Daily Archives: December 22, 2024

Jonathan Bennett Reveals What Time of Year Is Best to Shoot a Christmas Film — and His Answer Is Surprising! (Exclusive)

Jonathan Bennett is used to getting in the holiday spirit year-round.
The actor, 43, who has starred in numerous Christmas-themed projects — including the recently released Season’s Greetings from Cherry Lane — tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that there is a certain time of year when it is better to shoot a festive film.

“Normally, we shoot our Christmas movies during the summer,” he says. “So you’re wearing all these heavy clothes, but you’re, like, sweating buckets underneath them. You’re just drenched in sweat under all your fur coats.”

“But this year, I got to do something for the first time ever in my life, which is shoot a Christmas movie at Christmas,” Bennett continues. “So for the first time ever, I was actually in warm clothes, because I needed to be in warm clothes. So that was really fun.”

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Jonathan Bennett with Milana Wan and Vincent Rodriguez III in ‘Season’s Greetings from Cherry Lane.’.
Jeff Weddell/Hallmark

According to Bennett, shooting a holiday-themed film during one part of the year, as opposed to the other, does stand out, however.

“I’m not going to lie. I kind of like shooting in the summer better,” the star — who will soon be documenting the New Year’s Eve ball drop with Snapchat, and previously shared BTS looks at his latest holiday project on the social media platform — says.

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“I’ve complained about it for so long … [but] actually, it’s much more efficient in the summer. Because in the winter, you’re cold, and the crew moves a little slower, and you move a little slower,” Bennett continues.

“Where in the summer, it’s hot, and I think there’s more vibrancy to everyone on set,” adds the Mean Girls alum.

Jonathan Bennett in ‘Finding Mr. Christmas.’.
Kim Nunneley/Hallmark Media

Bennett documented himself filming his untitled Christmas film in an Instagram post on Monday, Dec. 16.

“This the season for making movies,” he wrote in his caption.

In a video, which was soundtracked by Brenda Lee’s iconic holiday tune “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Bennett could be seen standing outside a church at nighttime.

“For the first time in my life I’m shooting a Christmas movie at actual Christmas time,” he added in text over the seconds-long clip.

