I am a thief

Some time in the last 5 years the price of going to the movies went completely out of control. My wife and I can easily blow $40-50 on a movie and a few snacks and in my mind that just isn’t right.

So, how do you change this picture and get better value?

One way is to search out the smaller, independent cinemas and go there instead. They’re usually a lot cheaper and if you pick the right one they are often playing that great alternative film you have been meaning to see for ages (Manufactured Landscapes anyone?).

The other way is to bend your morals and steal your way to better value! (the option I’ve been choosing more and more often). Now every time I go to a big cinema chain I turn my single ticket into a double bill. Pan’s Labyrinth followed by Letters From Iwo Jima, or Children of Men followed by Casino Royal.

It’s a pretty simple trick. Do some research and find a couple of movies you like that are playing right after each other, buy a ticket to the first one and after the film just wander next door for movie number two!

The one hassle is finding two films playing back to back that you actually want to see. So, I was chuffed when my friend Dre sent through a link to this little app. Movie Madness lets anyone in the US or Canada create the perfect double, triple or quadruple bill movie line up by just entering your postcode and selecting your local cinema. For example, the site tells me that today I could check out 4 films in a row at Famous Players Paramount cinema in Toronto with no more than a 10 minute wait between movies. Nice.

So, go out and steal your way to good movie value my friends. Happy watching!