The mother of two children, aged seven and 10, says that most families would only have time to watch a movie together on the weekends.

But that is when the price of a ticket is the highest -it can go up to $10.50. There is also the Internet and phone-booking charge which adds $1 to the total cost.

For her family of four, a weekend movie outing will cost $43. At such a price, the 35-year-old says that the cinema should throw in free drinks and snacks.

'The price increase kills our viewing pleasure in the cinema.'

Two months after Cathay raised its prices by between 50 cents and $1, Golden Village upped its ticket prices by 50 cents on Thursday.

GV last raised prices - together with Shaw and Eng Wah - in May 2005.

Asked why it raised ticket prices, its managing director David Glass cited 'rising business costs, goods, services, labour and film rentals'.

The GV cinema chain - with nine cineplexes and a 47 per cent share of the market - was not able to provide a breakdown of costs by press time.

But according to the Cathay website, 35 per cent of a ticket's cost goes to operating expenses and 47 per cent to film rentals.

Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times Life!