Hunter’s Take: The 10 Best Movies of 2024

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — While the worst movies of 2024 all shared similar qualities with each other, the best of the year couldn’t be more different. Comedy, drama, action, horror, thriller, science fiction; the best of 2024 really had it all! Even better, we have a healthy mix of independent and studio-released films here, showing that no matter where the movie is coming from, all that matters is the talent behind it.Honorable mentionsThese are the films that didn’t quite make the cut but still deserve a mention.Alien: Romulus, Inside Out 2, Kneecap, We Live in Time, Wicked: Part IHERE’S THE LIST:Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A REAL PAIN.(Searchlight Pictures)Jesse Eisenberg has been showing us for a long time that he’s a great actor, but he’s recently been displaying that his talents extend behind the camera as well. A Real Pain isn’t Eisenberg’s first directorial and screenwriting effort, but it easily feels like his most personal, exploring themes of faith, heritage, and how those affect our familial bonds. Kieran Culkin’s brilliantly tender and charismatic performance is the glue that pulls it all together, making the audience feel his real pain while also helping us recognize our own.Ingrid Torelli, David Dastmalchian, and Laura Gordon in Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes’ LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL.(Courtesy of IFC Films and Shudder. An IFC Films and Shudder release.)Late Night with the Devil is one of those high-concept ideas that is so brilliant that you can only hope the execution lives up to it. Writer-director brothers Colin and Cameron Cairnes more than pulled it off, giving us one of the most unique and authentic feeling-found footage movies out there. David Dastmalchian finally gets to shine in a lead role, captivating the audience the entire time just like a late-night TV host should. Maybe trying to interview the actual Devil isn’t the wisest idea, but it sure makes for some great TV!A scene from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure “DUNE: PART TWO,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.(Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)Every generation deserves its own sci-fi or fantasy action epic, and this generation is, without a doubt, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune saga. While Dune isn’t exactly new, originally being a novel from the 60s and all, these adaptations feel like the most fresh and original blockbusters to come out in quite some time. They’re those kinds of blockbuster films that really make you feel like you’ve been transported to this totally different universe. Even if this particular story in the Dune saga is finished, Villeneuve and his team have voiced enthusiasm about returning to this universe and adapting more stories. Keep the spice flowing, I say.Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.(Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)I simply don’t know how George Miller does it. Even at 79 years old, the man continues to defy the impossible. He did it in 2015 with Mad Max: Fury Road, turning a decades-belated fourth installment of an old franchise into arguably the greatest action film ever made. This year, Miller defied the impossible again, giving us a rare prequel that expands on its inspiration without detracting from it. While Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga isn’t quite as rockin’ and rollin’ as Fury Road (really, what movie is?), it’s a more than worthy companion piece. Nobody does it like George Miller, that’s for sure.Sean Penn as Clark in ‘Daddio’(Image: Phedon Papamichael. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics)It is easily the most criminally overlooked and underrated film of 2024. I haven’t seen Daddio appear on many top films of the year list, and you know what? That’s a shame because this wonderful movie deserves so much more recognition. Led by phenomenal Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson, writer-director Christy Hall tells a beautifully simple story about how an unbreakable human bond can be formed between two people in such a short amount of time.Seriously, though, Dakota Johnson deserves a shoutout for giving the best and worst performances of her career in literally the same year. Not many actors can pull that off, but she’s solidified herself as a legend in that regard. You go, girl! Also, I know I took Sony to task for how terribly they handled Columbia Pictures’ 100th anniversary in my last article, but Sony Pictures Classics put out some truly excellent movies this year, like Daddio and Kneecap. If anybody in Sony’s film divisions is doing anything right, it’s Sony Pictures Classics presidents Michael Barker and Tom Bernard.(L-R) David “Dap” Giraudy, Sean San José, Colman Domingo(Credit: Courtesy of A24)Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing might be the most important movie on this list because it’s the one that has some legitimate impact beyond just being a great film. Before seeing it, I had no idea that the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program even existed, but it’s immediately apparent the positive effect it has on incarcerated individuals. Led by a powerful performance from Colman Domingo and supported by real-life members of the RTA program, Sing Sing is a true inspiration that will make people confront their biases and realize the importance of art and rehabilitation.(L-R) Cailee Spaeny, Kirsten Dunst(Courtesy of A24)Civil War is the fifth directorial effort by Alex Garland, and it may be his best work yet. Wisely deciding against getting into the nitty gritty details of why America in his film is at war with itself, we’re instead dropped into the thick of it with our journalist characters as they navigate this hellscape. Civil War may not seem like a horror film in the traditional sense, but while you’re watching it, you’ll feel sick to your stomach from pure, raw fear and anxiety.Kyle Gallner as The Demon in Magenta Light Studios’ STRANGE DARLING.(Courtesy of Magenta Light Studios)Strange Darling is an incredibly simple film on its surface, but its execution really elevates it to one of the best thrillers of its kind. J.T. Mollner’s screenplay is meticulously crafted, mining constant tension and excitement from his twisty, non-linear narrative. All brought to life by star-making performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner, Strange Darling is a thriller that will leave you breathless.(from back center) Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), and Brightbill (Kit Connor) in DreamWorks Animation’s Wild Robot, directed by Chris Sanders.(DreamWorks)I don’t believe in distinguishing between animated and live-action films. People often want to separate them, thinking animated films can’t be considered the same level of “art,” or something like that. While, yes, animated films are primarily geared towards children, it’s just another medium of filmmaking that has the same artistic capabilities as any other film. Chris Sanders’ The Wild Robot is the perfect example of that, telling an emotionally universal story with tactical precision and sophistication all through stunning animation and a talented voice cast.Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle in MUBI’s THE SUBSTANCE.(Christine Tamalet)The Substance doesn’t just top my list of 2024 movies, but I could very well see it being my favorite film of the decade when it’s all said and done. For 138 minutes, writer-director Coralie Fargeat practically grabs hold of you and shoves your face into the disgustingly exaggerated and hyper-sexualized world she created. It’s a masterpiece in disgusting body horror but also tells an empathetic, thematically rich story on the effects of aging, addiction, and self-hatred.Demi Moore possibly gives the most important and impactful performance of her career as Elisabeth Sparkle, with her, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid all being perfect casting to represent the gnashing social commentary. It really is like nothing I’ve ever seen, and just when you think it’s going to let up, it keeps going, and going, and going, becoming a masterpiece in excess. I laughed, I winced, I gagged, and I cheered: basically, The Substance has it all. Time to pump it up!See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.

