Look for another theater.

There are none here in Sheboygan, WI

Have you looked at theatres in Manitwoc?

Always gets a discount!

When the theater price is too high, I just boycott the concession stand.

Getting gouged by theaters is part of the process. Not my favorite part...

haven't figured how to bring popcorn in yet

What is being stolen. That is the way the business is pricing things. If you don't want candy and soda and any of the other crappy shit why should you buy it?? If the theatre is not making money on the movie, then maybe they ought to change their pricing scale.

To me, it seems they are making money (at least all the huge conglomerates are).

Me. I haven't been to a movie at the theatre in 20 years. I'd much rather sit and watch it at home with my wife and at the pace we want to.

theaters pay 105 percent of the ticket price in things like Star Wars. So yes, they count on concessions to make it up.

Why theaters have things like no outside food or drink allowed, which legally they can actually enforce and expel people from the theater, since the notice is in plain sight. (And as a private business they are free to refuse service)

That said. you are free to NOT buy anything at the concension stand. We did not do that the other day when we went to watch Star Wars. Alas I just had breakfast.

own damn fault that they rely on concessions to make money.

As I said upthread, I have not been to a theatre in nearly 20 years. Though, I wouldn't mind finding an independent theatre here that showed later released movies and served adult beverages. It would still be tough watching a movie in a theatre, as we like to watch it at own pace. LOVE THE PAUSE BUTTON!!!!

BTW, with your last sentence, the poster above was suggesting you are a thief for stealing. Go figure.

but seriously they could. It is a misdemeanor, but since it is in plain sight, they could call the cops on you.

Now wether any officer will put you in cuffs is another matter (and wholly dependent on melanin content.

I don't like the model either. but it is what it is.

They are required to make some exceptions, like if you have an allergy to all they sale or you could not eat it for medical reasons. Then the ADA gets to be at play. I actually carry a letter from my doctor becuase of that.

Do you have any links confirming that sneaking in food is a misdemeanor? I cannot seem to find any.

It's a company/private property issue with the food. The theater can ban you and if you refuse to leave could call the cops to get your cited for trespassing.

The worst that will happen is you get kicked out without being able to watch the movie.

That being said I have snuck food and drinks in to theaters in the US and South Korea and only got caught once when I was a teen. It was my birthday and I had been video taping stuff and when I went into the theater they took that and the food. One time I even snuck in a full McDonald's meal and ate it in the theater.

It's easier to do in the winter when you have a large coat on.

it is in there, quite implied.

By the way, technically it would fall under PETTY THEFT.

http://www.losangelescriminallawyer.pro/california-penal-code-section-484-a-pc-and-488-pc-petty-theft.html

As I said, chances are none will call the cops, unless you get loud and aggressive and all that... and they will enforce their RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE by kicking you out. So you will lose the ticket. It would be far more of a hassle overall to charge you for a box of candies quite honestly than just kicking you out of the theater.

I read your link and I don't get it. It's a company policy to not allow outside food or drink, but I'm still not seeing how it would be petty theft.

I don't understand how that would translate into a misdemeanor charge or petty theft. A customer could be asked to leave and be banned from the premises and if they refused I could see trespassing charges, but I don't know how that escalates into any misdemeanor charges.

exercise the other rights they have as property owners that are far easier to do, and will not cause bad PR. Which is the right to show you the door. And if you do it often, to do it permanently.

First off in my town if the manager calls the cops for this, perhaps the cops will show up in 72 hours... talk about a low priority call. Second, the DA will likely not do it unless they want to make an example. So it is far more efficient to show you the door. And they do, often. Hell, getting the cops for people ahem, recording the movie using their cell phones (which I am sure you will be able to see more clearly) is hard enough... and DAs tend not to charge either.

There are a myriad of other circumstances of petty theft that will not be charged either outside of theaters. Just because something is technically in the books does not mean it is actually enforced at all times. Enforcement depends A LOT on where you are in town, and yes, melanin content, I hate to say it.

Which is the far easier thing to do in any of these cases It is where PROPERTY RIGHTS are a far stronger and easier case to make. If you refuse to leave, you trespass. Then they can arrest you for that, charge you for that, and ironically my cops will respond to that as well... in less than a shift.

