Netflix, Hulu and HBO Go are great, but are they provided to you by your school?
Res Life Cinema is one of ETSU’s best kept secrets. Students can stream the newest blockbuster films and their favorite television shows right on their laptops.
These are the same movies that Buctainment shows on Friday nights in the Culp auditorium and that play in the lobbies of the resident halls.
“Residence Life Cinema, both the cable channel and streaming, is paid by the Department of Housing, which is an auxiliary service funded entirely by students who live on campus,” said Renée Couch, Associate Director for Residence Life.
Comedies, dramas, thrillers and romances are just a few of the genres that Res Life Cinema has to offer. The site offers movie classics like “Scarface,” “Top Gun” and “When Harry Met Sally.” They also offer new movies like “The Edge of Seventeen,” “Lights Out” and “The Shallows,” along with popular movie franchises such as the “Harry Potter” series, all of the “Lord of the Rings,” “Hobbit” movies and all three “Back to the Futures.”
“The Office,” “Parks and Recreation” and “The West Wing” are the three shows that Res Life is currently streaming.
“Most of the time, a committee from the Residence Hall Association selects the movies to be shown and available. If the committee is not available, we let Swank, the supplier, select the most popular ones,” Couch said.
Swank Motion Pictures is a privately-owned company that licenses and distributes content to multiple non-theatrical markets. Swank is partnered with studios such as Paramount, Warner Brothers, Walt Disney and Lionsgate.
Swank offers their services to college campuses, cruise ships, museums and more.
In order to access Res Life Cinema, one must be logged on to ETSU wifi.
“I do not know exactly how the system is set up to allow viewing only from the ETSU wifi, but the reason for that would be that it is provided for students who live on campus,” she said.
To stream Res Life Cinema, go to the ETSU Residence and Housing Website. The link will be on the right-hand sign under Res Life Cinema Schedule. Make sure you’re logged on to ETSU’s wifi.