Are Movie Palaces Entering a New Golden Age?

Above: The rehabilitated interior of Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, which originally opened in Los Angeles in 1922.When Parisians flocked to the corner of Boulevard des Capucines and rue de la Chaussée-d’Antin on November 24, 1927, for the opening of what was billed as their city’s most spectacular new movie theater, the Vaudeville Paramount Palace, they discovered that its Belle Époque facade housed a sumptuous Art Deco interior. Gold paint glistened on the ceiling of the 1,920-seat auditorium as the Paramount Orchestra played the overture to Wagner’s 1867 The Master-Singers of Nuremberg in a prelude to the movie, the Oscar-nominated documentary Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness.Michel DenancéThe 1929 Belle Époque–style facade of the Pathé Palace cinema complex in Paris.Like so many once-glamorous early-20th-century movie theaters, the Vaudeville Paramount Palace faded during the television age. But the building (or most of it) survived, and it reopened this summer as the seven-screen Pathé Palace after five years of restoration and reconstruction led by Renzo Piano, the acclaimed Italian architect of Centre Pompidou in Paris. He and Pathé, one of Europe’s biggest film companies, strove to retain the charm of the original interior while reinventing it as a luxury lair. As well as watching films, visitors can see plays and concerts, quaff wines from the famous Parisian restaurant Le Taillevent, and down cocktails in a bar designed by Jacques Grange, grandee of French interiors whose clients have included Sofia Coppola and the late Yves Saint Laurent.Michel DenancéThe Pathé Palace’s Art Deco–style bar was decorated by Jacques Grange.Not that the Pathé Palace is alone. After decades of decline, when first television and then streaming stole their audience, historic cinemas are now being lovingly restored across the globe, in the hope of transforming them into places we will yearn to visit again.One of the earliest cinemas, the Orpheum in Haverhill, Massachusetts, opened in 1907 after a hasty conversion from a burlesque theater by a local scrap metal dealer, Louis B. Mayer (later, the second M in MGM). But the first example of truly ambitious cinema design was Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The boxing promoter Sid Grauman spent $800,000 on constructing a movie palace emblazoned with faux-Egyptian hieroglyphics, friezes, and columns.Michel DenancéOne of seven new movie theaters within the Pathé Palace complex.The Egyptian opened in 1922 with the world’s first movie premiere—and first red carpet—for Robin Hood, starring, written, and produced by the dashing Douglas Fairbanks. The delighted Grauman lavished $2 million on his next major investment, the nearby Chinese Theatre, which, as the name suggests, was a spectacle of chinoiserie. After opening in 1927 with Cecil B. DeMille’s The King of Kings, it scored another coup by inviting movie stars to leave their handprints and footprints on the concrete sidewalk, which is now adjacent to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Among Grauman’s admirers was Oscar Deutsch, the enterprising son of a British industrialist. Convinced that there was an appetite for equally flamboyant cinemas in Britain, he commissioned the architect Harry Weedon to build them across the country, inspired by the Art Deco curves of ocean liners and airplanes. Deutsch opened 258 cinemas, all named Odeon (allegedly an acronym of “Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation”), between 1934 and his death in 1941.Heritage Image Partnership Ltd/Alamy Stock PhotoThe Odeon Leicester Square in London, designed by Harry Weedon in the Art Deco style in 1937.Dynamic though he and Grauman were, architectural purists tend to prefer the subtle rationalism of the Cinéac chain, designed in the 1940s and ’50s by the Russian-born architect Adrienne Górska and her French husband, Pierre de Montaut. Most Cinéacs were in France and Belgium, but one of the finest was Le Palmarium, which debuted in 1951 in the Tunisian capital, Tunis. Equally chic were the Jagat, Neelam, and KC, designed by the Indian architect -Aditya Prakash, as part of the epic project led by Le Corbusier in the 1950s and early ’60s to build a model modern city, Chandigarh, in northern India. Prakash executed all three cinemas in Le Corbusier’s utilitarian style in Chandigarh’s cultural hub, Sector 17.Michel DenancéA glass atrium at the Pathé Palace cinema complex in Paris, designed by Renzo Piano. Sadly, the Neelam Theatre is the sole survivor of the three. Most of the Cinéacs have disappeared too, as have many of Deutsch’s Odeons. But in recent years, movie palaces have staged a renaissance. A perversity of the digital age is that our immersion in screens has made us crave human contact, kindling a surge of enthusiasm for public speaking and other forms of live performance, crafts such as carpentry, weaving, and ceramics, and imaginatively restored cinemas.This is why Netflix spent $70 million transforming the Egyptian into an opulent screening venue, and why the Neelam is being renovated in the redevelopment of Sector 17. A similar spirit prompted Quentin Tarantino to renovate two vintage cinemas in Los Angeles, the New Beverly in Fairfax and the Vista in Los Feliz, and has fueled the success of the Metrograph repertory cinema in New York City.Edmund SumnerThe Neelam Theatre, a modernist cinema designed by Aditya Prakash in Chandigarh, India, dates back to the 1950s.As for Paris, the excitement over Piano’s opulent Pathé Palace will be followed by the reopening of La Pagode on rue de Babylone in 2025. A Japanese pagoda that was shipped to Paris from Tokyo in 1895, the theater functioned as an indie cinema from 1931 until its closure in 2015 and is now another neglected gem poised for revival. It is unlikely to be the last, as the zest for reinventing historic cinemas shows no signs of stopping, though nor does our love of staying at home to binge movies on Netflix. This story originally appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of ELLE DECOR. SUBSCRIBE

