Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Naked Woman Shocks 'Last Mimzy' Family Audience

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

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Ground Level » Naked Woman Shocks 'Last Mimzy' Family Audience (Page 1)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4

Author

Topic: Naked Woman Shocks 'Last Mimzy' Family Audience

Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1904
From: Los Angeles, California
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-06-2007 02:08 PM

CBS/AP News Story

quote:

Graphic Images Of Dead Baby Birth Shown To Parents, Kids---'The Hills Have Eyes 2' Played In Wrong Theatre

(CBS/AP) HOLTSVILLE, N.Y. Moviegoers expecting to see the PG rated "Last Mimzy" instead watched in shock as a chained naked woman gave birth to a dead baby on screen.

It seems the folks at the Island 16 Multiplex in Holtsville mixed up the films last evening, and the R-Rated "The Hills Have Eyes 2" was played in the wrong theater.

Some 50 people -- including parents with young children -- began screaming and ran out. The manager at the theater got an earful from angry parents.

The staff stopped the movie, gave free ticket vouchers to upset patrons and started the "Last Mimzy" about a half-hour late.

| IP: Logged

Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 04-06-2007 02:24 PM

Wow. Who was the projectionist? Tyler Durden?

| IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-06-2007 02:30 PM

So does "The Hills Have Eyes 2" have a chained naked woman giving birth in the first 30 seconds of the movie? Because if not, I can't imagine normal people not realizing there was a mistake before anything too graphic occurred. Maybe when the title "THE HILLS HAVE EYES 2" appeared onscreen, it would have been a clue.

Of course these ARE modern parents we're talking about, so I guess anything's possible. I'm sure there will by lawsuits a-flying before the weekend's out.

| IP: Logged

Joseph L. Kleiman
Master Film Handler

Posts: 380
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Apr 2005

posted 04-06-2007 02:37 PM

Didn't this happen in 2005 with Chicken Little? Those crazy New York theaters!

| IP: Logged

Christopher Seo
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 530
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-06-2007 03:04 PM

Ah, the curse of programming the big house with the kids' show by day and the adults' show by night....

The content of the trailers probably should have been the first clue to the audience that something was amiss. Or not.

| IP: Logged

Eric Hooper
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 532
From: Fort Worth, TX, USA
Registered: May 2003

posted 04-06-2007 03:37 PM

Stop making excuses. This should not happen regardless. What happened to showmanship these days? Again, no wonder I don't go to the movie anymore...

| IP: Logged

Caleb Johnstone-Cowan
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 593
From: London, UK
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 04-06-2007 04:12 PM

I nearly did this the other way round with 'Ant Bully' and 'Miami Vice'. Luckily I got to the screen to check before the feature started. Stopped the show between the ad and the ratings card, and put Miami Vice on. I know I screwed up but we did try to sort out the error with no obvious disturbance to the audience. Always put the platter covers on the film not playing after that. What pissed me off at the time was that floor staff hadn't gone in to check things and realised the kids ad reel was playing, no idea about working as a team.

We had someone who was kinda like the hare to my tortoise, he put the wrong film on about twice a month I reckon. It was similar stuff to the news report,'15' rated films going on instead of a kids film. He quit eventually.

| IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-06-2007 04:23 PM

quote: Eric Hooper
Stop making excuses. This should not happen regardless.

While I agree the projectionist was wrong not to double-check, I am sure you have made a mistake at least ONCE in your life.

| IP: Logged

Chad M Calpito
Master Film Handler

Posts: 435
From: San Diego, CA
Registered: Apr 2006

posted 04-06-2007 04:30 PM

One of the things that I always do when two movies are in one auditorium is that I always double check the projectionist schedule and double check which print that I am about to thread up that way I won't screw up. Plus, I always leave a print cover on the print that won't be used until a particular show time comes up for that movie.

| IP: Logged

Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1904
From: Los Angeles, California
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-06-2007 07:33 PM

quote: Christopher Seo
Ah, the curse of programming the big house with the kids' show by day and the adults' show by night....

Even worse...they were staggered.

Island 16: Cinema de Lux

quote:
The Last Mimzy
12:30 3:00 7:50

The Hills Have Eyes 2
5:30 10:20 12:30

| IP: Logged

Ian Woloschin
Film Handler

Posts: 54
From: Worcester, MA, USA
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 04-07-2007 12:59 AM

Heh...that place is right by my house...

If it's the theater I'm thinking of, I've never seen or heard of a mistake like that before.

| IP: Logged

Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1904
From: Los Angeles, California
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 04-07-2007 01:04 AM

If you've never heard of or seen such a mistake, then you've either been really lucky or haven't worked in the industry for very long.

You also seem to be a bit geography-challenged as Holtsville, NEW YORK is nowhere near Worcester, MASSACHUSETTS! (Perhaps you are thinking of this theatre?)

| IP: Logged

Andrew McCrea
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 645
From: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-07-2007 01:47 AM

quote: Mike Blakesley
While I agree the projectionist was wrong not to double-check, I am sure you have made a mistake at least ONCE in your life.

I threaded Charlotte's Web when it was supposed to be Rocky Balboa.

I also didn't catch a last minute swap and ended up running (I forget the two movies, but one was X-Men 3 and they were both similar) the wrong movies in the wrong theatre...

Mistakes like that suck, but I'm too over cautious now.

| IP: Logged

Brad Miller
Administrator

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

posted 04-07-2007 02:35 AM

The best trick I've ever found to prevent this is to leave 2 brains in every platter NOT running a double-up. Any auditorium that is sharing two prints a day only gets one brain. That way when the projectionist has to move the brain to thread the next show..."HEY BUDDY, SOMETHING IS WRONG...CHECK THE SCHEDULE" comes into their minds.

Seriously, it works. (Well ok, it doesn't work on Kinoton platters or platters with stationary brains, but still you get the idea.)

| IP: Logged

Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 04-07-2007 06:03 AM

quote: Brad Miller
Any auditorium that is sharing two prints a day only gets one brain.

Agree with this one, since I've done it as well, but went farther .. One brain all the time since we rotated decks for each movie set.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4

Printer-friendly view of this topic

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.