In that era, there was a line of commercials for a brand new brand of cars that made it sound like buying a car from them was like joining a "family" or (here) a cult. This is most likely where the idea for this premise stems from. The brand was most likely Saturn cars.
First time that the cinema next door is mentioned, since What's Up, Ex-Doc? (1995), which had aired 5 weeks prior. As a show's loose end, they never lowered the volume, and yet no movies have been heard playing through the walls, since that title.