MoviePass: The $9.95 Dream That Became a Hollywood Scam

Explicit content warning

03/10/25 • 40 min

In this episode we dive into the rise, fall and shocking fraud behind MoviePass—the too-good-to-be-true subscription service that promised unlimited movies for just $9.95 a month. From its explosive growth to deceptive business tactics, investor scams and a jaw-dropping federal indictment, we unravel how greed and lies brought down a Hollywood dream. Plus, we explore its unexpected comeback—can MoviePass really rise from the ashes?

Episode Sources:

“MoviePass Ending Its Run, 2 Years After Millions Signed Up” by Julie Creswell, Published September 13, 2019, Updated June 8, 2021, The New York Times

“MoviePass Deceived Users So They’d Use It Less, F.T.C. Says” by Daniel Victor, June 8, 2021, The New York Times

“The Maddening MoviePass Scandal You Didn’t Know About” by Julie Miller, June 3, 2024, Vanity Fair

“Chairman and CEO of MoviePass’ Parent Company Pleads Guilty to Securities Fraud Scheme and Conspiracy” from the U.S. Department of Justice, Updated February 6, 2025, Press Release Number: 25-23

“MoviePass Confirms Data Breach That May Have Exposed Credit Card Numbers” by Abid Rahman, August 22, 20219, The Hollywood Reporter

“MoviePass reportedly changed passwords to keep users from ordering tickets” by Abrar Al-heeti, August 9, 2019, CNET

“MoviePass was even shadier than we thought” by Alissa Wilkinson, June 9, 2021, VOX

“AMC Slams MoviePass, Threatening Legal Action” by Brent Lang, August 15, 2017, Variety

“MoviePass Launches ‘Peak Pricing’ Surcharge” by Dave McNary, July 5, 2018, Variety

“‘MoviePass, MovieCrash’: Founder Stacy Spikes on Mitch Lowe, Racial Bias and Where the Company Stands Today” by Katchy Stephan, May 29, 2024, Variety

“MoviePass co-founders speak their truth in HBO’s new documentary” by Laruen Forristal, May 29, 2024, TechCrunch

“How MoviePass Became Profitable” by Ben Sherry, February 13, 2024, Inc.

“Former CEOs of MoviePass and Parent Company Charged in Securities Fraud Scheme” from the U.S. Department of Justice, November 4, 2022, Updated February 6, 2025, Press Release Number: 22-1191

“MoviePass Is Relaunching in September After Failing in 2019” by Derrick Bryson Taylor, Published August 23, 2022, Updated August 29, 2022, The New York Times

“Former MoviePass Executive Pleads Guilty to Fraud Over ‘Unlimited’ Plan” by Hank Sanders, January 7, 2025, The New York Times

“United States v. Theordore Farnsworth and J. Michell Lowe” from the U.S. Department of Justice Pending Criminal Division Cases, United States v. Theodore Farnsworth and J. Michell Lowe, Court Docket No.: 22-20521-CR

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Episode Sources:

“MoviePass Ending Its Run, 2 Years After Millions Signed Up” by Julie Creswell, Published September 13, 2019, Updated June 8, 2021, The New York Times

“MoviePass Deceived Users So They’d Use It Less, F.T.C. Says” by Daniel Victor, June 8, 2021, The New York Times

“The Maddening MoviePass Scandal You Didn’t Know About” by Julie Miller, June 3, 2024, Vanity Fair

“MoviePass Confirms Data Breach That May Have Exposed Credit Card Numbers” by Abid Rahman, August 22, 20219, The Hollywood Reporter

“MoviePass reportedly changed passwords to keep users from ordering tickets” by Abrar Al-heeti, August 9, 2019, CNET

“MoviePass was even shadier than we thought” by Alissa Wilkinson, June 9, 2021, VOX

“AMC Slams MoviePass, Threatening Legal Action” by Brent Lang, August 15, 2017, Variety

“MoviePass Launches ‘Peak Pricing’ Surcharge” by Dave McNary, July 5, 2018, Variety

“‘MoviePass, MovieCrash’: Founder Stacy Spikes on Mitch Lowe, Racial Bias and Where the Company Stands Today” by Katchy Stephan, May 29, 2024, Variety

“MoviePass co-founders speak their truth in HBO’s new documentary” by Laruen Forristal, May 29, 2024, TechCrunch

“How MoviePass Became Profitable” by Ben Sherry, February 13, 2024, Inc.

