Once upon a time, a visit to the cinema was a joyous occasion, filled with laughter, excitement and that slight feeling of trepidation about the film they were going to see. It was a wonderful mix of a variety of different feelings all culminating in that one moment of bliss when the curtain finally went up and you were able to immerse yourself in a few hours of stolen enjoyment away from the worries of the outside; but now all this has gone! This is because even before we have left the house to get to the cinema we are having to dispel the lies that come into our head every time we think about a journey to the multiplex or independent art-house cinema, depending on your choice establishment. Some of these you may agree with and others you may think are downright ridiculous, but hopefully as members of the cinema going public you will see some slither of truth hidden amongst this list and think about how you view your own cinema going experience the next time you venture out of the door.
10. It Is A Cheap Night Out
This is the first lie that comes out of everyone's mouth when they get asked why are they going to cinema. They try and convince themselves and everyone around them that going to cinema, is actually a cheap way of spending money together and a great night all around; and how wrong and misguided those poor fools are. Cinemas present the image that they are cheap as a way of enticing people in, but much like casino's in Las Vegas, once you are inside it is very difficult to leave with money still in your pockets. What initially starts out a cheap night soon descends in chaos when you realise that tickets are now pushing £8 depending on your location in the country, so you should count yourself lucky if you are only going as a couple (more will be said about families later!) that you only need spend just shy of £20 pounds on tickets. Then comes the tricky situation of food. Popcorn is a mainstay of a cinema visit, but what flavour? Sweet, salted or that extra special bagged toffee variety? The choices are endless when you throw in nachos or a hotdog. Did you want a drink when any of those? Of course you do. To top it all off how about an ice cream or a bag of sweets to go in the combo with your drink and popcorn? You save 50 pence if you buy them all together! So what initially started off as a cheap night out has now come close to £40 and you need an assistant to help carry all of your food to the screen because you couldn't quite decide what to have and so took one of everything.