Multiplex Quality, On-Campus Convenience

There is nothing better than settling back into a comfortable chair during the brief moments when the lights of a theater dim and everyone waits expectantly for the movie to begin.

Except, perhaps, realizing that this contentment was purchased for just $2.

Princeton's University Film Organization, the brainchild of juniors Jon Ewalt and Kareem Abu-Zeid, began its first-ever monthly movie series on the fourth weekend of September with phenomenal turnouts for its four shows. Leading the pack on the successful premiere weekend was "Gladiator," sold out for its showings on both Friday and Saturday nights.

The student-run UFO started planning for this year's movie lineup last October. Abu-Zeid and Ewalt had both arrived on campus with visions of beginning a film organization.

"I went to the Dean of [Student] Life," Abu-Zeid said. "I said, 'I want to start something.' They gave me Jon's name. I think that it has been so much easier to deal with the organizational aspects together," Abu-Zeid added. "Ever since last fall, we've been working to flesh out our idea."

The two club organizers are relieved that the long months of preparation have come to an end and that they are finally able to sit back and let the films roll. Both feel it was good timing that the club premiered in conjunction with Frist's opening. The Frist Theater gives UFO an opportunity to show films in a space that, as the UFO Website says, "may well be the best theater in Mercer County."

With contributions from the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students, the Frist Campus Center, the Trustees' Alcohol Initiative and the USG, Ewalt and Abu-Zeid received the financial backing to bring their organization to life. "It was actually pretty self-gratifying," Ewalt said. "All I wanted to do was watch some of these movies on the big screen. Now I have that opportunity."

UFO hopes to cater to a variety of tastes, and its fall line-up offers an eclectic mix of blockbuster, foreign, independent and mainstream films.

The series' weekend movies tend to be blockbuster films, such as "Gladiator," "The Patriot" — which will show the weekend of Oct. 13 — and "Mission Impossible 2," which is playing this coming weekend.

Wednesday showings, however, give UFO a chance to be creative in selecting films, from nostalgic classics to more modern independent films. Some examples that will air in the midweek slots in October are the independent French film "La Haine," which played yesterday, David Lynch's 1980 film "The Elephant Man" (Oct. 18) and the comedy classic "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life" (Oct. 25).

According to Abu-Zeid, he is spearheading the more artistic genre, while Ewalt is in charge of the blockbuster films. Together, the two are able to bring a much greater range of films to the University audience.

"I see the blockbusters subsidizing what we do on Wednesdays," Ewalt said. "The bigger ticket sales on the weekends provide us with the opportunity to show films [on Wednesdays] that might not have such a large turnout."

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In fact, some of the movies — namely "Gladiator" — have proved so popular that students have had to purchase tickets in advance, Ewalt said, noting that the 9 p.m. showing of "Gladiator" was sold out by 5 p.m. Tickets are available all day on the day of the show at the Frist Ticket Office and Welcome Desk.

According to both of UFO's organizers, they do not expect to cut into the business of the University-owned Garden Cinema on Nassau Street. They have spoken several times with the Garden's manager, Louise Stephens, about the types of movies each will be showing.

The Garden will be leaning more toward independent films, as opposed to the UFO's blockbuster weekend flicks, which should prevent the two venues from overlapping. In addition, most of UFO's movies will be shown months — if not years — after their theatrical releases, a further guarantee that when the Garden, currently under renovation, reopens later this year, the number of movies within walking distance of campus will only increase.

With its convenient location on the third floor of Frist and a very low admission charge, UFO hopes that the film series will be a viable way to add to campus social life.

Abu-Zeid has high aspirations for the future of the organization. "I've gotten several e-mails that complain that the mainstream films can be rented or seen any time. People are asking us to expand our artistic film series," he said. "The problem is that we take a hit on the more eclectic films while our profit comes in from our more mainstream movies. If we can make enough money off of the blockbuster films, we're hoping to be able to branch out."