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Join SoCal Movie Fanatics

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About SoCal Movie Fanatics

Movie lovers across Southern California unite!







Welcome to SOCAL MOVIE FANATICS




fa·nat·ic (fə-nāt'ĭk):
n. A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause.



Are you the type of movie fan who?

  • Gets goosebumps whenever you hear the phrase Coming Soon To A Theatre Near You?
  • Gets to the theater super early to get the best seats in the house
  • Gets upset when you miss the trailers
  • Sits through the end credits and can tell others what a Key Grip is
  • Complains when the theatre's sound quality stinks
  • Gets into intense arguments with your friends about overrated/underrated films, actors & directors
  • Yells at the TV in jubilation or disgust when the Oscar nominees & winners are announced

    If any of those descriptions describes you, then this is definitely the group for you!



  • WHO WE ARE



    SOCAL MOVIE FANATICS is Meetup's #1 film club in Southen California with MORE MEMBERS & MORE GROUP ACTIVITIES than any other film club in the area! Our group is for folks who's love for movies can easily be described by the definition of the word fanatic shown above. Many of us are indeed characterized by our extreme, unreasoning, and often misunderstood enthusiasm for all things CINEMA.

    SCMF was formed in August 2006 and relaunched in its current configuration in Summer 2007. Our group is designed and geared for people who are SERIOUS MOVIE FANS - as well as those who want to become SERIOUS MOVIE FANS. Our goal is to gather together all of the current and aspiring serious movie fans around Los Angeles & the surrounding areas to experience the world of film in a group setting

    Every week we host movie events at theatres across the LA area. We do more that just watch movies together as a group. We also gather at restaurants and coffee joints to discuss the merits of the movies we see - whether it was good or bad, whether we liked or disliked the script, if the actors rocked or stunk up the screen, etc.



    WHO WE AREN'T



    • SOCAL MOVIE FANATICS is not a free movie screening club. We do get invites to some free screenings, but 99% of our events are regular movie outings in which you pay for your own tickets.
    • SCMF members are not film snobs. We don't look down on folks who favor mainstream Hollywood fare over those quirky & thought provoking Indie/Arthouse flicks. In our group, film lovers in both categories can co-exist in perfect harmony!

      In the world of SCMF, AMC & Pacific Theatres and Laemmle & Landmark Arthouses, Ang Lee & Steven Spielberg, Miramax Films & Michael Bay all share equal time on our film schedule! The diversity of our film choices is what sets us apart from the other LA area movie Meetup groups. We are non-discriminate in our taste in film. We see everything from the latest blockbusters, action flicks, screwball comedies, suspense thrillers, romantic comedies and tearjerkers from Hollywood, to arthouse/indie flicks, foreign films, documentaries and classic films as well. A typiclal SCMF weekend of events will find an Arthouse movie event on Friday, a blockbuster action sequel on Saturday, and a thought provoking tearjerker on Sunday afternoon. If it's on the big screen, we'll be there!

    • We are not boasting or exaggerating when we call ourselves movie fanatics! We are extremely busy, fast-paced and hyperactive in comparison to other LA area movie Meetup groups. Every single week you'll catch us buying tix, munching popcorn and livin' it up at the multiplex. Don't believe us? Check out our Event Calendar!

      Our Organizers Team members are constantly on the go, searching IMDB, Yahoo Movies and other film websites for all the upcoming movies and, when we see a hot film, we set up an event for it on our Calendar - sometimes up to 1 month in advance before the release date. As a result, SCMF sends out a plethora of emails to our members with details of new and updated events. We don't intend to be overly intrusive or to crash your Inboxes. We simply want to create a standard of excellence amongst the group as well as the entire LA area Meetup community. That standard includes precise and detailed event information, professional level event organization, and above all else, creating an atmosphere in which all members who attend our events will feel relaxed, at ease and, ultimately, have an awesome time at the movies!


    WHERE ARE OUR EVENTS?






