AMC Best Picture Showcase 2017 *updated*

[themysteriousgrowl]

Every year, just before the Oscar telecast, AMC Theatres hosts an event in participating cinemas around the country where you buy a pass at a flat rate and, over the course of two Saturdays – or, if you’re feeling especially ambitious, over the course of a single 24-hour period – you watch all of the Best Picture nominees consecutively. You line up around 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning – or reserve ahead of time, if available – find yourself a seat for the day, and spend about 12 hours watching movies.

Even if you’re a big movie fan, this may sound daunting, but after 10 years, I can say it mostly comes down to mental preparation. And if you’re like me and don’t get to the cinemas as often as you like, it’s a good deal financially. Anyway, here’s the info. The Oscars are Sunday, February 26th this year, so the Showcase will be Saturdays February 18th and 25th.

https://www.amctheatres.com/events/best-picture-showcase

It’s a fun, communal event and especially interesting to spend those days in the company of a couple of hundred people who love movies so much.

[ErikJ972]

Sounds like fun. Especially since I'm way behind on my movies this year. What does it usually cost? That info isn't up on the site yet.

[themysteriousgrowl]

I think it was $65 last year. Somewhere in that ballpark.

[yodamarie78]

I did the showcase several years ago, when there were still only 5 nominees. It was a lot of fun and a great way to get caught up, but I don't know if I'd be able to do it two weekends in a row. It was a challenge to sit and pay attention for that long. It didn't help that Benjamin Button was one of the nominees that year and was the only one I'd already seen.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Ohh, that was the second year and definitely my least favorite. Of the nominees, I only enjoyed two, "Milk" and "Frost/Nixon."

There's also almost always one movie that I've already seen and don't have any special excitement about sitting through again in a cinema. In past years, it's been "Avatar," "Inception," "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," and "Gravity." This year I guess it'll be "Boyhood." And probably "The Grand Budapest Hotel." But I'm a purist and believe second viewings are very valuable, so I always stay for them.

[CapnHook]

I have always wanted to do this. All films would be a second viewing for me, though, which is a turn-off. I also go to the screenings at IFC Center for all fifteen of the short films and whatever foreign features and documentary features they still have.

[mikem]

This sounds very interesting. How much time is there in between the movies? And what order are they presented in? Are they in alphabetical order?

[themysteriousgrowl]

The order usually seems determined by movie length, but with only eight nominees, I don’t guess it will be any great feat to fit them all into two days. And when they’re scheduled well, there’s usually somewhere around 10-25 minutes between each movie to get up, use the bathroom, stretch, refill your popcorn, etc, with a longer break of about an hour falling somewhere around dinner time.

I imagine that AMC site will be updating soon with all of this information.

I don’t know how popular this event is in other cities, but here in Pittsburgh, with only one local participating theater, it sells out pretty quickly.

[dramamama611]

Any idea how long it takes until all the details come out? (Dates, cost, when tix go on sale?) Very intriquing!

[Gothampc]

I think AMC will do this in any AMC theater across the country is someone can guarantee that 100 people will buy tickets.

[dramamama611]

No, the link specifically lists which theaters might participate...but there doesn't seem to be any change in the info.

[FindingNamo]

Do the sassy red dots ("Uh-uh, girlfriend, put away that texting device, you hear what I'm saying? That's right, girl...") appear before and after every movie or just once at the beginning of the day?

[themysteriousgrowl]

Gosh, Namo, I don't know. At ours, there's a sort of emcee-type character who runs trivia games and raffles between the movies, and he usually gives us a verbal reminder, but I'll pay special attention this year and get back to you with this crucial information because I know it'll help your sleep.

For all innerested parties, the details have finally been released. I'd have updated this sooner, but I've been languishing all week with bronchitis and fell off my game.

https://www.amctheatres.com/events/best-picture-showcase

[willep]

On February 14th, the movies are The Grand Budapest Hotel, Birdman, Whiplash, and Selma. It starts at 10am and ends around 7pm. Cost $30.

February 21st is Boyhood, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, and American Sniper. Starts at 10am there is an hour break before the last movie (Sniper), and the day ends around 9pm. Cost $30, or both days for $55.

[everythingtaboo]

^^ Thanks for that update. I'm actually seeing CHICAGO on the 14th, but thankfully I've already Birdman and I have Budapest on my DVR, but I think I may try to do the 21st - those are the four movies I really wanted to see.

[willep]

*Prices may vary a little. That is what it is in the Philadelphia area, NYC might be a little bit more.

[South Florida]

Movies just keep getting worse and worse to me. Thank goodness for TCM. The previews for Sniper today were 5 crap action movies soon to come out.

[everythingtaboo]

AMC Kip Bay, which is doing only doing it in NYC as far I can tell, is $35 per day, or $65 for both. Either way, a bargain considering AMC usually does $15-$20 each. (But Empire 25 in Times Square holding the option for a marathon.)

[themysteriousgrowl]

Genteel bump and edit for 2016.

[themysteriousgrowl]

 

Annual bump and edit for noms day.