Last night, we went to see The Dark Knight at our local AMC. Since I bought the overpriced tickets, my cousin agreed to buy the overpriced snacks.

When we stepped up to the concession stand, however, we weren't sure just how overpriced the snacks were because there were no posted prices. AMC had replaced the simple menus with fancy flatscreen tv's. Most of the screens showed combo meals or their incredibly annoying flim-guy diving into popcorn. Where there should have been clearly labeled prices for individual products, however, there were only blank screens. The theater had turned those screens off.

Um, that's a little shady, but they might have just been having technical difficulties. We suppose that's one of the awesome perks of having useless flat screen tv menus.

Then again, maybe they did get tired of people skipping the combo meals to save money. Who knows? Nothing surprises us anymore, sadly.

It's extremely difficult to report this sort of thing to AMC corporate (in our experience, they always forward the complaints back to the manager you're complaining about), so if you want to report this, you're probably going to have to call your department of consumer affairs, your state's attorney general, or perhaps your local government.

If you're in a cinema which gives you a choice between buying a medium bag of popcorn and a large tub of popcorn, there's a greater-than-50% chance that the medium bag will actually contain more popcorn than the large tub.

Here's more of Professor McKenzie's thoughts on popcorn economics:

The prospects of getting more popcorn in the medium than the large is higher here, since the medium is a bag with flexible sides and the tub has rigged sides. Both mediums and large sizes in Winston-Salem are bags with flexible sizes. There I always got more in the large (not much more!). Here, a little more than half the time I got more in the medium. It all depends on the clerks, and how she/he holds the bags and then chooses to literally stuff the bags by pressing the popcorn down. But then the ounce measures are not a firm indicator of value, since a higher weight can mean more bottom of the popping cabinet crumbs and un-popped kernels.

"Richard McKenzie's Popcorn" [Portfolio] (Thanks to Jon!)
(Photo: SMN)

• 1. Why pay anything? Many theaters offer free family film screenings on weekday mornings.
• 2. Keep an eye out for movie ticket coupons at grocery stores.

  Safeway's "Flicks for Free" promotion offers two free movie passes to shoppers who buy $40 worth of products from participating brands such as Coca-Cola and General Mills in one transaction.

  Perfect for that rowdy Soda & Cereal party you've been planning!

• 3. Seek out a drive-in. If you can find one, you'll be rewarded with $6 tickets.
• 4. Ditch the theater chains. Independents may take an extra few weeks to get the summer blockbusters, but the tickets can be 70% cheaper.
• 5. Sign up for reward programs. Unlike frequent flier miles, theaters aren't depreciating their rewards programs.

  AMC MovieWatcher Rewards offers coupons for a free small popcorn each week, plus two points per ticket purchased. After you've earned 30, you'll get a free ticket. The Regal Crown Club awards one point per $1 spent. Rack up 120 points and redeem them for a free ticket.

• 6. Buy in bulk with your friends. AMC sells blocks of 50 tickets at $6 apiece. The tickets don't expire, but they can't be redeemed until two weeks after a film debuts.
• 7. Don't go on Friday or Saturday night. Instantly halve the cost of tickets by checking out a matinee.
• 8. Skip online reservation sites. Save the $1.50 and spend a few minutes waiting on line.
• 9. Be careful with the concessions. Theaters make their profits on popcorn, so if you need to buy, buy big and share with your friends. Even better, buy your snacks at a convenience store for a fraction of the price.

• 9 Ways to Save on Movie Tickets [Smart Money]

  (Photo: Getty)

AT&T Inc., the nation's largest phone company, isn't fighting the consumer shift, partly because its cellphone unit, which launched Apple Inc.'s iPhone this summer, is benefiting from the trend. Ralph de la Vega, AT&T's group president for regional telecommunications and entertainment, said in some parts of the country, the company is no longer requiring customers to buy land-line voice service in order to get a discounted rate on high-speed Internet access. He says: "Our point of view is, if you don't want it, we won't force you to buy it." The plan will be available nationwide by the end of the year.

Companies Try to Teach Old Phones New Tricks (subscription) [WSJ] (Thanks, Steven!)
RELATED: AT&T Giving Consumers The Runaround Over Secret $10 DSL
AT&T Will Sell $20 "Naked" DSL

Randall Stephenson: We haven't made it difficult to find. To be honest with you, that's not a product that our customers have clamored for. We still have $15 offers out there in the marketplace, even $20 offers, for 1.5 megabit speeds. Those are really kind of the minimum speeds that give a good user experience. So I don't want to necessarily offer up a product where the user experience is not what I would consider really state of the art. That $10 product is kind of in that mode.

Q&A: AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson [Atlanta Journal Constitution]
(AP Photo/John Raoux)

Getting AT&T to actually sign you up for the plan, however, may be more difficult. We've been hearing that consumers who try to sign up for the plan are getting a sales pitch for a more expensive plan, hung up on, transferred to the switchboard, etc.

It helps if you know your rights and understand the conditions of the $10 DSL plan. The plan provides download speeds of up to 768 kilobits per second and upload speeds of up to 128 kbps, matching AT&T's basic plan. It will be available for 2 1/2 years and requires a 1 year contract. The modem is free. You can read about it here.

Consumerist requested more detailed information about the $10 DSL and the process by which consumers can purchase it. AT&T chose not to respond to our inquiry.

