How often do you see movies (in the theatre)?

[Kay in Cal]

Was posting on the Wall-E thread and realized that we pretty much see a movie with our family every week--usually a Friday matinee. Sometimes dh and I see a "grown-up" movie as a couple, but more often we see movies alone and spot each other the free time (no family to babysit, unfortunately).

 

How often do you see movies, on average?

[nancypants]

Maybe once or twice a year. We don't have matinees here and movies are fairly expensive for a family of six. We will see all Narnia movies in the theatre and all Pixar movies. Everything else can wait for DVD release. :D

[Rose in BC]

It closed about a year ago. While it was here we would go three or four times a year. It had to be a really good movie though because with a babysitter a movie night would be fifty bucks.

 

Now we have to travel an hour down the road so thus far this year we've only gone to see Prince Caspian. We might see one more movie this year. Otherwise it's dvd's for us.

[LaMere Academy]

because we have a kind of big family, usually only once or twice a year, but in the last year we've seen quite a few.

It's much more cost effective to just buy the DVD, it's the price of 2 movie tickets!

[JFSinIL]

because we have a kind of big family, usually only once or twice a year, but in the last year we've seen quite a few.

It's much more cost effective to just buy the DVD, it's the price of 2 movie tickets!

 

 

Yup - so we only go to the ones that would be spectacular on the big screen, even though odds are we will also buy the dvd. This year we will hit the new Batman (not all the kids), Harry Potter 6, WALL-E, and maybe the 3-d thing if the reviews are not too bad.

 

Between new films and stocking my library of classics (the kids decided to watch a 1930's Harold Lloyd talkie this afternoon!) I buy about 100 dvds a year.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

We're blessed to live in a country where movies are actually cheap, only $2 per person. But, we rarely can find something appropriate. So we do go a few times a year, but, that's about it!

[Homeschooling6]

I voted once or twice a year and that is only because their aunt has taken them. My dh and I have never taken the kiddos to the movies:lurk5:

[Spy Car]

Pre-child my wife and I were cine-files.

 

Obscure foreign films, film-festivals, documentaries, great domestic features, one or two films a week in theatres.

 

Post-child: "Ratatouille" :confused: :D

 

Bill

[Kay in Cal]

We used to see 1 or 2 movies a week BC (Before Children). And it has only been recently that they have been old enough to see kid movies, so now we've become "child appropriate movie" afficionados--though I think my boys like action/adventure stuff more than many kids I read about here. So Narnia or Spiderwick was OK, though I would guess that many kids might find it scary...

 

Anyhow, pretty much if we CAN see it with our kids, we do. After four years or so without seeing many movies, it really feels like a luxury.

[Mamagistra]

I answered other, meaning verrrrrry rarely. In fact, the last thing we caught was March of the Penguins. Unless IMAX counts, and then it's once a year or so.:tongue_smilie:

[chiguirre]

We've just started being able to go more often without our oldest having a tantrum. So far this summer we've seen the new Indiana Jones and Speed Racer! Sunday matinee will be Wall-E! We loved going to the movies before kids, so even if they're kid movies, it's nice to be able to go again.

 

:lurk5:

[nutmeg]

Let's see.....6 times so far this year, counting Imax. Plus a summer freebie.

 

Prior to this year, I would have answered maybe once per year.

 

Oh, these are just the girls and I going to matinees. dh doesn't like to go.

[HollyDay]

I saw Twister in 1996. The next movie I saw was Troy - some odd 10 years later. Recently, I saw Prince Caspian. So, 3 movies in 15 years

[Liza Q]

I chose once every couple of months. This year it has been Prince Caspian and Indiana Jones so far. We (well, some of us - we don't all see each film) are planning to see Wall-E, Kit: An American Girl, The X-files movie and the Harry Potter movie - that averages to 1 every 2 months, though they are not falling that way.

 

We used to go 2-3 times a year but I guess there have been some good movies coming out lately!

