Quick anecdote: earlier this month, my girlfriend and I went to see Alice In Wonderland in 3D. Always the gentleman, I of course paid for the tickets, unaware that here in the wonderful NYC, the price for a 3D movie ticket was up to $16.50. For you mathematically challenged readers, that was a total of approximately $35 for two movie tickets.
If that figure isn't shocking enough, maybe this next bit of news is: 3D movie ticket prices are about to get even higher.
The Wall Street Journal reports that as of...RIGHT NOW, tickets for 3D movies will experience a bump in cost. The increases will reportedly vary by market (state/city/town), and/or by theater chain (Regal, AMC, etc.). However, increases could be as steep as 26% in some areas, and some moviegoers (the ones who don't read Screen Rant) are going to be in for a shock the next time they venture to the theater for some 3D fun.
Our friends over at Collider have done some market research, discovering that the price for my non-matinee Wonderland ticket today would be $17 as opposed to $16.50, while in Georgia it would be a larger bump, from $15.50 to $17.50.
There are undoubtedly two schools of thought on this issue: those who are ripping their hair out and screaming in frustration, versus those who see it as 'inevitable.'
Certain parties have been claiming for some time that Avatar only became the highest-grossing movie of all time because of its 3D ticket prices; while Wonderland broke first week records for March, clearly because of 3D ticket sales. It's a whole new profit margin for the film industry to measure by.
However, I'll tell you right now how I feel about all this: If I'm paying higher prices, I'm only doing so for the "true 3D" experience.
Movies like Alice In Wonderland or Clash of The Titans will not be getting my 3D money. These are films that were converted to 3D after they were shot, and have that cheap, gimmicky pop-out look that I (and many of you) can't stand. Films like Avatar or the upcoming Tron Legacy, on the other hand, are filmed in 3D, resulting in that "impressive and immersive experience" so many moviegoers have been praising as of late.
So I will skip all the marketing hype, do my research and if what I'm getting isn't "true 3D," then 2D is fine for me. I have the same rules about the whole 'stretched for IMAX' vs. 'shot in IMAX' issue.
The great irony in all this? This 3D movie ticket price hike comes on the very day that How To Train Your Dragon, a wonderful "true 3D" movie is hitting theaters (read our review HERE).
Sigh... Hollywood, you've gotten me again...
Sources: Wall Street Journal via Collider