    SCMF hosts movie events at theaters all across Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. We've been to almost every sort of movie theatre under the sun - classic single screen palaces like Grauman's Chinese, The Cinerama Dome, Mann's Village & The Majestic Crest in Westwood; to funky neighborhood theatres such as The Nuart & The Vista; art-house theatres like The Landmark & the Laemmle chain of theatres; state of the art megaplexes such as Arclight Hollywood/Sherman Oaks, the AMC chain of theatres (Century 15, Del Amo 18, Santa Anita 16, Citywalk 19), the Pacific Theatres chain (The Grove, Paseo Colorado, Glendale 18); and we LOVE IMAX theatres such as the AMC Citywalk IMAX Theatre & The Bridge Cinema de Lux IMAX Theatre. We have events for early morning matinees, Friday Opening Night shows, old-fashioned Saturday nights at the movies, midnight shows and retro/classic film screenings. We've even been spotted at a few drive-in theatres, too!

    WHO ARE THE ORGANIZERS TEAM MEMBERS & WHAT DO THEY DO?



    The SoCal Movie Fanatics Organizers Team is headed by Chris Utley who took over as Group Organizer in April 2007. Chris is a RABID & RAVENOUS lifetime movie fanatic who has long had a desire to run his own film club. With a little hard work - and a lot of FRENZIED OBSESSION - Chris has turned this group into Meetup's #1 film club in the Los Angeles area. He believes that our group's success is not just about the films we see, but, rather, the experience had by each and every person who attends our group events. In his (obsessive-compulsive) mind, the SCMF event experience doesn't start when the theatre lights go down and the trailers begin, but, rather, right at the point of event ideas and creation when the Organizers Team Members specifically selects the right theatre to match the specific film we're seeing to create the perfect atmosphere for the folks attending our events.

    Chris has selected Organizers Team Members across the various parts of the LA area. They host events at their local theaters and sometimes venture out into other neighborhoods as well. Because our membership spans across the vast universe that is Southern California, we will host events for the same movie in different parts of town. This will give all of our members a chance to experience the newest and hottest movies at theatres which are closer to their own neighborhoods.


    Listed below are our other Organizers Team Members & the films/areas that they cover:


    • ActNow - Covering events in Long Beach
    • Andrew P - Covering events in Burbank
    • BustAGroove (a.k.a. Maria C.) - Covering events in Pasadena
    • De - Covering events in the South Bay
    • Donna G - Covering events in Hollywood
    • Jennifer - Covering events in the San Fernando Valley
    • Kai - Exclusively covering indie/arthouse/foreign film events in Pasadena
    • Karen - Covering events in Pasadena
    • Lindsie - Covering events in Hollywood
    • Minda - Covering events in Burbank, Glendale & Hollywood
    • Raymond - Covering events in the San Fernando Valley
    • Siani - Covering indie/arthouse film events in West LA.



    We also have several sister groups to serve those who have different tastes in film, have other interests other than film, or simply live too far away to attend our events. Be sure to check 'em out:

    Movie Groups:
  • SCMF ECLECTIC CINEMA - This group features a virtual cornucopia of non-mainstream of movie events including film festivals, cult, foreign, documentary and underground indie films (no Miramax here!), and classic Hollywood cinema.

  • Orange County Movie Meetup - Based out of Orange County; this group sees movies like we do, but their pace is specifically tailored to the sensibilities of OC residents.

    Social Groups:
  • City of Roses Pasadena Social Group (CORPS) - Based out of Pasadena and headed by SCMF Assistant Organizer BustAGroove, this dynamic social group focuses on dining out, going to concerts and just plain old fashioned hanging out.

  • Enteraining Our Senses - Based out of Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley & organized by SCMF memberprplnluv (a.k.a. Lucina), this group focuses on movies, dining out, concerts and the like.

    Several SCMF Organizers are also Organizers/Assistant Organizers with our sister groups and we often co-host events together.