 

And I once went from the summer of 1998 (X-Files) to the fall of 2005 (Serenity) without going to the movies - they were such hectic years and I didn't have enough time/money/babysitting/desire to go. But I was SOOOOO not going to miss Serenity! And our daughters were old enough to leave with our younger children by then, so it worked out well. Then again, I probably would have insisted on taking them to my parents or paying for a babysitter before I missed Serenity!

[elegantlion]

We generally go about twice a year. There seems to be a lot of upcoming movies we want to see, so we have several trips planned for the summer.

 

We did see Iron Man in the theatre twice. The first time the power went out with about 15 minutes left in the movie, we got a rain check and so we saw it almost twice in entirety.

 

We rent movies about twice a month.

[kat19]

Within the last month and a half, we have gone to 3.

We have a cheap theater here($3 to get in) so we usually wait until movies go there to save some money.

Narnia is there this weekend, we did already see it but we will probably go again.

[HRAAB]

Movies too expensive, popcorn way too expensive. Plus I like to relax whenI watch a movie. Put on my jammies, grab a wine cooler and some chips and stretch out on my bed.

 

I think the last one I saw was Order of the Phoenix. No, we had free tickets and took the kids to the chipmunk movie. :glare:

 

Janet

[Michelle T]

It will be the first movie I'll have seen in a theater this year, and most likely the only one.

 

But DH takes DS to the movies fairly often, every other month or so.

Michelle T

[Vida Winter]

we didn't have kids, or when we only had one and my mom was available to babysit. I love seeing movies on the big screen!

 

But since moving to a rural area, we have just stopped going to movies. The last time I saw one was about a year ago, and it wasn't even one I wanted to see (Oceans 14). Our lone movie house only shows one movie a week, often not one I'd pick anyway, so we just don't even think of it anymore.

 

Maybe that's why I loved watching "Lost" these past few years!

[ereks mom]

We took the kids to see Toy Story when it came out. The next movie we saw was Spy Kids. The next (and most recent) was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. We usually wait until they come out on PayPerView, although we don't do that very often either. We've had PrimeStar/DirecTV for 10 years now, and we've probably paid to see only about a dozen movies on PayPerView. We rent movies once in awhile -- maybe about 4 or 5 times a year.

[Jenny in Florida]

In fact, it was not at all unusual for us to see two or three movies a weekend. But that was Before Kids and, hence, more than a decade ago.

 

These days, my kids are old enough to either see most anything we might want to see or to stay home while we go, but there is now so rarely anything I actually want to see.

 

I'm not sure whether it's because I'm getting old and cranky or whether movies really just aren't very good anymore, but I'm almost always disappointed when I do venture out.

 

I did take my son to see Prince Caspian, which was okay. And we're likely to see Wall-E sometime next week when we're all available (and hopefully over the cold we've been sharing around). Other than that, I'd usually just as soon wait until I can Netflix it or until there's something interesting showing at the artsy theatre a couple of towns north.

[Tutor]

We go about 4-6 times per year. One for each girl's birthday (their birthday choices are a movie out or dinner out), one date night, and a couple free or $1 per seat shows during the summer family matinée specials. Do free movies in the university's recreation center count? We've been to a couple of those, too.

[curtisandsheri]

We try to take advantage of the summer free movie program at our theatres. We're also fortunate enough to have a discount theatre nearby. It takes a little while for the movies to get there, but it's only $2.

[Jami]

I think we go (together or sometimes separately) about 6 times a year. Now that our kids are 7,6, and 4 there are more choices for us as a family. The youngest just really got to where she will sit and watch pretty well, with enough popcorn. :lurk5:

 

I've gone once on my own this past year and dh has gone with co-workers a couple of times. Sometimes we'll try and see something with his sisters or my sister and brother-in-law if we're altogether over holidays and grandparents want to babysit.

 

We were child-free this past week and went to Iron Man, we'll probably try and find a sitter to see Batman later this month, and we'll take the kids to see WALL-E next week sometime.

