Why are movie tickets so much freaking money?

Because we, the stupid public, will pay those outrageous prices. When enough of us start boycotting movie theatres, the prices will come down. It is a matter of simple economics: any venue will maximise return on investment by charging the maximum that the market will bear. If the market--the viewing public in this case--refuses to bear, i.e. pay, those highway robbery prices, the movie theatres will be forced to reduce the prices to more acceptable rates.