Cheap movie e-mail a fake, says Hoyts AU

The Hoyts e-mail, which has been circulating in the form of a press release complete with Hoyts logo and contact details, claims that "From Feb 17 to April 21, 2005 you can see all Thursday sessions of all films at all Hoyts Cinemas for only AU$4.95!"

Further information in the e-mail informs readers that "Hoyts has taken this dramatic move into realistic pricing for movies to honour the entrepreneurship shown over the years by such greats as Howard Hughes, Nelson Rockefeller and Bill Gates".

Hoyts has acted quickly to quash the mischievous missive, stating on its Web site: "Please note that the $4.95 ticket offer that has been circulated via e-mail is a fake & not valid. Normal ticket prices apply on Thursday".

However ZDNet Australia became aware later this week of a real email from Greater Union promising many of the same benefits as the one purporting to be from Hoyts. The Greater Union didn't come with a logo and didn't claim to honour any entrepreneurs, but it did offer $5 Tuesday movies from Feb 15 until March 22, and according to the Greater Union Web site, the offer is real.