 

Jami

[Melissa in Australia]

the closest cinama is 60km away , and tickets are $15. way out of my budget.

[Kay in Cal]

Wow! Now I feel strangely guilty... there isn't anyone else who sees a movie most every week? My parents don't see many movies anymore, but I remember seeing a matinee every Sunday after church, and I remember my mom talking about walking to the kid's movies and spending all day there in the 1950's. My inlaws see at least as many as we do, probably more since they can see the "grown up" movies without worrying about childcare. Guess we're just weird!

[nmoira]

I recently started a monthly movie night with a friend. Prior to Sweeny Todd, I hadn't seen a movie in the theatre since December 2001. OK, that's not quite true; we did see March of the Penguins at a local second run theatre/pub, but my oldest couldn't get over the fact that, "I KNOW it's cold in the Antarctic, can't they tell me something I DON'T know?!?" She's been rather spoiled by David Attenborough.

 

Other than a movie at the aforementioned pub, I can't take the kids because my oldest is noise averse and can't handle the decibels in a first run theatre.

[Alenee]

There was no "every couple of years" choice but if there had been, that would be me. I hate the prices and the fact that if I have to go potty, I miss part of the movie.

 

That said, we are planning to go see the new American Girl movie on July 2nd. Can't pass up the opportunity to take my girly girls to a "real theater" for it...and then of course we'll probably buy it when it's released on dvd as well.

 

I think the last movie we saw in the theater was The Nativity Story.

[Tap]

I really dislike movie theatres. The way the seats are positioned really both my legs. I have long legs and they really don't like to sit in the same awkward position and still for that long. If they had theaters with bar stools, I would be happy :)

 

I also have a problem with paying $9-10 per ticket and $4.50 for a small popcorn and again for a small drink. It runs about $20 per person to go to the movies, buy a drink and a snack here. Kid tickets and matinees are about $6.50 per person. I would rather spend $40 and 2 hours on a good meal.

 

We give the kids a choice of seeing the movie in the theatre or waiting to buy it when it comes out on DVD (2-3 months). They so far have always picked buying it over watching it.

 

I only go to the movie if we have free tickets or for an educational film. Omnimax has some interesting ones.

[RoughCollie]

I don't like going to the movies, and I go with our family maybe twice a year. DH takes the kids the rest of the time.

 

The last movie I saw was The Simpson Movie and that was because the kids think it is some big treat if I go with them -- and I cannot abide scifi or fantasy movies. Cartoons are next on my hit list, but there wasn't anything out that I wanted to see.

 

First, I hate paying all that $$ for tickets when we could just wait and watch the movie on t.v. for $4 if we want to see it that badly.

 

Second, I hate the inflated prices of the concessions. It pains me to pay $10 for $1 worth of popcorn, and huge amounts of money for flavored sugar water. (I don't get popcorn and so forth for this very reason, but DH and the kids do.)

 

Third, the sound is too loud. My DS suggested I wear earplugs and I am going to try it -- I bet it will tone it down just right.

 

Fourth, the seats are not comfortable and I feel squished, like I'm in an airplane and there is not enough room for my legs.

 

All that said, we are going to see Iron Man this weekend if it is still playing. Now that movie got great reviews, so I am hoping I like it.

 

RC

[Closeacademy]

Once in a blue moon. We saw Shrek III at the discount theater and before that it was Jonah. And before that it was pre-kids and we went to a Quentin Tarintino movie. We used to go once a year for New Years but don't anymore. We just rent a ton of DVDs over Christmas and New Years and have a movie fest to catch up on all that we've missed.:001_smile:

[Christine]

I try NOT to go to theatres. Anymore they play the volume so high I can no longer hear the dialogue. (Does that make sense to anyone but me? Like, by turning the volume up it actually increases the background noise to the point you can't hear anything else?)

 

At home I can control the volume to a level that I can hear the dialogue -- somewhat. DH is losing his hearing so recently he's taken to turning up the volume so much so that I'm lost again.

