"0"^^ . "0"^^ . "2"^^ . "I've lived in New York City--famous for its high costs--and Boulder, Colorado, a city a bit smaller than Madison and also known as a pretty expensive place. And in both places, I had a better movie theater that offered cheaper tickets and a better experience. The prices at Sundance, and the surcharge based on when you go, are extremely frustrating. \n\nI've been to the theater a few times, and each time two things have been true: The tickets were expensive, and the place felt pretty dingy. Yes, the fixtures are nice, but the bathroom wasn't kept clean, and the lobby couches are run down. But there's track lighting! Woo!\n\nThe last time, I also questioned why there was this $2 surcharge on the $10 tickets. The cashier explained that theaters take home very little of the ticket price -- less than 10 percent. But I had my doubts ... and sure enough, I read this in the New York Times:\n\n\"Most Hollywood releases, with outsize production budgets, enormous marketing costs and a 50 percent split in revenue with movie theater owners, do not turn a profit for studios until the DVD release.\"\n\nObviously, Sundance doesn't show \"most Hollywood releases\", but do you honestly think art films that are desperate for distribution get a higher take of the box office than big releases? \n\nThanks, but I prefer not to get vastly overcharged and lied to for a movie-going experience this mediocre."^^ . . . "1"^^ . . "2010-10-26T00:00:00"^^ .