So Mr. lbotp and I ventured out to our first movie in C-U since well before Peanut was born. It just so happened that the one movie that we deemed worthy of our hard-earned dollar was the new Spiderman. Let me interrupt here by saying that normally, the only movies I pay to watch in the theater are usually what most people would term as highbrow art films that usually employ at least one British actor. But off to Spiderman we went.
Mr. lbotp couldn’t remember the last time he went to a blockbuster movie the very night it opened. Neither could I. And man, did we feel old.
Theater One at the Savoy 16 was packed, but it wasn’t full. It’s fun to see that kind of movie with a lot of people, to hear people’s reactions. It makes me feel more alive for some odd reason.
So the movie is about to end, Tobey Maguire has defeated his enemies and made up with his girlfriend. All of a sudden, the film just stops. No fade to black, no credits, no nothing. The lights came up and the natives were restless. Some people started to leave. On the screen, commercials appear. It’s clear no one knows quite what to do; no one knows quite how much time remained in the film. I guess we could have demanded a refund, but did I really want to sit through that movie again for what could have been two minutes or two seconds?
The clean-up crew comes in and I took the opportunity to ask them about it. They said the film burned out and we should talk to the manager. We’re about to walk out and in comes some guy in a suit who says that the movie will be back on in a few minutes. At this point the theater is half full. We sat through the previews — the Simpsons Movie, again; the Pirates of the Carribean sequel; and Shrek 3.
Spiderman returns — for all of 1.8 seconds. So we waited about 15 minutes for 1.8 seconds. That warranted the crowd’s biggest guffaw of the night.
At least we didn’t have to sit through another 2 hours and 19 minutes.
Maybe I should make them reimburse me for the extra babysitter cost.
11 responses so far ↓
Bro // May 8, 2007 at 9:54 am
Just ask Scottie Pippen how important 1.8 seconds is….
Marty McKee // May 8, 2007 at 10:11 am
The Savoy 16 has been a thoroughly mediocre theater ever since former manager Matt Johnson left it in the mid-’90s to move up to Goodrich’s corporate office. Those screwups happen all the time there. Unfortunately for us, the Beverly is hardly any better.
Amber // May 8, 2007 at 11:33 am
Maybe you should stick to your highbrow art films that usually employ at least one British actor, snob
Gnightgirl // May 8, 2007 at 12:40 pm
I rarely go to movies, but have gotten my money back more than once at Savoy 16; I wondered if I just happen to show up on technical difficulty day, or if the majority of their showings have problems.
I’m often amazed at the people that just sit through the movie, seemingly ignoring the fact that there is NO SOUND, and hoping it comes back on. I give it a chance, but after a few minutes, get my money back. I don’t pay to watch a movie on ‘mute!’
paul // May 8, 2007 at 2:02 pm
many’ the time at both local large theaters that the sound has been off, or it’s 100 degree, or the film is misframed, and nobody gets up to complain. i always end up having to leave the theater to chase down a manager.
people as lsugs as consumers. you pay $10 bucks for a movie, it ought to be pleasant experience
Liz // May 8, 2007 at 6:42 pm
I was there!
Being a teenager yet, this was my first experience with a malfunction at the Savoy 16, but I doubt it’ll be my last.
I still think it’s funny that we had to wait 10 or 15 minutes for the last three frames of the movie. And then there weren’t even any cookies at the end of the credits. Oh well.
Snmnstrz21 // May 8, 2007 at 8:12 pm
I told my husband once that the reason the movie theater is named the Savoy 16 is because 16 is the average mental age of the employees.
Lisa // May 8, 2007 at 8:32 pm
So infuriating! I’ve stopped going to the Beverly (what’s it called now?) altogether. I sat through two movies there that I could barely hear (even after complaining to the manager during the movie), and after the second one, I said, that’s it. But the Savoy has problems, too. If they can’t handle 16 theatres, why do they build them? They should practice just showing one movie well, then think about building a bigger venue! Thank goodness there’s the Art.
Lisa // May 8, 2007 at 8:33 pm
Hey, I guess I thought this was a “Speak Your Piece.”
lbotp // May 9, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Liz — welcome to lbotp! Cookies would have been nice. And milk.
Snmnstrz — Thanks for the laught.
Lisa — I try to avoid the Beverly at all costs after someone was shot there a few years ago.
Paul — Can you believe it, I got the student rate …
prairie biker // May 15, 2007 at 6:37 am
I dislike the Beverly because it’s always filthy.
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