[Claire in NM]

Our family goes to the theater when a new movie we especially like to see is showing.

 

This was not always the case. Before it was just dh and me going. My dh wasn't too interested in going to the movies because his favorite movie is the sports movie (Chariots of Fire, Rudy, Miracle, ..) and they don't make very many of them. So this didn't happen very often.

 

And I couldn't convince my dc to go to the movies with me, which makes sense because they are terrified of the dark and loud noises.

 

So I went to the movies by myself several times. This was okay.

 

Now that the dc have grown up enough to enjoy movies, we are going 3 or 4 times a year, and we go to the movies as a family.

 

Our next movie: WALL-E.

 

Claire in NM

[Ellie]

I guess we do go more than 1 or 2 times a year, so I should have checked "something else." :-)

 

When the dc were little, we hardly ever went to the theater...too expensive :-o

 

Even now we go only when the movie *needs* to be seen in a theater--Pirates of the Carribean, the Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Whatever, Indiana Jones. Happily for us, there is a $1 movie theater near out house which gets current movies, so we tend to go more often now.

 

Of course, we don't worry so much about it any more, because *all* movies will be released on DVD and we have a 52"television :-)

[EndsWell]

Seeing a movie in the theatre has become a rare treat. Maybe we will go more when the kids are all able to go the show together, but by then my DS won't want to see what my youngest DD can handle. So, we wait to get them on DVD from Netflix.

 

Adriana

[shea]

unless there is something we just hate to miss on the big screen. We also only go a few times a year. So far we've seen Prince Caspian and just recently Panda King. It seems this summer the pickings are slim. My daughter is a big fan of the Mummy movies (has loved scary movies even since she was a little thing) and noticed the latest one will be released in August. She's a great kid. She told me we probably should wait to see it when it comes out on DVD because there might be some inappropriate( as in SC )scenes involved. I don't remember there being any in the first two, but you just never know anymore. I believe if they could sneak it into the kids animated movies they would in a heartbeat!

 

Kung- fu Panda!! Not Panda King. Sorry!!

[nutmeg]

Wow! Now I feel strangely guilty... there isn't anyone else who sees a movie most every week? ....Guess we're just weird!

 

Embrace your weirdness! Revel in it! Be proud of who you are! :lol:

 

Now that my girls are older, we are going a lot more than we used to. We prefer to go opening day, while school is still in session. $20 for the three of us, and we smuggle in our own candy. :D It has become a fun family tradition!

[mcconnellboys]

Our movie viewing tends to be pretty sporadic. Some years, a ton of great things that we want to see come out, so we go more often. Other years, not so much....

[Kimber]

Well, we just saw 2 movies, but that's probably it for the year. We just have movie nights at home--waaaay cheaper for a family of 6.

[sleepy]

Never. I just realized that the last time I went out to a movie was a few weeks before my youngest was born. She's 3 now.

 

Hey, at least I've got Netflix! :001_smile:

[Plucky]

We just saw Kungfu Panda, but that is because we needed to be gone for a 3-hour house inspection. The movie before that was Prince Caspian. We'll see Kit. Then dh & ds will probably see the Batman movie. That will probably be it until the winter.

[jail warden]

We used to go 1-2 times a year, but these last two years have been tough so we haven't gone at all in the last two years. Things are getting a bit better, so we'd love to go see the new Narnia movie! But I'm not sure if we'll make it or not.

[Nestof3]

I chose 1 or 2 times a year. We'd go more if there were more movies that weren't smutty or ridiculous.

[melhouse]

We go just a couple of times a year. Even then, that would be just me and my two dds or dh with all four. We've never all been to the movies together.

 

I received a call recently from a surveyor who wanted to know what movies I'd seen, in the theatre, in the last three months. When I told her none, she asked to speak to someone in the house who had. She was incredulous that no one in our house had been to the movies in three months.:)

 

Melissa