Movies thrive in Canada during economic downturns. Canucks look favourably on the affordable escapism that big-screen movies provide, especially when compared to more expensive forms of entertainment, including theatre and sporting events.

According to a Statistics Canada report, Canadian cinemas raked in $915 million from 114.4 million tickets sold during 2009. That dollar amount represents an 11 per cent gain from $826 million in 2008 during the Great Recession.

Even so, Canuck moviegoers want to maximize the bang for their entertainment buck. Luckily, CreditCards.ca found a treasure trove of motion-picture savings opportunities online.

Movie-chain loyalty programs
Since buying Famous Players theatres in mid-2005, Cineplex has become the Great White North's largest movie chain. Cineplex also owns SCENE, Canada's biggest movie-rewards loyalty program with three million members. SCENE cardholders accumulate and redeem reward points and enjoy 10 per cent discounts on all Cineplex concession purchases.

Other movie loyalty programs haven't been as successful. Cineplex's rival, AMC Theatres, recently cancelled its MovieWatcher incentives and announced that a more robust rewards initiative is in the works. Cinémas Guzzo runs a regional chain of movie theatres in Montreal and charges a $5 fee to join its smaller loyalty club, while Atlantic Canada's Empire Theatres offer community networking instead of a loyalty organization.

Credit card movie rewards
Developed in conjunction with Cineplex's loyalty program, the Scotiabank SCENE Visa credit card enables cardholders to earn a much higher level of reward points. Each dollar charged for Cineplex products or services on the SCENE Visa card generates five reward points. Charging $50 per month collects enough points to qualify for up to four free movies, including popular 3-D films regularly priced at $15.75. Four 3-D movie passes are worth $63, which translates to a 10.5 per cent annual reward.

Other credit cards offer movie rewards but aren't affiliated with specialized movie loyalty programs.

One such card is the BMO SPC Air Miles MasterCard, which awards one reward mile for every $20 in card purchases. Cardholders can redeem 175 reward miles for ‘Movie Night' incentives such as two Cineplex or Empire Theatre movie tickets plus two soft drinks and one popcorn, or exchange 75 miles for one Empire Theatre admission. You need to charge $3,500 worth of expenses to earn 175 reward miles, which alternatively could be used to obtain a $20 grocery gift certificate from the Air Miles catalogue.

The American Express and Costco TrueEarnings card earns up to 3 per cent in rewards for restaurant spending, 2 per cent for gas purchases and 1 per cent for other expenditures. American Express issues rebate coupons every January, which can then be redeemed for a Cineplex Night Out card that that Costco currently sells for under $30.

Unlike the other credit cards mentioned, the Signature RBC Rewards Visa card has a $39 annual fee. The RBC product garners one rewards point for every dollar spent and can be redeemed for movie gift cards and certificates. One $25 movie gift card usually requires 3,000 points.

Other movie savings opportunities
Many Canadian movie theatres feature discounted tickets on Tuesdays, like Rainbow Cinemas which slash adult ticket prices by over 40 per cent to $5. Discounted movie tickets charged to rewards credit cards also earn points that translate into additional savings.

Websites for Canada's major movie chains (AMC Theatres, Cinémas Guzzo, Cineplex and Empire Theatres) also showcase special offers and online contests with movie-themed prizes.

Visa Perks specializes in promotions for Visa credit card purchases. Ironically, one of Visa Perks' recent deals gives two free movie tickets to cardholders who sign up for Netflix, an online service that streams unlimited television episodes and movies to TVs, computers and mobile phones.

Daily deal forums on Red Flag Deals and Smart Canucks post movie discounts including 2-for-1 movie passes, movie-plus-meal combos and film festival packages. Users can set up alerts for Canadian movie specials on these daily deal websites, as well as create Google alerts targeting movie savings-related keywords.

To echo Tom Cruise's comments in his March 2002 monologue at the 74th Oscars, "Should we celebrate the joy and magic that movies bring? Well, dare I say it, more than ever." With so many attractive movie-ticket promotions in Canada, that statement holds just as true today.

Based on statistics from the Motion Picture Theatre Associations of Canada, the Canadian movie box office gained about 3.2 per cent from April 1, 2011 to June 30, 2011 compared with the similar time frame last year.

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