The Roxy Theater in Missoula cancelled a showing of a forthcoming documentary critical of Mayor John Engen’s 14-year administration titled Engen’s Missoula citing “overbooking.”
Three days after signing a contract with the producer at the beginning of December, The Roxy Theater rental coordinator Christina Tripp notified the producer of the alleged overbooking, refunded the deposit, and did not offer additional dates for showing.
Engen’s Missoula Producer Travis Mateer, who also publishes Zoom Chron Blog (formerly Reptile Dysfunction), said in a post this weekend that when he spoke to Tripp regarding the cancellation of the showing, the theatre also took exception to Mateer “promoting” the showing using invitations he had created for the event.
“In hindsight, I probably should not have paid the extra $50 bucks to put ENGEN’S MISSOULA on the marquis for the day,” Mateer said. “That might have tipped-off the establishment of my plans.”
Mateer said he is working on finding another venue to show the documentary and is also exploring all avenues with regard to The Roxy Theater’s decision to cancel his showing.
Last month, Mateer released a trailer for the documentary featuring Ward 4 City Council member Jesse Ramos explaining how a tax scheme called “tax increment financing” skims off the top of property tax-payers yearly tax bill and redirects funds to the Missoula Redevelopment Agency, an unelected body appointed by Mayor Engen.
Watch the trailer:
Truth Social????????????? <sigh> From whence did ye arrive in 2017, Roy? Bummer about The Roxy going back in its word, and if the $50 still hasn’t been refunded, it should be. “Overbooking?” Yeah, sure. Promise a full house, and my experience has been that small, independent theater owners are happy to show such films, sometimes with a minimum amount to be due the theater whether or not entirely covered by ticket sales. Given practices such as the Checota $17M TIF vote that was abruptly rescheduled by Mayor Engen from a regular Monday evening City Council meeting to a 2:00 PM meeting five days earlier — at which I was the only citizen who discovered the stealth and attended the meeting to oppose the subsidy, as covered in the documentary — it’s entirely rational to assume that the Roxy’s rescission of its agreement to show “Engen’s Missoula” is censorship pursuant to request of the Engen Machine. — J. Kevin HuntInterviewee featured in “Engen’s Missoula”
California. San Francisco, to be exact. Thankful to be in Montana.
Censorship! Thank you for sharing this news by sending emails. I would love to see the documentary. Has the producer considered entering it in next year’s Montana Film Festival? I understand the Roxy hosts the event, but they couldn’t give any excuse to not show it then, could they? I am looking forward to hearing updates on this story and hope the film can be shown soon.
It’s not that difficult to imagine why the Roxy cancelled this showing. John Engen’s wrath is not something any person or business wants to encounnter if he believes they get out of line. Most people in Missoula fall into two (or both) categories, cowards or communists. I wonder which the Roxy belongs in (or both)?
Mike, the fantasy that Engen and the neoliberals, faux progressives and identity politics liberals are “communists” is utterly absurd. The economic cleansing practiced in Missoula is as antithetical to both communist and socialist — not to mention “progressive” — sensibilities as one can get. HERE IS THE DIFFERENCE between REAL progressives, and IDENTITY POLITICS/BOUTIQUE LIBERALS:On a developer’s Grant Creek rezoning request so he can build 700 homes:REAL PROGRESSIVE: “There are many reasons to oppose this rezoning application, but the one that I want to emphasize this evening is that the proposed rezoning and the developers’ plans do not address Missoula’s most pressing housing needs, namely affordable rental units and single-family residences for sale,” argued Grant Creek resident Peggy Walker. “There will be no affordable apartments in the Grant Creek Village.” IDENTITY POLITICS/BOUTIQUE LIBERAL: “I’m so excited for this as an opportunity to say ‘yes’ to more housing,” said Missoula resident Maggie Bornstein (recent UM graduate who filed for the democratic primary for HD 96 but quietly withdrew; paramour of newly-elected City Council member Daniel Carlino, Ward 3, who unlike his girflfiend doesn’t march in lockstep with the Engen Democrat Council majority). Source: The Missoulian (5/10/22)
Mike, the fantasy that Engen and the neoliberals, faux progressives and identity politics liberals are “communists” is utterly absurd. The economic cleansing practiced in Missoula is as antithetical to both communist and socialist — not to mention “progressive” — sensibilities as one can get. HERE IS THE DIFFERENCE between REAL progressives, and IDENTITY POLITICS/BOUTIQUE LIBERALS:On a developer’s Grant Creek rezoning request so he can build 700 homes:REAL PROGRESSIVE: “There are many reasons to oppose this rezoning application, but the one that I want to emphasize this evening is that the proposed rezoning and the developers’ plans do not address Missoula’s most pressing housing needs, namely affordable rental units and single-family residences for sale,” argued Grant Creek resident Peggy Walker. “There will be no affordable apartments in the Grant Creek Village.” IDENTITY POLITICS/BOUTIQUE LIBERAL: “I’m so excited for this as an opportunity to say ‘yes’ to more housing,” said Missoula resident Maggie Bornstein (recent UM graduate who filed for the democratic primary for HD 96 but quietly withdrew; paramour of newly-elected City Council member Daniel Carlino, Ward 3, who unlike his girflfiend doesn’t march in lockstep with the Engen Democrat Council majority). Source: The Missoulian (5/10/22)