Oregon Movie Theater’s Cheeky Marketing of “Melania” Documentary Gets Shut Down by Amazon
A Small-Town Theater’s Bold Marketing Strategy
When the documentary “Melania” arrived in theaters, most movie houses treated it like any other release. But the Broadway Metro, a beloved independent cinema in Eugene, Oregon, decided to take a different approach. Theater manager Jordan Perry and his team crafted marquee messages that were tongue-in-cheek, thought-provoking, and admittedly cheeky. One sign playfully asked, “Does Melania wear Prada? Find out Friday,” while another took a more philosophical angle, referencing the ancient military strategist Sun Tzu: “To defeat your enemy, you must know them. ‘Melania’ starts Friday.” These weren’t your typical movie advertisements—they were conversation starters that reflected the theater’s quirky personality and Perry’s own sense of humor about the controversial subject matter.
For Perry, the decision to screen the documentary wasn’t necessarily about making a political statement or even expecting huge crowds. As he candidly explained in a blog post on the theater’s website, his reasoning was refreshingly simple: “Mostly, I thought doing so would be funny. For some of you, that’s enough. Great!” This honest, slightly irreverent approach is characteristic of independent theaters that have the freedom to inject personality into their programming choices. Unlike corporate multiplexes that follow strict guidelines and sanitized marketing approaches, small independent cinemas like the Broadway Metro have traditionally enjoyed the liberty to engage with their communities in more creative, sometimes provocative ways. Perry’s marketing gambit was clearly meant to acknowledge the elephant in the room—that a documentary about a polarizing political figure was bound to generate strong reactions—while maintaining a sense of levity that independent theaters are known for.
Amazon’s Swift Response and the Theater’s Punishment
However, Amazon MGM Studios, the film’s distributor, didn’t share Perry’s sense of humor. According to reports from The Hollywood Reporter and subsequent social media posts from the theater, executives at Amazon were distinctly unhappy with how the Broadway Metro had chosen to market their documentary. The response was swift and uncompromising: the theater was informed that Sunday would be the final day they could screen “Melania.” In what amounted to a corporate rebuke, Amazon pulled the film from the independent theater entirely. When Perry spoke with the Oregonian about the situation, he confirmed that Amazon “was not happy and/or did not appreciate my take on marketing their film to our own public.”
The theater’s Instagram post about the incident carried a tone of bemused resignation mixed with defiance. While acknowledging that “the higher ups (i.e., at Amazon) were upset with how the marquee marketed their movie,” the post also jokingly expressed concern that employees’ Amazon Prime accounts might get canceled as a result of the controversy. This tongue-in-cheek response demonstrated that even when facing consequences from one of the world’s largest corporations, the small Oregon theater wasn’t about to lose its sense of humor or apologize for its approach. The incident highlighted a growing tension in the film distribution landscape: the clash between corporate control over messaging and the traditional independence that local theaters have enjoyed in how they present films to their communities.
The Marquee Strikes Back: Theater Responds with More Snark
If Amazon thought shutting down the screenings would silence the Broadway Metro, they miscalculated. The theater responded to being punished by doing what it does best—using its marquee to tell the story with even more sass. After “Melania” was pulled from their schedule, the theater posted two new messages that both informed patrons about what happened and took not-so-subtle jabs at the corporate giant behind the decision. One marquee read: “Amazon called. Our marquee made them mad. All Melania showings canceled. Show your support at Whole Foods instead”—a reference to Amazon’s ownership of the grocery chain. The other quipped: “Join Amazon Prime for Free 2-Day Shipping,” sarcastically suggesting that if audiences wanted to engage with Amazon products, they might have better luck with online shopping than with seeing films at independent theaters.
These follow-up messages were reported widely and actually generated far more attention than the documentary itself likely would have received at a single small theater in Oregon. The story resonated with people who are increasingly concerned about corporate consolidation in the entertainment industry and the diminishing space for independent voices. Social media lit up with commentary, much of it supporting the theater’s right to market films as it saw fit and criticizing Amazon for what many perceived as heavy-handed corporate censorship. What started as a local movie screening became a flashpoint in larger conversations about artistic freedom, corporate power, and whether distributors should dictate not just what films are shown but exactly how they can be discussed and promoted.
The Bigger Picture: Independent Theaters vs. Corporate Control
This incident touches on fundamental questions about the relationship between film distributors and the theaters that show their products. Traditionally, while distributors provide marketing materials and guidelines, individual theaters—especially independent ones—have had considerable autonomy in how they promote films to their specific audiences. A theater in a college town might emphasize different aspects of a film than one in a retirement community, and local context has always played a role in movie marketing at the grassroots level. The Broadway Metro’s approach to marketing “Melania” was certainly unconventional, but it wasn’t unprecedented for a theater known for its distinctive voice and connection to its community.
Amazon’s reaction, however, reflects a different philosophy—one where brand control and message consistency override local discretion. In an era where a handful of massive corporations control an ever-larger share of film distribution, incidents like this raise concerns about homogenization and the loss of the quirky, individualistic character that has long defined independent cinema culture. When a distributor can unilaterally pull a film from a theater not because of poor attendance or contract violations, but simply because they don’t like the theater’s marketing tone, it sets a precedent that could chill creative approaches to film promotion across the independent theater landscape. HuffPost reached out to Amazon for comment on the situation, but the company did not immediately respond, leaving many to wonder whether this was an isolated incident or a sign of increasingly strict corporate oversight.
What This Means for Moviegoers and Film Culture
For movie lovers, especially those who value the experience of independent cinemas, this story represents more than just a dispute over a single documentary. Independent theaters like the Broadway Metro serve as cultural anchors in their communities, offering not just movies but curated experiences that reflect local tastes and values. These venues often take chances on films that corporate multiplexes won’t touch, provide platforms for discussions and special events, and maintain the kind of personality that makes moviegoing feel like more than just a commercial transaction. When these theaters face consequences for exercising creative freedom in how they engage their audiences, it threatens the very qualities that make them special.
The irony isn’t lost on observers that a documentary about a controversial public figure—a film that presumably examines questions of image, power, and public perception—became the center of a controversy about who controls the narrative and how much freedom exists to question or comment on that narrative. Perry’s marketing approach, whether you found it clever or inappropriate, at least acknowledged that “Melania” was not a neutral topic and that audiences might approach it with a range of perspectives. By contrast, Amazon’s response suggested a preference for sanitized, corporate-approved messaging that doesn’t make waves or invite uncomfortable questions. As streaming services and tech giants increasingly dominate film distribution, incidents like this one in Eugene, Oregon, serve as reminders of what might be lost when local voices and independent spirits are squeezed out of the conversation. The Broadway Metro may have lost the chance to screen “Melania,” but in standing its ground with humor and transparency, it sparked a conversation about values that extend far beyond any single film—a conversation about who gets to tell stories, how those stories can be discussed, and whether there’s still room for personality and perspective in an increasingly corporatized entertainment landscape.
