Making moviegoing more affordable
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema can be reached by students through the Metro Expoline on 7th street. This cinema opened in Downtown Los Angeles during the summer of 2019 and offers a season pass to watch movies everyday.
Let’s face it: Moviegoing isn’t anywhere as affordable as it used to be. Adult weekend tickets for most theaters in Los Angeles go for around $18. However, in the age of streaming, one could argue that movie theaters have become more important than ever before. No matter how hard one may try, it is impossible to replicate the experience at home. There is something undeniably magical about sitting in the dark with a crowd on a Saturday night — with nothing in between you and the big screen — and being transported to the far off or close by worlds of your choosing. Movies are the great sacred escape that will always be there for us.
With the stress of the semester picking up, new releases every week and the epic summer movie season approaching soon, a trip to the theater will be warranted sooner than you may realize. However, sanctity alone cannot justify a lack of affordability. Utilizing the movie theater chains nearby brings quite a few ways to work around the cost and preserve the movie magic without breaking the bank.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Season Pass
The closest Alamo Drafthouse Cinema location for USC students is in downtown Los Angeles, which is about 10 minutes by car. A great added bonus of this location in particular is that it is accessible by metro. The theater is located in The Bloc, an outdoor shopping area that is only a few steps away from the 7th Street/Metro Center metro station.
The Alamo Season Pass goes for $29.99 and it comes with one free standard movie for every single day of the month. 3D or premium formats will require an upcharge. You can reserve tickets up to seven days in advance, however, there will be a convenience fee attached to the purchase. The Alamo has a fantastic selection of new movies, including many independent releases. They also host fun screenings and bring back older releases almost every week. It is a dine-in theater, but for those of you looking to resist temptation or save an extra buck, the water is free.
The Regal Unlimited Movie Subscription Pass allows students to pay a monthly fee of 23.99 to watch one movie per day. The LA Live Location is the closest Regal Theatre destination from USC.
Regal Unlimited Movie Subscription Pass
The closest Regal Theaters location is also Downtown in L.A. Live. This is also about 10 minutes by car. Although there isn’t a Metro stop directly to the theater, students can take the Expo line to the Pico station and then walk about 10 minutes to the L.A. Live Regal Theater. Students can also take the Metro J line bus to Figueroa/ Olympic, which is about a five minute walk from the theater.
The Regal Unlimited Movie Subscription Pass goes for $23.99 a month, and it also brings one free standard movie for every day of the month. Enrollment requires a three-month commitment, but it can still be charged on a monthly basis. Upgraded formats will require an additional fee, but there is a small discount on concessions. The convenience fees for a standard ticket purchase for Pass members are around $0.50, so it is typically cheaper than the fee for Alamo Drafthouse.
AMC Stubs A-List
One of the closest AMC Theatres locations is in The Grove, typically 20 minutes by car from campus.
AMC Stubs A-List goes for $24.95 a month, and offers three free movies every week. The catch? It can be any format, including 3D, Dolby Cinema or IMAX. Unlike other passes, you could even use all three on the same day. The week resets every Friday, and enrollment requires an initial three-month commitment. There are no convenience fees.
Cinemark Movie Club
The closest Cinemark location is the Cinemark Baldwin Hills Crenshaw and XD, about 15 minutes by car.
The Cinemark Movie Club is a much more relaxed approach. It costs $9.99 a month. With it, you get one free 2D ticket every month (unused tickets roll over), 20% off all concessions and no convenience fees. Premium formats take a small upcharge, and any additional tickets purchased for the rest of the month will always come at a discounted member price.
Discount Tuesdays
The next offer knows no boundaries. If you only find yourself rarely going to the movies, then when you do, consider dropping in on a Tuesday night. Tuesdays are discount days at most movie theaters, including reduced prices on premium formats. A Tuesday ticket at AMC or Regal goes for $6.50 (the AMC Stubs Insider or Regal Crown Club membership to access the discount is entirely free to join). At Cinemark it costs $6.50, and at the Alamo it is $9.
USC Ticket Office
If you are looking for one-time purchases, the USC Ticket Office sells individual passes at a discounted rate. Purchases for the passes must be made in-person. Be sure to check the Terms and Conditions for each theater. Some locations may have blackout dates or windows for certain films and showtimes, especially new releases.