Loving free screenings

Just a quick one to spread some love for ShowFilmFirst, Total Film Magazine, LoveFilm and Paramount Pictures. So far this year I've been to free preview screenings of '127 Hours', 'The Fighter', 'Tomorrow When The War Began' and just last Sunday, 'Water for Elephants'.

Total Film Magazine has a screening club run in association with ShowFilmFirst and because of this I got a pair of tickets to 'The Fighter' (very good) before it's national release. I also got tickets for Hall Pass but couldn't go (and judging by the trailer... I think this may have been a good thing!) and have tickets in my posession for new Paul Giamatti film 'Win Win' on Tuesday. I just love a free film especially because of the hideous prices of cinema tickets and look forward to spreading the word on films that need a word of mouth push.

I also get updates from ShowFilmFirst just by 'liking' them on facebook. This lead to the recent grabbing of a pair of tickets to 'Water for Elephants' This was a film I had very low expectations of. It just didn't sound like my kind of thing. Robert Pattinson... blah... Reese Witherspoon... blah blah. But I don't know if I get blinded by the thoughts of not paying for a film or if it really was good but I quite enjoyed it. It's not a masterpiece or anything but it was very engaging and kept me interested throughout. However no tears were shed so it's definitely not up there with the greatest dramas.

I have entered 3 competitions so far this year. One with Paramount to see 'TWTWB' with introduction from Rachel Hurd Wood which I won 2 tickets for and even got fed free popcorn and coke!!! The other two were with LoveFilm. One for '127 Hours' (outstanding) with Danny Boyle Q and A where I got to ask the director a question and the other was for an 'Attack the Block' screening followed by Q and A with director Joe Cornish and actress Jodie Whitaker. This is on Monday in London and I can't wait. I've been looking forward to this film for awhile now and hope it lives up to the very funny, exciting looking trailer.

Also, while I'm praising all these wonderful film-related companies, I've got to mention the Empire cinema chain that now do cheap tickets on Tuesdays. It costs anybody who wants a ticket £2.95 to see a film in the cinema (but only Tuesdays!). Along with Orange Wednesdays, this is the best promotion I've seen and is the only way film studios, distributors, exhibitors are going to lure tight-ass people like me back into cinemas. With Lovefilm servicing my filmic needs, I'd almost forgotten the cinema existed. Forget 3D, digital screens, extra comfy seats and waiter services or whatever cinemas are all now offering... I JUST WANT CHEAP TICKETS! Or free ones if there's any going...