How I see things for free...

I am on some lists, the ones I know of are "the arts committee", a couple ad agencies' opinion maker screening , the landmark theaters film club, and supposedly the Black Film Arts board. Some I know how I got, most I don't. I also get tickets from other groups who got invites, like the MISfits who run CONvergence. I signed up for the landmark theater list and the director of the Black film arts board told me at a function that she was putting me on their list. I also signed up recently with Film Metro in hopes of getting Sex in the City or Indiana Jones tickets but none have been near here, mainly available on the coast and a few in Chicago.
From these lists I get invites to movies, theater, premiers, art openings and concerts. Some include food that I usually can't eat. The Sundance/Grey Goose premier party had great food though! The drinks were supposedly quite good as well.

This is how the movie thing goes. Sometimes I get pretty postcards that are invites with lots of warning. Most of the time I get 1-3 emails from different sources that ask me if I want to go, want to enter a "drawing" to go, or plead with me to go. Each source offers me two tickets and various restrictions-no cell phones, camera pda and/or children.
The real cool ones are dog and pony shows complete with a Q&A with the director and sometimes an actor or two. I think the director of Evening was quite interesting as was Wim Wenders, and I like his clothes too! Most of the time I get a day or two notice that I might be going.

For example, last night I got an invite from two sources for a movie on males using steroids, so possible 4 tickets for weds at some Landmark theater around Mpls. Since I was dealing with an ill sibling who was being impossible not to mention my lack of interest in the angst of adolescents and steroids, I didn't reply . If I had wanted to go, I would have responded to one invite, or two if one was a lottery/drawing. Its really bad form to not show up if its a direct invite, esp if you have rsvp-ed, so once I respond unless something like the bridge falling down happens, I go. So I may or may not have gotten tickets, you usually find out the night before.

Movies are usually on Tue, Weds or Thurs and often at the Lagoon Theater in Uptown at 7pm. Since they often give out more tickets than there are seats, it pays to swing by the theater early. Also to be on the look out for bling. At "the wackling" they gave out fairly nice t-shirts. These screenings are organized (or not) by either an ad agency or some group connected with the film. I saw "death at a funeral" twice the first time it ran smoothly, the second time it was an insane mess, they forgot the list, then they found it but couldn't read it, finally it was a free for all. Normally, these are fairly civilized events, but anything can happen.

Some places I won't go if the screening turns out to be there because of the security. I can't handle being without my cell phone, or being padded down. This usually happens at French films, but sheesh.... Do they really think that a coordinated effort of film goers such as myself will copy a movie from their cell phones. I could maybe get 7 mins and not very good quality. I would think that most bootleggers are doing directly off a film print from the studio or something.

Anyway if any un-usual suspects want to go with me to these things, just let me know. often I just get one extra ticket. Its a quick answer, hurry and wait deal, similar to triage at the ER sometimes, but thats another story.