How to get $4 movie tickets on Aug. 27

Happy kids watch movie at cinema
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If you’ve missed any of this year’s buzzy film releases, you’re in luck: Theaters nationwide are celebrating National Cinema Day on Aug. 27 by offering super-cheap seats to super-hot movies.

Imagine beating the August heat in an air-conditioned theater, basking in “Barbie”’s pink shimmer, for only $4! That’s what tickets will cost at movie theaters that join the promotion.

This is the second-ever Cinema Day, an awareness-raising celebration of the movie biz. It’s presented by The Cinema Foundation, an industry group “that will use data and collaboration to solve problems and promote and expand the exhibition industry,” according to the group’s website.

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As the National Cinema Day site points out, movie theaters are more than seats and a screen. The industry comprises a whole range of providers, from film producers to concession makers to equipment manufacturers.

Cinema Day seeks to recognize the importance of movie-making and movie-showing — but it’ll also get more folks in the door after the pandemic shredded movie attendance figures. Despite a rebound in the industry thanks to major blockbusters this summer, some theater chains are still trying to return to profitable levels, including AMC. (The tickets might be cheap, but concessions will be the regular price.)

In addition to Summer 2023 hits like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” a few faves from earlier this year will make a return. Think “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.”

Brand-new flicks like “Blue Beetle” will also be on offer, and in a fun twist, some theaters will host revivals of older hits.

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“Beauty and the Beast,” Disney’s 1991 animated classic, will return to the screen, and so will “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” and “American Graffiti.” (“What about ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show?” you may ask. Answer: Absolutely.)

MORE: The Best Children’s Movie

The National Movie Day website makes it easy to find a show near you. Simply click on the movie you want to see, plug in your ZIP code, and you’ll be directed to showings and locations offering the $4 seats.

At these prices, you could pull a “Barbenheimer” for less than 10 bucks!

About the Author

Kathleen St. John

Kathleen was born in Iowa, but has spent most of her life in Colorado - with stints in Chicago, New York and Wyoming for variety. She’s written about things like music, food, nightlife, medical news, motorcycles, animals, bargain shopping, strip clubs and plants for publications like The Denver Post, Esquire, The A.V. Club, and Scripps' Simplemost and Don't Waste Your Money. More.

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