Random Movie Theater Secrets You Probably Haven't Thought About (12 items)

(#10) Some Theaters Are Experimenting With Offering Alcohol

Some theaters chains are now offering 21 and up showings, complete with a full bar. The experience can be a lot of fun as long as you're watching something like The Hangover, but can go downhill pretty quick if you find yourself sipping along to a screening of Flight.
(#12) Most Movie Theaters Make More Money From Concessions Than From Ticket Sales

While it may seem out there, movie theaters don't make a huge amount of money off of the movies themselves, at least for the first month or two that they play. During that time, most of the profits from ticket sales go to the studio that distributed the movie. The theater only starts to take in a bigger chunk of the proceeds when the film has been out for around three months or so. This is why some of them continue to play popular movies, even after they've been out for months.

Theaters like AMC are helping to keep their profits high by charging more for popcorn, soda, and all that candy that you love so much.
(#5) Movie Seats Didn't Have Cup Holders Until 1981

Innovation has always been a funny thing. Leave it to the nation that figured out how to put a man on the Moon before we thought of putting wheels on suitcases. The US also introduced air-conditioned cinemas nearly 60 years before movie theaters that offered cup holders. (That's right, AC in theaters is a 1920s thing. The more you know.)

The first cup holders didn't make it into cinemas until AMC Theaters introduced them in 1981. What, I have to just hold this soda?!
(#4) Theater Employees Used To Play Xbox On The Big Screen After Hours

Although it's apparently a lot harder to set up these days, due to evolving movie theater technology, cinema employers reportedly have used their off time to play X-Box. Playing Halo on the big screen is probably just as rad as it sounds.
(#1) An Alarming Amount Of Moms Leave Dirty Diapers Under the Seats

Apparently, some moms are so into getting their money's worth out of kid's movies that they aren't even up for taking their little ones to the bathroom for a diaper change. Instead, they just throw dirty diapers under the movie seat.

Please don't do this.
(#6) Americans Eat 14 Billion Quarts Of Popcorn Every Year

According to Popcorn.com and the Popcorn Institute (yes, that's a thing, too) - Americans chow down on approximately 14 billion quarts of popcorn per year. That's about 43 quarters per person each year.