# Free movie screenings - tips **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2007, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-movie-screenings-tips/429717 "2007-12-12T06:51:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-movie-screenings-tips/429717/1 "2007-12-12T06:51:08Z")
I gave some tips in my ill-advised Pit thread about the Dark Knight preview, so I thought I’d pass them along in a thread that wasn’t quite so brain-damaged. I see a LOT of movies, and at least a quarter of them, and sometimes more, come from free screening passes. This is a thread to pass along some of those tips, and perhaps get tips from others. Obviously some cities are better suited for free passes than others. Los Angeles, New York and Chicago are pretty good, but some people might be surprised at what they can find if they go looking. For instance, here’s a recent newsletter I got from Film Metro, one of my primary sources for free passes (a lot of these are out of date now): > [@](#): > > Film Metro’s Weekly Newsletter - December 11, 2007 > [http://www.FilmMetro.com](http://www.FilmMetro.com) > > OFFICIAL SPONSOR > I Am Legend - View the latest trailer. > [http://iamlegend.warnerbros.com](http://iamlegend.warnerbros.com) > > # FILM METRO MOVIE SCREENINGS > > Movie: The Amateurs > Location: Seattle, WA > Date: Tue December 11, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/981](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/981) > > Movie: WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY > Location: Milpitas, CA > Date: Tue December 11, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/1001](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/1001) > > Movie: Sweeney Todd > Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL > Date: Tue December 11, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/982](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/982) > > Movie: Sweeney Todd > Location: WEST PALM BEACH, FL > Date: Tue December 11, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/984](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/984) > > Movie: Sweeney Todd > Location: ORLANDO, FL > Date: Tue December 11, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/985](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/985) > > Movie: Sweeney Todd > Location: TAMPA, FL > Date: Tue December 11, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/986](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/986) > > Movie: The Bucket List > Location: Norfolk, VA > Date: Tue December 11, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/989](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/989) > > Movie: The Bucket List > Location: Clovis, CA > Date: Tue December 11, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/991](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/991) > > Movie: WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY > Location: Roseville, CA > Date: Wed December 12, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/998](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/998) > > Movie: I am Legend > Location: Birmingham, MI > Date: Wed December 12, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/960](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/960) > > Movie: P.S. I Love You > Location: Baltimore, MD > Date: Thu December 13, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/995](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/995) > > Movie: P.S. I Love You > Location: Norfolk, VA > Date: Thu December 13, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/996](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/996) > > Movie: Atonement > Location: Salt Lake City, UT > Date: Thu December 13, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/997](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/997) > > Movie: Atonement > Location: Sacramento, CA > Date: Thu December 13, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/1002](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/1002) > > Movie: Sweeney Todd > Location: San Francisco, CA > Date: Wed December 19, 2007 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/1005](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/1005) > > Movie: The Orphanage > Location: Salt Lake City, UT > Date: Thu January 10, 2008 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/994](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/994) > > Movie: The Orphanage > Location: Denver, CO > Date: Thu January 10, 2008 > Link: [http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/993](http://www.FilmMetro.com/events/view/993) See? Lots of cities you might not expect. One good way to get passes, if you live in a city with a film festival, is to join up. When I was member of the Chicago International Film Festival, I got free passes all the time, throughout the year. My lapsed membership is mainly because of finances, which is a Catch-22 because I need passes now more than ever. Another source is Wild About Movies, though you have to put up with a lot of pop-ups and constantly inputting in the same information (it doesn’t “remember” the information from the last time you were there), but the few passes I’ve gotten from there have been worth the trouble. Local papers can be good to look at. Here in Chicago the Red Eye often has notices of free screenings. In Kansas City there’s a weekly freebie that comes out on Wednesdays that often has screening notices. At [Fatwallet.com](http://Fatwallet.com) in the Free Stuff forum area, there’s a [thread about movie screenings](http://www.fatwallet.com/t/22/742187/), and I’ve found out about several from that. I recently found a Facebook group, Chicago Free Movie Screenings, though I haven’t gotten anything from them yet because I just joined. I also read some movie forums, where someone might mention a screening or promotion that a studio is doing, and I belong to a private mailing list of people who pass the word about Chicago screenings on to others. Any other tips? ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-movie-screenings-tips/429717/2 "2007-12-12T22:18:30Z")
The bigger the movie, the earlier you should show up, as they “overbook” (not in the usual/airline sense where they issue a number of tickets; rather, they send an open invite to huge numbers of people/organizations, and who knows how many people will show up). If there are multiple screenings (typically market research screenings), you may be okay showing up as “late” as 30 minutes ahead of time. If it’s something like a one-shot preview screening, plan to show up 1-2 hours ahead of time, and bring something that will help you pass the time (e.g., book, PSP, portable DVD player, booze, make-out partner). ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-movie-screenings-tips/429717/3 "2007-12-13T04:00:31Z")
In which I get tickets for tomorrow night to “P.S. I Love You”. Not because I’m really at all interested in the movie itself, but because it’s free and I live all of 3 miles from the theater screening it. Now here’s to hoping that “Sweeny Todd” or “Juno” gets a screening at Arundel Mills. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-movie-screenings-tips/429717/4 "2007-12-13T05:30:13Z")
[QUOTE=Only Mostly Dead] In which I get tickets for tomorrow night to “P.S. I Love You”. Not because I’m really at all interested in the movie itself, but because it’s free and I live all of 3 miles from the theater screening it. Now here’s to hoping that “Sweeny Todd” or “Juno” gets a screening at Arundel Mills. [/QUOTE] I’m seeing P.S. I Love You too. There are some passes being offered for various movies in various cities [on this page](http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/2007/12/free-advance-screening-passes-for-walk.html). None for Chicago, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-movie-screenings-tips/429717/5 "2007-12-13T18:30:20Z")
[QUOTE=Only Mostly Dead] In which I get tickets for tomorrow night to “P.S. I Love You”. [/QUOTE] Apropos of nothing, when I heard a commercial for this movie while I was doing dishes, I heard it as “Penis, I Love You.” (Which, come to think of it, would be a rather more descriptive title.) ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-movie-screenings-tips/429717/6 "2007-12-13T18:38:28Z")
[QUOTE=Gozu Tashoya] Apropos of nothing, when I heard a commercial for this movie while I was doing dishes, I heard it as “Penis, I Love You.” (Which, come to think of it, would be a rather more descriptive title.) [/QUOTE] Not just any penis. Gerard Butler’s penis! “FOR TONIGHT, WE DINE IN IRELAND!!” ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-movie-screenings-tips/429717/7 "2008-02-27T21:17:50Z")
I’m not sure if, when, or how I signed up for it, but I get invitations from [movietickets.com](http://movietickets.com). The trouble is, they were for movies they’d have to pay me to see – but someone must want to see them! In the past couple of days I’ve been invited to Hamlet 2 and Pink Panther 2. (Yes, I know, zombie thread, ooh, scary.) ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-movie-screenings-tips/429717/8 "2008-02-27T21:32:42Z")
I don’t know if they still do it. A friend of mine from Dallas told me that the city has a screening of each movie for ‘ratings purposes’. I know, in the past at least, the movies in Dallas papers had extra ratings after the MMPA one. (N = Nudity, V=Violence) The MMPA now has little sentences that describe the reason for the rating. Anyway, he said that a free public screening of every film was mandated in Dallas. (at the time we both worked in movie theatres) Is that still the case in Big D?