Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: How To Sneak Into A Movie

This is topic How To Sneak Into A Movie in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 01-11-2004, 06:33 PM:

Are you a Movie Hopper?

Interesting website for Hop Heads

>>> Phil

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-11-2004, 08:02 PM:

Beware of stupid "mission impossible" music at that link above.

And if kids think the tricks on this website works for true theater professionals, they are sorely mistaken! [evil]

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-11-2004, 08:15 PM:

Ways to sneak in? How about impersonating someone from a distribution home office? Wear some business clothing, carry a clipboard with some official looking forms on it and say you're there to check out how the show is presented. Be sure to act like you're inspecting the theater, etc.

Of course, it should be said if you can afford some "business attire" and other stuff to go with the get up you can probably afford the price of a movie ticket. And as would be the case, the amount time it would take in researching and preparing for such a scam would have a lot more value to it than the price of a movie ticket.

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 01-11-2004, 08:32 PM:

I like Abbey Hoffman's method to getting free stuff:

If you are going to a chain theater, resturant or whatever, call the corporate office and find out the name of a big shot like a VP or such and call the theater and say you are calling on his behalf and you want tickets for yourself.

For movie theatres this would work well if you had the name of a big shot at a studio, you may not even need the name, just make something up.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 01-11-2004, 08:39 PM:

quote:
...if you can afford some "business attire" and other stuff to go with the get up you can probably afford the price of a movie ticket.

I like your idea, Bobby. That quote above is very true. But the point is the ***thrill*** of getting away with it! [beer]

>>> Phil

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 01-11-2004, 10:00 PM:

1. Go to a theater in which the bathroom is past ticker tearer.
2. Come in at a busy time say 7:00pm Friday.
3. Ask to use the bathroom to the ticket taker.
4. Use the facilities.
5. Walk into a theater.

It's quite simple, especially when the ticket taker is a moron or at a theater that tears tickets at the box office! I've caught many kids trying this and they have all fallen upon my wrath! [evil]

AJG

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 01-11-2004, 10:49 PM:

What about the more common practice of taking in a "double feature". Pay for one movie, watch two. OK, OK. Don't send a hitman to my house, please. Have I done it? I'll say this. I dont' do it with movies that I would normally want to pay to watch in a theater. More out of curiosity. Batman and Robin. I wanted to see how bad it was and could have waited to see it on tv. But it was playing next door after my movie. Walked in , still ended up feeling ripped off for my time.

I don't agree with the website suggestion about not buying popcorn. As long as you do it between the two movies, I think it will be fine. I have done it and the theater cares more about your popcorn money anyway.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 01-11-2004, 10:57 PM:

Geez... what a waste of good bandwidth! [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 01-12-2004, 12:41 AM:

Movie hopping is my pet peeve. For the last 14 years I have kicked thousands of people out of theatres I have worked at for "theft of services". My recent favorite happened last week:

A guy comes up to the doorpost and proceeds to walk by me. I politely ask him for his ticket. He states he has a ticket (for a feature on the opposite side of the building). I explain to him that his theatre entrance is on the other side of the lobby. He then explains that he wanted to catch part of "Last Samurai", that his movie did not start for a bit. I told him he may purchase a ticket at the box office. He says "Well, I've already seen 'Last Samurai', so why can't I just walk in and see it again? Why should I have to pay for it twice?" I then said to him that I just recently purchased a snickers bar at Walgreens, and asked him if that gave me the right to walk into Walgreens and walk out with a snickers bar in my pocket (without paying) since I recently purchased one. He proceeded to sit on the bench in the lobby for a half an hour - waiting for his film........

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 01-12-2004, 01:16 AM:

I'm surprised he didn't go to Walgreens to buy a Snickers bar to eat while he watched his show.

