A theater in Oregon claimed Amazon asked it to stop screening the film “Melania” after the theater joked about the movie on its marquee while promoting the release. The Lake Theater & Café in Lake Oswego, Oregon, advertised the film using lines referencing the first lady.
First reported by The Oregonian, the marquee included references such as, “To defeat your enemy, you must know them. Melania starts Friday,” a quote attributed to Sun Tzu, author of “The Art of War.” Another line read, “Does Melania wear Prada? Find out Friday.”
The theater later took to Instagram to announce that someone from Amazon had contacted them, saying the studio was unhappy with the marketing and wanted the film pulled from the cinema.
“Got a call that the higher ups (i.e., at Amazon) were upset with how our marquee marketed their movie (i.e., Melania), that, per them, Sunday would be its last day here,” the theater wrote on Instagram Monday.
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After the film was pulled at Amazon’s request, the theater shifted its marquee to comment on the situation, writing: “Amazon called, our marquee made them mad. All Melania shows canceled. Show your support at Whole Foods instead :(“
Another marquee added: “Join Amazon Prime for free 2-day shipping.”
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The theater said it was flooded with emails and voicemails from both supporters of the film and those opposed to it being shown. They also received pushback from viewers who felt the marquee was mocking the first lady.
Writing online, the theater said people were “wondering why the hell we had Melania here, or disdaining our disparaging of her.”
The theater also noted that after news of the film booking became public, its online reviews suffered, though many were eventually taken down by Google.
One review remained visible as of Wednesday: “Loved this theater until now. Deeply disappointed the business is supporting an administration that kills innocent Americans in the street. I will never be a patron again.”
Theater owner Jordan Perry released a statement on the theater’s website explaining his decision to show the film.
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“I do not view our film programming as political. I try to choose films for the community that they want to see,” Perry said, noting the theater serves a diverse audience.
He said he thought showing the film would be “funny” and described the current film marketplace as a “desert” for new releases. While acknowledging that many of the theater’s patrons are liberal, Perry said the goal was to remain inclusive.
The “Melania” film followed the first lady in the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. Amazon has not released a public statement confirming the screening rights were revoked.
Amazon MGM Studios and the Lake Theater & Café did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
