Who the hell can afford $20 movie tickets in THIS economy? Not broke uni students, that’s for sure. Luckily, quality entertainment doesn’t have to cost you your first-born child (though feel free to offer them up as sacrifice)! Here are a few deals that guarantee good times, fun shows, and money left over for mini donuts and drinks. Kai is key.
$5 Wednesdays at Academy Cinemas: All film showings on Wednesday are $5, excluding film festival weeks! The last $5 movie I watched there was Promising Young Woman, which is now Oscar nominated, making it a pretty good deal. Popular sessions may sell out, so check the seating online in advance. Academy Cinemas also have special events, like the $10 Paddington double-feature a couple years back (easily the best cinematic experience of my life). Count up your pocket change and treat yourself to a mid-week night off.
$10 movies with Event Cinebuzz for students: If you love movies, then the $10 annual fee for a Cinebuzz student membership is well worth your investment. For one year, you’ll pay $10 for any standard 2D movie at Event Cinemas, down from the usual $18 for students! You’ll also earn points toward free movies and get some highly ~exclusive~ invites to advanced screenings. Just don’t forget to bring your student ID to the cinemas. Only place you’ll need to use it outside of the library.
$9 movie of the week with Cinebuzz at Rialto, Newmarket: Venturing outside CBD for a minute – a ten minute bus ride down the road, Newmarket’s Rialto is a cosy cinema that screens a wide selection of blockbuster and indie films. Cinebuzz members get access to a $9 movie of the week, as well as $13 movies all-day on Tuesdays. Rialto is located right next to the food court, with a decent drinks menu that offers soda, coffee, tea, and wine. That’s your whole night sorted! A glass of wine definitely doesn’t feel out of place in the Rialto theatre.
<$15 movies at Hollywood Cinema, Avondale: Built in 1915, the Hollywood is an iconic independent theatre in Tāmaki Makaurau. It hosts cult, classic, revival, and marathon screenings, and in the more extreme, including an annual 24-hour movie marathon spread across two days. Sometimes they even play 35mm films for all you cinephiles out there. There’s also live music and concerts on certain days! Once they even hosted one of the ‘Morning People’ events. They don’t run films very consistently, so it’s important to keep up online with the release schedule. Tarantino once called it the “Best Cinema in New Zealand” and that guy has probably seen quite a few.
$10 movies on Tuesdays at The Vic, Devonport: The Vic is another independent and historical cinema, located, this time, on the shore. Established in 1912, the Vic offers $10 movie tickets on Cheap Tuesdays and $12.50 student concessions every other day (you can save a further $1 if you opt out of the automatic donation tacked onto the ticket prices. If you’re down to be looked at as an asshole). Their choc tops and gelato are to die for!
$5 Student Mondays and Tuesdays at Bridgeway, Northcote: The Bridgeway is a gorgeous arthouse cinema that’s looking out for us kids! Tickets are $5 on Mondays and Tuesdays, as long as you bring your student ID. If you can’t make it, student tickets are only $12 from Wednesday to Friday before 5pm, and $12.50 at any other times. Maybe North Shore isn’t so bad after all!
Free Beamafilm streaming with Auckland Libraries: beamafilm.com lets you stream movies and TV shows with your Auckland Libraries card. And what’s cheaper than free? Though the site definitely lacks mainstream titles, there’s plenty of gems to choose from (including Drive, Carol, and Boy). Great for days when you want to stay home and Beamafilm and chill.
$5 Raw Comedy Night at the Classic (2 for 1 student deal): Every Monday at 8pm, the Classic comedy club invites rookie performers to test their comedy chops. If you’re lucky, you might catch a breakout star. If you’re unlucky, you might see someone bomb, crash, and burn. Either way, you’ll be thoroughly entertained. Tickets are $5 at the door, or $2.50 with a date and your student ID!
And finally, if you want to put on a show yourself…
$2 karaoke coin booths at Chancery: With prices ranging from $2 for one song to $12 for 20, the Chancery karaoke coin booths are perfect for dates, hanging with friends, or solo concerts after class (though splitting costs with more people is cheaper)! You’re the star now!
Illustration by Kiki Hall