If there was one thing “Barbenheimer” taught us, it’s that the best way to watch movies is at a movie theater, surrounded by fellow film enthusiasts and munching on our favorite snack.
There’s just one small problem: Movie theater tickets are expensive.
Let’s do the math for an evening at the cinema. Say I decide to see an 8 p.m. screening of A24’s “Stop Making Sense” rerelease at AMC — I’m already at $15.49. Once I get there, I’m feeling peckish, so I treat myself to some popcorn for an additional $9.49. I was going to get a drink, but now that I’ve already spent $25 for one movie, I shut my wallet for the night.
$25! That totals out to a little less than two hours of minimum-wage work in Boston.
Movie theaters have realized that these prices ask a lot of their audiences and have developed subscription systems that reward frequent moviegoers with discounted concessions and ticket prices.
The two most important memberships for young film enthusiasts in Boston are AMC A-List and Coolidge Corner Theater’s student-priced Film Fan Membership. I’ve tried both, and I’m going to tell you which one is better.
In terms of value for money, AMC Stubs A-List is hard to beat. The monthly $24.95 payment gets you three free movies per week, which pays for itself if you see at least two movies per month. For this price, AMC also gives A-Listers free size upgrades for popcorn and drinks as well as a swanky, self-important priority lane at concessions and the box office.
While Coolidge Corner Theater’s Film Fan Membership is only $40 a year for students (and $20 during the month of October), there isn’t a lot of incentive to buy it. Strictly talking ticket pricing, Film Fan gets you $3 off regular-priced film tickets. A regular ticket costs $15.50, which means a Film Fan would pay $12.50 instead. Sounds like a good deal, right?
Here’s the catch: Sundays through Thursdays, Coolidge offers discounted student tickets for $12.50 (which can’t be discounted any further). These off-peak student tickets eliminate any monetary incentive to buy the Film Fan membership as a student, putting AMC A-List decidedly in front in the value-for-money race.
Now that we’ve considered the hypothetical monetary comparisons, it’s time to get real about the A-Lister and Film Fan experiences.
During my three years as an A-Lister, I lost a considerable amount of money. I usually didn’t go to the movie theater two times a month and there were quite a few months where I didn’t see any movies at AMC. During my most fruitful movie-watching year, I saw 12 films, meaning I overpaid by $113.
In comparison, during the six and a half months I’ve been in Boston this year, I’ve already seen 11 films at Coolidge Corner — eight of which were not new releases. A gorgeous art deco arthouse cinema, Coolidge Corner Theater offers a unique combination of elegant ambiance and one-of-a-kind screenings that you can’t find at any AMC theater.
Though I probably won’t pay off my $40 Film Fan membership through the number of films I watch at Coolidge, at least I know my money is going to an important cause: arthouse cinema. The $15 I overpaid is funding a 35-millimeter “Before Sunrise” screening, “Showgirls” with hilarious live commentary and the chance to see classic films like “The Philadelphia Story” and “Bringing Up Baby” on the big screen. One of the best movie experiences of my life was a (very queer) packed midnight screening of “But I’m a Cheerleader” at Coolidge — a night I would never have experienced at an AMC.
Though I probably won’t buy the Film Fan membership next year, I will still be exclusively going to Coolidge Corner Theater for all my film fixings. The student prices are a steal and I know that I won’t have to force myself to watch something I’m not that interested in (*cough* Marvel *cough*) just to make my membership investment worthwhile.
So that’s the scoop. If you’re someone who goes to see new releases about two times a month, then there’s no question that AMC A-List is the ideal choice for you. But if you’re like me and are interested in seeing a variety of films from the past century in a magnificent 1933 movie palace, then commit to Coolidge in some form.
But regardless of your decision, make sure you see at least one film on the big screen this year. It’ll be worth it.
