Dollar theatre

I enjoy going to see movies at a theater. The experience is more immersive. When I try to watch a movie at home it maintains my attention for about 20 minutes before I start checking my phone. Then I end up in some YouTube rabbit hole and forget all about the move.

There are plenty of theaters to choose from here in Austin but my favorite by far is the Lake Creek 7 theater northwest of town. This is a second run theater which means the movie has been out for a while so the tickets are much cheaper. Usually an adult ticket is under $3. The theater business model makes money on concessions anyways so this can be a profitable venture if they can get the film cheap enough. The screening are usually less crowded too. 

It takes about 25 minutes to drive there. As you can see from the map provided below, each of the blue dots is a theater I drive past to get to the discount theater. All of these are closer to my apartment.

I decided to go watch the new Jumanji movie. Jumanji 2: the next level. It started at 10:20 pm. Perfect. I hopped in my car and drove up. The dollar store next door where I usually pick up a snack for the film was closed. I walked into the theater and someone had cleaned the place up. It used to be a dump so I figured it was under new management.

One for Jumanji please.

Sure. That will be $12.

Huh? What happened to the $3 tickets. The clerk told me that they had transitioned to a normal first run theater and was no longer a discount theater. I turned around and walked out.

In the parking lot I decided to weigh my options. I would have wasted an hour with all the driving for nothing if I decided to skip the movie but the only reason I drove up here in the first place was to get a cheap ticket. Had I known the ticket was going to be full price I would not have come in the first place but I was already here.

I reluctantly walked back in to purchase a ticket. I noticed a sign next to the counter. It listed a range of discounts for different groups. Veterans, children, the elderly, and students. I decided that I would attempt to get the student discount. I told that clerk that I just started a 10 week sketch writing class at the ColdTowne Theatre so technically, I was a student. He smirked at my request pointed to the part of the sign where it said, with student ID. Well met. I told him they didn't issue ID's for this program but then I showed him an email which confirmed my spot in the class. He had to get his manager involved but in the end I did end up with the student discount which priced my ticket at $9.74.

There were three people in the theater including me. The woman behind me began cackling like a lunatic at the stupidest jokes during the movie. Next time I'll be staying home alone and streaming something off YouTube.