans.
JERI here!
It's Sunday, John's on a trip, and I'm dealing with the blog today. I'm tired and don't want to think up a baseball question. It is clear that some of you enjoy arguing for no good reason, so let's do that!
Let's talk about something that annoys almost everyone: MOVIES! Specifically, prices in general and the whole 3D craze.
I'm a science fiction fan. I get the desire for over the top special effects, and I get the fact that these effects cost money. However, what the BLEEP is the deal with all the 3D movies?!? How many of these movies really needed to be in 3D in order to be fully appreciated? Even the 'regular D' movies are insanely priced. I'm getting really really PISSED OFF that going to the movies is becoming a rich man's sport.
We have an 11 year old, as you know if you have been a fan of John's for any length of time. We also have a 4 year old, but he is not allowed to go to the movies yet. There are a lot of movies released recently that Nicholas would love to see. He has recently gone to see two: The Karate Kid and The Last Airbender (in 3D!). Nicholas and John and Nicholas' friend went to see the Karate Kid. After paying to get in, and drinks and a treat, the cost was just pennies over $50. If I had gone and we had hired a sitter, that would have been an extra $10 for me to get in(I don't eat popcorn, and the theater doesn't have Diet Dr. Pepper, the only soda worth drinking!), and $15 for the sitter, so we would have been looking a $75 dollar night just for a movie. That's INSANE! We always have looked at movie nights as a special night out for the kid, so we assume treats as part of the whole deal.
When it was time to see The Last Airbender, I was the adult in charge, so I dug out my big purse, smuggled in drinks and candy for Nicholas, and we went to a matinee. just Nicholas and I went, and John stayed with Jackson. The tickets were up-charged $3.50 each for the 3D effects (read a review and see how ironic that is), so two tickets for the matinee, one adult and one child cost $21. I got Nicholas a popcorn for $5.50 (the small one, which is admittedly too big), and when the counter girl tried for the third time to upsell me I finally asked for some smelling salts so I might recover from sticker shock. She quickly gave me the popcorn and got me the hell away from the counter, clearly so that my sanity would not infect the other dazed and broke parents. Final tally for Airbender (tickets plus popcorn plus convenience store treats of 2 bottles soda and two packs skittles): $32.50. 7 dollars of that was because of the 3D effects, which we would gladly have forgone, but the theatre was not showing a non-3D version.
That's a lot of money for either movie. Even without treats, that's a lot of money. An adult ticket price should never exceed the minimum wage, in my not so humble opinion. We clearly had the choice to stay home, and if we had not been able to afford to go, we would have. However, why the Hell should we be forced to make that choice? Why should any family be denied simple entertainment because the price is so out of control? I guess there are two different issues: movies cost too darn much and unnecessary 3D effects should not be used just to drive up the prices.
If the movie industry has started to price itself out of the middle class comfort zone, cut back on extra costs. Does any actor NEED $20 million? Get an unknown! Heck, since we are already forced to watch commercials at the theatre, charge more for those, and keep the movie going experience available to most families.
As for 3D effects, QUIT IT! They are not necessary to the story telling, and in only rare cases actually do anything for the movie beyond making the viewer say 'Wow! It looked like that was coming right at me!' And, as a personal note, they kind of make me carsick.
To recap: Movies are becoming a rich man's past time, much like Polo. 3D is being overused, and I believe it is partly an obvious attempt to condition movie goers to accept paying $10 for a child's ticket, so that when the 3D craze goes away, the ticket prices will still be elevated and parents won't complain about being totally hosed by ticket prices.
Thoughts? Am I just out of line with my expectations of affordable family entertainment? Before you guys yell at me and tell me that we always have the option to stay home, I would direct you to reread the article where I say that.
By the way, John will be tweeting from the game, assuming it doesn't get rain delayed. More baseball stuff tomorrow, or maybe even later today.
Best Regards,
JERI
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