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Is getting a movie theater subscription worth it?

It could change your movie watching experience forever.

By Ben HPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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If you're lucky enough to live in a town like mine you will have 3-5 theaters in a reasonable area to see a variety of movies and experiences. I have a couple of AMC's and Regal's and both have subscriptions for about $19.99/month while some states do have to pay a little extra and in Regal's case there are other tiers that allow and both have similar perks. AMC Stubs A-List offers 3 free movies every week with the only restriction plays or other non movie events like Fathom. So IMAX, 3-D, etc. are no cost as long as you're within the week as well as no charge for online reservations. They also have a priority line and a free popcorn and drink upgrades. Though you do have to commit to 3 months or a year. Regal Unlimited allows you to see as many movies you want in a week, but you can still only reserve three showings at any given time. You can also only see a movie once a day in the same format, and you will be charged for movies in IMAX, 4DX, etc as well as a $0.50 fee for making online reservation. You do have to commit to one year even if its a monthly subscription, but you do get 10% off of all concessions. Both are connected to their free rewards programs that help you get points faster. Regal has it set up to certain points get you different items, like 6,000 points gets you a free small popcorn . AMC has it to where every 5,000 points earns you a $5 reward that can apply to tickets or concessions. Both have it to $1 equals 100 points.

So while both are compelling and add more to your experience, I feel that AMC is the best bang for your buck. While you get the opportunity to literally see more movies with Regal, you can still only have 3 reservations, and that is honestly a perfect amount for one week. And the 10% off everything is a good perk, since you only get popcorn and drink upgrades for AMC but the biggest factor for me is you have to pay a small but nonetheless a fee for special screens and online reservations for the Regal. And if you're someone like me that basically maxes out my movies per week that will start to add up. Also the fact that Regal has a non-cancelable one year commitment might be a turn off for people who may not go as often or end up not having use for it while AMC has an option for only three months, possibly saving money in that regard too. Now, there is nothing wrong with choosing the Regal as it will still overall be a fun experience that could still save you money if you play you're cards right.

Looking at the aspect of is this even worth it, movie tickets these days range from $5 at a smaller theater to $15 for a regular showing at some first runs to anywhere from $20-$30 for an IMAX or other type of special show. In my case the AMC I go to offers $8.50 matinees and $10 evening shows, so for this to work for me I would have to see at least 3 shows a month to basically have a free movie. If you don't go that often, don't have one close to you or maybe go to a theater that has $5 tickets it might not save you any money. If you think that three or someone like me that averages 5-10 movies a month its really awesome. It has allowed me to see movies I probably would not have paid for or kept track of but helped me expand those horizons. Many movies that might not have looked great I would still most likely see, and if it was THAT bad I could walk it because hey, it's not costing me anything right. But it is really a cool thing, I got to see movies in some of the biggest screens and luxurious seats that the AMC offers that cost around $20 for nothing, and boom any movie I see after that in the month is literally free.

All in all whichever you choose I hope this was helpful. Stay awesome!

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About the Creator

Ben H

sorry for all the random stories I write but i hope you enjoy them!

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