And yes, there are a bunch of things on the books that ARE NOT enforced at all times.

For example, if you drive with BOTH your earbuds in your ears in California, I am betting 99 percent of the time you will get away with actually, honest for sure BREAKING THE LAW. (Yes as of today, you can't do that).

Also over policing is a real issue in minority areas.

And yes Petty Theft tends to get enforced far more often in poor areas (and minority areas of town) than in well to do, middle class areas of town. Care to tell me where most cinema houses are? Take a guess...

You want some statistics for broken window policing?

Have an excellent day... by the way.

Oh and one last thing, you can be charged for trespass as an infraction and fined for it, a misdemeanor or a felony. At least in my state

It's a company policy not allowing outside food and drink. Refusing to comply with the policy of the establishment could get you cited for trespassing if you refused to leave. Which is what I've stated all along.

I'm still not seeing where bringing in outside food or drink would be petty theft which is what you've said.

and after you do that, read the fucking statue on trespassing and property rights and imagine why they will ask you to leave. It is far easier to prove trespassing if you cause a scene.

yes, some of this is directly proportional as to how easy it is to prove to reasonable people (AKA a jury)

It's not.

whatever zapa. It is not one that would be prosecuted by a DA, not becuase you are not technically stealing from the theater with your snickers bar, You are, you are also violating your contract to enter the property. It ii s petty theft.

Theaters will ask you to leave (and hope you make such a huge scene they can have you charged with trespassing, preferably at the misdemeanor level or above... if they can get away with a felony they will, and bar you for life.

Yes, that is their right.

And let me ask you, if you read in the paper of a charge of petty theft, for a goobers bar, or snickers or whatever, you would laugh. So would the jury, sadly they would not laugh for the same petty theft out of the 7-11 because that is an obvious one, but nasty, brutish person abusing staff, after they were asked (politely or not, does not matter) to leave, would get zero sympathy from you. This is part of the many considerations at play.

Charging somebody is still discretionary, especially for things like petty theft. Both the DA and the theater know that they have a far better chance with trespassing and there is no sympathy for a person trespassing. By the way, you live in California, you might want to read what laws went into effect this day... and perhaps do it to test your luck. I am sure the CHP and local cops will be on the lookout for some of that.

But if you think it is kosher, go for it. I do hope you are asked to leave, and make a scene.

No big deal.

but I am not going to argue with my wall, let alone you.

They will enforce property laws becuase they are MUCH FUCKING EASIER than this.

To bring food or drink into a movie theater.
Knowledge of the law is a good thing!

It has far more sense than you ever will
Happy new year

Admitting when you're wrong is a good thing!
Happy new year to you too!

And have failed to prove that.

I'm not sure why you keep bringing up trespassing and property rights, all along I've stated it's a company policy and if you're in violation of the company policy you can be asked to leave. Refusing to leave can bring tresspassing charges.

Since you can no longer be civil, I'm done discussing this with you.

Not sure why anyone would think that.

I am pretty much done

And like Zapa I hope you test that, and make a scene when asked to leave....

Holy shit, some people have no clue...

It's a violation of the company's policy.

I found this:

I hate knowing this shit...

It is in violation of your authorization to be on the premises

the ticket prices would have to be higher. In any case, movies are a bargain. You get 2 hours of entertainment, with concessions, for less than $20 per person. Have you priced a concert or sporting event lately. You'll pay $20 for PARKING.

Whether you get caught or not, bringing outside food IS the equivalent of stealing. Would you sneak a flask full of booze into a bar?

watch it for $1.75 from RedBox, we can have adult beverages and whatever munchies we have for a whole hell of lot less. I have no desire to go to a concert and have only been to a few Orioles games a few years back. I think the O's tickets were $9 (though nose bleed).

I've never heard of anyone being charged as stealing for bringing to a theater their OWN property that they bought with their OWN MONEY.

They don't pursue that because that would be merely throwing money away.

The RIAA certainly didn't hesitate to sue for tens of thousands of $$$ people who were using Napster.