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 01-12-2004, 01:46 AM:

that site fails to mention the most important rule of movie-hopping etiquette: don't barge in halfway through a movie. if you do that you're crossing the line of annoying other customers.

i'm glad he at least tells hoppers to pick up their trash. even non-hoppers should take a hint from that.

carl

[ 01-12-2004, 02:47 AM: Message edited by: Carl Martin ]

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 01-12-2004, 02:01 AM:

What's Yur prob Mr. Slave? Snickers rule! [beer]

>>> Phil

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 01-12-2004, 02:54 PM:

If the Industry doesn't want people to theatre hop, then bring back the single screen movie palaces and have Hollywood stop releasing garbage. Consumers these days have no regard for movie theatres because the Industry has no regard for them. $5 for popcorn, and a 75-minute movie? Come on.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-13-2004, 02:09 AM:

No -- consumers have no regard for theatres because they have been raised with the "If you don't get caught, it's OK" attitude. Same reason they trash rest rooms, shoplift, etc.

With the above logic, we should be charging double prices for Lord of the Rings. Hmm, not a bad idea at that.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 01-13-2004, 07:17 AM:

quote:
...the "If you don't get caught, it's OK" attitude.

I agree, Mike. That and the "Blame it on someone/something else" attitude and the lack of personal responsibility in general.

>>> Phil

Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 01-13-2004, 10:29 AM:

I always pay for movies I see and don't believe in sneaking into movies without paying, but since I review facilities on my WWW site, security is something I think about when examining a place. I've noticed that there were many times at some theatres it would have been easy to walk into an auditorium.

A good "metric" is how often can you buy your ticket and get into the auditorium without having your ticket stub torn (since theoretically, if you can do that, you bypassed the checker). There is only one theatre in my area for which I don't have an untorn stub, and it's the Regal River Oaks Cinema 8 in Decatur. I'll bet it's very difficult for anyone to pull anything off there very often.

On non-busy nights, most theatres have the person selling you the ticket at the box office to go ahead and tear the ticket. That way, they don't have to have another person to tear them at the hall entrance(s). Of course, that makes it easier for people to go to different movies than they paid for, or get in without paying if nobody is watching the hall entrances. Once in a hall, it's easy for people to go into any auditorium on that hall. On a non-busy night, if someone tries to see a movie that nobody else bought a ticket for, the projector may not be started because the computer says 0 tickets have been sold.

On busy nights, the easiest way to have the ticket stub untorn is to go buy the ticket early, leave the theatre to go to the mall (if the theatre is next to a mall like 2 of ours are), then come back. Now you have the untorn ticket when you walk in the lobby, and all you have to do is avoid having the ticket torn on the way in, which can be easy or impossible depending on the theatre.

This has been my "security check game" I've done for a long time. Another thing I'll do sometimes is if I'm seeing a movie for the second time, I'll show the stub from the previous showing (if it's the same style stub from the same theatre company), instead of the one I just bought, to see if the checker notices (and if so, show the correct one). I did this with Toy Story 2 and showed an older stub from Regal Rainbow Cinema 8 in Gadsden when I went into the hall at Regal River Oaks Cinema 8 in Decatur, although I had the correct one I'd just bought ready. The manager looked at at (quite closely actually) and didn't notice. I tend to keep a number of recent ticket stubs in my wallet because I'm lazy and don't clean it out often.

I wonder if someone has tried a "pile of old stubs" routine. One a busy night, have 15 or 20 old stubs in the wallet, and when the usher asks for the stub, say "I put in here" and pull out the stack and go through them, looking for the stub. On a busy night, he/she might just say "Go on in." I would not do this -- I'm just thinking of ways that people could get in without paying.

About that web site mentioned at the beginning of this thread -- it's been there a long time, since I remember reading it a long time ago. In fact, I think it was discussed here shortly after film-tech got started. I really don't like sites like that, that try to tell people how to do something wrong to try to get by with it. All it does is make some dummy get the idea that he can do it and get away with it. Many people will read the site, try it, and get caught. It just puts new bad ideas into people's heads.

