15 Moviegoing Questions With Taylor Rowe, Film Marketing @ Sony Pictures
"We need to broker an exhibitor partnership with In-N-Out."
PS. If you’re in LA, I’m hosting a pre-movie drinks & hang with franknews on Thursday. We’ll go to the New Bev to watch My Dinner with Andre afterwards. Join us, details here.
Name: Taylor Rowe
Location: Los Angeles
Occupation: Film Marketing @ Sony Pictures and Co-Founder of YOU SHOULD MEET
Links: Taylor’s Instagram, youshouldmeet.co
1. What’s your favorite day & time to go to the movies?
I usually go to the movies on weekdays at 7pm, but my ideal day & time is Sunday afternoons, anytime between 3-4pm. This way, I can spend the morning and early afternoon outside in the LA sunshine before being in the dark theater, and then still have time for a post-film dinner debrief afterwards (if I haven’t filled up on popcorn!).
2. What’s your favorite movie theater?
My most frequented and probably favorite is AMC Century City. I am an AMC Stubs member, so I tend to stick to AMC because of that. Once you master parking on the level that connects directly to the bridge into the theater, it’s honestly the easiest moviegoing experience in the city. They have IMAX, Dolby, and it’s close to home. It’s basic for a reason.
This is not necessarily a movie theater, but I also really enjoy Cinespia’s selections and programming and have lovely, formative movie memories like seeing Rocky Horror Picture Show and Pretty in Pink at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and Rosemary’s Baby at the Orpheum. I also used to frequent The Nuart a ton in high school and saw Clueless there at least three times over the years. They also did a midnight Miyazaki marathon once, which was super cool.
3. What’s your go-to movie theater snack & drink combo?
Cherry Diet Coke. Popcorn mixed with M&Ms.
4. What’s your dream movie theater snack & drink combo (if noise and sound weren’t an issue)?
I know there are dine-in theaters, but I specifically would like an In-N-Out burger and vanilla milkshake in a theater. No theater can replicate that even with their best chefs at the helm! We need to broker an exhibitor partnership with In-N-Out.
5. First movie you remember seeing in a theater?
I have a vivid memory of seeing Aquamarine in theaters and being completely enthralled. I am still very obsessed with “chick-flicks” in the 90s and early 2000s because I think they captured such a joyful, unabashed sense of femininity. I also still like to call myself a mermaid and often imagine what color my tail might be…
6. Last movie you saw in a theater?
Spider-Man: Brand New Day! Seeing that film after being deeply involved in the process from a marketing perspective from day one was so fulfilling. I specifically waited to see the film with friends on opening weekend instead of in an employee screening room, and I was filled with such overwhelming joy watching everyone in the El Capitan experience our movie for the first time. Somehow, this was actually the first Spider-Man movie I’d ever seen, which continues to make my coworkers gasp, but working alongside the most passionate, fan-first filmmakers and marketers truly gave me so much respect for this IP and how much it means to people around the world. I’m incredibly grateful to have played a small part in bringing that experience to audiences.
7. Is there a movie you wish you could have seen in a theater?
I honestly watch most of the movies I see in theaters these days… I need to be a bit better at going back and watching “the classics” in general. I watched The Holdovers at home between Christmas and New Years the year it came out and while it was still on my dad’s gargantuan 80 inch TV, I wished I had seen it in the theater. Also, Whiplash, I was late to see that film and missed its theatrical run and really wished I could’ve seen it for the first time in theaters. Especially because of how cool the sound design is in that film.
