It's not Hollywood's latest blockbuster, but it can draw a theatre full of cheering fans on a good night.
The event is pay-per-view hockey, and movie theatres are showing 91原创 Canucks games on the big screens.
With hockey season in full swing, it's game on about every other week at Nanaimo's Avalon Cinema in Woodgrove Centre.
"The large majority of games start at seven, so we'll cancel a 7 p.m. movie showing that's been playing for a while," says Brian Schweighardt, a manager at Avalon who runs the hockey screenings.
Avalon is the only theatre in Nanaimo showing hockey games.
Movie-theatre hockey doesn't always play to a packed house, but the patrons may be more diverse than your average pay-per-view crowd at the local pub.
A Canucks vs. Red Wings contest on a recent rainy evening drew about a dozen people of all ages, ranging from pay-per-view devotees to those who've never seen a hockey game. Some friends who were all in the same Grade 6 class were in attendance. One of the friends, Jonathon Edwards, 10, has also been to quite a few pay-per-view games, and notes a problem with sitting near the big screen,
"When you're looking at the play, you can't see the scoreboard because it's too far away."
Another friend, Stephanie McKibben, 11, is watching her first hockey game.
Asked if she might return to pay-per-view nights, she says, "Probably not, unless I get asked again."
Sitting towards the middle of the theatre is Terry Gonsalves, a frequent customer. For him, the big screen and affordable pricing are enough to draw him to most games at the theatre.
"It's like watching a movie -- it's got your attention all the time." He also notes, "It costs less than ordering it."
The Avalon has been showing Canucks games since the 2003-04 NHL season. Schweighardt says interest was quite high the first year, and dipped slightly after the NHL player's lockout during the 2004-05 season.
While the Avalon's big screen has its advantages, the picture looks j a little blurry, so Schweighardt has had to compromise.
"Sometimes I adjust the screen to make it smaller and clearer, but then people complain it's too small," he explains.
The recent game we attended saw the Canucks edge the Red Wings 4-3 in overtime, in Detroit. It was a sweet turn of events for the handful of fans at the Avalon, who sat in silence for much of the game as
91原创 trailed. It's also a bit of extra hockey for their $8.95 ticket price.
IF YOU GO
The next Canucks pay-per-view game is Tuesday, Dec. 19, at the Minnesota Wild at the Avalon Cinemas at Woodgrove Centre.