I have this weird addiction to watching the end credits of a movie. I'm weird, or so I've been told. I suppose it's part of my life dedication to watching motion pictures, or that I'm a film critic, or I love listening to the music, or what the film was photographed on...it goes on and on. On my weekly jaunts to the cinema, I also usually have time to do this before I catch my commuter ride home.
It's not a popular opinion, as the current majority of people get up and run out of the cinema as soon as the first credit hits the screen, although I once dated a girl who was also an end credit stickler, so there's a few non-critic folk who also support it (and the fact she works 7 days a week is the reason we're not dating anymore, but that's another story).
The reason I bring this up is because here I was at the Saturday evening showing of the IMAX version of "Happy Feet" at the National Geographic IMAX theatre in Victoria, BC. Sweet theatre, has one of the largest 'max screens I've come across and they do things pretty much on the right side. You can also buy an annual pass for $39 here which takes care of your 'max viewing pretty nicely every year.
So here I am, watching the closing credits for the Happy Feet, killing time before a bus ride home and having a chat with some nearby credit watchers as the credits progressed. The film was on a busy and late schedule, and there was a next show scheduled for just a few minutes afterwards, but the show still had to end.
While the long and Cinerama-style credits for the Feet were on screen, a staffer approached me and asked me if I was staying for the next show. I responded "no" and the folks next to me said the same, to which he then says "Okay well I need you all to exit the theater as quickly as possible for the next show" as he quickly runs to clean up the place for the next show. "No big deal," I thought, "As soon as we're done watching these credits I'm outta here." I still had 20 minutes to kill before walking a block to catch my bus anyway, so five minutes less in the cold works for me.
A minute or two pass, and then the same staffer approaches us and in a strongly aggressive tone, goes "FOR THE SECOND TIME, if you are NOT staying for the next show, please LEAVE immediately through the exit doors." which basically meant that to them, the end of the movie was when "Directed by George Miller" appeared on screen. "I'm watching the credits, I will leave as soon as they're done," I said, to which the staffer somewhat frantically (and carelessly) goes "I'm sorry, but we need everyone to leave so we can get the next show in. We're behind on our schedule". "I don't care", I said, "I'm watching the credits. I paid my ticket price which includes the right to watch them. Back off." The man was still persistent and distracting me, so I finally turned to him and said "Give me a refund. If you're not going to let me stay and finish the film, I want my money back." Then he said something that I never thought any staff member would say. "Well how do I know you're not sneaking in to see the next show?" The current movie was still running, and the next film was a IMAX short which I had just seen prior to Happy Feet. Also, I have an annual pass which gets me tickets to any show I want, so why would I sneak into a show that's already sold out?
I then asked again for a refund on my ticket, to which he offered to let me speak to a manager, which they always do (and wouldn't have been much help considering they were so busy, behind schedule, which was apparently our fault), and I finally walked away from him as he offered me a pass to see another show. At this point, he thought he had won by pushing me out of the theater, but as soon as his back was turned I and the two other folks stopped in our tracks and watched the final bit of the credits as Robin Williams said "Gracias" before we left the theater.
If you're in the theater business, you know that there's some legal on your contract with the studio that says that anyone who pays to see a movie at your theater has the right to watch the film right up until the final studio logo has appeared on screen. If they turn off the movie or ask you to leave, they're in breach of contract with the studio. It's part of the movie. Some of you might think that this is all silly and why I would even bother, but it's part of a growing trend that I've been seeing in cinemas: staff treat customers like cattle and want them the hell out to convenience them and not their patrons, and there are still people who like to stay, enjoy the experience and talk about the movie with others. You may not agree with it, but it's our right and we're sticking to it.
Anyways, I was pissed. As many know, I'm really supportive of good cinemagoing habits and showmanship, and the fact that someone tried to kick me out of the theater before a movie was over and then accuse me of theater hopping was deeply insulting. The folks I was talking with a moment before were also very angry about this. "We love watching the end credits," the man said. "If they wanted to kick us out, why didn't they just shut off the projector?" as we stood in the corner and watched the end of the creds tail out, still thinking we'd have the jerk staff member come and yell at us again.
And here's what you do instead of talking to a busy manager...instead, go home and find a "Contact us" form on a website or find someone in corporate. Which is exactly what I did. I used the feedback form, sent my message and the general manager responded the next day, profusely apologizing about the situation and assuring me that he would speak to the staff member and have their operations manager talk about these policies with their staff, and even said he would follow up in a few days. I was offered a few passes, but since I only paid a few dollars to attend the screening (you pay a small $3 surcharge if you have a pass) I politely declined. The more important thing is that my complaint got to the right person, and it did, and problemo solved.
There are still people out there who care, even in a day and age where everything moves faster and the moviegoing experience is going by the wayside. The customer isn't always right, but don't let staff members rush you out of the cinema just to serve themselves. You're not cattle.
Jason
efilmcritic.com
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