How often do you go to the movies?

[RegGuheert]

How often do you go to the movies (in an actual movie theater or drive-in)?

[patchfire]

On average, once a year. I've finally acknowledged that I'm just not a big movie person. In an ideal world, I'd probably go a bit more often: 2 to 4 times a year. It's just not a high priority for me.

[amydavis]

With four children, I just rarely spend the money to go to the full-priced theater. So, we typically wait for things to go to our $2 theater or to dvd. (We buy A LOT of dvds.) I will pay full price if I am dying to see something, but usually I can wait. Some movies just scream that they need to be seen on the big screen, so for those we make sure to catch them before they leave the $2 theater.

 

Also, the regular theater plays $1 movies in the summer, usually 2 per week. We catch a lot of those, which ups our score! Without the summer movies added in, we probably only go once - no more than twice - per year. Adding in those summer movies, I'd say we get closer to 6 - 10 movies per year. :D

[RegGuheert]

I love watching movies, but I voted "Never" since I cannot stand going to the theater. First of all, it is a big expense for a family of nine. We can purchase a movie for less than the normal price of a ticket for ONE person to go to a theater. DVDs are very cheap now and even for Blu-ray movies our average price is about $13. Secondly, I find watching movies at home much more enjoyable. We can use subtitles, stop and start the film at will and recline in a more comfortable environment. We're just not a theater-going family.

[Julie in CA]

We used to only go once a year or so. It was just too expensive to take seven people to the movies!

Now that all of our kids are older, we go to the movies more often. The kids are fully capable of pulling together their own dinner, and are fine on their own in the evening once in a while. Almost all of my kids are teenagers, and I'm finding that these are wonderful years for husband/wife togetherness. Just as they are learning to be more independent, so are we!

[Stacia]

A lot. I love going to movies in the theather. I like watching a movie (esp. a comedy) in a community setting. If I have to watch them at home/on dvd, I probably won't see them. I don't really like watching a tv.

 

That said, dh & I get a 'movie pass' as a gift from my parents every year. A local charity group sells them as their fundraiser each year & the pass is good for 2 free tickets all year long to (most) movies at all the theaters in our area. I love movies, so my parents started giving me the pass when I was in college & the tradition has continued all these years.

 

Dh & I go to a lot of movies. Nicely, for us, both sets of grandparents are w/in a few miles of our home, so it makes for quick & easy babysitting arrangements too. :001_smile:

[hsmom3tn]

I put once a month, but sometimes I'll go more than that. If I look at in annually, it would probably average out to once a month.

 

Usually I go with a few of my GF's, so it's more affordable. If I'm taking the kids, we go a lot less. If we all go, and buy concessions, we usually end up spending $80-$90; so we don't do that very often.

 

This past week has been an exception, though. On Christmas day, I took my DS to see Old Dogs. On Monday, I took my girls to see The Princess and the Frog. Yesterday, we all went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks, but we went during the "twilight special" when the tix were $5 each.

[babysparkler]

I chose "other" because it is around once every 5 years... I guess it is close to never, but there is that rare occasion. :)

 

BUT... we take the family to see live shows/musicals about 3-4 times a year.

[Word Nerd]

I only go once or twice a year.

[Brilliant]

I only go a couple of times a year. Usually to see something that's best on the Big Screen - LOTR, Narnia, etc.. My kids go a little more often now that they're teens. But frankly, there's just not a lot that Hollywood puts out that is worth anybody in our family seeing, so the kids only go about 4 or 5 times a year. This was a Sandra Bullock year for me; the only movies I can recall seeing in the theater in 2009 were The Proposal (on a date night with hubby), and Blind Side (with the whole family). The only extra ones I can remember taking the kids to were Up and A Christmas Carol. They saw Up in the theater (instead of waiting for video) because I wanted to go shopping alone. :) And Christmas Carol was a group event they attended.

 

We have a theater near us with $5 shows before noon, for first run movies! So that's our theater of choice. Otherwise we use Costco $7.50 tickets.

[Rosy]

Twice a year, maybe. We usually see Pixar's newest release in the theater, but lately we've been doing that at the drive-in--the 6 of us can get in for under $20! And if there's something else we really want to see we'll either do the drive-in or the cheap theater ($2 tickets). That said, DH probably goes once a month (sometimes more) and he'll take the kids to the cheap theater 2-3 times a year.

