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CLASSIC COMPILATION #2 – HOW TOSCAM FREE MOVIES (at the theater)
Compiled by: DIzzIE [Antikopyright 2007]This is the second textfile in a series that will put together classic scams centered around a particular theme. Most, if not all, of the content will not be ‘new;’ rather, these compilations are just attempts to bring all existing methods of achieving the same goal into one place for easyreference. Feel free to email me with any ideas you have that weren’t included, and they’ll beadded into subsequent versions of these compilations.What follows is a brief compendium of various existing methods you can use to score some free(or hella cheap) admittance to a movie theater, as well as a note or two about free snacks. Asusual, don’t expect some of these tactics to work in all theaters, but do expect all of them to work in at least some locales. Most of these scams will further best be done during peak hours (say,Friday or Saturday nights) of operation.
~The Ticket Return
. We all know that trying to return a ticket for a refund after the movie is over is a daunting task, to say the least. To get this method to work, just flip this baby on its head andreturn the ticket before the movie begins. Purchase your ticket before the film starts and go intothe theater, allowing the clerk to tear the ticket, as well as nodding at zir to establish recognitionand eye contact. A few minutes later, make your way back out into the lobby, and going past theticket taker, mumble something about going to grab your jacket from your car, and that you’ll beright back. Go back out to the ticket counter where you first bought your ticket, and present theclerk there with your ticket, saying that you have a “family issue” or a “family emergency,” or any other bullshit excuse and are thus unable to see the movie. If you have a cell phone, you canuse it as a credibility prop and start talking in an exasperated tone or whatnot. As long as themovie hasn’t started, you’ll get your refund with no questions asked (other than the reason). Thenext part will obviously work best when there is a fairly substantial crowd at the ticket counter.Simply walk out into the parking lot, then turn right around and walk back into the theater. If there’s an alternate entrance you can use that, or simply don a new jacket or hat and blend in withthe crowd to gain re-entry when the ticket counter clerk (the one who just handed you your refund) isn’t looking. Once you’re inside the theater, go past the ticket taker mumbling that youwere just going to get your jacket, and who should by now remember you as you just told zir thatyou were going for your jacket a few minutes ago. Thus, you now have entry back into thetheater hall showing the movie with the cash in your pocket and no need for a pesky ticket stub.If you’re with a group of friends and not confident enough that you won’t be asked for a stubupon your re-entry, you can still pull off a two-for-one deal by asking a friend for zir stub, whileyou return yours and use the second one (your friend’s) to get back into the theater, though this istypically an unnecessary precaution.
~The Theater Reviewer 
. A few days before you want to go to the movies, call up your theater of choice and ask to speak to the manager. Proceed to explain that your name is
 xxx
, and you’re anArts & Entertainment writer for the small, local
 yyy
magazine. Go on to explain how each monthyou do a review of a different theater in the community, and how this month you’ve been
 
assigned to do this particular theater. Further explain that your editor requires you to call aheadand confirm the availability of complimentary passes. The manager will ask for your name again,and then ask what movie you’d like to see and on what day. Ze’ll then tell you to just tell theclerk at the counter your name when you come by (with your name thus being added to themuch-coveted pass list). The manager might also tell you to tell the clerk that you’re here to seethe manager, who will then come down and greet you personally. Shoot zir some bullshitquestions about the theater (‘how many people come in here daily,’ ‘how long has the theater  been around,’ and so on…), and then say thanks and go into the movie you picked. Remember,that you’re reviewing ‘the theater’ not a particular film, thus foregoing the standard pressscreenings that members of the media usually attend. As credibility props, you can bring a smallnotebook for notes, and a laminated press pass (seehttp://www.binghamtonpmc.org/bhuston/presspass/for a sample GIMP template). If you’re bringing a friend, go ahead and mention that you’ll be coauthoring the piece…;)
~The Movie Reviewer.
Studios often sponsor press screenings of upcoming films (not to mentionwhat are known as press junkets, where you get an all expenses paid trip to meet the director andwhatnot) for, you guessed it, members of the press. Unfortunately, these screenings aren’t exactlyadvertised, nor can you get any easy access to them, short of asking an insider who works atsome local paper to pass along the any notices of upcoming screenings. However, keeping inmind that the studios typically farm out responsibilities for organizing the screenings to localmarketing firms, you could do a bit of research and find out which local media relationscompanies handle these types of things, and then contact them to let them know you represent anew mag, and would like to be added to their press list. It’s a long shot, but what’ve you got tolose? What’s also fun, is if you want to attend a film festival as a member of the press, you’llneed to get accredited so the festival organizers know you’re legit (wink, wink). To do so,request what’s called an accreditation form from the press/media relations liaison of the festival,and fill it out to send/fax it back to them. You may also need a “letter of assignment” from your editor (cough, cough), which states that you are indeed assigned to cover the festival, as well as a passport photo for your spiffy festival pass. Once again, what’ve you got to lose ;)?
~Free Public Screenings
. If you don’t feel like going through all of the hassle of posing as a realfilm critic, you can still luck into getting into a free public screening of an upcoming film.Various sites list upcoming screenings (such ashttp://www.fatwallet.com/t/22/184563/, merelysearch around for more). If there’s an upcoming screening for a particular flick in your area, yousimply enter your address into the online form, and typically get your advance ticket mailed toyou, or given a time and address and told that it’s on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis.
~Movie Hopping 
. Who says you only have to stay for one movie? This simple classic consists of going from one movie to another for the cost of one movie or less. Print out a schedule of all themovie showtimes in advance, and spend the whole day hopping from flick to flick at the theater.Bring an extra jacket and/or a hat to change your appearance between showings, and spend anygaps between lack of crowds/showtimes chilling in the bathroom…
~The Crowd Melt 
. When the theater is particularly full and there is a line of people coming out of a showing and a line of people being admitted in, simply filter into the outgoing line and walk in past the ticket taker who will hopefully be too distracted to notice you. If questioned, you can try
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