Free Movies For Those Who Serve

My brother recently returned from Iraq and one of the things that kept him going while he was over there were the free movies they provided on base. In the middle of Point Base Balad, lies the Sustainer Theatre, surrounded by sandbags and a protective, reinforced roof. Anyone working on base may visit this theatre for free. Concessions are sold for a nominal fee.

When my brother first told me about this perk I imagined the movie screenings they had on the television series M.A.S.H., a bunch of people sitting in a leaky tent, throwing popcorn at each other, while others made out in the back, or slept. But what I learned is that the Sustainer Theatre is actually pretty nice. I had my brother take pictures for me and email them. I know this sounds weird, but I actually like going to movie theatres in foreign countries. Film is universal, but movie theatres are not. I like to compare the differences and see what they offer at the snack bars. Since the Sustainer Theatre is on an American base they offer the usual fare, but the theatre itself was a little different. It had a chandelier; some interesting wall sconces, and my brother even sent me pictures of the uniquely tiled men’s room. It’s really quite fancy in parts.

Another myth that was dispelled for me was the theatre’s choice of films. In M.A.S.H, and other such movies, they showed gross training films and out-dated black and white pictures. But at the Sustainer Theatre they had all the latest releases. I was really quite impressed. On weekdays they would show two films a day at 5:00 and 8:00, and on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays they would show three films. My brother would read my BLOG and use my reviews to help him decide which films to see. It was really fun because even though we were so far apart, we could still bond and stay in touch through film.

Because I was so interested, in addition to the pictures my brother took, he also sent me a schedule for the month of February. The movies rotated throughout the week, alternating between evening performances and matinees. For example there were four opportunities to see Paul Blart: Mall Cop, while The Tale of Despereaux only played twice. I’m not sure if a programmer made these decisions, or the distributors did, but the selections showed me that they were really tuned in to their audience.

In addition to the movies, there were three live concerts held in the month of February. I really want to commend our entertainers for thinking of our men and women overseas. I can tell you it is very stressful over there and these little diversions mean the world to them. I also want to thank the military for allowing their people time for exercise. My brother used his gym and swim time to release the pressures of the day. When you are on the clock 24/7, these outlets are severely needed.

Now that my brother is home safe and sound, I can tell you he really misses those free movies. Now that he has to pay for everything again, he doesn’t get to go as much. The good thing however is that he still reads my BLOG and though we are many miles apart, we can still bond over movies. That’s what I like about film; it’s universal.