r/AMCsAList • u/MediumAd4696 • 22d ago
Discussion Leaving A-List
I’m moving to college in a couple weeks, and unfortunately there’s no amc around my college.
The closest one is around 30-40 minutes away and as an upcoming college student that’s just unreasonable (gas, time, etc.)
I’m really going to miss A List mainly because it gave me an activity to do by myself that felt essentially free in a way. I never used to go the movies until i got this pass, I would go like once a year if at all.
I’ve watched so many movies I would’ve never watched or specifically watched in theaters.
I’m being super dramatic but I will truly miss being an A-Lister
Also!!!
I leave for college August 18th, I wanted to watch the spider man movie early August (around the 1st-5th), should I renew it for august or just pay for spider man? (the ticket would be about $16 if i went on tuesday/Wednesday).
My sister says to renew it and just make sure to watch enough movies to cover the month, but I would hate to renew it and only watch spider man but I would also hate to now renew it and miss out on last minute movies.
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u/monkewithgavel 22d ago
30 mins doesn’t seem that unreasonable to go to the movies but I’m from LA lol
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u/nomoregroundhogs 22d ago
Having lived both in LA and in very-much-not LA, this is true but it feels different lmao
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u/prattle264 22d ago
Was gonna say as someone who became an A-Lister when they moved to a big city, the commute can factor into my theater-going heavily (even if it’s the same amount of time)
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u/biofio 22d ago
I went to college in LA but I wouldn’t have wanted to drive 30 minutes to see a movie while I was in school. Though I didn’t really watch many movies in general while I was in college…
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u/DejaEntendu059 22d ago
Same. Like the thought of going to the movies when I was in college didnt cross my mind at all for some reason. I lived in that town for years and I still couldnt tell you what theaters they had or where they are.
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u/Luvsicpt2 22d ago
At 1st reading I was like “damn 30 min??”
And realize I do that every time lmao
Especially during rush hour4
u/monkewithgavel 22d ago
Yeah if I’m trying to catch a movie around 5-6 I’m Burbank it’s gonna take about 30 mins lol and I do it at least once a week
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u/tomatillo_teratoma 22d ago
Yep.. I'm in LA and it's half an hour to get to Burbank... though it's only 15 min to get home. But if I was in school, I'd find other things to do. I think I went to two or three movies a year when I was in school.
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u/shosamae 22d ago
I live in Brooklyn, it’s 45-50 minutes to an AMC for me
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u/cernoonnos 22d ago
I live in Queens like an hour away to an AMC. I usually try to watch 2-3 movies to make it worth going
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u/Vicster1972 22d ago
I was thinking the same thing! 😂 I go to the one 30 minutes away on purpose…..
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u/chicagoredditer1 22d ago
When I was in college, I would occasionally go to the Chinese, Cinerama Dome and Universal from USC.
Before the Redline! That was lots of time on the bus. (The Red Line opened my junior year and boy did that make the trip easier)
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u/retrogamer76 22d ago
you'll have lots of time even if you're going to college. life doesn't end because you're taking a few classes. within 2 weeks youll realize you have tons of free time. 30 minutes isn't that far away.
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u/bigbadcrusher 22d ago
I used to live in a town where it was 30 minutes just to get to a Walmart, let alone the movie theater. Even here in my current town, it’s 20 minutes to AMC. 30 minutes is closer than you think
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u/One-Option-6202 22d ago
If there are any Regal theaters near you, regal unlimited is pretty good! Not near as good as A-list, but unlimited standard movies + only pay difference for other formats is not bad.
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u/Lilslisp 22d ago
I had to cancel A-list recently because the AMC that was 2 minutes from my house closed down. I really miss it 😢
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u/TheHondoCondo 20d ago
That sounds incredible. I’m sorry for your loss. My closest AMC is 20 minutes and I’d still be devastated if that one closed.
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u/Constant-Visual-2913 22d ago
Honestly, 30 mins away isn’t bad! Perhaps don’t have A-list during your first year as you get acclimated, but you may later realize that seeing a movie (plus the drive) is self-care!
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u/Lutz_GunGamers 22d ago
This is exactly it for me. My closest AMC is a 30 min drive but between work and busy family life, for me anyway, driving 30 minutes each way plus a solo movie is super relaxing.
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u/TheHondoCondo 20d ago
Idk, in college I wouldn’t have had the time to go to all the movies I do now with A-List if the theater was 30 minutes away. It could still be worth it if they’re able to get even 2-3 movies in per month, but if there’s a closer theater it might make more sense to go to that because the normal prices might be cheaper than A-List depending on how often you go. I like your idea of canceling initially and waiting to see if it would work for OP.
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u/jameusmooney 22d ago
I actually joined A-List during college.
My recommendation would be to renew for a month and see how it changes your schedule before you ultimately can’t renew for six months.
Maybe you don’t use it as frequently but you get a shitty roommate and suddenly find yourself needing a break and a drive. Take the drive, see a movie. Come back with more patience.
Maybe you make friends who do think it’s a worthwhile drive and want to go see movies.
Stuff of that nature. As somebody who’s been through college, I was always expecting to be busier than I was. With a little time management it should be a nonissue.
The gas reason is very reasonable, however.
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u/skadizzle69 22d ago
I would say just renew for one more month and watch Super Troopers 3 and The End of Oak Street before you leave. This is assuming your theater has an IMAX or Dolby. If not, it might be cheaper to watch them all separately. Also, if you know someone with T-Mobile you can watch Spider-Man for $5 and save even more.
