my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » Knife wielding lunatic terrorizes Frida patrons (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: Knife wielding lunatic terrorizes Frida patrons Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-27-2002 04:41 PM                     On December 26th, 2002 during the 6:50 PM show of Frida there was an incident with a man and a knife. A patron came out and told our assistant manager that there was a man in Frida with a knife and he was threatening the customers. He immediately told the other manager and called the police. The police were slow to respond so he called them again. One policeman showed up and when appraised of the situation called for back up. Five policemen in 3 cars showed up. They told the assistant manager that upon their signal to turn up the lights and stop the film. They gave the signal and he turned up the lights and stopped the film. The police jumped on this guy and threw him to the floor with a mighty womp. The assistant managers gave free small popcorns to the patrons of the film and restarted the film. There were six witnesses who gave their reports to the police in the lobby. We gave them passes. The police told my assistant manager that this guy had been involved in a robbery earlier in the day and that they had been looking for him. All in all it turned out all right. Nobody was hurt and the criminal was arrested. We have not heard from any patrons from last night yet. I wish the police had been quicker to respond and I worry about what to do in the time we were waiting for them. I think my assistant managers acted correctly. I think if they had stopped the film earlier, the criminal would have caused harm or run away. I am glad that he was caught. He was definitely not the kind of patron we are looking for at our genteel art house. He received no refund.  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 12-27-2002 05:01 PM                        Ian, New York is a calm city, we have nothing but the nicest of people attending movies here on the coast that will celebrate New Year's Eve a full three hours before your coast. I told you many posts ago if you and Ky want to open a theatre here in the "World's Greatest City" I will be happy to work for you. Only good things happen in New York.....right guy's.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-27-2002 06:52 PM                     Ian, Give your assistants a pat on the back and a couple of martini's from Bob Marr, courtesy of me, for handling it the right way! Good thing you are not in Salt Lake City!! All of your patrons would have had their throats slashed by the time our police got there. We have one of the WORST police departments on earth, and certainly the slowest...average response time I think is 35 min. I wonder if its the doughnuts or what??? Perhaps they are too busy making doughnuts.......or keeping protesters off the LSD Church Plaza...... Mark  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 12-27-2002 07:15 PM                     quote: I wish the police had been quicker to respond and I worry about what to do in the time we were waiting for them. ... I think if they had stopped the film earlier, the criminal would have caused harm or run away. So the evil patron had a knife. So just arm your managers with guns and send them to target practice! It could be kind of like the old west. Still, kudos go to your guys. Keeping things running normally was definitely the best thing to do for the safety of everyone (since they were pretty much defenseless, of course ). Just be happy the guy wasn't watching Pinocchio. No telling what would've happened.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 12-27-2002 08:07 PM                        Not giving the knife-wielder a refund or pass was the best way to ensure he never returns. Customers always vow never to return when they are not "compensated", even when they are in the wrong. If he had been in Pinocchio he would have probably used the knife on himself. But I agree that your employees did the best thing they could given the circumstances. Hopefully nothing like this ever happens again. You don't want to get a reputation as the theater where all the crazies go. Hopefully the customers who were in that show praise the theater to their circle of friends.  |  IP: Logged Ken Layton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1452 From: Olympia, Wash. USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 12-28-2002 12:09 AM                     This is exactly the reason I own 5 police scanners and keep one running in the booth with me.  |  IP: Logged Mike Williams Master Film Handler Posts: 255 From: Knoxville, TN Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-28-2002 10:19 AM                     quote: So the evil patron had a knife. So just arm your managers with guns and send them to target practice! It could be kind of like the old west. You really are from Texas!  |  IP: Logged Gerard S. Cohen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 975 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 12-28-2002 05:18 PM                     Ian wrote: quote: He was definitely not the kind of patron we are looking for at our gentile art house. He wouldn't be welcome in a Jewish art house, either! Seriously, I'm glad it turned out well. Having a member of management stationed where he was able to receive early notice by a patron of the threat posed made all the difference in the outcome. Gerard  |  IP: Logged Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-28-2002 05:44 PM                     Update, The knife wielding lunatic's name was Michael and the cops knew him. He had been released that day from a psychiatric hospital to a halfway house. He simply walked out of the halfway house. He had pulled the knife stunt on a bus earlier that day and that was why the police were seeking him. What he did in the theatre was pull out the knife and tell the patron that he 'was going to cut her fucking throat.' They were understandably upset. The police knew who he was even before they went into the theatre. The cop put his hand on the criminals shoulder and said 'come quietly Michael.' Then he and his partners put him on the ground quickly. The police were pleased to get him. The arresting officer talked to the theatre full of patrons to calm them down. This is probably why I haven't heard from any of the patrons. My third assistant manager said, when told of the story, "oh why do I always miss the fun?" The lads seem to be taking it in stride.  |  IP: Logged Jim Ziegler Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 753 From: West Hollywood, CA Registered: Jul 99 posted 12-30-2002 05:33 PM                     Brad and Joe, Had he been in Pinocchio, he would have had to use the knife on himself... No one else would have been in there...  |  IP: Logged Charles Everett Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: New Jersey Registered: May 2001 posted 12-31-2002 08:02 AM                     Or maybe Gangs of New York. BTW the AMC Empire had a fight break out in the middle of Gangs. That turned Times Square into the Wild West for one night.  |  IP: Logged Rachel Craven Madam Moderator Posts: 2190 From: Pensacola, FL Registered: Dec 2000 posted 12-31-2002 07:04 PM                     Well Ian my buddy across the country. Seems Art houses have not been doing to well. Last night our box office got held up at gunpoint. They waited for me to walk out of the lobby for 2 seconds and made their way in, the whole ordeal lasted about 45 seconds, all the while, I was in the bathroom.  |  IP: Logged Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-01-2003 02:05 PM                     Oh my God! Tell us what happend.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-01-2003 03:36 PM                     Rachel, Where was your gun? You coulda been a local hero! Mark  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-01-2003 10:41 PM                     Personally, I think all money handling areas should be monitored by surveillance cameras. It keeps the help honest and it also helps the cops to catch the low-life bung who knocked over the joint.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.