Starting this week, UNM students will have an inexpensive and convenient cure for the lag of a long week thanks to the new Midweek Movie Series at the SUB.
"We want students to stay on campus and to get involved with student activities," said Ryan Lindquist, student activities adviser. "We are catering to the needs and wants of the students. The Southwest Film Center shows alternative cinema, and we wanted to show mainstream movies for a different audience."
Similar to the dollar movies, the Midweek Movies program will give students the opportunity to watch second-run features at a reasonable price.
Tickets are $1 for students, $2 for staff and $3 for the public.
"We are also selling concessions, and a student can get a large Coke and popcorn for $3," Lindquist said.
UNM freshman Tiffany Romero said she thinks the new program will be a great opportunity for students to enjoy themselves.
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"It is an alternative to going to the movies somewhere else where it costs $8, which is especially good for college students because we don't have a ton of money," she said.
All the profits generated from the movie series will be put back into the program, Lindquist said.
"It is really expensive to put on," he said. "We have to pay for licensing fees. We just can't go rent them (movies)."
UNM resident Niki Tapia said people who spend a lot of time on campus or who don't have transportation should find the program extremely convenient.
"I am sure that commuter students will also appreciate it because it gives them something to do during long breaks between classes," she said.
The movies will be shown in the SUB theater. Seating just over 200 people, the theater features state-of-the-art amenities including a full screen and surround sound.
"It's a great theater," Lindquist said.
He said the center designed the movie show times to cater to the different schedules of the student body.
"We have an early afternoon, a late afternoon and an evening showing of the movie each week," Lindquist said.
The movies will be shown on Tuesdays at 2 p.m., Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 3:30 p.m.
The first film on the agenda is "Matrix Revolutions" and will be shown January 27, 28 and 29. Students can also look forward to "Elf," "Scary Movie 3," "The Cat in the Hat," "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "The Last Samurai" as well as other movies that will appear in the series, which is booked through March, Lindquist said.
"We really hope students take advantage of this," he said, "We want them to be happy with what UNM has to offer."
Tapia, along with many students, is looking forward to the movies to break up long, stressful weeks.
"It is fun, affordable and I think it is going to be a great way to bring students together," she said.
