The biggest perk this critic gets is seeing movies for free.
And you can do the same without ever filing a single review or scribbling unintelligible notes in the dark.
Visit Film Metro and sign up to learn about the movie screenings coming your way soon. Movie studios set up these screenings to let critics sample their latest releases and, hopefully, build some positive word of mouth with the public. The previews usually take place on the Tuesday before a film opens, but they can be scheduled Monday-Thursday, and sometimes on a Saturday if the film appeals to the kiddies.
Kick-off time is typically 7 pm or 7:30 pm.
If you’d rather take an older school approach, check out the media outlets in your area to find out when the next free screenings will be held. In Denver, the alternate weekly newspaper Westword advertises these events. And, best of all, you won’t have to play so much as a penny to see them.
There’s a catch, of course. Free things attract throngs of people, and some of the screenings spark lines that wrap around the theater. Others, for mystical reasons, don’t. I expected a mob scene when I showed up last night to the screening of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” But I found only an average sized line, nothing more.
Still, showing up early with a book, Kindle or iPad is a smart bet.
Anecdotally, these screenings are less noisy than standard movie theater screenings. Maybe the people who devote their energy to seeing movies ahead of time don’t want to spoil the fun. You’ll still hear some talking – some ignoramus sitting behind me at “Transformers” carried on a conversation as if she were in her own living room. But I’ve found the noise level at preview screenings less than a standard theatrical experience.
Free movies with fewer distractions? Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, no perk can make “Sucker Punch” tolerable, so it’s an imperfect system.
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Thanks for the Film Metro heads-up. I signed up even though there isn’t any city within 3 hours of me on this list. I guess I can hope they will add more venues in the future.