lisaviolet's diary

Going to advanced screenings of movies. Since last September, we've seen Riddick (3D), Thor (3D), Philomena, Labor Day, Her, Pompeii (3D), Draft Day, The Other Woman, Million Dollar Arm, and A Million Ways to Die in the West. Those are the ones I can remember off of the top of my head.

Tomorrow, we're going to see How To Train Your Dragon II.

Next week, we're for sure going to see Words and Pictures.

We paid for none of these movies. We saw all of these movies before they officially opened in theaters. I'd like to share how we did this.

I signed up for advanced screenings. It started when we got the passes to Riddick last year. I was hooked. We got those from a local news station. I entered all of the contests for movies I could find. I signed up for local radio's newletters so I'd get updates. My entries were few. Last month, at another advanced screening, the guy next to us said his father gets invites all the time, at least once a week.

I wanted that.

The next day, I started doing some research. And I'd like to share what I've found with you, places to sign up to be invited to free advanced screenings.

There are a couple of things we've learned.

They hand out more passes than there are seats. They want the theater full and not everyone shows up.

The passes say to get there at least an hour early. For some movies, an hour is not nearly early enough. We had gotten passes to Heaven is for Real and the line control wasn't there for this movie (they've gotten way better at this). Somehow, we ended up at the end of the line and were told if there were any seats available, they'd be in the front row. Brian just didn't want to do that and we came home. But we learned a lesson. An hour early is NOT enough for some movies. Now we try to get there at LEAST ninety minutes before the movie is supposed to start.

Don't bring recording devices. This could be cellphones, tablets, video cameras, even laptops. There have been a couple of times they actually searched people. They had bags that you'd put your cellphone in and you'd label it as yours and after the movie, you could pick it up. Or you could do what we did. Leave the cell in the car and strike up conversations with the people around you. (During Labor Day some woman's cell in the front kept going off - why she didn't turn it off was a question I think most everyone in the theater was asking.)

And that's pretty much it. We eat before we go and we bring our own water. We don't spend money on overpriced theater food that ends up making us sick.

Sign up here:

Advance Movie Screenings

Universal Sneak Previews Club

Sony Screenings

Get Screening

GoFoBo

and

AARP

Have fun and see you at the movies!

Friday, May 30, 2014