Cable company takes local guests to the final Frontier by treating them to a free screening of Star Trek Beyond. (See what I did there?)

Last week my family and I got to see a pre-release screening of Star Trek Beyond at Muvico in Thousand Oaks. Frontier Communications brought this special experience to the community as a way of introducing themselves as a leading cable, internet, and phone service provider in our area. I must say, this was way better than a simple postcard in the mailbox!

The Experience

As events go, this screening was run smoothly by friendly professionals. The first things we saw outside the theater were a Frontier truck and a photo op area set up by Frontier for guests to pose for silly pix before they went inside.

There were some funny Star Trek props, and people really got into the spirit!

Inside, friendly and professional staffers checked guests in quickly, and got everyone into their seats with popcorn, drinks, and 3D glasses far ahead of the 7pm showtime. Check-in was easy and quick, and we were given these pretty tickets and some vouchers for snacks.

As a fun bonus, Frontier VP of Marketing Cameron Christian gave a short speech to the waiting audience, and he and his young daughter, “a total Trekkie,” he said to a round of chuckles in the theater, pulled a raffle winner from the pot of tickets that was distributed to guests as they checked in. The winner got a big bag of fun swag including Star Trek merchandise, and branded goodies from Frontier and Epix, a cable movie channel that partnered with the provider for this event.

The Movie

I love watching movies at the theater. Besides the impact of the big screen and the awesome audio, there’s something about seeing a film with a large group of people who are also sitting there hoping that the movie is really good. When everyone applauds at the end of film, you know it was a crowd pleaser. Well, a loud round of applause broke out at the end of Star Trek Beyond, even after we sat for a while waiting for the movie to start.

This was the first Star Trek installment that my kids, who are 9 and 11, got to see on the big screen. They were blown away by the action and suspense, even if the tradition was lost on them. Nostalgia was a big part of the experience for me and my husband, who was amused by the deliberately cheesy touches: really big rocks for Captain Kirk and his crew to climb on and hike through, drab ugly uniforms, groan-worthy humor. I loved that Simon Pegg, who plays Scotty, was one of the screenwriters. I also loved seeing Sulu embrace his male companion and their young child on a space station break, and that the iconic voiceover, played at the end of the film, includes the line “…where no one has gone before” instead of “where no man has gone before.”

But overall, I felt pure moviegoer joy during the scene with the giant tube wave and the blaring, totally awesome use of The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” deployed as a weapon in an epic moment. A new character, alien Jaylah, enjoys “the beats and shouting,” and knew exactly what track to play when it was needed. Enterprise crew actually called it “classical music!” You’ll have to see the film to understand. I hope you do!

Jaylah. This year’s Halloween costume?

Frontier Communications

Frontier Communications acquired Verizon FiOS and provides internet, phone, and TV service in California. Learn more at FrontierSoCal. Personally, I wasn’t familiar with the brand, and I was delighted to meet them in this way! Our whole family had a great time before, during, and after the movie as we chattered about it together during the ride home. (We had to explain to the kids what “Live long and prosper” means.) It’s rare that all four of us enjoy the same entertainment, but Frontier’s screening of Star Trek Beyond was one of those delightful occasions. Now we are looking forward to going back to where it all began with original Star Trek TV series!

Have you seen Star Trek Beyond yet? What did you think?

This post is sponsored by Frontier Communications. All opinions are my own. Jaylah photo from Paramount Pictures.