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Topic: Employees bringing friends to theatre

William T. Parr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 823
From: Cedar Park, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 03-11-2001 01:26 PM

While I was working for Cinemark 1989-1990, we used to do screenings on Thursday night for Employee's and friends. This came to an abrupt end when an employee who ws drunk, walked through a plate glass window at the Mall his theatre was at and fell two flors to his death! Cinemark was sued by his parents and won the case hence Cinemark quit doing after hours screening, at least at thier Dollar Houses.

Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 03-11-2001 02:20 PM

Cinemark policy states that there is to be no employee screenings. However, if a manager deems it nessecary one of the projection personel and a manager may stay and screen a print. No guests. I do know that this rule can get broken. This was established do to the incident mentioned above.

Jesse Skeen
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1517
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 03-12-2001 09:01 AM

The thing that ended employee screenings at one theater I worked at was the time the manager got a phone call from someone unrecognizable asking what time the free showing of "Mission Impossible" was.

Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)

Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 03-13-2001 04:00 PM

I think it is important that someone from the technical staff watch every picture that is played in the theatre. At the very latest it should be seen on it's first run through even if the paying audience is in the auditorium Preferably, before the public is able to see it so corrections can be made.

In the day's when I managed theatres, every film was tech'ed. reports were written and the distributor was notified of any problems with the print.

Employee's were invited to attend the tech screening and the theatre supplied the pizza or burgers (which we had to send for in the old days).

After the screening employees were driven home either myself or in a cab. Under 18 had to have parental permission to stay for screening.

Russ Kress
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 202
From: Charleston, WV, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 03-13-2001 10:38 PM

Pizza!!? Burgers!!?

Can I work for you!?

Russ

William T. Parr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 823
From: Cedar Park, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 03-13-2001 11:38 PM

Bob, Make mine a double meat with cheese Plain and dry, and could I talk you into a Milkshake to go with it?

I would have to agree it is important to screen a movie before the public see's it that way if you put a reel on upside down you have time to fix it and if you get a trashed print you can warn the public when they buy the ticket, that way there are no excuses on Presentation quality for a refund.

Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 03-14-2001 01:39 AM

>> and if you get a trashed print you can warn the public when they buy the ticket<<

NO... You can CALL THE DISTRIBUTOR and DEMAND A REPLACEMENT PRINT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Trashed prints of anything are completely inexcuseable!!!!

Aaron

Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 03-14-2001 01:53 AM

Yes, NEVER accept a damaged print of any kind. There are no acceptable excuses.

True story. One certain person I know of (whom would most definitely NOT want his name revealed) would make damned well sure that if he ever got a print that wasn't new or in mint condition at his theater that it would never see the light of day again. He had a procedure for breaking the film down onto the reels by pre-bending the flanges in (before TES in the days of metal reels) and crimping the edges so the film could not possibly be removed without severe damage. Then he would kick in the sides of the cans to the point where he had to get a hammer to bash the reels in. Trust me that alone was more than enough, for I personally tried to get one of those reels back out with no success...but he would go one step farther by super glueing the edges of the reels together and against the inside flanges of the can. Then he would beat the lock for about 10 minutes until he was certain it would never be able to be opened again and proceed to use the compactor in the back of the theater to further mutilate the cans (just in case someone figured out a way to get past his busted lock) and finally he would toss the cans off of the roof a few times!

His dedication to damaged prints was admirable, for he was absolutely right in that there was no possible way that film would ever see the light of day again. Those workers at NFS must've spent hours upon hours trying to retrieve the film from his cans. (Serves them right for sending out a damaged print! )

Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)

Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 03-14-2001 05:39 AM

To: Russ and William

I have your food ready...please come and pick it up. You realize of course, it is over 30 years old, it smells and looks funny...Hurry up now, it's waiting for you.

William T. Parr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 823
From: Cedar Park, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 03-14-2001 08:34 AM

A little clarification on what I meant by trashed print, I was taking this from the Cinemark Dollar house stand point, in which most of the time We were picking up prints from one of the first run houses and did not have the chance to do a very thourugh inspection of the film. So running to see if it was scrathed all to crap or was going to constatnly break because Sproket holes were strip and what not would have been the only solution to prevent the public from getting a bad presentation, or at least letting public know what to expect until we were able to get a replacement reel or print in. Two theatres in town were especially bad about mishandiling film The UA Cinema 4, and the Mann National Twin. I later worked at Cinema 4 and understand why there prints were alway trashed, Management with a bad attitude that transfred into the Staff.

Rachel Carter
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 248
From: Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 03-14-2001 05:32 PM

Mmmmmmmm, sounds yummy...will you guys share some of your food?

At my theater, When I screen a Thursday night movie I welcome employees (if under 18, have written permission from their parents) I don't like staying alone...they can't bring anyone with them though...only the employees.

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

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