$3 Movie Day: A cheap alternative to the Labor Day rituals

Movie theaters around the country are selling tickets at a discount to promote coming back to the movies. Photo courtesy of Flickr. 

James Martin | Contributing Writer

The smell of grilled food, splashes in the swimming pool, chatter between family and friends, fireworks and, for some, even a day off from school or work: All of these things could be used to describe Labor Day weekend. For some, it may even be the last weekend of summer. On top of all these rituals, a new attraction has caught the attention of many. National Cinema Day has been designated for Sept. 3. 

At participating cinemas, National Cinema Day will bring $3 movie tickets for any movie being streamed at any time. This deal is a hopeful attempt to rejuvenate the movie theater scene, as almost all locations across the nation have seen a decrease in numbers since the global pandemic. This decrease in viewers has put many cinemas out of business.

For University of Dayton students, there are a variety of cinemas in close proximity to campus that are participating in this special that gives close to an 80% discount on some of the more expensive showings. These include Cinemark at the Greene 14 IMAX, Cinemark Dayton South 16 and HD, Huber Heights 16, Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas and more.

If you do find your Saturday schedule is suddenly free, here is a list of movies you can enjoy for $3: The Invitation, Spider-Man No Way Home (The More Fun Stuff Version), DC League of Super-Pets, Top Gun: Maverick, Thor: Love and Thunder, Nope, Where the Crawdads Sing, Gigi & Nate, Honk for Jesus Save Your Soul, Cobra, Ranga Ranga Vaibhavanga, First Day First Show, Moon Man, Burial, Waiting for Bojangles, Wire Room, Nix, Saloum, All Eyes, and many more.

Movie theaters’ lack of attendance is serious. UD students reported not going to the theaters much or at all after the COVID-19 pandemic shut them down for a while in lockdown. 

“I saw Top Gun [Maverick] and the Minion movie [Minions: the Rise of Gru] in theaters but other than that I haven’t been to a movie theater in years,” said Luke Wild, a sophomore at UD.

“I have not been to a movie after COVID,” another UD student said. “I used to go to see any major film that came out, like Infinity War or Star Wars.”

Many UD students weren’t aware of the $3 deal when asked about it. However, all of them showed interest in going to the theaters to take advantage of the deal. 

So if the weather doesn’t permit a pool day or family cookout, visit your local cinema, kick your feet back and enjoy some popcorn as you experience the films on the big screen for cheap!

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