My Most Inconvenient Movie Theater Experiences to Date #atthemovies #nowplaying #nablopomo

Trips to the movie theater remind me of how these venues can sometimes leave a lasting impression on the kinds of experiences audiences associate films with. Fortunately, most of the movies that I’ve watched at cinema houses in Pennsylvania were so good, they pretty much made the undesirable events that took place at the theater seem like a distant and trivial memory. Some of these inconveniences were understandable mistakes that no one could have foreseen while others are unwise business decisions that often make me resent visiting theaters.

The Fire Alarm in Manayunk

It was a cold evening when I went to watch “Couples Retreat” at a movie theater on Main Street. The theater was pretty full until this comedy suddenly stopped playing more than halfway through the film. Almost immediately following a blank screen, flashing fluorescent lights came on in the theater, accompanied by a loud and very annoying alarm sound.

We were instructed to exit the theater while the manager and employees follow protocols set in place for this type of situation, which includes waiting for the fire department to arrive and check the building. Many of us remained in the theater lobby and ticket area because it was heated, compared to the low temperatures outside.

As we waited, many people became restless after learning that there is no fire in the building but employees continued to keep the theater out of operation at that moment. The staff suspected that a patron pulled the alarm on their way out of the theater earlier that night. Eventually, the fire department arrived and we were able to resume watching “Couples Retreat” after the projectionist started it near the scene that cut off so customers did not miss portions of the movie.

The inconvenience of this whole fire alarm and evacuation ordeal occurred during a crucial scene in the movie where it looked like something big was about to happen among the main characters. Since we were at one of the last showtimes for the evening, this particular trip to the movies made us get home much later than expected after about 20 minutes or more of confusion and regrouping to continue with the entertainment that we paid to watch.

Troubles with Movie Projection in Montgomery County

The scenes where Hermione, Harry and Ron are hiding out in the Forest of Dean in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” cut to black when I went to see this movie. The screen remained this way as the audio continued to play, so the other audience members and I could still hear what was going on but were unable to view any of the action. A few moments passed and then this technical issue was fixed after it was brought to the attention of a theater staff member.

Upon our departure from the theater, we were given a free ticket to a future showing of any movie at this location. While it did not ease my sorrow over Dobby’s death, this gesture was a nice way to convince me to not only return as their patron, but also overlook the on-screen glitch that could have sparked a riot from upset, Harry-Potter-fanatic teenagers, if this were opening weekend.

An Extended Commercial Run in Plymouth Meeting

As mentioned in an earlier post, a movie theater pre-show I watched that preceded “X-Men: First Class” was 40 minutes long. This outrageously inconvenient experience at the local cineplex made me feel insulted as a movie goer because I did not buy a ticket to watch an almost endless parade of advertisements and on-screen games, yet, that is what I received….at least until the movie finally began. I could have watched an entire episode of one-hour dramas such as “House” on Hulu during the time I waited for “X-Men: First Class” to play at the theater.

Did a movie ever stop playing or a fire alarm go off when YOU were at the movies?

Photo by: fatseth

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Movie Goer Files Lawsuit over “Drive” Starring Ryan Gosling #movies #michigan #theaters #film

What good are movie trailers and movie reviews for if people don't watch and read them? Ryan Gosling’s thriller “Drive” allegedly lacks so much action that it caused a woman who saw this movie at the Emagine theater in Michigan to sue. The distributor of this film and the movie theater are both the targets of a disgruntled movie goer’s lawsuit because “Drive” had little to no driving scenes, did not resemble that of a chase or racing film such as “Fast and the Furious” and instead contained lots of anti-Semitic messages, according to the NY Times.

The woman also has plans to try and turn this into a class action suit so other movie goers unhappy with “Drive” can join her in these complaints. I can’t help but wonder if this lawsuit is more about her claims that the film depicts racism toward people of Jewish faith than it is about Ryan Gosling’s scenes not comparing to Vin Diesel’s speed.....especially since Emagine theater offered to refund the cost of her movie ticket.



If every movie goer who felt mislead or offended by a movie that they watched took distributors and theaters to court, our judicial system would have more problems than it already does and be more backed up due to silly things like this “Drive” situation that takes up time and resources of law officials that could be better spent dealing with cases involving thieves, murderers, assailants, corporate corruption and other crimes.

I know people who were upset and unfulfilled after watching “Shutter Island” in movie theaters because the movie is confusing. Now while some would gladly welcome a $12 refund from Leonardo DiCaprio, these movie goers are certainly not suing Paramount Pictures. You know what they did instead? They didn’t buy the DVD when it came out and they probably won’t recommend “Shutter Island” to their friends. Fair enough?

Was "Drive" that bad, or is this woman and her lawsuit out of line?

As silly as this “Drive” lawsuit is, it has almost perfect timing because Ryan Gosling is the King Dong of October!

Join me in saying “so long” to Leonardo DiCaprio, who dominated my blog over the last few months and “hello” to Ryan Gosling who will be the new King...at least for the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for more Gosling-centered posts during the rest of the month.

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Movie Theater Audiences Gone Wild #GBE2 #atthemovies #nowplaying

In filmmaker Steve Balderson’s Wamego series, it is revealed that audiences at one of his screenings for “Watch Out” started walking out, yelling expletives and throwing things. It wasn’t until Beth over at Word Nerd Speaks posted this week’s GBE2 topic that I started thinking more about how the action at movie theaters seem to extend from the screen all the way into the seating area and out in the lobby these days. Are movie theater audiences getting out of control or have they always been this way depending on what is playing on the big screen?

The audience reaction that Balderson received during a “Watch Out” screening may be wild but it seems like small potatoes compared to other situations that occurred at movie theaters that put people in danger. In 2010, a Drexel University student was shot during a robbery attempt at The Rave (formerly known as The Bridge Cinema) movie theater in Philadelphia, PA. What the victim thought sounded like firecrackers became the very thing that injured him....all while he was in the lobby of a place that is celebrated as the go-to spot for escape from reality for a brief two hours or so of fun at the movies.

Earlier this year in April, police were searching for a 30-something man who exposed himself to children at a movie theater in Miami. Reports about this incident claim that the man also spoke to at least one of the children, identifying himself as a police officer.....as if these kids weren’t horrified enough, now someone is impersonating someone that many children view as heroes?!

As wild as the University City shooting and Miami kiddie flasher incidents are, there is not shortage of jerks who take it up a notch by intentionally harming others. In June 2010, a man who is pushing 40 years of age was convicted of several felony charges after attacking an 81 year-old man in the bathroom of an AMC Movie Theater in Colorado.

These days, there is just as much action in movie theater seats, lobbies and restrooms as there is playing up on the big screen. In a time when people have to pay around $15 to see something like “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2” or any other film at a theater while risking the chance that they may end up paying $1,500 in emergency hospital bills, credit card charges or identity restoration if a stranger decides to start wilding out in some form during their visit, maybe waiting for the DVD rental is a better (and safer) way to watch new movies.

The other alternative would be to join the crowd of people who have built their own home movie theaters that, while small, provide the cinematic experience without all the hassle of having to encounter rude cell phone users, perverts and criminals because after all, there is no reason to even go to the movies if people leave the theater with more problems than they came in with. Is THIS what movie goers pay $5, $10 and $20 bucks for (plus fees, for those who buy tickets online)? I think not.

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