8. Have you ever seen a movie more than once in theaters?
One Battle After Another is the most recent example of a movie I decided to see more than once. My first viewing was alone at the AMC Georgetown in Washington, D.C. during a mid-day showing last August. The movie absolutely blew me away and I immediately wanted to talk to everyone about it, but no one in my immediate circle had seen it quite yet. I immediately started telling friends I’d happily go again with whoever wanted to see it, and saw it a couple of days later back in LA at AMC Century City with my friend Wil. Watching my friends watch movies and experiencing them together is one of the best feelings. Sharing art that I love really feels like my own personal love language. I don’t necessarily consider myself an artist, but I love to curate art for my friends, whether it’s film, TV, music, books, etc., and this was one of those times I felt compelled to share this film from the rooftops! Eventually, everyone, including the Academy, clearly agreed with me :)
9. Do you stay through the credits or leave as soon as the film ends?
I definitely stay through the credits so I can remind myself to Google different actors, producers, or other production heads who worked on a film. I really do try to familiarize myself with people who consistently work in the film industry, both as someone who works in film but also as a fan. And of course, I write my Letterboxd review like every other piece of shit film bro.
10. What’s one thing you would change to make movie theaters better?
I love the charm of an old, stained, psychedelic movie theater carpet. It brings me great nostalgia and comfort. However, I know that many others are partial to feeling like a theater should feel worth their money and time especially when tickets and concessions can be expensive. I do think theaters need to maintain the highest quality customer experience possible in order to get the general public excited about spending their days in the theater.
I also think it’s on the studios to make quality product that people want to see in theaters and marketers to remind people why certain stories deserve to be experienced together on the big screen. It’s a complicated issue, but this summer of moviegoing (with Obsession, Backrooms, Toy Story 5, The Odyssey, and Spider-Man: BND) has made me especially hopeful.
11. Tell me about an especially memorable moviegoing experience that stands out in your mind.
I took two of my friends to see The Substance the month it came out and they had never seen a poster, trailer, or had even heard of it. While I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a huge horror fan, I’ve always enjoyed more psychological horror like Get Out or Silence of the Lambs rather than films with a ton of jump scares. I also have a pretty strong stomach for gore. Let’s just say, my friends did not allow me to pick the next movie we’d watch for a long time after… They were completely and utterly freaked out. Meanwhile, I laughed gleefully at their horror. I love the shock value of seeing a film in theaters with friends and being completely split about how we feel about it. Debating films is the most joyful experience!
12. What’s a movie you’re looking forward to seeing?
In no particular order: Tony, The Sun Never Sets, Primetime, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Focker-in-Law, Club Kid, The Debut…
13. What’s your dream combination of director and lead(s)?
I loved The Invite, and I think Olivia Wilde directing Ayo Edibiri in a dark comedy would be fabulous.
14. If you could live in a movie, which one would it be?
Clueless has always been my favorite and I think it’s because I too am an LA girl who feels that one can be simultaneously fashionable, smart, and entertaining :) Also I wish I grew up in 90s LA all the time.
15. Why do you think people should continue seeing movies at the movie theater?
I grew up in Los Angeles in a family where movies were just part of everyday life. Both of my parents worked in entertainment, my uncles are actors, and movies were our shared language. Some of my favorite memories are leaving a theater and immediately arguing about what a movie meant, whether an ending worked, or if someone gave an Oscar-worthy performance.
That’s one of the reasons I love working in film marketing. I get to spend my days thinking about how to get people excited to leave their houses and experience a story together. I’m so lucky to work at Sony Pictures, a studio that genuinely believes in the theatrical experience.
I honestly think that’s why theaters still matter. They’re one of the last places where hundreds of strangers choose to experience the same thing at the same time, then debate it over dinner afterward. There aren’t many moments of monoculture left, and great movies still have the power to create them.
I also think theaters are one of the few places where anyone can become part of the conversation. I didn’t go to film school (I studied journalism) and for a long time I felt weirdly insecure that movies like Clueless or other films people sometimes dismiss as “guilty pleasures” were some of my favorites. But the older I get, the more I realize that loving movies isn’t about having the most prestigious taste or the deepest film knowledge. It’s about staying curious. Anyone can become a movie person — you just have to keep showing up and seeing films (in theaters!).
Clueless is part of the canon, I don’t care what anyone says.
“But the older I get, the more I realize that loving movies isn’t about having the most prestigious taste or the deepest film knowledge. It’s about staying curious. Anyone can become a movie person — you just have to keep showing up and seeing films.” YES I love this sm!