Oh no, he's back....and a punch up in the theatre!!

Trevor · July 19, 2007, 01:38:04 AM

NEWSFLASH!!! I just heard that the managers of the cinema where I did my screenings in Bloemfontein were involved in a punch up with two clients who complained about the lack of seasoning on the popcorn.

Thankfully I was well away from there when this happened on Saturday 21 July, otherwise I probably would have been blamed.

Hi there, everybody.

Yes, it is I, returned from the magnificent wasteland we call Bloemfontein. After spending two weeks in that fun town where they roll up the sidewalks at 13h00 on a Saturday, I am back in Pretoria where they roll up the sidewalks at 13h05 on a Saturday.

Not even the pizza is up to much in Bloemfontein.

The screenings went well ~ I had to deal with a cinema manager who had his panties in a bunch over the quality of the films (most of our print collection is composed of ex cinema rental prints, not much new). After a few hours of this, I told him that I had had enough of his crap and took over the screenings myself, projecting the prints myself and talking to the attendees at every screening, inviting questions, comments and insults.

The only complaint I had was when I described Die Kandidaat as a caricature of the feared Afrikaner Broerderbond [Afrikaner Brotherhood] who were very powerful in the 1960's to 1980's and pulled the strings of government. I was told that I should not make fun of such a society and should be mindful of what I say in Bloemfontein. My only reply was that an attendee had asked me what the film was about and I had replied honestly.

Other than that, all went well, glad to be back.

BTW, Cheezeflix, I was thinking about your comment about the native bearers and the crocodile infested river when I crossed the Vaal River into the Orange Free State. That is a river that you do not want to take a swim in, precisely because of the crocs / alligators.

Ash · July 19, 2007, 03:37:17 AM

Welcome back!

Trevor · July 19, 2007, 04:34:36 AM

Thanks, Ash: karma for you.

No karma for the pizza I had there............yuck.

Ash · July 19, 2007, 04:55:42 AM

And 1 karma to you!

Scott · July 19, 2007, 05:31:59 AM

Welcome back Trevor.

RCMerchant · July 19, 2007, 05:47:58 AM

Hello! When you say Orange Free State...does that mean that oranges are free,as in no charge? Or that Oranges are not enslaved...free to roam the wilds? Or as in 'no oranges"...like caffine free coffee is "caffine free"...? A strange and wonderous land you inhabit...with free range oranges,galloping in mighty herds....

Trevor · July 19, 2007, 06:21:24 AM

Hi RC.

That name comes from the old Boer Republic days, when the Boers fled the Cape Province and the domination of the British. They crossed the Orange River and named the county the Orange Free State.

These days, we say in the Orange Free State that there are no oranges, nothing is free and the place is in a hell of a state.

RC and Scott, karma for you, thanks. Where's Dr Menard, I owe him some too.

CheezeFlixz · July 19, 2007, 01:46:34 PM

Quote from: Trevor on July 19, 2007, 01:38:04 AM

BTW, Cheezeflix, I was thinking about your comment about the native bearers and the crocodile infested river when I crossed the Vaal River into the Orange Free State. That is a river that you do not want to take a swim in, precisely because of the crocs / alligators.

Welcome back! Happy you had a safe and adventurous trip ...

Glad to provide a visual for you too, been a long time since I've been in South Africa, but I do recall so of the wildlife I saw on some outings. Yes it would be Crocodiles as Alligator are only in the southern United States I believe. I wouldn't mind returning some day.

Allhallowsday · July 20, 2007, 10:52:24 AM

Welcome back, Trevor. Glad your screenings went well, and sounds like you handled potential dynamite with tact and integrity. Karma

trekgeezer · July 20, 2007, 12:05:59 PM

Glad you made back across the river intact.

Trevor · July 22, 2007, 11:46:47 PM

Thanks, trek and AllHallows: karma for each of you on this chilly Pretoria morning, it is 06h43 right now. Brass monkeys, as Colin Farrell would say.

Trek, something for you: I found copies of Star Trek VI and Star Trek Nemesis at a pawn shop in Bloemfontein which the proprietor assured me were mint copies. These films are not available locally on DVD so I believed the man and bought them without looking at the tapes first.

Three days later, I got home and checked the tapes: Nemesis was indeed a mint copy, but some idiot had taped Star Trek VI over with a TV broadcast of Godzilla, the Roland Emmerich version.

That will teach me to 'buy blind'.

dean · July 25, 2007, 02:13:11 AM

You guys sure do take your popcorn seriously in South Africa...

Trevor · July 25, 2007, 05:32:04 AM

That was a good one Dean, karma for you.

That wasn't the end of the story: after that mishap, the local paper there is full of stories of how that cinema has gone down and how the prints are badly projected, the sound bad, etc. The manager (who helped and hindered me) was quoted as saying that "Bloemfontein is full of white trash"!

Huh? White trash? Where? I had left already!

Strange, there were no hassles when I was there for that period of time: maybe they should appoint me there full time?