If the law was on their side, theaters would also use the law to enforce their rights.

And it ain't the theater.

We paid $21 for a small popcorn and a large drink last week.

Makes me want to sneak in an apple next time. Our theatre has absolutely nothing healthy to eat.

complaining about the misrepresentation in the world of theater management.

The movie theater owner has one set of info placed in the newspaper, and then you rely on that, and then you are basically told, "Well, we don't pay any attention to that info in the newspaper, and if you knew anything at all, you wouldn't either."

I usually go along, as I have yet to be told the price is different, only the time. But it irks me to miss out on seeing a show because the time is different than advertised, or else having to wait an hour or two to see it.

The force of anger is strong in that one.

I can't imagine a theater having a low tolerance for an angry man.

And storm back in, no one is going to care if you are storming or not...

"You see son when a movie theater loves a Dennys very much they . . ."

Bryant

not a Dennys

I go to the movies a lot, and more and more I see people having issues at the theathers. For those that do not go see movies often, it has changed in the past few years. Most theathers, especially the chains like AMC, now have assigned seating. They also have update the seating and put in recliners. The good, is that it is now very comfortable to see a movie, the bad is that they now have about 1/2 the seating available.

So what I think happened here is that your 10:00 AM show was sold out. People now go online and get their tickets in advance instead of just walking up. I see people walking up and being turned away often for a show being sold out.

Then, the 11:00 AM showing was probably a 3D show. Star Wars is being shown regular and in 3D so you have to be careful which show you ask for. Theathers usually charge 2 bucks extra for the 3D shows.

Best bets for getting good seats for the movie you want to see. Go to matinees. Most theathers have big discounts for either shows that start before 4 or for the first show of the day. Tuesday nights. Many theathers offer cheap tickets on Tuesdays. Theather by me has 5 dollar Tuesday's. any movie, any show. and then, buy your seats online. yeah, you pay an extra dollar for the fandango convience fee, but you can see what seats are available and lock you seat and show in in advance.

otherwise I would have included that in my suggestion since it fit the price differential.

As to the first part of your comment - there are a dozen theaters within an easy drive for me. Not a single theater has assigned seating or recliners. If I want to drive more than 50 miles, I can find two theaters with reclining seats. You you may live in an area that is ahead of the curve.

The movie people could/should have explained that.

I'm in Santa Fe, which has an amazing concentration of theaters. Thirty some screens in a city with a population of 70,000. Maybe closer to 40 screens. No bargain matinees whatsoever. I get about 50 cents off for being a senior, big whoop. Only one of the chains does reserved seating, although that theater sells real food plus beer and wine, and you can take said food and drinks into the theater.

But not all cities can offer a cheap showing, and not all theaters offer reserved seats. So be careful about generalizing from what you have in your city.

Luckily, there are so very many screens here that shows are never sold out, so far as I can tell. I do tend to go to the first showing of the day, preferably in the middle of the week, to avoid crowds.

Check the date/day of the week/holiday schedules.

With two differences (date and cost), you might have been misreading the listing. I've done that, on occasion.

I'd just paid it and played some games until the movie showing...no big deal imo.

I see a 10 AM 3-D showing in their SuperScreen theater. There's usually an extra charge for those showings. There's a 10 AM 2-D showing in one of their regular theaters. That may have been the one with the lower price. Perhaps you simply misunderstood. I don't know.

Tough.

I'll add that, if you WANT to see the movie, you DO want to see it on the big screen, not your TV.

The ticket taker and manager probably hasn't had a day off in a week at least. Plus they are making 7 bucks an hour and the manager 8 bucks an hour. Give them a break.

I'll gladly put up with the commercials and all the trailer bullshit for $5.

We don't go to see a lt of movies. We don't do Netflix either.

However, in 2009 the economy apparently put a strain on the film/theater business. Our local theater (chain with five screens) had a special on Tuesdays. BYOB (bring your own bucket) for popcorn and get it filled for 50¢. If you went before 5p the tickets were $5. Heck, even for a non-film buff that was too good to pass up. We even refilled the five quart bucket to take home.

I did not think it was very good.

