And quite frankly, I'm not worried about the "concession recession" at all. I don't want the stupidly large "medium sized" popcorn because I'll waste it, and they don't serve gingerale, which is my drink of choice. And if I can smuggle in 50-cent m&ms instead of paying $2.50 for them, well, so be it.

However, my b/f has a friend who is a vegan and he always brings in his own food/drinks; in his case, I think this is perfectly acceptable as I'm sure a lot of the food at the concession stand would not fulfill his dietary restrictions.

I also don't like popcorn and the drinks that are offered, so it works out. Perhaps if they offered better choices and had better service I would be more likely to purchase something.

If I'm going to a small mom & pop place, I will either abstain from eating, or purchase something small. I feel differently about large corporate chains vs. small independent businesses.

The idea behind concession stands is actually price discrimination. It's the same reason why food is expensive at airports or amusement parks: you are human. You will get hungry. We have food. But how badly do you want it? Are you willing to eat before the movie and then get the sleepies? Or are you willing to starve during the movie?

I've brought everything from my own popcorn to an entire CHIPOTLE meal (complete with chips and dip) to the movies. I don't feel bad about it because I totally enjoyed the movie more. LOL.