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 01-13-2004, 10:34 AM:

Yep. I get this all the time. "Can I watch this movie until mine starts?" or "I'm waiting for so-and-so, can I go into the movie they're in?" And they get mad when you tell them no. And they get even more mad when you catch them and kick them out after they do it anyway.

quote:
Same reason they trash rest rooms, shoplift, etc.

Very true. Whenever me or an employee are in the restroom doing a check, and there are people in there, they always flush, always throw the paper towel in the trash... but you leave for five minutes and come back, and the place is a disaster.

That's why so much damage happens in auditoriums. People think there's no one watching them, so they can put their feet on chairs, spit sunflower seeds on the ground, and carve names into armrests. [Mad]

=TMP=

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 01-13-2004, 12:20 PM:

Back when I worked for an AMC theatre, it seemed that somebody went and embossed their initials onto every single one of our armrests...

...Lucky for us, their initials were AMC...

I thought that was just a fluke but then I noticed they had done it at some of our other locations, too. Near as I can tell, this was perpetrated by some kind of obsessed thrill-seeking wierdo...with a good working knowledge of plastic and embossing.

Similar problem observed at the IMAX theatres. Some guy (or gal) with the initials I.M.A.X. went ahead and "marked" all of those armrests in a similar fashion.

What makes people do this? Are they looking for attention? Or are they attempting to claim those armrests as their own property? Gang territorial markings?

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 01-13-2004, 02:06 PM:

quote:
What makes people do this? Are they looking for attention?

I think with any entertainment venue, you're going to get this. Theme parks, movie theatres, dance clubs, concerts, etc. People are out having a good time, and sometimes that is associated with breaking a few rules. People are people. When you were young, didn't you write your name in a freshly paved sidewalk? (No Mystic River references please) There's always going to be someone f*cking things up at the theatre. Just gotta live with it I guess.

What I meant by what I said earlier is that lately when I've gone to these new megaplexes, I'm treated with a bunch of kids (employees) giving me bad customer service. No showmanship. No standards. You tear my ticket at the box office, and I just walk in to the lobby, where I notice that I didn't even have to pay for a ticket to do that. That doesn't make me feel very good about spending my money. Then I go up to the third floor the auditorium is on, and the concession counter is closed with a sign telling me to buy concessions on the first floor. Ok, I do that and again feel raped by $5 popcorn and $5 sodas. And no one even says...."enjoy the show".

Customers need to feel good about spending their money. It shows them that the theatre appreciates their business and patronage. Lately though, this is not the case, and that's what I meant by not having regard for customers these days... Theatres, in my opinion, are asking for it. (theft, people theatre hopping, etc.)

If customers are treated better, maybe they'd have more respect for your venue.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 01-13-2004, 03:28 PM:

Eric:

I was kidding around with those examples. But the notion of why people "mark" property is valid nonetheless, as you've pointed out by responding ONLY to that question.

While I was out running errands I remembered a documentary that was all about bathroom graffiti. There were so many interesting opinions as to why graffiti happens. People who admitted to writing on bathroom walls gave varying reasons, too.

Posted by Christian Appelt (Member # 1067) on 01-13-2004, 08:40 PM:

I wouldn't want to encourage anybody, but there are two more nice ways of sneaking into theatres:

1. Carry a film can, even better: a 3-reel-container, in some European countries black cardboard containers with transport stickers are fine. If you want to push the limit, carry a 2000ft. reel with some film on it and give the employees a friendly nod when you pass them. If you think that's too silly - I knew a guy who always got into closed before-release screenings held in a multiplex, nobody ever dared to ask him who he was.

2. Get a good Jack Valenti makeup, practise the malocchio before mirror at home, then enter the theatre of your choice carrying a visible video camera. (It has not been done before, but if someone tries, I'd like to know what happened.)

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 01-13-2004, 09:14 PM:

quote:
Get a good Jack Valenti makeup, practise the malocchio before mirror at home, then enter...

Christian, that's hilarious! LUV it!

Walking around places like you own it will get you places you thought you'd never get into...(...including jail!)

