Tampa Film Fan

i love sunrise cinemas

I got home tonight around 1 a.m., bleary-eyed and exhausted. Was I out partying in Ybor, perhaps? Building my Gasparilla float? Solving unsolved mysteries? Nope, nope and nope. I did something I haven’t done in a long time. I went to a late night movie! No laughing — 9:55 p.m. is pretty late for me these days. I saw Match Point, which was excellent (more on that tomorrow).

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Sunrise Cinemas in Old Hyde Park Village, although I pass by there twice a day on my way to and from work and sometimes almost have a wreck while trying to read the movie posters. I’m so glad that Sunrise swooped in to save the day when Madstone Theaters closed up shop two years ago.

Why do I love Sunrise Cinemas? Let me count the ways. Sunrise is hosting the Tampa International Film Festival again this year (that’s February 3-11, by the way). They also are having several of the Jewish Film Festival’s screenings (February 16 and 18, if I’m not mistaken). They are hosting several of the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival’s monthly film screenings (like tomorrow night’s screening — and Florida premiere — of Hard Pill at 7:30 p.m.).

Sunrise hosts the monthly Cafe Cinematheque International series, hosted by Sarasota Herald Tribune film critic George Meyer. They are bringing back Capote, which I missed the first time around. They have a weekly e-newsletter, which is a welcome sight in my in-box every Friday morning. (Note to any of my coworkers who are reading this: I made that last part up. I don’t get any personal, non-work-related emails at work, ever.)

And last, but not least: Sunrise now has a Loyalty Card so you can earn points towards free tickets and concession items. I’ve discovered that the Loyalty Card works best when you actually remember to give it to the cashier to swipe, instead of remembering during the movie previews and saying “Crap!” and disturbing others next to you.

Go see a movie at Sunrise Cinemas soon. Tell ‘em I sent you. Actually, that won’t get you anything but an odd look from the box office cashier, but do it anyway, just for fun. And don’t forget to use your Loyalty Card.