BETWEEN THE LINES: CRITIQUING MOVIES, TICKET PRICES AND THEATERS

It doesn't seem like I get to the movie theater as often now as I once did. There was once a time when I'd see a movie both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

But nowadays a trip to the movie theater is sort of a luxury. And in my last few visits I've seen some excellent films.

I'd recommend "Waking Ned Devine" for a laugh and "The Other Sister" if you're looking for a feel-good film.

With the Oscars just around the corner it will be fun to watch how these box office hits will fare.

Granted, I'm not a film critic, just a fan. But the job sounds like fun: watching the latest releases and then telling other people whether they should bother spending money on the price of a ticket.

Look how popular Siskel and Ebert became with their thumbs up or down classifications.

As movie ticket prices skyrocket, I'm becoming more selective about which films I see. Since I have a limited budget for extravagant purchases (and movie tickets are becoming extravagantly high-priced), I have to make my selections carefully.

I recently read a story that said prices for movie tickets in New York have jumped to $9.50. The higher costs come as a result of higher operating costs, said Loews theater representatives. The company raised its prices by 4 to 8 percent, depending on location.

Sony and three other theater companies that operate in 22 states have joined the bandwagon of rising ticket prices.

They reason: "In comparison to the cost of other entertainment ticket prices, moviegoing is still the most economical entertainment option."

Of course it is. But how high can operating costs be?

As a child, my family often enjoyed Sunday afternoons at the theater. But we always went to the "cheap" show when matinee ticket prices were reduced. At least that way we could afford popcorn and a drink.

When I went away to college, there was an abundance of theater choices. Checking the Thursday newspaper to see which movies made it to the $1 show was an essential task.

My friends and I usually waited for movies to come to the $1 theater before making big plans for dinner and a movie. Limited budgets and all, you know.

And waiting for a movie to hit the $1 show meant that even if you didn't like it you didn't feel like you'd wasted your money.

Of course, there are always the films that you'd pay to see over and over again. Those required a big group gathering before we headed off to the movie house.

And part of the fun was that the $1 show theaters were the old theaters with crushed velvetine seats and curtains covering the screens.

I traveled to St. Louis' Hi-Pointe theater recently to see "Waking Ned Devine." The trip, though it wasn't my sole reason for traveling north, was well worth it. The prices were reasonable, and the theater seats are more comfortable than any I've sat in recently.

Visiting the Hi-Pointe made me appreciate the movie for its artistic characteristics, not commercial ones.

Now that my college days have passed and Cape Girardeau's "cheap" theater has closed down, the excitement of seeing a movie isn't the same. There is no anticipation and thrill involved.

My theory now is: If you don't see it on the big screen, there's always video.

Good thing Santa brought a VCR for Christmas.

~Laura Johnston is a copy editor for the Southeast Missourian.