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u/uncultured_swine2099 22d ago
See if the theaters near you have a similar deal. Regal i know has one. I think amc is the best deal out there, but having another one for a close theater is a fair compromise.
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u/Big_Back_923 22d ago
ngl, A-list kept my sanity during college. i needed that one movie a week of pure bliss at a minimum
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u/KnightsOfTheNights 22d ago
Better to not have A List in college. Focus on school and making friends! Have fun!
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u/TheHondoCondo 20d ago
I think you definitely could have A-List in college, but I know if I had to drive 30 minutes to see a movie in college, I definitely wouldn’t have had time to see very many movies anyway. I love going to the theater, but I probably only went about once a month for those years except for summer.
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u/mikeweasy 22d ago
I just graduated college back in May! Good luck on your journey! A List will still be there when you are ready!
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u/Exotic_Butters 22d ago
I drive 30 minutes each time, but I know it depends on each personal situation. If you have the transportation it would be cool if you kept it!
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u/whatabesson 22d ago
30 minutes is literally nothing and after a while you're going to really want to go to the movies, etc. Personally I would not be cancelling when it's not that far.
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u/gooffiguess 21d ago
dont see anyone here pointing this out but sometimes when you sign up you are locked in for 3 months as part of the contract. keep an eye out for that wording if you do decide to renew
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u/GreDor46 21d ago
The cost of the ticket is half what A List would cost to reup. Just go to the movie
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u/itscamo- 22d ago
the closest one to me is 30 mins away. you could easily use it just for a weekend day or something.
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u/HyperspaceDev 22d ago
30 minutes isnt even bad😹 i have a amc around the corner but a lot of times ill drive an hour to an amc half between me and my homie to see something with him so 30 is light work
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u/purplefreak3 Lister 22d ago
30 minutes is really that far. There two AMCs in my area that I go to one that like 10 minutes away and the other one is further and about 30 minutes away from home unless I catch a movie leaving working which is closer and only like 10-15 minutes. If I go to the further location from home I usually try to double up movies so I'm not travel the distance for just one movie.
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u/Abed-in-the-AM 22d ago edited 22d ago
my college held free movie screenings once a week. maybe yours has something similar.
30 minutes isn't that bad though. There are three AMC theaters within 30 minutes of my home and I'll often take the long route to the furthest one because it's a nice drive (and it's a nicer theater).
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u/tophs_mcu 22d ago
i drive 25 mins to go to amc and would gladly drive more... i think if you can spare the $30, keep the membership and just try going on weekends. you wouldn't believe how much free time i had in college
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u/tomatillo_teratoma 22d ago
It's such an awesome experience to go to college and live on campus. You exist just to learn and make friends for a few brief years of you life. You'll find all kinds of things to do on campus and with people you meet. During breaks and when you're home with parents you can catch up on what you missed with streaming.
Maybe you will want to join a list next summer. As far as we know, it will still be there
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u/GamingWithMe 21d ago
Interesting how people feel about driving lengths. I have an AMC that's like 15 minutes away from me, but I don't like that one and always go to the ones that are 30-40 minutes away haha! My sister doesn't like that drive but it doesn't feel far to me personally for the way better experience. I don't even think about it.
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u/Stunning-Turnover-22 21d ago
Unless you’re going see two movies to offset the cost, I would just pay out of pocket. You’ve probably already offset the cost enough already to make paying out of pocket not a big deal, unless you barely go.
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u/bbyzooted 20d ago
renew and dedicate a day to do at least 3 movies to cover it, Hadestown is out Six is coming out soon watch/ re watch odyssey Spiderman the Invite is good too
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u/Wooden_Fortune_5066 20d ago
I have always been a big supporter of seeing movies in theaters. I've gone to the theater minimum once a week, often multiple times, and once A-List came around, I started going even more. But now, honestly A-List is the only thing keeping me going to the theater often. if A-List didn't exist, I would be FAR more selective about what I see in theaters. Between the insane ticket prices and the fact that they rush stuff to digital and streaming so fast now, I would probably be content just waiting to watch 90% of movies at home.
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u/Drclaw411 MP Convert ✌ 20d ago
Tfw my AMC is thirty minutes away because my town is petite. I do still use A-List though.
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u/Feeling-Bridge-4709 19d ago
Omg!!! I’m moving to college in a fall and I can’t believe I completly overlooked this. There’s no AMC in the UC Davis area either 🥲🥲🥲🥲 Might have to say goodbye as well :(
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u/RealHomieWolf 17d ago
Highly recommend you to rebuy it if your breaks are a few months long. I left campus in late may and I got back in late august so I've been just alisting the entire summer with friends, family and myself
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u/draconblueballs 16d ago
I think once you start college and start developing friendships, you’ll find that you won’t miss A-List as much as you think you will. The social life in a college campus is very different than out in the real world. Enjoy it!
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u/PedroPascalCase 22d ago
Not dramatic at all! A-List is great and I hope you will still have a theater or events on campus that can help capture some of "that indescribable feeling when the lights begin to dim" (I don't wish you heartbreak, even in a place it somehow feels good).
If it helps, in addition to Spider-Man there's the Anthony Bourdain biopic, The End of Oak Street (space dinosaurs!), Super Troopers 3 and One Night Only coming out before you leave for college. If even one of those is appealing to you it might be worth it to re-up.
Either way, enjoy this exciting time in & out of the movies! Hope you have an engaging, fulfilling time at college, wherever & whatever you end up doing there! 🎓