Consumers who are having difficulty with AT&T can file a complaint with the FTC, here. In addition, you may also want to file a complaint with the FCC, as they are the organization that authorized the merger.—MEGHANN MARCO

How To Get The AT&T Runaround [How To Split An Atom]

PREVIOUSLY: AT&T's Secret $10 DSL
(Photo: Peter Kaminski)

UPDATE: For those of you having trouble explaining the $10 DSL program to your AT&T CSR, you might enjoy reading them the following passage from the AT&T/BellSouth merger document:

2. AT&T/BellSouth will provide an ADSL modem without charge (except for shipping and handling) to residential subscribers within the Wireline Buildout Area who, between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2008, replace their AT&T/BellSouth dial-up Internet access service with AT&T/BellSouth's ADSL service and elect a term plan for their ADSL service of twelve months or greater.

3. Within six months of the Merger Closing Date, and continuing for at least 30 months from the inception of the offer, AT&T/BellSouth will offer to retail consumers in the Wireline Buildout Area, who have not previously subscribed to AT&T's or BellSouth's ADSL service, a broadband Internet access service at a speed of up to 768 Kbps at a monthly rate (exclusive of any applicable taxes and regulatory fees) of $10 per month.

AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corporation Application for Transfer of Control (PDF) [FCC]

The plan provides download speeds of up to 768 kilobits per second and upload speeds of up to 128 kbps, matching AT&T's basic plan.

If you can't find the plan listed on the website, don't worry. AT&T wants it that way. They've hidden it, according to the AP.

A page describing DSL options doesn't mention it, but clicking a link for "Term contract plans" reveals it. It's also presented to customers who go into the application process.

UPDATE: Here it is. Thanks, Anne!

To take advantage of the plan, you'll need to sign a 1 year contract and you need to be a new customer to AT&T broadband. This sounds like a good opportunity for anyone you know who still has dial-up, or for people who don't need cable internet and want something slower and cheaper. The modem is free.

Keep an eye out for the next concession, so-called "naked DSL." Within 6 months, AT&T will be required to offer DSL with no local phone service. The treasure hunt to find that one on their site should be equally fun. —MEGHANN MARCO

AT&T quietly offers $10 DSL plan [Yahoo!]

FastAccess DSL Term Agreement Plans Available

* FastAccess DSL Lite with term agreement. Monthly price is $10 per month and requires a 12-month commitment. Except for free dsl modem with term agreement, this plan is not eligible for any other promotions. Plan is available to new FastAccess DSL customers who have not previously subscribed to AT&T or BellSouth's high-speed Internet and who order online. To order FastAccess DSL Lite with term agreement, visit www.bellsouth.com and enter your telephone number to order the service.

* Free DSL Modem with term agreement for BellSouth or AT&T Dial Subscribers Upgrading to FastAccess DSL. Requires a 12-month commitment. To obtain the free modem, visit www.bellsouth.com and enter your telephone number to order FastAccess DSL, and indicate that you have Dial service with AT&T or BellSouth.

Terms and Conditions
FastAccess DSL Lite with term agreement: Requires subscription to FastAccess DSL Lite (Downstream speeds up to 768Kbps/Upstream speeds up to 128Kbps) for twelve (12) months from the date of activation. Eligibility: customers who order online and who have not previously subscribed to FastAccess DSL service from BellSouth or high-speed Internet service from AT&T. FastAccess DSL is subject to the terms and conditions of the BellSouth Internet Service Agreement ("Service Agreement"). Termination of FastAccess service, or if service is terminated for violation of the Service Agreement, prior to the expiration of twelve (12) months from the activation date, will incur a $50 termination fee that represents a portion of the network activation and setup costs foregone as a result of such termination.

Free DSL Modem with term agreement: Offer available to active subscribers of AT&T or BellSouth Dial service who purchase and receive FastAccess DSL. In exchange for a free DSL modem customers must maintain FastAccess DSL service for at least twelve (12) months from the date the modem was shipped or installed by BellSouth, and pay all applicable charges in connection with FastAccess service in a timely manner. If FastAccess service is terminated or in the event service is terminated for a violation of the BellSouth Internet Service Agreement, including but not limited to failure to pay the monthly FastAccess service charge, an early termination charge of $75.00 (representing the full price of the modem) if service is terminated between 0 and 6 months from the date the modem was shipped or installed by BellSouth or $37.50 (representing one half of the price of the modem) if service is terminated more than 6 months but less than 12 months from the date the modem was shipped or installed by BellSouth will be incurred.

Apparently, American airlines are about to take a page from RyanAir's book and start charging for amenities. A blanket and pillow on your next flight could cost you $2. A soda will be $1. An aisle seat will cost you $15.

With airlines going belly-up all over the place, it's clear that they can't stay competitive by merely rising ticket prices. The most important thing to travelers is low ticket prices. So instead, airlines seem to be adopting a megaplex-like business model: fly the planes at a loss, make your profit on the concessions. Like in movie theaters, if you sneak in with a bottle of coke and a bag of Doritos from the convenience store, you'll be fine.

Airlines to Begin Charging for Amenities [Yahoo News]

Did you know, for instance, that the pre-movie advertisements—now running up to fifteen minutes before showtime—come at the expense of movie trailers? The studios don't actually pay to get their advertisements for future films on screen, meaning they essentially have to beg to get their full run of movie previews instead of another ad for your local community college.

Considering how much we despise the movie industry, though, we're not sure if we should be pitying anyone, besides those who actually paid to watch a movie.