Skip to main content

Write a short essay to win this movie theater in Maine

After attempting to sell his two-screen, $350,000 theater through a traditional sale, owner of the Temple Theatre, Mike Hurley, has decided to take a more non-traditional approach to passing along the property to a new owner. Utilizing an essay contest, Hurley plans to give away the 400-seat theater to the person that writes the most convincing 250-word essay on why they should own the theater.

Of course, the owner isn’t doing this for free. To submit an essay, anyone interested will also need to pay a $100 entry fee. Hurley is requiring a minimum of 3,500 entries before he will consider selling the theater. That would cover the original $350,000 purchase price and possibly add to the purchase price if additional entries are collected. If 3,500 entries aren’t collected, Hurley plans on returning all the money to everyone that entered.

Recommended Videos

To date, Hurley has collected approximately 200 entries, but that number is likely to grow dramatically as the deadline in mid-January approaches. Hurley is also considering extending the deadline to the end of January to attract more people as news of the giveaway spreads around the country. Interestingly, if Hurely does manage to collect more than 3,500 entries, the winner will also receive $25,000 in cash to help get started with their new movie theater.

Temple-theater-at-night
Image used with permission by copyright holder

According to the details of the theater giveaway, the theater has been converted to digital projection after a November 2014 upgrade of the projection system as well as the sound system. Other recent upgrades in the last renovation include new seats and carpeting as well as a new concession stand. Like many small town theaters, Hurley has kept concession prices more reasonable than large chains. The theater allows a “bring your own popcorn” night during the middle of the week and only charges a couple bucks for a small bag of popcorn the rest of the week.

In addition to the theater on the first floor, the second floor offers over 4,000 square feet of office space as well as a 2,000 square foot apartment for either the new owner or an on-site manager. That apartment could also be rented out. There’s also a third floor in the building that’s being used by a local organization under a condominium agreement.

Regarding the selection process, Hurley and some of the staff members will select 20 favorite essays and submit those to a panel of three judges. That panel will judge the essays based on the quality of writing and choose a grand prize winner. Hurley is serious about choosing a winner based on the skill of the writer and has contacted lawyers as well as the Maine State Police to make sure everything was above board.

Whoever does win the theater will gain the relationships with movie distributors and be able to get first-run movies, like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to show in the small theater. Hurley plans on paying all bills prior to passing the theater onto a new owner, but the winner will be responsible for any property taxes. The winner will have a tight hold on the entertainment market in the area though. Unless local residents drive into Canada, the closest theater in the United States is 42 miles away.

Mike Flacy
By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…
5 great Oscar-winning movies to stream on Amazon Prime Video
A man and boy walk up a hill in suits.

The premier awards show for movies remains the Oscars. The year 2025 marks the 97th edition of the Academy Awards. That's nearly 100 years of award-winning movies to watch, debate, and discuss. With the rise of streaming, many of these Oscar winners are now on streaming services.

For example, Oppenheimer is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Christopher Nolan's magnum opus still holds up nearly two years after its theatrical release. Even without an IMAX theater, the Trinity Test scene will still be jaw-dropping on your television. Besides Oppenheimer, what other Oscar-winning movies are on Prime Video? Browse our selections below.

Read more
The best Netflix original movies right now
The cast of Delicious.

Whenever Netflix heavily invests in an original movie like The Electric State -- which reportedly had a $320 million budget -- we'd like to be able to say that it was one of Netflix's best efforts. But it's not, and it doesn't belong on the best Netflix original movies right now.
Truthfully, our top pick for the month, Delicious, probably wouldn't have made it either if there were better alternatives. It's a thriller that's good enough, and it has a potentially star-making turn by Carla Díaz. Our other pick for the month is the documentary The Twister: Caught in the Storm. Between the two films, we suspect it will be the latter that stays with you.
You can find these films and the rest of the best Netflix original movies below.

If you don't find what you're looking for here, try our other lists of the best movies to stream this week, the best Netflix movies, the best Hulu original series, and the best Amazon Prime original movies.

Read more
The best horror movies on Hulu right now
A man and a woman kneel before a seated girl in Late Night with the Devil.

If you're a horror fan, you're usually in luck. There's almost always one major movie in movie theaters, and television offers more than its fair share of choices. Streaming is no different, and Hulu might be the best option. Indeed, the best horror movies on Hulu are the perfect option for all those looking to indulge in their love for the acclaimed and ever-present genre, be it hardcore fanatics or more casual viewers. The streamer is the perfect destination for all those horror aficionados, thanks to its extensive library of scary movies, both original and acquired content, ranging from well-known hits to underappreciated gems just waiting to be discovered.
Whether you're looking for a classic horror story full of ghosts, witches, and monsters or are into more elevated and psychologically scarring tales of pain and trauma, Hulu is there with its extensive and well-curated library of original and acquired offerings. Unlike other streamers with more limited catalogs, Hulu's horror collection is full of recognizable and iconic titles, and underrated original efforts. To help, we have gone through Hulu's mighty collection of scary movies and selected the best ones to keep you up at night. Here’s our roundup of the best horror movies on Hulu you can stream right now.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new movies to stream this week, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.

Late Night with the Devil (2024)

Read more