FIRST OFF . . .

Just in time for the holidays, two of Manhattan’s largest movie house chains have raised ticket prices to $7. As of Nov. 20, the 28 screens at the Cineplex Odeon theaters cost a dollar more to see. And this week, prices were raised to $7 at Loews’ 16 screens. Tickets were $5 a year and a half ago. Cineplex started this round of price hikes last month at two of its pricier New York theaters. A spokesman for the Canadian-owned theater chain called it “a policy decision” when queried this week. Loews Theater officials declined to comment.