Who's To Blame For Outrageous Movie Snack Prices?

CBS

What used to be a bargain for couples going out now costs quite a bit more.

It's not the movie tickets that'll break the bank, although they are more expensive. But it's inside the movie theatre where prices can really add up.

Moviegoers may be surprised to learn the real reason prices for popcorn, candy and drinks are so outrageous, and it turns out those high-priced actors and Hollywood movie houses are to blame.

"I have no idea why they would charge those prices," said moviegoer Betsey Delaney.

"We don't get it, why would we get it?" said moviegoer Jack Delaney. "We are paying enough to get in the movie so we don't buy extra stuff at the theatre."

Tom Hennessy got this story rolling by e-mailing his Curiosity about why movie stuff is so expensive: "We went to the movies last Friday night and one bottle of water and one bag of popcorn ate up a $10 bill. I just don't understand why."

So why is everything you buy in a movie theatre so much more expensive than anywhere else?

Really, $6 for popcorn? $5 for a drink? $5 for a box of candy?

"For us to survive as a small business and pay our employees, this is a primary source of income for this business," said Paul McMurtry, owner of the Dedham Community Theatre.

McMurtry's threatre is less expensive than the big chains, but he has an answer to why we are all paying so much.

"The majority of the income that comes into a movie theatre goes to the studio. The ticket price, at times up to 90 percent of the price, goes to the move studio," McMurtry explained.

So the ticket money pays the actors. The popcorn and drinks pay the movie theatre's bills.

But there's another way to look at this. Perhaps if actors didn't get $20 million a picture, maybe a family of five could actually go to the movies without having to budget for it.

Let us know what you're Curious about.

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