Maharashtra: Wanted Drug Smuggler Arrested During Pushpa 2 Movie Screening In Nagpur

A drug smuggler on the run and wanted gangster, identified as Vishal Meshram, was arrested during the screening of Pushpa 2: The Rule in Nagpur, Maharashtra, on Thursday. As per reports, the arrest took place just after midnight leaving moviegoers shocked. Despite the sudden interruption, police reassured the audience that they could continue watching the film while swiftly taking Meshram into custody.Accused had been on the run for nearly 10 monthsMeshram, who had been on the run for nearly 10 months, is a known gangster with a criminal history that includes 27 cases. His charges include two murders, drug trafficking, and attacks on police officers.

Reports suggest that authorities had been tracking Meshram’s movements after learning that he planned to attend the screening of the popular movie Pushpa 2.
Cyber surveillanceThe movie’s release became the key lead in locating the gangster. Using cyber surveillance, the police traced his location to a sports utility vehicle (SUV) parked outside the cinema.To prevent Meshram from escaping, the police deflated the tyres of his vehicle. As the movie reached its climax, officers entered the cinema hall and surrounded Meshram, who was unaware of their presence. The arrest was carried out without any resistance, and Meshram was escorted out of the cinema. After his arrest, Meshram was taken to Nagpur Central Jail and is expected to be transferred to a prison in Nashik, where he will face charges for his crime.