[alpidarkomama]

I love movies, but why pay $60 to take our family out to a movie when we can borrow one from the library for free and borrow the projector from work every weekend? Once a year, I go out with a friend to a movie, and about once every other year my husband goes to a movie. :)

[Jane in NC]

I checked other for a couple of reasons. I love going to the movies, but often the off beat films that I want to see do not make it to my rural community. It is so frustrating to me that when we have time to go to the movies, there is not a single movie showing that I want to see!

 

The real reason that I checked "other" though is that while I go to a traditional movie theater maybe every other month or so, I do have an intensive movie experience when the local film festival is underway. I might go to a movie daily or every other day during that week. Further, I attend documentaries at the university that is about an hour drive from here. I love documentaries (have one from the library to watch tonight) so I may see as many or more documentaries than feature films during the year.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I voted other. In the past we would go to the movies about once a year. There have been times this year where we have gone twice a month and other months not at all. My children go to movies more than my DH and I do, though.

[Garga]

I voted every month. I don't really go every month, as sometimes I see 2 or 3 in a month, and then will go 3 months w/o seeing anything.

 

But I guess it's about 12 movies a year.

 

Dh doesn't like movies, so when I go he's a built-in babysitter. My mil and I are good friends and I go to the movies with her often.

 

I go alone to movies that mil doesn't like.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

I rarely go. Maybe once every two years.

[In the Rain]

I'm guessing we go once every 2-4 years.

[nmoira]

I'd like to go twice a month, but usually manage once per month... not counting kids' movies.

[angela in ohio]

Dh and I go on a movie date every 2-3 months. We go as a family once a year, when we have family in town. Dh will take dc to the dollar movies on Wednesday nights every once in a while, too.

[KidsHappen]

We usually go once in the summer, once at Thanksgiving and then once again at Christmas. Sometimes we will slip at fourth movie in there somewhere but that is about it. Harry Potter has been one of the movies for a few years now, and then whatever the current Disney animated release is. We wait for most things on DVD unless it is something we just can't wait for or something that reall would be better on the big screen. This year we saw Harry Potter, 2012, Sherlock Holmes and Avatar.

[Denisemomof4]

I voted once per year. I *hate* going to the movies. I'd rather wait until it comes out on dvd and watch it at home. We have an awesome Bose sound system, large tv, COMFORTABLE seating, tailor made and CHEAP treats. Even if I waste $20 on a movie, it's still better than wasting a quarter to a third of our grocery budget for the week on a movie that we didn't care for.

 

also, LOVE that we can hit the pause button to take a bathroom break. ;)

[Joyful]

Other: once every 2 or 3 years. Maybe we would go more often when the kids are older...

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

We wait till they come out in rentals:) Much cheaper and more pleasant that way:)

[Ellie]

We hardly attended movies at all for many years after VCRs were invented (I know some of y'all don't remember a time when there wasn't at least one VCR in every home, lol). As time has gone on, I've figured out that some movies demand a big screen; so I'll rent Blind Side, but Sherlock Holmes and Avatar must be seen in the theater. Ok, maybe not Holmes, but Avatar fer shure.:D

[Melissa in Australia]

once every 5 years

[MamaT]

We probably average once a month now that our kids are older. It is something that everyone enjoys doing as a family. Sometimes we split boys/girls up and see two different things. On Christmas Day the boys all went to see Sherlock Holmes while us girls saw The Blind Side.

[IsabelC]

Never, but dh and I used to go a bit pre kids.

[elegantlion]

We go about 4 times a year. There are a few movies I'd would have liked to have seen, but they never made it to our theaters.

[Tammyla]

We use Netflix, but if a movie is special shell out the money for tickets.

[Chris in VA]

With a film student ds, we go more often than we did when kids were little. He and I go about 4 or 5 times in May, when the big movies come out, and maybe twice in December, when the end of the year blockbusters come out.

Since we have a projector at home (for dvd's), we can see many things on our 5x8 "screen" (the wall! lol) that I might otherwise like to see in the theatre, so I don't go to the movies for romantic comedies and the like. I save the theatre for those sweeping epics and special effect movies.

