Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Darn you AMC! Why don't you do your space motion sickness research?

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Topic: Darn you AMC! Why don't you do your space motion sickness research?

Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 919
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 08-31-2002 03:09 PM

I want to say something witty about this guy -- but I'm too stunned by the number of people these days that refuse to take their own well being and health into their own hands, and want to blame others.

There are simply too many variables to blame it on the theatres design. Did the guy complain to the management when he left or did he just write in later? I'd love to be the manager who received that one.

Guy was probably too embarassed to conclude anything else (ie. drunk or ate too much damn food...) didn't want to admit it.

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Dave Williams
Wet nipple scene

Posts: 1836
From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-01-2002 12:33 PM

The reason I have a hard time believing it was so full that he was forced, and I mean by his own words "FORCED" to sit in front, is that I have not been to a theater in years where it was sold out, except for SWEP2, on opening night. I know that bourne identity did well opening weekend, so it is possible.

The bourne identity is a fine effort, but nothing to crow about. If you are filling up the seats this long after it has opened, then I tip my hat to you. You must have a good operation going.

But my opinion still stands. Even if it was sold out, I am betting he got there early enough to choose where he could sit. The front row is usually empty until the last moment, and if that was the case, tough luck buddy. But if he chose to sit there, and then had problems, he is truly a moron. Most people who are all beered up, as I suspect he may have been, don't really have the ability to tell how close they are until it is too late.

Dave

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Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 09-01-2002 01:59 PM

I have found doing things with other people sometime can be a pain in the butt. When I see a movie, I go by myself most of the time because I can watch the movies I want and can go at a time when I know I will not be late and there will be good seat selections. I once went to a movie with friends and we had dinner first at a nice restaurant in the same mall as the theatre. When I felt it was time to leave and go to the theatre, they refused to get up and said there was plenty of time. This was 30 minutes before the movie was suppose to start. When we finally left, it was ten minutes before showtime and it took about five minutes to walk to the theatre. When we got there, there was a long line of people waiting to buy tickets to other movies and when we finally sat down in our seats, the feature was already on for five minutes and our seats was in the 2nd row from the screen on the extreme left hand side.

-Claude

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Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)

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

posted 09-03-2002 10:40 AM

There is no way that this letter is legitimate. If he truly had the credentials stated he would not have written this letter.

For all of you people out there who truly believe this letter is on the level .....please send me $10..00 and I will mail you a deed to the Brooklyn Bridge. Don't worry it will be as ligit as the letter.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-03-2002 12:47 PM

Someone with a seizure disorder (epilepsy), migraine, or motion sickness could be adversely affected by the "strobing" of the image, especially when sitting too close to the screen. In most cases, they would know they have the disorder, and avoid conditions that aggravate it. Alcohol or drugs could make things worse.

As others have said, someone with his "credentials" should have known better.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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Evans A Criswell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1579
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 09-03-2002 02:53 PM

I'm a Ph.D. student, like the letter writer claimed to be. I wonder if the letter is truly genuine.

Anyway, I would have a tendency to get a bit dizzy or nauseous if watching the wrong type of movie from too close. It has happened on a couple of occasions, but I was able to look away from the image for a bit to avoid it being a problem.

If I did keep getting nauseous during a movie and I felt it were due to the way the movie was filmed, if it were in a theatre where I knew the manager, I would not ask for a refund or pass, but I would mention the fact that the movie made me nauseous and if a pass were offered, I'd take it. I talk to some of the managers on a frequent basis and some of them know me and know I would not try to scam them. Fortunately, I've never had a problem with a movie that moving farther from the screen didn't solve.

I avoided Blair Witch because I knew I'd likely have a problem in that one. A manager told me he had many people vomit because of that one.

At the IMAX Space Dome showing of "Wings of Courage", the views from the plane while flying made me dizzy and I had to look away for a while and I was OK.

The key is "be sensible". Don't exaggerate or keep saying "I felt like I was going to die". Being sensible and believable is very important when writing letters of complaint.

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Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Information Site

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Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 09-03-2002 02:56 PM

The letter actually had legitimate contact information on the guy and I looked around a bit on the internet to check up on him. Everything about this guy does indeed point to a Phd from MIT. Guess it doesn't mean quite what it used to.

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Evans A Criswell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1579
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 09-03-2002 02:57 PM

quote:
The letter actually had legitimate contact information on the guy and I looked around a bit on the internet to check up on him. Everything about this guy does indeed point to a Phd from MIT. Guess it doesn't mean quite what it used to.

It could be the case of an egotistical person using his credentials/position for leverage hoping for a better outcome in his favor.

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Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Information Site

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John Lasher
Master Film Handler

Posts: 493
From: Newark, DE
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 09-04-2002 12:24 AM

It's amazing to me that a brain that would come up with that load of

could also power the person's fingers to type/write it.

As for me, I like sitting front row center unless I want to sit with someone who doesn't like front row center. I like to be able to feel vibrations from the center speaker being crammed up my nose. (this explains the picture) I like to see movies on screens big enough that when I'm sitting front/center, the movie fills my whole vision. I have never thrown up from a movie, but I thought I was going to after the bodyworks ride at Epcot (I think this is why they have food available as soon as you get off of the ride, so you can weigh down the bottom of your stomach as it trys to become the first live human organ in outer space minus it's owner).

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 09-04-2002 10:49 PM

This is so far over the top. Reading junk like this makes me feel like I'm going to die! Where's MY compensation? Motion sickness is not a near-death experience! I get the same way on airplanes - particularly if I don't get a window seat. Sure, it's scary, but you'd never catch me trying to extort a free ticket from the airline.

I service this theatre. Sounds like he was in #12 or 13. If this wimp is so concerned with health and safety, then why in the heck was he sitting out in the aisle, posing a hazard to people could've broken their necks falling over him?! Further, if this is so common, and he's evidently an expert in the topic, why didn't he immediately recognize the symptoms?

No, this is just the ranting of a selfish, selfish person who probably didn't like the movie and wants something for nothing.

Besides, if he did have such a motion sickness episode, it wasn't because he was too close to the screen, it was because of the Cinemeccanicas!

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Better Projection Pays!

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