Poll: See More Movies?

Famous Players is reducing admission prices in Calgary and the lower mainland in an attempt to bring back customers turned off by the high cost of seeing a movie.

The theatre chain is instituting a flat-rate policy for adult admissions. This means that the price will drop from as high as $13.95 in some theatres to a new uniform price of $10.95.

It also means that there will be no more discount Tuesdays or cheaper matinees, and seniors and children will actually pay more. A senior or children's ticket in Calgary, for instance, will go up from $8 to $8.95.

"It's finding a way to get people back to the theatres," Famous Players executive Andrew Sherbin told The Canadian Press.

Sherbin said the new policy will mean consistency. "There was always uncertainty in what that ticket would cost from theatre to theatre," he said.

The formula has proven successful in other communities. Famous Players first rolled out the change in cities like London, Ont.

There will be no price changes at the concession stand, though. "It is where we make our profit," Sherbin explained.

Sherbin said movie attendance has recently fallen off across North America, although it saw an increase with last month's release of The Passion of the Christ.