Why popcorn costs so much at the movies

… "B", and "C" movies.) It didn't work then, either. Plenty of flop "A" musicals and hit "B" comedies/westerns. Robert McKenzie goes on about this at length in his book, "Why Popcorn Costs So Much at the Movies." I have crudely summarized his chapter on this subject: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Popcorn-Costs-Much-Movies/dp/03877...

I finally registered on HN to make one short comment: Read "Why Popcorn Costs So Much at the Movies: And Other Pricing Puzzles". It's a short, readable book on pricing "for dummies" by Richard McKenzie (UC Irvine). I have zero formal training in economics, and I found the book enlightening. It discusses price discrimination thoroughly - after all, it's a critical component of pricing theory. I, too, find the thought of one buyer paying more simply because s/he can afford the price somehow "wrong". I don't fully buy the explanation in the book (mainly revolving around time opportunity costs, as I see it). But, at the same time, life is not always fair - morality and money are orthogonal to some extent. If this behavior were deemed harmful by society, surely it would be illegal by now? [Edit: Minor Engrish nit.]