Movie Night on the Cheap

Movie ticket prices got you down? What the heck is your problem? If you have the patience to wait in line (I know, time is money), you can take advantage of free preview screenings that are being hosted at various theaters around town. You'll find pointers to free pass giveaways in the Las Vegas WEEKLY and the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and sometimes the studios or theater chains will host free screenings as well; get on their mailing lists if you can. You could catch two or more shows for free in one week! One recent week I watched Brick Mansions at the Palms and the very next night moseyed over to Towne Square to catchThe Other Woman. And no charge! What you spend on popcorn and Sno-Caps is your problem.

Heads up: at the Brenden (inside the Palms), I needed to go to the concession stand and trade in the passes I received via e-mail for tickets to get me in the right line. At the AMC Towne Square, you just waited in line outside the theater, and shortly before show time someone distributed tickets to everyone who'd waited. You want to get there early to be sure of a seat, because your pass alone does not guarantee you one. As Rip Torn so memorably put it in Songwriter: "Airlines do it all the time."