“Former CEOs of MoviePass and Parent Company Charged in Securities Fraud Scheme” from the U.S. Department of Justice, November 4, 2022, Updated February 6, 2025, Press Release Number: 22-1191

“MoviePass Is Relaunching in September After Failing in 2019” by Derrick Bryson Taylor, Published August 23, 2022, Updated August 29, 2022, The New York Times

“Former MoviePass Executive Pleads Guilty to Fraud Over ‘Unlimited’ Plan” by Hank Sanders, January 7, 2025, The New York Times

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Send us an email:

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Episode Sources:

“The Missing Scripts Of Gary DeVore: How A Podcast Helped Unearth Lost Work From Hollywood Screenwriter Who Disappeared” by Peter White, Deadline, Dec 13, 2023

“The Mystery of the Dead Hollywood Screenwriter Whose Hands Were Never Found” by Thomas Gane, Vice, May 5, 2016

“Autopsy Suggests Former Carp Screenwriter Was Murdered” Santa Barbara Independent, Aug 25, 2010

“Screenwriter mysteriously killed in 1997 after finishing script that revealed the ‘real reason’ for US invasion of Panama had been working for the CIA...and both his hands were missing” by Mia de Graaf, Daily Mail, Jan 17, 2015

“Mystery Surrounds Writer's Death” CBS News, Jul 9, 1998

“DeVore No Longer Suspects Sleuth” CBS News, Jul 14, 1998

FBI Records - Gary DeVore

“Witnessed: Fade to Black” Season 5

“The Bizarre Death – and Life – of Publicist/CIA Operative Michael Sands” by Frank Swertlow, The Wrap, Apr 13, 2012

“CIA’s Hollywood Liaison May Be Behind Disappearance of Hollywood Screenwriter Who Knew Too Much” by Mel Elorche, CovertAction Magazine, Oct 10, 2023

“You’ll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again” by Julia Phillips

“The Little Producer that Couldn’t” by Mark Frankel, Spy Magazine, Aug 1989

“Elite Attend Maria Cole DeVore Reception at Her $300,000 Home” JET Magazine, Nov 6, 1969

“Babylon Confidential” by Claudia Christian

“Maria Cole to Wed White TV Writer-Producer” JET Magazine, July 17, 1969

Gary Devore, Petitioner-appellant, v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Service, Respondent-appellee, 963 F.2d 280 (9th Cir. 1992)

“PRODUCTION CHIEF BUYS--AND SELLS—SCRIPTS” by David T. Friendly, Los Angeles Times, July 17, 1986

"Habitats/Echoes of Nat (King) Cole; A Berkshire Estate With a Special Beat” by Tracie Rozhon, The New York Times, July 24, 1994

“The Elegant and Busy World of Maria Cole” by Charles L. Sanders, Ebony Magazine, October 1981

“Maria Cole, Nat Cole’s Widow, Weds TV Producer” JET Magazine, Oct 30, 1969

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Episode Sources:

“Neville Heath - a dangerous man for a woman to have known” from History by the Yard

“A very suave psycho killer: A new book examines what turned charming war hero into a savage murderer” by Annabel Venning for MailOnline, Published March 20, 2013, updated March 21, 2013, The Daily Mail

“Margery Gardner: The actress and the psychopath” by murdermap, March 10, 2021, Murdermap

“Margery Aimee Brownell Garnder” from Find A Grave

“Neville Heath - The Golden Haried Killer” from April 29, 2020, The Ministry of History

“Handsome Brute: The True Story of a Ladykiller” by Sean O’Connor, Copyright © 2013 by Sean O’Connor, First Published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2013. Accessed on Google Books on February 22, 2025

“Why Hitchcock’s Kaleidoscope was too shocking to be made” by Nicolas Barber, June 21, 2018, BBC

“Shadow of a Doubt (1943)” on IMDb

“The Wrens: Women Join the Navy” from the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich

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