DOWNEY - With summer fast approaching, not only are students looking forward to more leisure time, but also how they're going to utilize that time off on a budget.Movies are a very popular past time among students for various reasons, one being the variety. Unlike some activities, there are movies made to fit every unique person's interest, making the activity appealing to many. Movies also allow students to look forward to something - an escape from the everyday bustle of student life. While movies are a favored past time, the summer season is known to have big releases that are often highly anticipated. "This summer has a lot of huge comic book movies coming out," said Downey High School alum and Cal State Long Beach student Matthew Apodaca. "'Thor' and 'Captain America', which will ultimately lead to next summer's 'The Avengers', is huge. 'The Green Lantern' is also coming out, and is getting a lot of buzz. JJ Abrams' 'Super 8' is also getting a lot of attention, because of how secretive everything about it is. 'Cowboys and Aliens' is probably what I'm most excited to see, starring Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig. 'The Hangover 2' also looks like it could top the original, because it just looks hilarious." While going to the movies is a favored past time among students and young people, with money being so scarce right now, are students making alternative plans? Theaters are known for being a bit pricey, especially the irresistible concessions. Cory Ramirez, a Downey High School alum and employee of the production crew at AMC Theaters in Anaheim, spoke out about theater attendance among young people. "About 60% of the total attendance at the theater I work at...is the youth audience, so it's definitely a large portion," said Ramirez. "It seems that the youth in general aren't completely deterred from going to the show because of the prices. I still see many groups of students attending because of the social atmosphere and social interaction it allows, that a lot of other places don't have. However, it does seem that maybe students conserve money by holding off on concessions, and if they do purchase items, it's usually the cheaper or smaller sizes." Not only are general prices already high, but the new 3D phenomena that many movies are now being made in has many students paying even more…but is it worth it? "I'm not a huge fan of 3D in general," said Apodaca. "I find that it's a little too much of a gimmick, and it's hardly worth the extra few bucks you have to pay. There are some exceptions I have made in the past. Avatar, TRON: Legacy, Jackass 3D were all excellent uses of the format." There you have it - make sure you get out there and see all of the great movies coming out this summer, whether you're a fan of 3D or not. Whatever movie genre suits your fancy, there's something out there to satisfy your tastes. If money is something that holds you back, even an occasional theatrical escape is a great way to utilize your money, even if you don't buy that large popcorn. "Ticket prices may be going up, but I always find myself going anyway," said Apodaca.

********** Published: April 7, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 51