The Sun-Times costs less than a big night at the movies — and lasts much longer

Let’s go to a movie.

Oh, and did I mention you’re buying? Thanks!

Ah: there’s a little film called “Avengers: Infinity War” in theaters today. If you surf over to Fandango and buy four adult tix (we’re each bringing a Plus One, right?) for a Friday night showing, that’ll be $35.96 plus a $6 convenience fee, for a total of $41.96.

These days, many theaters feature adults-only beverages, along with an ever-growing array of soft drinks, bottled water and of course snacks, ranging from the traditional, R2D2-sized bucket of popcorn to pretzel bites, nachos, chicken tenders, pizza, mozzarella sticks, Junior Mints, Sour Patch Kids, etc., etc.

If we get a couple of beers and two glasses of wine before the show and then load up on drinks and treats for the movie — and we add on the cost of parking — we’re easily up to a hundred bucks.

I’m sure we’ll have a great time, but consider this:

For less than the cost of that one big evening at the movies, you can have access to the Chicago Sun-Times for an entire year.

All the front-page headlines and stories. All the stellar reportage from some of the finest and hardest-working journalists in the country. All the great and comprehensive sports coverage. All the veteran columnists who have been sharing their worlds and their worldviews with you for years.

All the entertainment coverage — including hundreds of movie reviews from a guy who’s just as enthusiastic about telling you why you should save your money and avoid the duds as he is about urging you to please, PLEASE check out the groundbreaking “Black Panther” or the unforgettable “Lean on Pete” or the wonderfully unsettling “A Quiet Place.”

The front page of the printed edition of the Sun-Times was blank on Monday — a stark and honest and realistic way of us telling you we need your support.

For $7.49 a month — that’s less than 25 cents a day — you will get unlimited access to the Sun-Times website and its bounty of original content. You will help a Chicago institution remain vital and vibrant at a time when Real News and well-informed, thought-provoking, respectfully voiced and entertaining opinions are absolutely essential. The place to sign up is suntimes.com/subscribe.

I’ve been a part of the Sun-Times family for more than half my life, but the Sun-Times has been a part of my family far longer than that.

When my dad would come home from working for the Illinois Central Railroad, more often than not he’d have a copy of the Sun-Times under his arm. As a kid, I would stretch out on the living room carpet and immediately flip the paper over to its “other” front page — the Sports Page. Later, when I began to entertain dreams of becoming a writer, I’d eagerly devour the Sun-Times (and yes, the Tribune) from the front page through the news stories through the editorials and features and comics, and then lapping up the Sports section for dessert.

My first job at the Sun-Times was as an editorial assistant, answering phones and sorting mail and helping out any way I could. (Or, more accurately, any way I was told I could help.) Eventually I was writing Sunday features, covering breaking news, writing a daily column, interviewing stars ranging from Paul Newman near the end of his magnificent run to Meryl Streep in the middle of her incredible career to a 23-year-old named Julia Roberts who had just starred in a movie called “Pretty Woman.”

Later, I had the honor of succeeding my friend, the late and legendary Roger Ebert, as the film critic for the Sun-Times.

I love writing for the Chicago Sun-Times. I also love READING the Chicago Sun-Times, whether I’m flipping through the print edition, or, more often, checking out the website. I find it difficult to imagine what it would be like to wake up one day in a city where the Sun-Times wasn’t there for all of us, giving us the latest news, a surprising scoop, provocative commentary, and so much more.

With your help, we can make sure that day never comes.