Guest Post: How to See Movies for Free

Dawn tweets about going to free movies week after week, and we just had to get her to spill her secrets! As a Central Indiana resident, many of her tips will be specific to the Indy area but maybe she’ll inspire you to find opportunities in your area! If you’re on Twitter, be sure to follow Dawn and read her 140 character movie reviews.

I’ve never been one to complain about movie ticket prices. I’ve always loved going to movies and feel the entertainment is well worth the ever growing price of admission. Of course, I’ve always taken advantage of matinee prices, early bird specials and individual theater’s club perks whenever possible but, FREE is even better than a discount and that’s how much I pay for the majority of the movies I see these days.

It all started with one site offering free movie screenings every few months. The pleasure I got from seeing a movie (did I mention, for free?) before it was even released encouraged me to look for sites offering the same enabling me to see free movies more often. My search led me to GoFoBo where my movie dates increased to about once a month. Call me addicted, but one search led to another and I now see movies (again, for FREE) at least once a week. I’m happy to share the sites I’ve come across with those who either love movies as much as I do…or at least love the idea of seeing them for free.

Although, I’ve not had much luck, Nuvo regularly has contests to win two passes to see a specific movie at various locations and if you’re listening at just the right time, you can win passes from local radio and news stations as well. And, those who read Lou Harry’s entertainment blog in the Indianapolis Business Journal know that he doesn’t snub movies in favor of live arts and entertainment and will share passes for upcoming releases with his readers.

However, my favorite sites offering these proverbial golden tickets are the ones that offer a little bit more than just free movies.

I joined the Indy Film Buffs group to socialize with other…er…Indianapolis film buffs…but, I was thrilled to find out that they occasionally acquire free advance screening passes to share with group members in between regular movie-related meetups.

One of my favorite sites is The Film Yap. Co-owned by former Indy Star and Intake magazine movie critics, Christopher Lloyd and Joe Shearer. The Film Yap writers review newly released blockbuster movies as well as independent films, festivals and more. They regularly hold contests in which you can win a movie on DVD or passes to a screening. Being a bit of a trivia junkie, the contests that ask questions directly related to the prize are entertaining and enjoyable (and easily searched, if trivia isn’t your thing). I highly recommend this site for its content as much as its freebies.

Another favorite is IndyMojo. The Movie Lovers Group consistently offers one—sometimes even two—screenings a week at several different venues. This site is not only the most interactive in terms of getting movie passes, it may also be the most socially interactive website for Indianapolis residents in general.

To get screening passes from IndyMojo you’ll need to register on the site, join the Movie Lovers Group, add your name to the roll call when passes are made available and add your reply to the requested command in the corresponding thread. For instance, for an animated film’s screening, you may be asked to share your favorite childhood cartoon, for a romantic comedy you have to tell the story about how you met that someone special and for a sci-fi film you might have to post a clip from a movie set in outerspace. When you’ve fulfilled all IndyMojo obligations, show up at the theater and claim your pass for two from one of the site’s representatives.

If you’re looking for more than free movie screenings, IndyMojo has several other money saving, entertainment, social and charitable options to choose from. Free and/or discounted concert and theater tickets, a weekly invitation to join the Mojo crowd at Landsharks in Broad Ripple, group gatherings at the Indianapolis Zoo, opportunities to give back to the community by participating in charitable events (including the hugely successful Backpack Attack), a VIP discount card with a growing list to choose from as well as co-ed sporting events. Dodgeball, anyone?

The Mojo community is a diverse one. You are just as likely to visit the forums and find two men affectionately hurling insults back and forth as you are to find one woman encouraging another to make an appointment for a yearly mammogram. While the site is made up of mostly twenty and thirty-somethings, site owners, Jason King and Shawn Smith (aka JK and Smitty), have built an online neighborhood that offers something for everyone. Join the site to take advantage of the free movie screenings, stay to take part in so much more. Make sure you look me up and say hello if you stop by!

With that, I’ll end this article with the hope that I’ve offered all my fellow movie lovers a useful tip or two that will help them enjoy an activity that some have come to regard as a luxury thanks to the growing expense.

Now, if only I could find a site that will enable free visits to the snack bar…