He did much better with the star trek reboot.

Don't miss the crowds, the overpriced refreshments, the overpriced tickets one bit.
If I really want to see it, I'll wait until it comes out on DVD and buy it.

Get fucked, the movie theaters can....

For the 10:00am showing on the biggest screen. Next day get there and the theaters have been switched. 10:00am show was in a smaller screen. Mentioned we were disappointed cause we thought it'd be on the big screen. Manager gave us comp tickets so we watched on small screen went back two days later and watched on the big screen. Surprised they didn't give you comps or honor the online price. Did you show them price on your phone?

Do you print out the tickets? Is payment with a credit card, or paypal? If for some reason you can't use the tockets, can you use them at a different showing?

As I said before, we don't see a lot of movies at the theater. We don't go at the times when the price is highest (weekends 7p to 9p) so I'm not familiar with some of what is being talked about here.

This advanced seating placement is new information. I had not realized there was reserved seating available. I generally like an aisle seat with the seat between me and SO to be empty (we have not 'made out' at a movie in decades. I wonder what would happen if I tried some of the old moves? Probably "what the hell is the matter with you?"

As an aside and TMI, I bring paper towels to use after the popcorn is gone. I usually bring in a bottle (or 2) of water. The popcorn and soda cost more than the tickets. We usually buy the popcorn since that's so much a part of the movie experience (always have them add butter when the bucket/bag is half-filled and then again when filled). There is seasoned salt available at our theater.

and print them at the theater. I use a credit card, don't know if they paypal but you can get gift cards for Fandango at all the usual retailers and use those as well. You can refund or exchange up to two hours before show. You can reserve at most theaters.
http://www.fandango.com/

You obviously missed the early showing. Next time buy your tickets with Fandango; your phone will get a scannable bar code that you use in lieu of a ticket.

Dumb thing to get enraged about.

However, I knew upfront it was going to be that much. As Codeine said, I would have paid the extra money and just waited.

generally my area has a before six deal and I don't like to go when its busy anyway, so I will call and check prices in a couple of weeks for a Sunday afternoon.

a few months from now.

shoot up the theater.

Statistical likelihood is not your forte, I see.

in the days I drove an 18 wheeler.

and I'm not.

In fact, your odds of a theater getting shot up are far worst than getting mauled by a grizzly and a polar bear in the same day. If you manage that feat, buy a lottery ticket.

by the way the mauling, comes from an actual statistician looking at the odds of your hitting the powerball. And even more realistic, your odds of getting killed, while driving, on the way to the theater, or anywhere else, are substantially higher.

It is truly your choice to live in fear of something that has such incredibly low odds.

Oh and happy new year. And no, I am not going out celebrating tonight, becuase my odds of actually dying in a wreck are somewhat higher tonight due to well drunks on the road. That said. Scanner is going on soon, because if something weird (it is the new year, again odds of that are better than getting shot at) happens, well nearby, qualifier, we will pick up cameras, and go.

On Christmas the CHP was going over teddy bears all over the freeway... so I would say my odds are shot, but you never ever know

They are a-political, and nuts. Right-wing shooters seem to focus on abortion clinics and federal buildings.

On Sunday I was looking for tickets to see Star Wars on Monday afternoon and only crap seats were left (the front row). So I ended up buying tickets for Tuesday afternoon, but even then the theater was already almost sold out.

You need to buy your tickets in advance, Star Wars is still selling out. Buying tickets in advance and reserved seating is where it's at anyway.

Because I'm short AND nearsighted.

Only times to go or get raped

We tend to lose perspective, at times.

I think you should assess what has happened.

I have bad knees and have to get up every once in a while. I had an aisle seat. Really helped.

The only way to make it better would be to bring the Indian-style "samosas delivered to your seat" service that Recursion described the other day. I'd hit the movies every week!

Though, one theater I love does not do reserved seating but I never have an issue there. They're changing locations soon and adding reserved seating.

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/hurst-euless-bedford_news/article48414585.html

They've dubbed it the Taj Mahal of movie theaters. Maybe I will be able to get some samosas and gulab jamun delivered to my seat.