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Rufus is so right.
Hiding behind a club facade doesn't make this right.
Folks using DVD's for presentations without paying the CORRECT fees hurt our industry.
the MPAA at the least will be all over this. If Disney find out they'll regret the attention.

Wall*E is on the schedule for tomorrow. I really have a hard time seeing Disney letting anyone play their movies for free and receive nothing or next to nothing in compensation.

Our public library shows films this way. They have a summer schedule of kids films they show, and they run advertisements but they are never allowed to advertise the actual film title. They always ask for our blessing first before they announce their schedule to the public. It's some sort of public performance license, but I don't think it is intended to be used theatrically which this theater seems to be doing.

It's been awhile since I thought of this, but I recall reading something about an "educational license". Somehow, teachers were able to run movies in their classrooms under the guise of some kind of lesson plan. I wonder if that extends to public libraries??

also heard form the owners. not sure why the near-hostility on this thread towards a little mom-and-pop storefront in a small town. they are a "restaurant, bar, lounge, venue for private parties and special events, even some retail" and they said that's where all their revenue comes from. the "movie theater" is "a room where members watch DVDs"

i say it's genius. there's no law against calling yourself a movie theater even if technically you're not. i call that good marketing. a little more exciting than the elks club on my street (who by they way, also does movies once a week for free, members only, just like this place)! Jaco

jane1983 wrote:
Near Hostility: I would call it interest in how this is legitimate in the eyes of the studios. You see we deal with the studios looking over our shoulder and we actually pay them money!! Just today I had two studios wanting to make sure I was holding their movies clean this coming week.

Problems with your they are not a movie theater claim:
1) From their facebook page-weekly movie schedule "Easthampton's Free Movie Theater"
2) under the about part on their Facebook Page has listed "movie theater * food & restaurant"
3) I believe the majority of their space is devoted to a "theater style layout".
4) Their schedule of movies and talking about movies are approx. half of their facebook status updates
5) The word "theater" is used often in their marketing. This was a status update from march 23 "Our humble little theater makes national news: This is a revised version of the story that ran locally on New England Public Radio a few weeks ago. It was featured this morning on the national radio show, Marketplace. www.marketplace.org/topics/life/massachu...ffers-free-admission"

I too have contacted one of the owners and I asked for their contact to be able to show movies like they do and was given some BS on how they cannot disclose that information. If anyone asks on this forum how to legally exhibit movies, someone will be more than gracious with that info.

For anyone who would consider this type of a business, I recommend being very careful.

I will contact Swank tomorrow to find out some answers.

Rufus: I don't think anyone contests the fact that they are using the term movie theater. You don't need to go make a list of all the ways in which they do. And if that is what upsets you, I can appreciate that. And they told me the same thing about not being able to get into the details. I can also appreciate that. But clearly they have some kind of license they are paying for. They obviously didn't come up with the no titles thing on their own. It's not like they are some big business or chain (despite the national radio story), just a young couple, with a toddler to boot. Your "curiosity" feels like a witch hunt to bring down these "humble" people. I say let it be, stop making waves and just let it be.

The thing is, My husband and I are a young couple with a toddler, too, but we follow the rules. It costs a lot of money to follow the rules. That's why a person like me finds it a little irritating when other people find a clever way to skirt the rules. You're right, though, it's not that big of a deal and you won't find me wasting my time harassing them or contacting studios about it.

I really hope this is a legitimate way to be in the movie business. We also operate a family fun center with bounce houses/slides/ballpits/arcade and such. If we no longer operate our theater, we would like to expand our offerings at our fun center to include something like this with a focus on free kids movies.

Now with that said......

I did contact Swank today and gave my idea to them which would be very similar to what this place does. I am expecting to hear back in a couple of days.

Spoke to Swank. Fees are not too bad. Cheaper than the mins. wanted by the studios for theatrical exhibitors.

Also received a private message to lay off Popcorn Noir as they do not want any more attention brought upon themselves. IMHO, they are not legitimately getting permission to play movies. A business may be able to get away doing this. Your call if you want to be that kind of business.

RufusJack
Thanks for following up with this.
The "don't want any more attention" yet they agreed to a national radio interview.
Huh.
If they aren't paying fees, then the product is being stolen. They are calling themselves a movie theater and they are using movies to draw people to eat. Hollywood product isn't just out there for the taking even with they are a young couple with a toddler.
I didn't know that Swank could book any non theatrical product for a profit based busienss. Can the titles be advertised?

You are limited to what you can do with traditional media (radio/tv/newspapers-not titles here) but you can list titles on your website, facebook pages, and flyers. Sounds reasonable to me.

This might work out if you play one movie for a couple of weeks. No way it works out playing 1 movie once a week in a very small venue.

The Swank deal sounds.... swank. Minimum 40 movies, 75.00 per title. Play it as much as you want for a month. So for 3000.00 you get 40 films. 6000.00 for 80. Etc. For people who have always wanted to run a repertory theatre this is a deal made in heaven. A film cost of 6000.00 for 80 films in a year? And playing it all you want? I like that. Sounds like Swank should be letting more people know about it. Was there something about : no alcohol could be sold in the venues?

I thought Swank was only authorized to book movies for non-theatrical use. How is a repertory theater a non-theatrical use?