Price/Ethical Gouging of the American Consumers
Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2015 12:42 am
This time it was a movie theatre. Pray tell, what other ways has your vigilance towards quality Volkswagen parts ended you in a better situation?
Tonight, I took Brian (of TheSamba fame) to see Quentin Tarantino's new film, "The Hateful Eight." It is the first film since 1966 to be shot entirely on Panavision 70 film, and only the eighth or ninth in history (memory fading) to be shot entirely in this hugely expensive and cumbersome format. True to his cinephile roots, Tarantino shot and projected the film entirely on 70mm formats at select theaters around the country, in what he called the "Roadshow Presentation," which mimicked the grandeur and event-like presentations of films in decades past.
When rumors of a San Diego theatre having the equipment to show 70mm films, I jumped on the tickets, for $21 a piece. Drove an hour plus a little traffic time after work, skipped dinner, and settled in with my $6.83 medium soda. Now, the Roadshow Presentation comes with a behind the scenes booklet and extra few minutes of film, (notably, a musical overture with no images,) and all of those elements were there.
Except our projection equipment stopped working earlier that day and they just decided to show us the low-resolution digital screening with 2.0 stereo audio instead. For $21. Per person. In the sold out theatre.
Thankfully, the 3+ hour film had a ten minute intermission, where I waited thirteen minutes behind half of our theatre to get a refund. They didn't even ask questions, but the gentleman behind the counter did that "bad puppy" thing where he won't look you in the eyes when you ask why they would pretend like nothing was wrong.
These were people who drove to San Diego from as far as Orange County for a niche, premium, and (mostly) once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And the theatre didn't say anything. But I heard a voice in my head, likely similar what I heard when I called Airhead Parts last year, and I kept my calm and got the office phone number of the lead projection technician. They're working on the equipment this week and should have it up and running by the weekend. He told me to call him personally every day until I can see it properly.
I am angry, but I still highly recommend the film. Especially if you live in a city where they have the 70mm projection capabilities. Call your theatre, and verify.
I hope you're not squeamish,
Robbie
Tonight, I took Brian (of TheSamba fame) to see Quentin Tarantino's new film, "The Hateful Eight." It is the first film since 1966 to be shot entirely on Panavision 70 film, and only the eighth or ninth in history (memory fading) to be shot entirely in this hugely expensive and cumbersome format. True to his cinephile roots, Tarantino shot and projected the film entirely on 70mm formats at select theaters around the country, in what he called the "Roadshow Presentation," which mimicked the grandeur and event-like presentations of films in decades past.
When rumors of a San Diego theatre having the equipment to show 70mm films, I jumped on the tickets, for $21 a piece. Drove an hour plus a little traffic time after work, skipped dinner, and settled in with my $6.83 medium soda. Now, the Roadshow Presentation comes with a behind the scenes booklet and extra few minutes of film, (notably, a musical overture with no images,) and all of those elements were there.
Except our projection equipment stopped working earlier that day and they just decided to show us the low-resolution digital screening with 2.0 stereo audio instead. For $21. Per person. In the sold out theatre.
Thankfully, the 3+ hour film had a ten minute intermission, where I waited thirteen minutes behind half of our theatre to get a refund. They didn't even ask questions, but the gentleman behind the counter did that "bad puppy" thing where he won't look you in the eyes when you ask why they would pretend like nothing was wrong.
These were people who drove to San Diego from as far as Orange County for a niche, premium, and (mostly) once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And the theatre didn't say anything. But I heard a voice in my head, likely similar what I heard when I called Airhead Parts last year, and I kept my calm and got the office phone number of the lead projection technician. They're working on the equipment this week and should have it up and running by the weekend. He told me to call him personally every day until I can see it properly.
I am angry, but I still highly recommend the film. Especially if you live in a city where they have the 70mm projection capabilities. Call your theatre, and verify.
I hope you're not squeamish,
Robbie