If you happen to know someone who lives in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, give them a call and let them know they just won a free Amazon Prime membership. Oh, and a three-pack of popcorn, although that's the less thrilling part of this surprising gift.
Why are the roughly 6,000 residents of the town getting a free year of Prime? It's all thanks to writer-director Kenneth Lonergan's hit movie, Manchester By The Sea, an Amazon Original production that kept the town in the news throughout Oscar season.
The movie, which starred Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams, earned a best actor Oscar statue for Affleck and best original screenplay victory for Lonergan. Those Oscars were the first for Amazon Studios, Amazon's film and TV production division. The movie's success established Amazon as a strong competitor to Netflix, its main streaming rival in the original-film business. (Hulu, however, might not be far behind given the massive success of The Handmaid's Tale.)
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This Friday, May 5, Manchester By The Sea finally arrives on Amazon Prime for members to stream. In celebration, all town residents will receive a box with their free one-year membership and the aforementioned popcorn (cleverly named "Wickedly Prime").
"We wanted customers in the town to enjoy popcorn and a movie on us,” said Greg Hart, Vice President of Amazon Video, worldwide, in a statement about the release. Although, if you've already seen Manchester By The Sea, you know that "enjoy" may not quite exemplify what it's like to watch the heart-wrenching film.
These freebies are wicked cool nonetheless. It's time to start campaigning for a new show or movie named after your town. Who knows? You could get a free Amazon or Netflix membership out of it.