Right before the summer movie season begins, media outlets from CNN to The Podunk Picayune crank out the same two stories: prognostication of the top ten films and lamentation over the increasing ticket prices. For those in the Orange County area, help is on the way with the ticket prices. Three different local movie theaters have rolled out the red carpet for bargain-hunting moviegoers. Here are those locations, in order of current ticket pricing.
Cinema City Stadium Theatres in Anaheim Hills shows first run movies at second run prices. All movies before noon are $5.00 every day of the week, and the price gently goes up to $6.00 for all movies before 6 PM. The theater also has $5.00 Tuesdays, where the ticket price stays at $5.00 the entire day and night. An even greater rarity in Southern California, the maximum evening ticket price is $9.00; the Better Business Bureau should present a medal to ownership for keeping admission below two digits. The only way someone would break the $10.00 barrier is by selecting a 3D film, which incurs an additional $2.00 charge.
If one can wait a few weeks for a certain film, the next place to visit is the Brea Plaza 5 Discount Cinemas. Movies starting before 5 PM are $3.00, and then the price creeps up by a few quarters to $3.75. The theater is located in the back of a shopping center, where money saved on the movie tickets can go towards a nice dinner at Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ or a quick meal at Chik-Fil-A. The theater also brings back older films on Friday and Saturday nights, so everyone can enjoy recent classics like Sixteen Candles and Tombstone on the big screen, as the filmmakers intended.
For those who want to enjoy the 3D experience but not make a 3D hole in their wallets, the Starplex Cinema 7 in La Mirada has the best bargains around. The everyday ticket price is $2.00, except for Tuesdays when the cost is the same as a Redbox rental: only $1.00. The extra cost for 3D films is $2.00, making the entire ticket only $4.00 ‘” which is often the 3D upcharge at many large theater chains! The theater has two screens featuring Real D 3D projection systems that brilliantly display the best effects Hollywood has to offer. The low ticket prices here are no secret, so one should expect some crowds and arrive just as early as for any first run theater.
Unless one desperately needs to join in the opening weekend buzz, the price of a movie ticket could easily shrink down to a fourth or less of what the average Orange County patron ends up paying. The Brea Plaza 5 and Starplex La Mirada have great prices for second run movies, while Cinema City Anaheim Hills is a bargain for first run movies. Summer movies need to be seen on the big screen, but no one has to pay a big price.