2024’s most visually-arresting films

This year’s best films aren’t lacking in ambition – either narratively or visually. From an exploration of polyamory set in the sweaty world of professional tennis to a feminist horror film featuring truly stomach-churning prosthetics, there’s something fresh here for even the most seasoned cinephile.The Room Next Door(Image credit: © El Deseo, photo by Iglesias Más)Spanish maestro Pedro Almodóvar’s first full-length film in English is dizzyingly poignant. Tilda Swinton plays a terminally ill war reporter who asks a friend from her youth (former Wallpaper* Guest Editor Julianne Moore) to be present – and in the room next door – when she ends her life. It’s a tender meditation on life, death and maternal guilt that unfolds in a beautiful brutalist house that Swinton’s character rents to make her final days serene and free from memories. The final act’s audacious casting choice shows Almodóvar has lost none of his youthful playfulness.Challengers(Image credit: Press)This stylish sporting romp follows an awkward quasi-throuple who seem to be edging each other (emotionally). Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist work up a sweat as tennis rivals whose friendship carries a strong sexual undercurrent, but an ice-cool Zendaya really calls the shots as the pro-turned-coach who comes between them. Luca Guadagnino’s film yielded a seemingly endless stream of homoerotic memes, but it’s best enjoyed as a complete piece. Every creative choice – from Jonathan Anderson’s preppy athleisure looks to the relentless score by Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor – is a well executed smash. Tennis has never been sexier.La Chimera(Image credit: (Film still))Josh O’Connor also shines in this beguiling film from writer-director Alice Rohrwacher, who previously made 2018’s excellent fantasy drama Happy as Lazzaro. Here he plays Arthur, a crumpled British archaeologist who keeps himself afloat by helping Italy’s tombaroli – or tomb raiders – to uncover buried treasure. Arthur’s talent with a dowsing rod seems almost preternatural, which gives La Chimera a veneer of magical realism, but Rohrwacher’s film is too rooted in human fallibility to feel woo-woo. In his seasonally inappropriate linen suit, Arthur is a perpetual outsider on a quest to find his missing girlfriend and, perhaps, a little meaning along the way.The BrutalistFor a film about an architect that’s called The Brutalist, Brody Corbet’s period epic doesn’t feature that much Brutalist architecture. But there’s no doubt it’s a story about building on several levels – a new life, community, the American dream. Adrien Brody gives a richly empathic performance as László Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor who emigrates to America following World War II. When he receives a dream commission from a wealthy industrialist (Guy Pearce), Tóth’s future seems guaranteed, but he learns the hard way that capitalism and art don’t always mix. With stunning production design by Judy Becker, The Brutalist is a monumental technical achievement underpinned by rock-solid emotional foundations.The Substance(Image credit: Courtesy of Mubi)Most of this year’s coolest Halloween costumes were inspired by Demi Moore’s character in The Substance: either the sleek aerobics queens she begins the film as, or the monstrous mutation of human flesh she morphs into after abusing a rejuvenating elixir. Coralie Fargeat’s bombastic body horror is grotesque as you consume it – the blend of prosthetics and CGI is a technical marvel – and devastating when you digest it fully. It’s a grim thrill ride that holds up a mirror to society’s obsession with female youth and beauty.The Bird(Image credit: Bird movie)The fifth film from visionary director Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank, American Honey) is a bewitching blend of social realism and magical realism. Newcomer Nykiya Adams plays 12-year-old Bailey, who lives in a Kent squat with her chancer father Bug (Barry Keoghan) and little in the way of structure. When Bailey meets a mysterious drifter called Bird (Franz Rogowski), who claims to have lived in the local area years earlier, she has her eyes opened in deeply surreal ways. Part coming-of-age story and part fairytale, Bird is a strange, captivating film that soars thanks to the fearless imagination of Arnold and her riveting female lead.Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.Emilia Pérez(Image credit: Press)This daring musical crime comedy rooted in the trans experience – yes, really – is a future cult classic. Spanish telenovela veteran Karla Sofía Gascón plays the title character, a former cartel leader who hires a downtrodden lawyer (Zoe Saldaña) to facilitate her secret gender transition while whisking her wife (Selena Gomez) and children to safety. Flawed but fascinating, Emilia Pérez operates at a point on the Venn diagram where Almodóvar intersects with John Waters and Bob Fosse. Fortunately, every big swing from director Jacques Audiard is sold by his trio of Oscar-tipped female leads.Anora(Image credit: Courtesy of NEON)Powered by a breakout performance from Mikey Madison, Anora unfolds like Pretty Woman with more grit and lurid glitter. Madison is absolutely luminous as the title character, a Brooklyn stripper who moonlights as a sex worker and prefers to be called ‘Ani’ – the first hint that there’s a gap between the life she has and the one she wants. When oligarch’s son Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn) offers her $15,000 to share a hedonistic weekend, Ani accepts and the business arrangement barrels towards a boozy Vegas wedding. The final act is heartbreaking and formally audacious as it roars towards an emotional crescendo that will leave you floored.All Of Us Strangers(Image credit: Press)Adapted by director Andrew Haigh from Taichi Yamada’s novel Strangers, this gorgeous ghost story doubles as an allegory for queer loneliness. Marooned in a half-empty London new-build, Andrew Scott’s isolated screenwriter Adam enters into a tentative relationship with his neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal). Meanwhile, Adam takes regular train rides back to the suburbs to visit the ghosts of his parents who were killed many years earlier. Played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell, they’re frozen younger than Scott’s character is now, which makes the family reunion poignant as well as incredibly tender. Haigh’s flawless production choices include filming a euphoric club scene at iconic LGBTQ+ venue the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.Kinds Of Kindness(Image credit: Film still from ‘Kinds of Kindness’)Yorgos Lanthimos’ follow-up to last year’s Oscar-winning Poor Things was never going to be straightforward. Deliberately and ambiguously undersold as a ‘triptych fable’, Kinds of Kindness is prickly, provocative anthology tells three freaky and loosely connected stories. One hinges on everyday domestic cannibalism; another follows a sex cult whose members fetishise human moistness. A dazzling cast led by Lanthimos regular Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons and The Substance’s Margaret Qualley play different characters in each instalment, which adds to the sense of finely calibrated chaos. But Lanthimos’ firm narrative hand and consistently creepy vision means it never quite spins out of control.

