Saturday, July 10, 2010

Movie money savers...


So, I woke up this morning to what was supposed to be a nice day but was in fact over cast, chilly and it looked like rain. The sun finally won out but it got me to thinking of things that are fun when it rains.

Something I enjoy is going to the movies, it takes up about 2 hours of my time which means it can be a rain shower when I go in and the sun shining when I get out. The down side to the movies is that they can be expensive, but there are ways around paying full price. I have chosen 5 of the larger cinema's for this article, but be sure to check your local independent theaters as well, for example we have a nice one here that shows more independent films and serves wine and they have some great specials.

AMC Theaters: AMC offers discounted tickets before noon every day of the week so if you are an early riser this would be a good option, they also have a Movie Watcher Reward program where you can sign up and they will give you a card that you show when you purchase tickets, every purchase is worth 2 points (up to 4 points per visit), you can then earn a free movie ticket when you turn in 10 points. It can up to 4 weeks for your hard plastic card to arrive in the mail but they offer a temporary one you can down load and print to use right away. AMC also offers a chance to become an AMC Insider. Once you are a panel member, there will be ongoing participation draws where you will be entered for a chance to win cash prizes monthly depending on your participation. If you have a group of kids to look after this summer or just want to get you child and the neighborhood friends together for a special outing then check into AMCs Summer Movie Camp, they are showing select movies every Tuesday at 10AM for only $1.00.

Carmike Cinema's: Carmike's offers Super Stimulus Tuesdays, which means every Tuesday you can get great concession deals; $1 Popcorn, $1 Drink, $2.50 Candy, and now they are offering $5 off one of their fantastic concession combos (Large/Large Combo, Couples Medium Combo, Couples Large Combo, or our Nachos Combo). Carmike's also has their 2010 Popcorn Bucket. Stop by the concession stands and purchase the 2010 Popcorn Bucket for $15. The bucket is yours to keep and you can bring it back every time you visit one of their theatres in 2010 and they will refill it for only $2.50. I love movie theater popcorn and have stopped on occasion just for the hot buttery stuff. Carmike's also has a kids program, every Tuesday this Summer, you can enjoy one of your favorite blockbuster films from the past on one of the large screens for only a buck. Its called the Carmike's Summer Kid's Series and you can also get popcorn and a drink for only a buck each.

CineMark Theaters: Most of CineMark's offers are from their concession stands. Get $1.00 off your order of nachos in you purchase a large coke, upgrade your movie snack pack for only $1.00, make a money saving combo with a Large drink, large Icee and a large popcorn and save .50 cents OR get 2 large drinks, 2 large Icees and 1 large popcorn and save .75 cents. They currently also have a contest to win a wii, there is no purchase necessary.

Marcus Theaters: Marcus offers $2.00 Tuesdays, you get popcorn and fountain drinks for only $2.00 each. Every Wednesday and Thursday Marcus Theatres puts select movies in the spotlight with their Spotlight Movie Club. They select several current films that you may have missed or want to see again. The admission for the Spotlight movie is only $5.00 on Wednesdays and Thursdays. To receive this offer you need to subscribe to their emailed show times newsletter. Every Friday Marcus Theatres has special admission prices for anyone age 60 and over with their Young at Heart special, its only $4.00 for any show that starts before 5:30 PM.
Also, select Marcus Theatres locations offer an Early Bird Special Friday through Sunday before 11am, you receive admission to your choice of movie for just $5.00. Marcus also has a great kids program this year called Kids Rule, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 am from June 23rd through August 12th kids can watch their favorite family movies for just $2.75 in honor of their 75th Anniversary, this includes the Popcorn. If you are looking for a quite night out away from the kids select Marcus locations also offer a program called Dinner and a Movie, this offer varies by locations so be sure to check out what is offered in your area.

Regal Entertainment Group: Regal has a program called the Regal Crown Club which has quite a few different benefits, including, $1.00 Candy on Monday and $1.00 Popcorn on Tuesdays with paid admission at the box office, plus you earn one credit for every dollar spent and bonus credits on Tuesdays, once you reach 50 points you earn a free popcorn, if you save longer you can redeem 150 for a free movie ticket. For the kids Regal has a Free Family Film Festival featuring select G or PG movies that start at 10:00am every Tuesday and Wednesday. Tickets and seating are first-come, first-served and are limited to theatre capacity. The Free Family Film Festival is safe, lots of fun and a great way for kids to spend a weekday morning in the summer. Tickets for the 2010 Free Family Film Festival are exclusively available at select theatres’ box office on the day of the show.

All theaters seem to have a corporate section where you can buy a block of tickets at a discounted rate. This is worth looking into if you are a frequent movie goer as it may save you up to 20% of the ticket cost, eBay is another great way to find discounted movie tickets. Also be sure to check out the special offers at Fandango.

Have a great weekend everyone!

C.Q.

1 comment:

  1. I love Fandango. When "New in Town" made it to Billings, I used Fandango to be sure not to miss out.

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