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An independent moviehouse just south of Portland found itself in an unexpected showdown with a streaming giant after promoting a pricey new documentary about Melania Trump. The Lake Theater & Cafe’s cheeky marketing sparked a call from Amazon, and the result has become a local story about censorship, marketing misfires, and the precarious power balance between small cinemas and major distributors.
What happened at the Lake Theater & Cafe
Theater general manager Jordan Perry posted the sequence of events on Instagram and a follow-up blog entry. He says the screening of the Brett Ratner-directed Melania drew a complaint from Amazon’s distribution team.
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- Perry placed playful taglines on the marquee to promote the film.
- Amazon contacted the theater and objected to that wording.
- According to Perry, the distributor told the theater the movie’s run would end early.
Amazon reportedly pulled the film from that location after the marquee copy went live. Perry also joked about his Prime membership in the Instagram thread while noting the theater’s Instagram feed features unique, hand-drawn posters.
Why the manager booked a controversial documentary
Perry explained his reasoning plainly: he thought it would be funny and would fill an empty screen. He wrote that the film-market calendar left few appealing options for the coming week.
- He saw the documentary as a curiosity.
- The choice was partly financial — to avoid dark screens and lost revenue.
- He believed the film’s oddity could play to the cinema’s indie, slightly rebellious identity.
Perry framed the screening as both a joke and a business decision. He questioned why a film about Melania Trump even exists, and thought showing it at a small, anti-establishment neighborhood cinema would feel deliberately strange.
Audience reaction and social pushback
Perry faced mixed feedback from patrons. Some customers questioned the decision to screen a film tied to a prominent political figure.
Types of responses
- Supportive viewers who found the stunt amusing.
- Patrons uncomfortable with platforming the documentary.
- Local chatter about whether the theater crossed a line or simply exercised programming freedom.
The chatter spilled into the theater’s social channels, where Perry responded with levity and transparency about the motives behind the booking.
Possible consequences for future bookings
Perry warned the incident could have lingering effects on the theater’s relationship with distributors. He suggested the venue might end up on an internal list at Amazon.
- Potential delay or denial of future titles from the same distributor.
- Uncertainty around screenings such as Project Hail Mary.
- Financial impact was small — the film reportedly earned about $196 during its short run.
He noted that the dollar amount was negligible to the company, but the marquee copy apparently drew attention. Perry quipped that Jeff Bezos likely would not notice such a small sum, yet someone at Amazon did notice the theater’s signage.
Local color and what’s next at the cinema
Beyond the dispute, the Lake Theater & Cafe remains a neighborhood venue known for quirky promotions and artistic posters. Perry signaled that regular programming continues, with classic titles scheduled in the following days.
He also made a tongue-in-cheek suggestion to patrons: if they want to show allegiance to Amazon after the incident, they might try shopping at Whole Foods. The playful tone underlined the clash between small business improvisation and corporate branding rules.