I like to walk around the studios, stages and back lots looking important and like I know what's going on and am supposed to be there.

I've gotten away with this for years and have weaseled my way onto many pictures during filming.

I was only caught once. While cheating at Universal Studios a couple of years ago, Mr. Terminator Cameron himself saw me and challenge me cuz I wasn't wearing a hardhat in a construction area. Security unceremoniously thru me out on my ass. [Big Grin]

But as I mentioned B4, it's the challenge and the "thrill" of getting away with it! [beer]

>>> Phil

Posted by R. Andrew Diercks (Member # 1725) on 01-15-2004, 03:51 PM:

My favorite movie hopping story...

A couple went to We Were Soldiers and walked out over 1.5 hours into the film, they proceeded to walk toward a neighboring auditorium so I asked if I could help them. They said they were going to attend this film instead. I politely explained that they are welcome to view the next showing if they purchased a ticket. The woman refused, and said We Were Soldiers was making her physically ill and she was a member of the church. (Never said which church) She then said I should have told them of the violence before they bought tickets so I showed her the one sheet with the R rating. Under which stated "For sustained scenes of graphic war violence and language" I also explained that we pay for these movies based on the attendance and we cannot allow guests to travel between movies. Her husband then stated that the studios would never know they hopped unless I told them, so whats the big deal. I responded by saying "Perhaps, but as members of the church, you would certainly not want me to lie to them." By far my greatest argument.

[ 01-16-2004, 01:39 PM: Message edited by: R. Andrew Diercks ]

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 01-16-2004, 09:42 AM:

quote:
For the last 14 years I have kicked thousands of people out of theatres I have worked at for "theft of services".

Just call the cops and file charges, that'll put a stop to it in no time. Let customers see the cops hauling them off. When word gets around that you mean business, that crap will stop.

quote:
Security unceremoniously thru me out on my ass.

Phil, that's because you forgot to carry a clipboard!

Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 01-16-2004, 09:51 AM:

I once was told a tale by a woman that formerly worked at the Hoyts up in Bangor, Maine.

Apparently one day, the manager caught some teens / young adults that snuck in, escorted them to the lobby, had them take a seat on a bench, then instructed a matronly employee to "watch them, don't let them go anywhere". The employee happily complied, but maintained a grim expression while watching the sneaks like a hawk.
The manager proceeded to call the police, who promptly showed up, then carted the miscreants off for 'theft of services'. I'm not sure to what legal end the manager in question pursued the matter, but apparently it was an exceptionally long time before anyone else tried sneaking into that cinema!

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 01-16-2004, 10:27 AM:

Word gets around. In the one and only time I will ever be a theatre manager, I was assigned a drive-in that had been run by a slew of different managers. They had let the place go lax to such a degree that, for years, more people were sneaking in than paying at the boxoffice.

I immediately started calling the cops on slip-ins and stowaways for theft by deception (that charge is easier to prove, since whether theatres actually perform a service could be open to interpretation). In a drive-in, people can't help seeing the police cruiser pull up and work the situation. Well, within 4 or 5 weeks, word had gotten around that we were serious and the problem stopped. Only had an isolated thief here or there from out of town the rest of the season.

It works.

Posted by Paul Trimboli (Member # 1509) on 01-17-2004, 12:17 AM:

Well at one cinema I work in sneek in are very common, nothing like the feeling of kicking people out! When I worked at IMAX we had a good one with 2 guys sneeking into a 3D movie after using the toilets. Saw them walking in on the security camera and went in and it was very easy to spot the idiots, they had no 3D glasses.We asked them for their tickets they said they lost them, but they did buy them, so we asked them where there 3D glasses where, they left and did not say anymore! [Big Grin]

Posted by Chris Byrne (Member # 1563) on 01-17-2004, 08:27 PM:

I don't know about sneaking into a movie ... A manager was telling me the other day how easy it would be to walk off with the day's takings [Eek!]

As fate would have it he was demoted a couple of day's later for attitude related problems.