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show business<br />
Fun with Photos Photo contests offer great incentives<br />
to get customers involved and bring them and their friends to a<br />
business’ Facebook page. Mother’s Day is a great occasion for a local<br />
“Moms Who Look Like Celebrities” or “‘Mommy and Me’ Movie<br />
Costumes” contest and/or pre-trailer slideshow. Alternatively, an emcee<br />
for a preshow quiz could give out prizes to patrons for successfully<br />
matching actors in current movies—like Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth<br />
Paltrow in Iron Man 3, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire in<br />
The Great Gatsby, and Robert De Niro and Katherine Heigl in The Big<br />
Wedding—with photos of their mothers. Or follow the example of The<br />
Holiday Star Theater in Park Forest, Ill., and offer free family photos<br />
from an onsite photographer.<br />
Bringing in Baby Of the many sacrifices new<br />
moms have to give up for their children, going to the movies shouldn’t<br />
have to be one of them. Cinephiles with infants and toddlers can now<br />
bring their little ones to the regularly scheduled baby-friendly screenings<br />
at Lincoln Square Cinemas in Bellevue, Wash., the Coolidge<br />
Corner Theatre in Brookline, Mass., or select AMC locations without<br />
forking over extra cash to a babysitter or worrying about their babies<br />
making noise. These special “mommy movies” are presented with the<br />
lights up and the sound down so that moms and babies can both enjoy<br />
some peace of mind. But moms’ physical comfort are accommodated<br />
too. AMC offers a stroller valet, while Lincoln Square Cinemas has a<br />
special food service, where mothers can order concessions from a menu<br />
and have them delivered to their seats by servers. Mother’s Day just<br />
might be the perfect time to test how popular these matinee programs<br />
are at your location.<br />
TheMusicMom<br />
Although parents and children frequently disagree<br />
on what kind of music to listen to in the<br />
car, most families bond through shared songs.<br />
To satisfy both generations, the El Capitan<br />
Theatre on the Hollywood Walk of Fame frequently<br />
stages live shows where singers dressed<br />
as Disney characters belt out musical numbers<br />
from classic Disney films before screenings.<br />
(The live show surcharge runs from $7 to $10.)<br />
A more affordable rendition could be done<br />
with a local chorus or band performing hits<br />
from classic musicals. Alternatively, Mother’s<br />
Day could be the perfect event for a movie<br />
sing-a-long. The Sound of Music—with songs<br />
everyone knows and a lovable future mom at its<br />
center—is a perennial favorite. (Just don’t invite<br />
Christopher Plummer, who’s apparently just as<br />
grouchy as his character, Captain Von Trapp,<br />
was in the film. Plummer once famously called<br />
the movie The Sound of Mucus.) Mary Poppins,<br />
The Wizard of Oz, and The Little Mermaid are<br />
also great choices for a group karaoke session<br />
that will make this Mother’s Day a memorable<br />
experience for all.<br />
Have Mother’s Day plans for your theater?<br />
Send us your pictures and tell us your stories!<br />
Send to: inkoo@boxoffice.com<br />
84 BoxOffice ® <strong>Pro</strong> The Business of Movies may <strong>2013</strong>
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