How I Battled Eye Infection While Filming ‘Thin Line’

 

December 22, (THEWILL) – Nollywood actress Mercy Aigbe has revealed that she battled a severe eye infection that left her hospitalised and forced to halt filming of ‘Thin Line’ temporarily.
The movie premiered in cinemas nationwide on December 13.
The film star described the pain from the infection as excruciating.

Aigbe also referred to it as one of the most significant challenges she faced during the film production.
She shared a photo of her eye during the infection.
She said, “I woke up one morning on set and my eyes were like this… We couldn’t film; we had to break the set. We couldn’t film; we had to take a break on set.
“The pain was excruciating. I was hospitalised; in fact it was a whole lot of challenge. Doctors said it was a severe infection. It was a whole lot. A whole lot,” she continued.
“It has been an experience on this journey with ‘Thinline’. A whole lot of challenges, a whole lot but in all I still give God the glory. In all these I am still standing and will keep pushing. This movie has taken a lot of hard work, pain, blood and sweat.”
She thanked everyone who has watched ‘Thin Line’ in cinemas while urging those who haven’t seen it to do so, assuring them they will truly enjoy it.
“Big thank you to everyone who has seen ‘Thinline’ in cinemas and I am loving the reviews so far. If you are yet to see it make it a date with this amazing movie you will love it,” she added.
Recently, Aigbe lost several properties worth millions of naira in a fire incident at her Lagos home.

You Know What Would Make a Great Last-Minute Gift? A Movie Theater Membership.

This is One Thing, a column with tips on how to live.

I have always loved going to the movies: the chance to really dial in on what’s in front of me, to shut off my phone, to enjoy a perfect combo of popcorn and Diet Coke. I’m lucky enough to live in a city with endless offerings, of both new releases and repertory screenings of otherwise hard-to-find classics. Yet, “movie tickets are too expensive” is the common cry these days, and in many cases I can’t refute it. I, too, have felt the tug on my purse strings as ticket prices have soared.

I knew that some of the theaters I frequented offered membership programs with the promise of lower ticket prices in exchange for an annual fee, but still, I was hesitant. Would I be able to commit? Would I be able to prioritize one theater over the others? Would a membership go unused, my money wasted?

These questions lingered in my head, immobilizing me from taking further action, until about a year ago, when I found myself at the holiday market at Metrograph. I noticed they were offering their annual membership for 40 percent off its usual $50 price. That meant only $30 got me a year’s worth of $10 movie tickets, access to exclusive events with luminaries like Susan Seidelman and Sofia Coppola, and 10 percent off at their commissary and bookstore. Considering that nonmember tickets were $17, and I would only have to see a handful of movies throughout the year for the membership to pay for itself, it felt like a no-brainer.

It turns out that all of my fears about wasting my money on a membership were for naught. The more I went to Metrograph, the more I wanted to keep going back, knowing that a $10 movie ticket was basically the most rewarding thing I could get for that amount of money. My membership gave me plans on a night when I didn’t have any, exposure to movies I wouldn’t have heard of otherwise, and an easy suggestion for group outings with friends and a go-to date idea. (And while I’m not saying this is the No. 1 reason to join some sort of arts institution, like a movie theater or museum, it does give the impression that you are impossibly highbrow and cultured—so it is up there.) All in all, still a great deal at the full price.

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In New York (or really, any city), few places you love can be taken for granted. Giving my money to Metrograph is an investment in the future of a venue I hope will be around for a long time to come, my money now (an albeit small!) offset against an incoming administration actively hostile toward arts funding. But I can’t be too sanctimonious, because do you remember the part about $10 movie tickets?

There are a number of independent theaters in other cities with similar offerings. Chain theaters like Alamo, AMC, and Regal also have their own memberships, and in this day and age of films going straight to streaming, they practically feel like cultural institutions unto themselves. Another thing about movie memberships: they make a great last-minute gift. Get one for yourself—and one for a pal.

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