Cinemark Movie Club Takes On MoviePass, Includes Snacks Discount

Cinemark has unveiled Movie Club, a monthly subscription aimed at people who love seeing movies in the theater. Movie Club appears to be Cinemark's own alternative to MoviePass, offering customers a flat rate for movie tickets and discounts on snacks. Cinemark's offering undercuts MoviePass a tiny bit, though the two services aren't exactly twins. One service may be better for you than the other depending on your habits, but neither clearly stands out as the better choice.

Cinemark's Movie Club is $8.99/month, giving the subscriber a single movie ticket with additional tickets being offered at a flat rate of $8.99. This is for a 2D movie, not 3D, and it is joined by a 20-percent discount on snacks, including for a guest the subscriber may bring with them. If the user wants, Movie Club allows for upgrading to 3D and XD screenings.

Subscribers don't pay an online fee, and their monthly ticket will roll over into the next if it isn't used during the month it was purchased. These rollover tickets don't expire, either. Each purchase is joined by Connections points that can be redeemed for goods like digital downloads. The subscription is on a month-to-month basis, which means it can be cancelled whenever the customer wants.

With all that said, is it a better option than MoviePass? Perhaps. MoviePass is a bit more expensive at $9.95/month, but it covers more than 4,000 theaters across the US, and you can see a new movie every single day if you want. That would seem to give it the edge, though only for people who like to visit the theater frequently. If that doesn't describe you, the flexibility that comes with Movie Club may be a better choice; you have the option of upgrading to XD or 3D if you want.

As well, MoviePass doesn't get you the discount on snacks, which may not matter if you don't buy them, but is a nice perk for casual movie lovers who only visit the theater once a month or so.

SOURCE: Cinemark