As the semester starts and calendars fill up with festivities, one weekly event students could consider attending are the weekly Midweek Movies hosted by the Student Activities Center on Wednesdays at the Student Union Building.
Midweek Movies feature anticipated newer releases and beloved older films alike. A few films fresh out of theaters that will be screened this semester include Emma Tammi’s “Five Nights at Freddy’s” on Jan. 24, Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” on Jan. 31 and Nia DaCosta’s “The Marvels” on Feb. 21.
The screenings include refreshments free of charge. Student Activities Specialist Megann Roszak – who organizes Midweek Movies under the SAC – recommends getting there early to get popcorn and looks forward to welcoming students back for screenings.
“The purpose of midweek movies is to bring friends and family together to participate in a free event on campus, and to enrich the students' experience outside of academia,” Roszak said.
This semester, visitors should expect a slightly different process for screenings, following the implementation of a sign-in page through a QR code, Roszak said.
Selling out several showings last semester, Midweek Movies have been popular with the student body, Roszak said.
“We mainly show recently released films. That could be why we had such a successful fall semester … All the films have been pretty popular, even when I thought they might not be,” Roszak said.
Alongside Midweek Movies, the SUB houses the Southwest Film Center, which typically shows arthouse and independent films on Fridays or Saturdays. Past selections have included Ethan and Joel Coen’s “No Country for Old Men” and George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road.” These screenings are separate from the Midweek Movies, however, they are still free for anyone to attend.
Last fall, an interactive “Rocky Horror Picture Show” was put on by SWFC. While they do not have any plans for future interactive screenings, Roszak said they are always welcome to feedback and encourage students to reach out on Instagram, @midweekmovies, or via email with improvements or ideas.
“‘Bottoms’ was a student-recommended film. This spring, ‘Wish’ and ‘The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ were also recommended via Instagram by students,” Roszak said.
Films that are relatable and interesting to students are prioritized for Midweek Movie screenings, Roszak said.
“I typically look for the newer movies that have just been released from theaters. I also do research on how the films did while in the theater by looking at ratings such as Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB,” Roszak said.
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Midweek Movies can provide an opportunity for students to catch up on cinematic releases without having to travel far off of campus, or overspend at a large theater.
Sadie Hopkins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com
