Cinemas raise prices for weekend screenings

Movie-ticket prices here have been on the rise, with a weekend screening at Cathay cinemas now costing $13.

While the Cathay ticket price increase is the highest so far, all four cinema chains have upped their prices this year, Lianhe Wanbao said. Cathay tickets for a 2D movie on weekends and Friday evenings used to cost $11.

Golden Village theatres now charge $12.50 on Friday evenings and weekends, up from $11.50, while weekend and Friday-evening ticket prices at Shaw theatres are up a dollar to $12.

FilmGarde ticket prices are up 50 cents to $12 on Fridays and weekends.

The cinema chains told Wanbao that cost pressures on manpower, rent and other operational expenses were the causes.

Moviegoers can make use of their credit cards, Safra membership cards, and student and senior citizen concessions to get cheaper tickets, they said.

With the price increase, some customers said they may cut down on the number of movies they watch in cinemas.

"I can download most popular movies on my computer. Unless the visual effects are spectacular, I will go to the theatre less frequently now," Miss Chen, 27 and self-employed, told Wanbao.

Another moviegoer, Mr Chen, said he will continue to patronise the cinemas for niche films and the latest movies, which may not be available elsewhere.

But he may go during non-peak hours, the 28-year-old civil servant added.

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