Farmington Civic Theater offers ‘unlimited’ movies membership

FARMINGTON — The Farmington Civic Theater is making an offer that is likely to get the attention of local movie buffs.

On June 1, the city-owned Civic launched a membership program that is providing the opportunity for moviegoers to see an unlimited number of movies on a monthly basis for a flat fee.

Community members have different options to choose from.

One choice is an “unlimited” membership, which allows members to see an unlimited number of movies on a monthly basis at a cost of $15.95 per month.

Another option is an “unlimited plus” membership, which allows patrons to see an unlimited number of movies on a monthly basis, in addition to receiving pop and popcorn with each movie, at a cost of $34.95 per month.

“I have been thinking about this for almost two years,” Civic General Manager Scott Freeman said.

“What it’s designed to do is offer what we believe customers think is valuable — an opportunity to see as many movies as they want with us for a flat fee, or a membership, if you will,” Freeman said. “We looked at it and revised it to not only what our customers appreciate, but also it has to make sense for the theater, as well. … We think it’s a good deal, and we’re hoping others will, as well.”

Freeman said that as long as it’s within the monthly period of membership that has been signed up for, “it’s all covered.”

Memberships start on the date someone signs up and renew automatically unless they are canceled.

“Their credit card will get charged each month as they go along, and they’re free to cancel anytime,” Freeman said.

Those who sign up get a membership card, and according to Freeman, the Civic will take a photograph of them.

As of now, the Civic is only offering individual memberships.

The decision to offer a membership program got the attention of Marissa Mullison, who is the operations manager at the Civic.

“I was very excited when I heard about it,” she said. “I love my job because I can help people see movies, especially on the big screen; that’s such a great experience. So if someone can purchase something that will allow them to see an unlimited amount of movies in that month, that’s fantastic.”

Mullison is optimistic about the program’s chances of going over well with the public.

“I think it’ll be very appealing,” she said. “We usually have between five or six different movies every month, so (there) is something for everyone. People can come in and see a double-feature if they’d like to. Many people have been eager to sign up, and they’ve been asking a lot of questions, so I think it’s gonna be great.”

Freeman said that what the Civic is offering is not unique.

“Some of the bigger chains that are around also have some sort of membership programs that gives you some discounts,” he said. “I think where ours stands apart is the price point. … The big guys can’t beat it, and I don’t think they’d want to.”

Second-run theaters are movie houses that show motion pictures at a reduced price after the films leave first-run theaters.

The Civic operated as a second-run theater for “decades,” until switching to a first-run theater in September.

Freeman hopes that the membership program will create more awareness about the change that was made.

His other aspiration is for the program to attract new patrons to the theater.

He hopes that the money that can be saved via the membership program is enough of an incentive to get people through the door.

“To be simple, the primary benefit is to save money,” Freeman said. “And in the back end of it, it’s good for the theater because it’s a way for the people in the area to help support independent cinema, like the Farmington Civic Theater. We wanted to create a way for customers and people in the area to be loyal, and to do that you have to provide something that they want and find valuable, and we think the price point we have for these programs and the benefits that are there are definitely worth considering.”

The Civic’s history is likely a major reason why some may have some loyalty toward the theater.

“It’s a big part of the history of Farmington and the area,” Freeman said. “We first opened in September of 1940, so this is our 82nd year in operation. … We’re more that old-school type of feel. … I know people enjoy seeing our neon sign out front, and we hope that they value it enough to come in.”