Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: strange request for theatre rental...(anyone else)

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Posted by Ryan Navaroli (Member # 3477) on 06-25-2006, 06:38 PM:

I received this email today. Anyone else had a request like this or any other crazy ones. I'm not sure what to do, but I think I'll try and help the guy out (doubt it will work for him though.)

Here is a screen cap of the letter he sent me.

*** QUOTING PRIVATE EMAILS IS FORBIDDEN ON THIS FORUM. THIS INCLUDES SCREEN CAPTURES OF PRIVATE EMAILS. ***

[ 06-25-2006, 10:28 PM: Message edited by: Adam Martin ]

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 06-25-2006, 06:48 PM:

I work in a regular theater. 800 seats. 40 X 80 stage, etc. etc.

We had a guy buy out the theater and hire a magician. They sat on the stage having dinner while a violinist played sweet music. The the magician made a "flash appearence" and came after the girl. The guy came to her "rescue" and had a staged sword fight with the "villian".

At the end, the villian "struck the hero down" with a bolt of macical "lightning" (a flash gimmick) and the girl came to his side.

When the bit was all over, he sat up, offered her a ring and proposed right there, on the spot.

It cost the guy at least $10,000.

It was the cheeziest thing I've ever seen done in a theater! [uhoh]

Posted by Ron Curran (Member # 3631) on 06-25-2006, 07:47 PM:

We had a customer ask to pay for a screen slide at a regular session. The message was a marriage proposal (in their favourite place, he said).

Romantics that we are, of course we prepared the message for nothing.

When the message appeared, he got down on one knee and officially proposed. She sqealed out yes.

Our staff rushed a mini bottle of champagne and 2 glasses and some strawberries to the couple.

The audience applauded.

Posted by Greg Anderson (Member # 235) on 06-25-2006, 10:05 PM:

It does seem like a completely worthless act of desperation, although it also seems to add insult to injury that you've shared the entire email, the real name and the real email address of the potential loser who thinks this stunt will win her back.

Posted by Christopher Crouch (Member # 3784) on 06-26-2006, 03:02 AM:

I had a marriage proposal just a few months ago. Nothing particularly weird about that, other than it being a subrun theatre. Maybe it's just me, but there is something less than romantic about asking someone to marry you in a discount theatre.

I also had a rental for a Disneyland character party at another theatre. It was an outing for people who worked at Disneyland (more specifically, those who walked around the park in character costumes). The odd thing about that was seeing the people behind the "lovable" Disney characters; highly disapointing and occassionally disturbing (picture alumni from a high school drama program or cheesy dance troupe).

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 06-26-2006, 01:09 PM:

Someone paid for a marriage proposal slide where I worked a few years ago. She said yes, I was hoping she would say no and dump him for contributing to the crapping-up of theater screens. I hope they're divorced by now [evil]

Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 06-26-2006, 07:22 PM:

When I saw this it reminded me of our chain's piracy advice, apparently we have to be vigilant for strange requests for screenings of new releases. As though we'd rent a screen out to a couple of guys on opening day coming in with a high quality camera and tripod...

Posted by Richard C. Wolfe (Member # 431) on 06-29-2006, 01:22 AM:

QUOTE: [Maybe it's just me, but there is something less than romantic about asking someone to marry you in a discount theatre.]

Why is that? I'm always amazed at the attitude that some here have toward subrun theatres. Why do you assume that subrun is subpar? Certainly there are some less then desireable subruns around, but then again there are even more crappy firstruns as well, just by the fact that there are so many more first runs.

The crappy subruns are usually the former first run multiplexes that have been downgraded by their owners after they have built a new plex in that area. In most cases they are just running out a lease with the intent to close it as soon as they can, but hoping that they can ruin the house so in case anyone else trys to reopen it, it will have a terrible reputation to overcome.

Many single screen subruns are old theatres from the days when theatres were great pieces of architecture, and are owned by people that appreciate them for what they are, and use their elegance to enhance the overall theatre going experience. Those theatres certainly make a much more romantic place to propose marriage then at your typical plainjane multiplex, whether first run or subrun.

I've had several marriage proposals done at my 2nd run theatre, and 3 marriages as well. People seem to love doing it here. They say that it makes it all the more special due to the atomsphere of the theatre.

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 06-29-2006, 07:55 PM:

I keep seeing the title of this thread and I am reminded of the weirdest theatre rental I ever had:

When I worked for (insert big theatre chain name here)in Miami, Florida, I had to come in one morning to let some people from Germany in for a rental. They set up a 16 mm projector in the booth and ran Nazi Propaganda films for two hours. This is no joke. I thought I had entered the twilight zone. All the films were in German, but I will never forget seeing Adolf's big mug on my #1 screen continuously for almost the whole two hours. I did ask them about the films and they said they were doing 'research' for college. Yeah, right....

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 06-29-2006, 09:41 PM:

We do a couple dozen screen slide marrigage proposals a year, we ask that they make a donation of at least $25 to the Byrd Theatre Foundation as compensation, it isn't mandatory but nobody has refused. Birthday, anniversary, mitzvah, announcements are pretty common too. Almost all are on Saturday nights. We're in the business of making people happy, so why not. Other patrons seem to be amused too and always applaud.

Posted by Christopher Crouch (Member # 3784) on 06-30-2006, 02:55 AM:

quote: Richard C. Wolfe
Why is that? I'm always amazed at the attitude that some here have toward subrun theatres.

I work for a company that somewhat specializes in subrun and fully agree that subrun doesn't have to equal subpar. However, this particular theatre is lacking in the romantic atmosphere department; by no means a dump, but not exactly the kind of place one normally thinks of proposing in (more a high volume, low income family theatre than atmospheric cinema).

Posted by Ron Curran (Member # 3631) on 06-30-2006, 03:25 AM:

It's all about PEOPLE. Cinemas used to have personalities and a few of the survivors from that era try to ignore the slot machine mentality of the contemporary industry and provide a family atmosphere blended with the best damned presentation that experience and technology can accomplish.

Why would this passion be incompatible with a marriage proposal?

Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 07-04-2006, 06:41 AM:

Movies play such a part in so many peoples lives.
A friend if mine, hired the cinema that I worked at, an old art deco 30,s house, to propose to his girlfriend. He organised a screening of her favorite film, the cinema pretended that it was a commercial screening.
Here in Australia screen advertising is the norm, so on went the 35mm ads and trailers ect. It wasnt until she realised that nobody else was turning up, that she start thinking that something was strange, then he proposed, complete with the projectionist delivering the flowers, champaine & chocolate after she said yes [Smile]

They then sat back and enjoyed her favorite film !

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 07-09-2006, 05:17 PM:

I've got you all beat. A couple rented our place FOR the wedding. The bride had been a Stage Manager at our theatre, and my girlfriend for seven years. The marriage ceremony was performed on the orchestra pit with the organ playing the processional, and after the I Do's, the curtain flew to reveal a dance floor lit as only can be done with all the flexibility of a full stage lighting system, surrounded by the dinner tables for the reception. The pit dropped, the band moved onto it from below and then it rose in time to play the first dance. The whole crew -- lighting, sound, house -- all participated in running the "show" (I ran the sound).

It was pretty impressive.....and depressing, at least for me; she was the girl I lost. [Frown]

Posted by Paul J. Neuhaus (Member # 3205) on 07-11-2006, 08:51 AM:

Damn Frank that was harsh!

Posted by Ian Bailey (Member # 1752) on 07-20-2006, 08:31 AM:

Frank.......that would bring a tear to a GLASS EYE!!!!
[eyes]