I saw The Ring this weekend (cool movie, btw) and the print the theater had was messed up. For about fifteen minutes in the middle boom mikes were bouncing around constantly. The last reel was framed too low, so people's faces were cut in half. It didn't ruin the movie, but it was distracting. At this same theater the sound was at about half volume the first time I saw Fellowship Of The Ring. These sort of things only seem to happen at multiplexes where a small staff runs several screens. Does anyone else have theater horror stories, or does anyone know if these problems are the fault of the theater or the distributor?
You know how in some (usually horror) movies where everyone is sitting in the theater and the bulb burns the film inside the projector and you can watch the film burn onscreen?
This happened to me when I actually paid to see Black Dog. (Patrick Swayze, Meatloaf)
All of the lights brightened and the usher came in and informed us that the film was toast (and that they didn't have a spare) and we could either go elsewhere in the theater and watch another film (most were already an hour into it) or we could accept a voucher to come back and see another film for free at a later date.
That night sucked let me tell you!
I'd already paid to see a s**tty film and the only reason I'd done so was because the group I was with all wanted to see it. Then it was ruined further 'cause the film burned up on us.
Man oh man!
s**t happens!
Hey Ash,
At least you got to see a different movie later so essentially this bad experience was free. (I'm assuming, of course, you accepted the voucher for another movie later).
My theater experiences have been pretty positive - except when I choose to see a movie that turns out s**tty.
I've had a couple of such experiences. Once I was watching "The devil's advocate" and all the audience was trying to concentrate, because for some reason the sound was really low and with some estatic, and eventually the film stopped about 45' after the beginning. We all were given a free ticket to return, but it wasn't the same.
More recently, at the same theatre, I was quite p**sed off because it looked as if the managers hadn't cleaned it for weeks. There wasn't actually rubbish on the floor, but everything looked in decay, and since there were only 4/5 people in the place they didn't bother to switch on the air conditioning. Anyway, I was watching the trailers and suddenly something caught my attention at the other side of the central corridor. I looked in that direction and I saw a grey rat eating popcorn from the previous session. And then the lights went off. I wasn't really scared, but I couldn't really pay attention to the screen aftyer that. Later I explained the whole thing to some friends and they all had had similar experiences in the same place.
Yeah, I hate that. It is indeed the theater's fault when you have poor framing and see the boom mic. I hate it, absolutely hate it. It's not a difficult job, being a projectionist, and for part-time or after school work it's fun. Why can't they just do it right?
Sounds like a great place for a Ben/Willard double feature.
The only really s**tty copy of a movie I've seen was for Heavy Metal, and they warned us about it ahead of time, and the ticket price was really reduced, so I couldn't complain. As for sticky floors, poor ventilation, that's happened enough times, although the last few years I've noticed the theaters have gotten better.
Now if we could only do something about people who talk throughout the movie, or use their goddamned cellphones. . .
I think that my worst was seeing "The Crow." A friend wanted to see it, so we dragged ourselves out late one night to catch the last show. Within about 5 minutes from the end the theater had to be cleared (bomb threat).
The movie was not keeping me interested, so it was a mixed blessing.
I went to see FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS at a theater with a crappy sound system. It's hard enough to understand what the characters in that movie are saying, even on a good sound system. I didn't know what anybody was saying for the first twenty minutes.
Dollar theaters are generally pretty crappy, but I don't usually mind too much because I only paid a dollar.
The one time there was a bar on the bottom of the screen I told the manager, and he promptly had it fixed.
I actually did use my voucher. I redeemed it to see "The Wedding Singer".
Out of all the films that were playing this was the best choice I was presented with.
At least it was better than "Black Dog"!
Neville's story takes the cake!
If I saw a rat in the theater I would not only tell the management. I'd also contact the Board of Health and write a nasty article to my local newspaper and have it printed in the "Opinion" section!
I personally would've got out of my seat and stomped on that rat! Or at least tried.
When stupid people bring kids into the theatre and start them crying! Idiots who talk through the movie! and now the cellphones!
One annoyance that I've only started to notice recently is rumbling bass from the neighboring screens in a multiplex. It's especially noticeable when you're watching a quieter film next to a big action blockbuster. It's confused me a few times when watching thrillers and horror movies, because I think maybe it's supposed to be foreboding or something, when really something blew up next door.
My worst theater experience was my own fault. I wear glasses all the time now, but back when Back to the Future III came out, I'd only wear them when I really needed them (which was really all the time, but I was in denial) and I ended up forgetting them, so the entire movie was kind of blurry. I could follow it, but it wasn't exactly how I wanted to watch the film.