    In addition, we also host monthly New Member Meet & Greet events as a way for our new members to meet our Organizers Team and other group members. Every February, we host our own Oscar Party featuring great food and fantastic prizes! In the future, we plan to expand our events to include movie watching parties & Scene It and other movie related game parties at members homes & birthday celebrations for our members


    HOW WE WORK:


    • You browse through our Calendar to find an event that you wish to attend.
    • You RSVP for that event. You are free to bring as many guests as you'd like. We do not accept "Maybe" as an RSVP choice.
    • You attend the event. You are responsible for purchasing your own movie tickets. You can buy advance tickets for movies either at the theatre box office or online at Fandango or Movie Tickets. Some theaters have an all assigned seating policy. For those venues we either gather at the theatre box office at a designated time to buy tickets as a group or we collect PayPal payments from our members so the event host can buy advance group tickets.

      When you arrive at the theatre, you'll meet the Event Organizer either in front of the theatre or in line as the group waits to be let into the auditorium. If you are running late or cannot find the Organizer when you arrive for the event, please contact them at the phone number listed on their event information. Organizers will be easy to find - they'll be carrying this sign:



      Please arrive at the theatre between 30 minutes to 1 hour before showtime. Most theatres seat audiences 30 minutes before the scheduled showtime. Therefore, we ask that you make every effort to arrive at your events on time. You and your guests must be present when they let us into the theatre in order to sit with the group. Organizers will not save seats inside the theatre for latecomers unless prior arrangements have been made before the event.

      This policy may seem a little rigid, but it's the best way to ensure that our members - as well as our Organizers - enjoy our events. Arriving to our events on time will give you plenty of time to find the Organizer when you arrive at the theatre. Also, you'll get to bond with your fellow SCMF members before the movie starts. Great fellowship amongst our members is just as crucial to the success of our group as our events are. Who knows - maybe you'll meet your new best friend or future husband or wife or boyfriend or girlfriend or soul mate at one of our events!

    • When the event is over, you and your guests are welcome to join us for post-movie discussion at a nearby coffee joint a restaurant. Sometimes we'll get together for coffee/grub before the movie as well.
    • When you get home, give our group some (hopefully positive!) feedback in the Comments section. Meetup automatically sends a Comments/Feedback email to each member who RSVP'd Yes or Maybe for an event. Please do not hesitate to fill out this information - whether you had a good or bad experience with us. We strive to be a good group but there are times when we miss the mark. Your comments & feedback will help us to serve you better in the future.
    • If you like us, tell your friends so they can join us for future events!



      OUR MEMBERSHIP POLICY



      All SCMF members have been assigned a membership level based on a combination of their tenure of membership as well as their participation in group activities and events. For complete details about our Membership Policy, click here.

      Our membership requirements may seem a little strict, but they are necessary to insure that our group is run fairly and smoothly. There is one sure-fire way to insure that your membership complies with our policy:



      ATTEND OUR EVENTS!










      Our Success Depends On YOU!




      SoCal Movie Fanatics is anchored on 3 key principles: Great Flicks - Cool Friends - Good Times. Our Organizers Team will do the best they can to choose great movies for us to see. We will also work hard to create fun and exciting events. But our events mean nothing without you, our faithful and dedicated group members. Your input, involvement and participation is exactly what we need to make this group fun and exciting. So, if you have an idea for a good event, if there's a movie you want the group to see, whatever your thoughts are about this group - let us know. Remember - this group is what you make it.


      For more information about this group, please visit these links:
      SCMF Membership Policy
      SoCal Movie Fanatics - Movie Related Websites


      Thanks for checking us out and we'll see you at the movies!








      SOCAL MOVIE FANATICS
      Great Flicks - Cool Friends - Good Times!




      Winner of Meetup.Com's Amazing About Us Page for the week of March 17, 2008.





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      Special thanks to the various Organizers across the Meetup community for their endless tips on formatting and optimizing our About Us page for your enjoyment!

    • Recently updated pages

      Page title Most recent update Last edited by
      SoCal Movie Fanatics - Membership Policy January 4, 2008 1:05 PM Chris Utley
      SoCal Movie Fanatics - Movie Related Websites December 4, 2007 3:33 PM Chris Utley
      About this Meetup Group July 24, 2008 9:41 PM Chris Utley