AT LEAST THE POPCORN IS FREE
Inside the Movie Theater Chain for the Rich and Famous
In general, the movie-watching experience at home is pretty good; there is a huge library of content available, from iTunes and Netflix, to cable TV and DVDs. There are also really big TVs, impressive sound systems, and comfortable seating on the market. And while this experience doesn’t quite replicate that of a movie theater, there are other advantages: The bathrooms are clean, the snacks are healthier, the floors aren’t sticky, and the only cell phones ringing are your own. The dream of the perfect in-home movie experience is missing one key ingredient, though: Today’s latest hits aren’t immediately available. Most movies aren’t released for home viewing until weeks if not months after they hit theaters. Unless you’re rich and connected, of course.
Back in the 1920s, some of Hollywood’s elite figured that there had to be a better way—so they made one for themselves. It started informally when a handful of movie moguls headlined by producer Louis B. Mayer (of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer fame) got together and formed a club of sorts. Each member built a small movie theater in his or her own home—screens, a projector, etc.—most likely to view older movies whenever they wanted to anyway. But having an in-home theater proved more valuable than they originally thought. This small cadre of movie moguls now had access to new releases from each other’s studios, and through their informal arrangement, could review these films in the privacy of their homes.
Over time, their clique grew; if you knew someone, you, too, could join what was dubbed the “Bel Air Circuit.” You would need to have enough money to build your own studio, hire a projectionist, etc., but really, it came down to connections—one couldn’t just buy her or his way in. As the decades ticked by, the Circuit became more and more formal. In late 2017, HuffPost described the privileges of membership: “Wanna catch up on Academy Award-nominated movies…? Hollywood insiders historically can get the movies on DVD even if they aren’t out on home video. Now, with a Bel Air Circuit screening room, these insiders get the movie the way the director intended it for their consideration right in your home.”
In recent years, Hollywood—in search of new income streams—has found ways to give people who aren’t part of the Bel Air Circuit access to a similar experience; all you need is a big enough checking account. In 2010, The Wrap reported that if you knew the right people, you could buy your way in through a rumored initiation fee of $100,000 up front and then $4,000 a month—plus the cost of creating a home movie theater worthy of inclusion in the club. And in 2015, The Verge reported on a company that provided Circuit-like access at a reduced rate; $35,000 up front would get you a device that let you rent out movies the day they come out in theaters, plus an additional $500 per movie.
But don’t expect this service to be available at a cheaper price anytime soon: Hollywood is still very protective of the box office revenue. The security around the $35,000 device shows just how serious they are. According to The Verge, “only authorized users can rent a movie, which requires that they swipe their thumbprint across the futuristic, angular security terminal…the box is also equipped with accelerometers and will stop working if it’s moved.” And if you get around that? “An invisible watermark on every movie identifies which box is in use. That way…an owner can be identified.”