Camping in line at movies a fine art

Alex Billington and Mark Rantal live in a swanky bachelor pad with all the trimmings: projection TV, imitation leather couch, stereo system and a bottomless bag of popcorn.

You know what they say about real estate? Location, location, location. Well, Billington and Rantal’s digs are set up right outside the front doors of the Cinemark Carefree Circle theater off Powers Boulevard.

Their temporary abode is the front of the line for “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” which opens at 8 p.m. today.

“It’s always about getting the best seat in the house,” Billington said.

Camping out at the theater is becoming popular — Wednesday, a string of tents and sleeping bags stretched behind Billington’s walled-off compound — but these guys have taken things to another level.

The two, both 21, started camping out back in high school — each competing to get to the theater the earliest and be first in line.

“That was still one of the greatest victories of my life, to see Alex show up with that dejected look on his face,” Rantal said of one early triumph. “From there, it was like, ‘How do you one-up yourself?’”

Last year, Billington started a Web site, firstshowing.net, initially to document the campouts. The Web site quickly turned into a full-fledged entertainment site, with movie reviews, interviews and discussions, and last fall, Billington dropped out of Carnegie Mellon University to run it full time. It now attracts 750,000 visitors a month.

“Everyone always says, ‘Do a job you’re happy with,’” Billington said. “Well, I loved movies, and I wanted to turn it into a job.”

Rantal, a graphic designer, doesn’t get to watch movies for a living, but the two are trying to turn their first-in-line escapades into a guerrilla marketing business. They arrive at the theater early — five days early, in the case of the latest “Pirates” sequel — then hand out posters and stage costume competitions as the line and the excitement build toward opening night.

“Why do (movie studios) host premieres?” Billington said. “It’s an extravagant event. We’re trying to bring that premiere-like showing to your local theater.”

They kicked off what they call the “First Showing Experience” last year, but the “Spider-Man 3” opening last month was their first attempt to move out of a tent into something a little more plush. For that film, they built plywood walls, brought in a couch and a TV and set up shop for the week. This time, they’ve painted the walls, laid down carpet and added screens to keep out the rain.

Other campers and theatergoers are welcome to stop in to watch a movie or play a video game. And not only does Cinemark not charge the pair rent, the theater gives them all the free popcorn they can eat.

Next door, Tyler Hoerner, Eric Winters and Johnny Pennington set up a tent Wednesday morning. There’s no couch, but they did bring a TV, space heater and video game system.

“I just really want to get great seats,” Hoerner said.

“We tried to get here before those guys,” Winters said, pointing at Billington and Rantal’s set-up, “but they camped out on Sunday.”

As nice as Billington and Rantal’s place is now, just wait until June 27 — when “Live Free or Die Hard,” “Transformers” and “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” open in consecutive weeks. Billington and Rantal are considering moving in for an entire month.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0275 or awineke@gazette.com

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Today: “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”

June 8: “Ocean’s Thirteen”

June 15: “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”

June 22: “Evan Almighty”

July 4: “Transformers”

July 13: “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”

July 27: “The Simpsons Movie”