Zeiterion Movie Mondays Return With Kidman Ad Parody

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — The Zeiterion is back in the movie business, and has adapted one of cinema’s most recognizable ads to help promote it.

A recent video posted by The Zeiterion is a takeoff of the infamous AMC spots starring Nicole Kidman that air before films shown in the chain’s theaters. Anyone who’s seen a movie at Dartmouth Mall knows the ad.

They were created to help promote theater-going in the days following the COVID-19 pandemic, but they’ve become beloved for their campiness, with moviegoers often reciting the lines as Kidman delivers them, like a movie-theater-commercial version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The Zeiterion: From Vaudeville Stage to Classic Movie House

In that same vein, The Zeiterion video promotes its “Movie Mondays,” in which films are shown on the big screen, harkening back to its days as the State Theatre. In fact, its original name of “Zeiterion” didn’t even last a year; the Zeits Brothers opened the Zeiterion in April 1923 for live vaudeville performances, but by September of that year, it was renamed The State and became a movie house.

What to Expect From The Zeiterion's Movie Mondays

“The Zeiterion celebrates that legacy by bringing beloved titles back to the big screen for a Movie Monday Series, including State Theater legacy films, music, popular hits, and a Bill Murray Movie Marathon,” according to The Zeiterion website. “From timeless classics to cult favorites and musical milestones, these films honor the tradition of shared cinematic joy in a grand single-screen setting.”

Of course, movies have been a frequent feature at The Z for years now, but since the theatre’s $37 million restoration, the upgraded audio and visuals make them even more special.

Ticket Prices and Discounts for The Zeiterion's Movie Mondays

Movie Monday tickets are just $12, and you can bundle five Movie Monday tickets in a single purchase and save $10 using the code MOVIE5. Some of the planned events include a 1955 double feature on April 27, a Star Wars marathon on Star Wars Day (May 4), and the Bill Murray Movie Marathon throughout August.

The Zeiterion's Take on the AMC Nicole Kidman Ad

The Zeiterion video stars Nicole Merusi, Vice President of Strategic Advancement for The Z, who bears more than a passing resemblance to Kidman, in addition to sharing the same first name. The shot-for-shot remake even includes a nod to the now-iconic opening shot of Kidman’s high heels as she steps in a puddle on her way into the theater.

The Zeiterion via Facebook

“We come to this place for magic. We come to the Zeiterion to laugh, to cry, to care,” Merusi begins. “Because we need that, all of us, that indescribable feeling we get when the lights begin to dim, and we go somewhere we've never been before. Dazzling images on a huge silver screen.”

Then Merusi says the line everyone recognizes most from Kidman’s ad: “Somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this.” Special shoutout to the scenes from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial showing on the big screen while she’s delivering the line.

“When stories feel perfect and powerful, because here they are,” she says. “The Zeiterion. Your favorite films are back on the big screen.”

Merusi gave us a little insight into how the video came together.

“The idea came from the brilliant mind of Molly Antone, who manages our social media,” she said. “Molly had the whole concept well laid out and made it super easy to reenact. She had everything planned frame by frame. It was a blast.”

So what did Merusi think about stepping into Nicole Kidman’s “shoes?”

“I certainly don’t pretend to be Nicole Kidman, and her shoes are definitely higher end than mine,” she said. “All in all, it was a fun opportunity!”