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Free popcorn at Park West 14 movie theater this weekend

Submitted by AmyDunn on 02/01/2013 - 07:59

The new Park West 14 movie theater in Morrisville is offering free popcorn to all movie goers again this weekend.

All you have to do is stop by the concession stand to request your free bag of popcorn.

The freebie is good today, Feb. 1, through Sunday, Feb. 3.

The theater, which has 14 screens and opened last weekend, is located at the corner of Highway 54 and Cary Parkway.

1359720351 Free popcorn at Park West 14 movie theater this weekend The News and Observer Copyright 2011 The News and Observer . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Galaxy Cinema is closing its doors after eight years

Submitted by virginiabridges on 11/12/2012 - 16:10

Tags: Shop Talk | cinema | movies | small business | theaters

Cary’s Galaxy Cinema is closing its doors after eight years of bringing foreign, documentary, independent and Bollywood films to the Triangle.

Employees had known since June about York Properties’ plans to redevelop the site, but didn’t know when the hammer would fall. On Wednesday, they found out they had less than a week before their last day. Current and former employees planned to get together at the theater Sunday night to mark the occasion.

The owners of the business are looking into places to re-open, but nothing is concrete.

Read the full story here.

1352751569 Galaxy Cinema is closing its doors after eight years The News and Observer Copyright 2011 The News and Observer . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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New Blockbuster Express code: $1 off 2 rentals

Submitted by AmyDunn on 08/23/2012 - 09:07

If you have movie-watching on your agenda for the upcoming weekend, why not save a little money?

Blockbuster Express is offering a new discount code when you rent two movies from one of its kiosks.

$1 will be discounted when you rent the second movie.

1345727924 New Blockbuster Express code: $1 off 2 rentals The News and Observer Copyright 2011 The News and Observer . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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FREE movies at N.C. State campus theater

Submitted by AmyDunn on 07/26/2012 - 15:24

If you're looking for cheap entertainment, how does a free movie sound?

N.C. State's Campus Cinema, located in the Witherspoon Student Center, shows free and extraordinarily cheap movies on a regular basis.

And you don't have to be a student or faculty member to take advantage of the freebies.

Right now, the theater has several free showings of "The Hunger Games" scheduled:

1343332739 FREE movies at N.C. State campus theater The News and Observer Copyright 2011 The News and Observer . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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It wasn't Choo-Choo

Submitted by tleonard on 06/05/2012 - 11:44

Tags: Past Times | football | movies | UNC

Sportswriter Frank Deford recently wrote of the trouble he had with a fictional character being a little too true to life -- or at least that's what UNC fans thought. In the early 1980s, he published the novel Everybody's All-American, about a washed-up former college football star. Deford explained that the character was drawn from many athletes in many sports, but because the story was set in Chapel Hill, readers insisted he must have based his character on UNC's All-American Charlie Choo-Choo Justice. They were not dissuaded by Deford's arguments that he had never met Justice and knew nothing about him. (Similarly, Justice insisted that he had never read the book, but that it was not based on him.)

In 1982, Deford was interviewed by N&O sports writer Bruce Phillips about the book and the assumed connection to Choo-Choo Justice.

Some people think the story is based on the exploits of Charlie (Choo Choo) Justice, a real Tar Heel legend, but Deford said it is not so.

"I have never met Justice and I'm surprised that anybody would identify my character with him," Deford said..."Besides, my hero comes to a tragic end and I understand Justice is doing well in life and business...

Deford said the idea for Everybody's All-American, to which movie rights have been sold to Warner Brothers, germinated through a long career covering sports and observing what happens to heroes going through the process of growing old and losing the limelight and the applause.

"The book is a composite of many, many athletes I've known," he said. "And about the lives of those around them. Then I threw in my characters and spread them from around the state, Raleigh, Charlotte, Wilson, High Point, etc. It was like putting a political ticket together.

