I have been amused at the complaining about the turnout for the movies this year by the movie moguls. I think the fact is they have just started charging so much for the tickets that people, especially with kids, are only going for special occasions. I know that when my wife and I take the grandkids to the movie and get pop corn and a coke for them is is ridulously expensive.

We have started looking for less pricy ways to go to the show and here is what we have found.

If you go to the Carmike 20 in Edinburg on Tuesday afternoon all tickets are $5 (excluding 3D) and the pop corn and soft drinks are a dollar (my wife and I share a bag of popcorn and a coke. This means that we can go to see a show for $12. Not so bad. We won't go see a picture that has 3D on it.

Interestingly, the show is packed on Tuesdays and empty the rest of the week. You'd think that the shows would get the message.

[This message has been edited by oldvalleyrat (edited 12/31/2011 10:31a).]

The Border Theater in Mission got out muscled by Carmike a few years back. The Border Theater owner had been able to show fairly recent movies until the "law" came down on them. They were forced to stop showing recent movies for a decent price and after a while couldn't keep up with the bills having to show movies that had been released over 6+ months earlier.

Owner had to sell the place and it isn't even close to what it used to be. Sad story for such a great place with so much history. I rarely go to the movies now because of the prices and miss the affordable days of The Border and the old time movie theater feel.

OX:

I lived in Mission for a couple of years, right down the street from the Border theatre, it was really cool to go there and watch a flick. I really enjoyed it.

Just an FYI, movies are like medications, you can see a pretty recent movie outside of the US in a great movie theatre for about 70% less. When we were living in Nicaragua we went quite a bit. Tickets were $3.00 and popcorn and such was like $1.00 or so. Two of us could go and do it big time for around $12 or so primetime. A couple of movie theatres actually had waiters and VIP seats and such.

Years ago my wife and I would go in Reynosa and eat dinner and catch a movie there, also a lot cheaper. Now she won't go.

I don't know how much older than you guys I am, but when I was much younger we used to go to Mexico all the time for stuff. I still remember driving my car to Reynosa after a H.S. dance when I was a 10th grader back in the late 50's. We used to go to eat, drink, go to the show etc and always had a good time.

I even used to drive over to Mexico to get deisel for my Olds deisel...it was $.12 a gallon back in the 70s.

My friends and I had a permanent room that we had fixed up over at the El Azucar Motel at Sugar lake and spent many, many nights there back in the 90s.

I haven't set foot in Mexico since 2000, and I probably won't be back ever again. Very sad!

Valley Rat, I am a little younger than you are and I think I remember you from HS, but I went to the other one but frequented McHi quite a bit and got into trouble several times for it . But in HS and even up until 2006 or so Mexico was pretty darn safe. I mean is HS we about lived there.

I currently work and travel in the interior and in fact am crossing into Mexico right now and it is safe if you follow certain guidelines. I posted on the violence thjread that I saw pictures from Sugar Lake last week and my goodness the bass were incredible. I am told it has not been fished commercially in over two years. I also got an email from a former employee that I am very close to who works for the Camargo municipality and lives in Comales. She and her two sisters just moved back there and they are saying things are really quiet and safe with lots of marines permanently there.

The hotel on the lake is supposedly fixed up again and jonesing for business. I want to go over there and check it out and do some fishing. But I really don't know how to Bass fish that well. I managed a plant in Camargo for 7 years and lived there as well so I know lots of people. Would you consider going over there to look things over? I have a feeling that Sugar lake will be an off the radar spot for quite a few years to come. One way or another I am going to check it out, I am not afraid to go alone, but I just don't know how to bass fish that well.

I grew up in Pharr and graduated PSJA in 70. Mexico was part of our life experience back then. When we were Seniors in High School, Enrique at Dutchs Bar in Reynosa let us have a tab there. Always felt safe but have no desire to go to Mexico again. And that is indeed sad. Maybe that will change again in time. (Of Course, living near Houston does not make it convenient either.)