Have You Ever Smuggled Snacks into a Movie Theater?
It's Concession Confessions Time and My DMs are Open
For some, sneaking snacks into the cinema is a time-honored tradition.
Before every trip to the movies, some families dutifully make a stop at their nearest convenience store and purchase their preferred brands and flavors of sodas, candies, and other portable snacks.
Outside of the store, the family stuffs M&Ms into denim pockets, soft drink bottles into handbags, and even chips into coat linings, if the weather is cool enough for a jacket.
At least, so I’m told.
If it hasn’t already been made abundantly clear, I have always leaned on the side of rule-following.
Some may call me conscientious, others neurotic, but I don’t recall ever smuggling snacks into a movie theater on my own accord. Of course, in my youth, when taken to the multiplex by friend’s families, I would occasionally take part in their traditions out of light peer pressure and strong respect for their culture.
But as an adult, my cinema-snack-sneaking days have long since passed. Still, every now and again, I do wonder: What ARE the snack-smugglers up to these days?
Have their methods become more advanced?
Has rule enforcement become more lackadaisical?
Has snack sneaking gone downhill thanks to at-home streaming? (Are the smugglers staying home?)
Have the smuggled snacks of choice changed?
Are full meals smuggled into theaters now?
Curious, that I am.
The Moral and Ethical Debate of Sneaking Outside Snacks Into Movies
The morality of sneaking snacks into theaters is certainly up for debate.
On the one hand, some might consider snack smuggling an act of stealing, given snacks purchased outside the theater are technically banned from most cinemas. More to the point, the theater is depending on concessions sales. (The majority of theater ticket prices go straight to the film distributor and makers, whereas theaters keep all concession margins.) Now more than ever, movie theaters must be supported.
On the other hand, with garish income inequality plaguing the U.S.A. and many a nation, and concession prices steadily on the rise, it seems naïve to expect lower-income individuals to forgo movie-going or cinema snacking when shopping beforehand is a viable alternative. Until a more perfect economy arises, lower-income children, especially, should surely be afforded the dignity of a classic trip to the cinema, no?
Finally, we must consider that the only reason we enjoy popcorn, candy, and other food and drink at cinemas today is because of our ancestors’s equally sneaky tactics. Our forefathers dutifully smuggled popcorn and snacks into films, despite theaters banning food and drink, until theaters were forced to concede.
One might go as far as to say smuggling candy, soda, and snacks into the cinema is the closest a modern filmgoer can get to experiencing the magic and the excitement of going to the talkies for the first time.
Concession Confessions: Tell Us Your Story (Anonymously or Not)
The aim of the Film Flavor newsletter has always been that of a two-way conversation.
As I have very little experience with sneaking snacks into movies — and you, dear reader, might have quite a lot — it is now time for a voice on the other end of the line.
Have you ever smuggled food or drink into a cinema before? A few Reese’s here, a pretzel or two there? A soda can or bottle or five? You are, evidently, not alone.
Today, I humbly ask you: Please share your snack-smuggling stories below and contribute to Film Flavor's mission of documenting food-and-film history.
Responses will be rounded up and shared in a future installment of Film Flavor. Those who contribute will be contributing to food and film history as well as satisfying the perverse curiosity of myself and other obedient souls.
For the rule-followers, be sure to subscribe and stay tuned for stories from cinema-goers living on the high wire.
Ways to Share Your Snack-Smuggling Story:
Option 1: Anonymously share your story by hitting this button, below:
Option 2: Email Film Flavor by clicking here. I will keep your identity / email address anonymous unless you request otherwise (and if you want to be extra safe, you can always create a burner email just to write to me from.)
Option 3: Comment Below to share your snack-smuggling story. This option is, of course, not anonymous, and will be visible to Film Flavor subscribers, Substackers, and the general public. Proceed at your own risk.
Submit Your Movie Theater Snack Smuggling Stories
Responses and answers will be aggregated and shared in an upcoming installment of Film Flavor. (Again, form and email responses will be shared anonymously unless you’ve otherwise requested.)
What’s Next?
August is shaping up to be a big month for Film Flavor: From food product placements in movies to summer vacation flicks, from gourmet imported caviar to stale white Wonderbread, a lot is on the horizon. I’m in those glorious days of feverishly researching pieces to serve up for you all. Take care, and I’ll see you soon!
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With gratitude,
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It's not me, but the worst case of smuggling in theaters that I've experienced is people bringing full meals, not snacks. So what happens is that the focus is now on the food and the aroma. Not the movie. People get distracted and sometimes find it unfair that others were able to actually smuggle. Not to mention the smell makes everyone hungry, and they all head for that restaurant right after. 🤣😂
I'm a massive snack smuggler - recently have been loving bringing in a massive turkey sub from the grocery store by my favorite theater, or if I go to a matinee I love a thermos of coffee and a pastry.