"If the book doesn't do well in North Carolina, then I'm in big trouble." -- The News & Observer 8/17/1982

Well, when it came time to make the movie, Deford did find himself in big trouble. The university refused to allow filming on campus because officials thought it would be too disruptive to the academic schedule.

(Rollie Tillman Jr., vice chancellor for university relations) denied that the project had been turned down because of concern for the university's image. Racial elements are contained in the script, which begins in the 1950s, when the university was segregated. ...

Did Deford model the title character after UNC's gridiron legend, Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice? Was UNC concerned that the treatment of the player's life might reflect unfavorably on the university?

"The answer is no," Tillman said. "That wasn't addressed." -- The News & Observer 12/6/1983

At the time, the state was in stiff competition with South Carolina to break into the film industry, and both were being considered for the location of the Dino De Laurentis studio, which was eventually built in Wilmington. The NC Film Commission warned that UNC could jeopardize the state's chances of landing the film, which intended to shoot in about 60 locations across the state.

Indeed, the film's producer started looking elsewhere.

"The minute we heard UNC refused to reconsider...we sent our people into South Carolina."

The film was eventually made in Louisiana, and immediately Deford was accused of basing his hero on LSU's All-American Billy Cannon -- another player he had never met.

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Check out N&O ZONE for freebies and discounts

Submitted by AmyDunn on 03/19/2012 - 09:30

If you subscribe to The News & Observer and you haven't discovered the N&O ZONE, you've been missing out on some great opportunities for freebies and discounts.

The program rewards home-delivery subscribers with all types of perks -- everything from drawings for free gift cards to movie passes and concert tickets.

This week, the ZONE is giving away free passes to the highly anticipated movie, "The Hunger Games." Twenty-five folks will receive one "Admit-Two" pass. The pass is good for Monday through Thursday showings at Mission Valley Cinemas or Six Forks Station Cinemas. Winners will be chosen at random on Friday, March 23.

1332163864 Check out N&O ZONE for freebies and discounts The News and Observer Copyright 2011 The News and Observer . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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More free movie codes from Blockbuster Express

Submitted by AmyDunn on 08/01/2011 - 06:00

The free movie codes from Blockbuster Express just seem to keep coming this summer. Enjoy them while they last because at some point, they're bound to dry up.

This time, there are six, which are good through Aug. 5 on one-night $1 DVD rentals:

46SVEM9
38BRAB5
38TGAF7
23BCRD3
75JGMM3
78HLG5

Thanks to the folks over at the Fat Wallet forums for posting these.

(Our family has had good luck using these freebie codes in the past but we always take all of them with us just in case one doesn't work.)

1312192885 More free movie codes from Blockbuster Express The News and Observer Copyright 2011 The News and Observer . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Reminder: Today's the last day to enter giveaway for Regal movie gift cards

Submitted by AmyDunn on 07/29/2011 - 11:30

You've got until midnight tonight to enter the Centsible Saver giveaway for two $10 gift cards to Regal movie theaters.

I'll be choosing two winners Saturday through random drawing.

Click here to go to the original post to enter the giveaway. Don't make the mistake of commenting on this post because you won't be entered to win.

By the way, I've been reading through the comments on how you save money on the movies and will be compiling a list of all your tips for a future post. You folks are impressively frugal when it comes to movie-going.

1311953963 Reminder: Today's the last day to enter giveaway for Regal movie gift cards The News and Observer Copyright 2011 The News and Observer . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Giveaway: Gift cards to Regal Theaters

Submitted by AmyDunn on 07/25/2011 - 11:12

OK, folks. How does a free gift card to Regal Theaters sound to you?

I'm giving away two $10 gift cards here on Centsible Saver this week.

All you have to do is leave a comment. I'd love to hear how you save money when you go to the movies, but any comment will put you in the running for a gift card.

The drawing will be random and I'll announce the winners on Saturday.

1311607335 Giveaway: Gift cards to Regal Theaters The News and Observer Copyright 2011 The News and Observer . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.