As a teen who was not terribly flush with cash, making the most of what limited sums of money I had was imperative. Fortunately, my tastes didn’t run to the expensive. If I had a Saturday off, I usually just visited two places. First up was the used book store where I’d load up on pulp scifi paperbacks by the dozen.

Then I’d cruise down to a slightly seedy business strip in Indianapolis where the nearest dollar theater resided. There, 10 bucks could get me a full day’s entertainment — and that was including a snack or two.

Oh, sure, I went to plenty of first-run theaters during those years, but there was something about second-run establishments that felt satisfying. I already knew which movies were proven to be good — and was able to catch up on ones that I missed during their initial showing. A marathon of three or four movies in a row wasn’t out of the question (did I mention how much I had no social life those days?).

And you couldn’t beat that price.

Looking back, it’s a wonder these places made any money at all. I know, I know, it was all about the concessions, but even still, I never remember that theater being anywhere close to busy. It was an older building, too, slightly in a state of decay with dark red carpets and chairs that only went halfway up your back. The theaters were narrow and long; none of this plush IMAX reclining seating experience.

The prints were slightly worn from their extensive use in their first runs, yet they were still way better than anything we had — clarity and size-wise — in the VHS era.

It was just me and the movie. That’s the way I liked it. No matter how cruddy my life was, those Saturdays were an escape hatch into amazing worlds. It’s here that I saw a lot of my first R-rated movies, such as Cliffhanger and The Crow. I probably saw Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles a few too many times, not to mention Addams Family and Wayne’s World.

While second-run and discounted theaters still exist — and regular chains augment their showings with reprises — inflation, the economy, and especially streaming contracts have made the dollar theater largely a thing of the past. Yet they still endure in different shapes and price points, because families and others sick of the high ticket price of theaters are always on the prowl for deals.

Were you a fan of dollar theaters back in the day? What were your favorite memories of these places? Sound off in the comments below!