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Author Topic: Rant on stupid theatres Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 01-09-2004 07:16 PM                        And here I never knew my tape measure had a built in microprocessor.  |  IP: Logged Roger Katz Film Handler Posts: 61 From: Thomaston, CT, USA Registered: Feb 2003 posted 01-10-2004 11:19 PM                     Here's another rant about a theatre I've complained about before due to poor presentation (breaks between reels, film running backwards) and upkeep of the theatre (holes in the screen, missing seat bottoms, creaky fans, etc.). tonight I went to see the 9:00 showing of Kill Bill. The theatre owner was running the concession stand while his approximately 10-year-old grandson sold the tickets. When the movie starts the theatre owner is supposed to go up to the booth, turn on the projector, and then ensure everything is all set. Apparently he went into the booth, turned the projector on, and then went back to the concession stand. After a couple of minutes I went out to the lobby and told him that he needed to turn off the lights on the theatre, which were still shining brightly. He commented that he had forgotten and then turned them down. Now that it was dark enough to see the picture I went back in and soon realized it was way out of focus. I went out to the lobby, asked the 10-year-old who was the only one out there where the guy running the theatre was and he told me that HE was now the one running the theatre. Apparently the theatre owner had left to do something and for quite a while the theatre was staffed only by one 10-year-old boy (and yes he was 10, I'm not exaggerating). In addition to being out of focus, the picture was too wide for the screen so not only did it shine on the wall next to the screen, but also on the curtains on the side of the auditorium. Also they had it in the wrong place as the bottom of it was below the screen while the top part of the screen was dark. Finally after about 15 minutes the owner returned and focused the movie. Naturally, there was about 10 seconds of darkness when switching from one projector to the other in the middle of the film, and then of course also the picture ran off the opposite side of the screen from the one it was running off before. I have never worked in the movie business, but I swear I could do a better job running a theatre than this guy. Hell, it would literally be impossible to do worse. If only it comes up for sale sometime...  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 01-11-2004 12:04 AM                        This is late--haven't been watching this thread... Dennis wrote: quote: Another great Regal Story: One of my employees went to go see a movie at a local Regal location (Rainbow Promenade 10)[...] Actually, the Rainbow Promenade 10 is a UA location. Doesn't really matter though, the place truly does suck, just like UA's other off-Strip location here, the Green Valley 8. Easily the two worst first-run 'plexes in the valley for projection quality.  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-11-2004 12:40 AM                        Roger - let me know about that theatre -too. I am sure me and my 4 year old could do a better job. (Guess there is no enforcement of Child Labor laws in that area?) Paul - Regal and UA merged a little over a year ago. Sadly, Regal has been engulfing the entire western hemisphere's theatres.  |  IP: Logged Michael Gonzalez Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 790 From: Grand Island , NE USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 01-13-2004 02:32 PM                     I think that it varies from state to state but I believe that some of the child labor laws do not apply if the child is related. Some kind of family business exception.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 01-13-2004 02:35 PM                        I believe it's called "The kid wants to eat, the kid works for free" law.  |  IP: Logged Richard Greco Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1180 From: Plant City, FL Registered: Nov 2003 posted 05-10-2004 04:44 PM                     Bringing this back up... Hey Starlite Cinemas 10 in Lakeland, FL. Your presentation SUCKS!! I went to see Van Helsing at their supposed THX certified auditorium. This is equipped with SDDS. I could get better sound from my mono speakers in my theatre. I prefer DTS much more now. I left that theatre to go to New York Minute...Sure enough it looked like their bulb was about to die. There was black fading throughout the whole picture. I finally went to Johnson Family Vacation. I saw the picture shacking back and forth in the gate. There were numerous base scratches and the commercials and previews were riddled with scratches and specks and emulsion scratches. I'm never going to see a film there again.  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 05-10-2004 06:16 PM                        Hey -you were theatre hopping. That is theft of services!!! In regards to my last post on this very thread -- Regal is gulping up those damn theatres in Hawaii too......  |  IP: Logged Ron Keillor Expert Film Handler Posts: 166 From: Vancouver, B.C. Canada Registered: Jul 2003 posted 05-20-2004 12:35 AM                     Another Cineplex rant: SHRECK 2 opened in 2 of their local theatres, but the title is not listed in their Cinecharge system - effectively denying it may be on screen to anyone using the system instead of a newspaper, and again depriving them of the service charge revenue. And it's a long weekend coming with rain forecast, so pre-booked matinees are ruled out. And WTH is this Evite on Fandango? - from the French éviter - to avoid? Must have been suggested by the same person who proposed Lourdes as a child's name to Madonna - from the French for heavy, it's the feminine plural so the kid will go around being known as "heavy women". My spleen feels better now.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-20-2004 08:34 AM                     quote: Roger Katz ...the theatre was staffed only by one 10-year-old boy... Not only is there a problem with that in terms of Child Labor Laws, about 10 other laws were broken. The least of which is that it's illegal to allow anybody under the age of 18 run projecotrs. I'm not talking about letting under age kids run machines. (Popcorn poppers, etc.) I mean that there is a specific federal law that says you have to be 18 years old to be a motion picture projectioist. How about health and safety laws? What if there was an emergency? Could a 10 year old ensure that people get out of the building in a fire? Nothing wrong with teaching your kids some responsibility and making them work in the family business but that's rediculous!  |  IP: Logged Todd Cornwall Film Handler Posts: 91 From: Madison, WI Registered: Feb 2004 posted 05-25-2004 12:24 AM                     You have to be 18 to run a projector? Do you know where I could find more info on that federal law? I'd be very curious to read up on it.....VERY curious.  |  IP: Logged Michael Cunningham Expert Film Handler Posts: 186 From: Anchorage, AK Registered: Nov 1999 posted 05-25-2004 03:48 AM                     Projectors, for some odd reason, are classified as heavy machinery. This is why '17 and unders' aren't supposed to run them. As for Regal ... "We are Regal of the Borg" <gulp Act III>, "resistance is futile" <gulp United Artists> "your theaters will be assimilated" <gulp Edwards>. Next? - Mike  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 05-25-2004 08:29 PM                        Next - would be those theatres over in Hawaii. Regal Borg - I like that.....  |  IP: Logged Todd Cornwall Film Handler Posts: 91 From: Madison, WI Registered: Feb 2004 posted 05-26-2004 12:50 AM                     I had no clue. Projectors are heavy machinery alright, but then so are cars and trucks. So are pizza ovens and popcorn poppers for that matter. Thats a pretty interesting law. Doent make much sense, but interesting non-the-less.  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 05-26-2004 02:41 AM                        Or like Southwest Airlines, the Borg of the airline world. They just opened a new base in Philadelphia where their intent is to blow US Air out of the water--just like they did in Baltimore. Now returning this thread to "Rant on stupid theatres" already in progress.  |  IP: Logged

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