[Matryoshka]

I'm not really sure. I'm guessing 3-5 times a year? I really do love going to the movies, but it's so expensive. When I was in college I went at least 1-2x/week. Now we only go if my parents happen to volunteer to babysit, and we can find a movie we want to see (usually at the last minute) that fits into that time frame. We would've seen Avatar a couple of weeks ago, but the timing didn't work and we went to dinner instead.

 

My kids have been to the movies very few times - I'm guessing I could list them all on one hand - though my older two have been twice this year, to see HP6 (first one they've seen in the theater - they only read the books this year), and then all three saw Fantastic Mr. Fox because my younger loved the book and wanted to see it for her birthday.

 

Hmmm... I know I also saw Up and the Star Trek movie, both with just dh. Was Mamma Mia this year or last? Benjamin Button? Slumdog Millionaire? I saw those, but when was it?

 

I think I need to get Netflix...

Edited January 2, 2010 by matroyshka

[JFSinIL]

For just two of us to go see a film, I could wait and buy it on DVD for the whole family to watch and rewatch. We only pay theater prices for a visual treat like Harry Potter. I'd love to take my oldest dd and go see Young Victoria...but will wait and get the dvd.

 

When I was at UCLA (I am a film history etc. major) I had over a dozen theater screens within walking distance of my dorm and it was lovely to see several films a week! Now - just too $$$$$

[Jen in PA]

I chose other because we have a wonderful drive-in here, so mostly go during the summer only. They have a flat rate of $10 per vehicle for a double feature. You can bring in your own food or buy from them -- we usually pack a picnic dinner. We go as many times as we can during the summer, but I have only been to see a single movie inside a theater in the past several years.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

The last movie I saw in theaters was The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with DH a few years back. There just aren't many movies that interest me enough to want to shell out the money for the theaters.

[Punks in Ontario]

I said once a year, but that's not quite accurate. It's more like once every two or three years. I didn't want to pick never, because that's not right either, and I hate to use that other choice.:001_smile:

[Mommyof4ks]

We usually go once or twice, but it is so much money taking 5 people to the theater.

[kpupg]

How often do you go to the movies (in an actual movie theater or drive-in)?

 

We probably go once a year on average.

 

Firstly, there aren't very many movies I would want to take my family to.

 

Secondly, there aren't very many movies I want to see badly enough to pay the prices they charge.

 

Thirdly, I am 50 years old and have learned patience (at least in this arena), so it's not hard for me to wait a few months, get on the request list at the library, and be able to watch the movie FOR FREE on my nice big TV screen in the comfort of my own home, at the time of my choosing, curled up with favorite afghan on my comfy sofa, light level exactly what I prefer, sound level exactly what I prefer and customizable throughout the course of the movie, popcorn bowl at hand, personalized potty breaks when desired ... really, what's to like about the movie theater experience compared to that? LOL

 

Karen

[HSMom2One]

I said 'other' because we only go once in a blue moon -- which means we might go once a year, or it could be every other year... If there were great movies out there to see AND we had the money to go, I might go more often. It all depends.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[Renee in NC]

I *think* the last time I went to the movies was in 2000 when I went to see the "Omega Code". It may have been more recent, but I can't think of anything.

 

ETA: I just can't sit and watch a movie - even at home while watching a DVD I am doing something else at the same time. My brain just doesn't work that way!

[RegGuheert]

ETA: I just can't sit and watch a movie - even at home while watching a DVD I am doing something else at the same time. My brain just doesn't work that way!

MomsintheGarden is *exactly* the same way!

[tex-mex]

2x a year -- summer and Christmas. It usually is a 3D movie that ends up being a huge treat. I still despise paying the price of the ticket, tho'... and let us not even discuss how outrageous popcorn and drinks are!! :glare:

[Tree House Academy]

We go 1-4 times a year depending on what movie comes out and how many we actually want to see in a theatre and how many can wait until they come out on DVD.

[BMW]

It's a good thing you have the "other" category! We go about once a year with the children... and another couple of times by ourselves.

[dragons in the flower bed]

It used to be once or twice a year. Now I go once a week or twice a month with a friend who loves the big theater experience, hates going alone, and has no one else to go with.

Edited January 4, 2010 by dragons in the flower bed

[Sugarfoot]

I voted every 2 weeks. We don't really need to go that often, but my DH and I have been trying to have a regular date night, and between that and taking the kids to things like Alvin and the Chipmunks, we end up at the movie theater about twice a month.