NY Hairspray Screening Disaster- Page 5

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 6:40am

This is a Broadway Message Board, Flaunt It.

This is not a Major World Events Message Board.

In the small world that is the subject matter of this message board, this situation was a disaster for thousands of people across the country whose time was wasted by waiting in line for what ended up being a total joke on everyone.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 6:51am

^ Exactly. These people had every right to be pissed off. If I went and waited two hours to get into this movie only to find my pass was invalid, I'd be pissed off.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 7:04am

Y'know, this is one of those moments when you wonder if common sense flew out the window for a long smoke break.

Think about it, folks: someone puts an evite on the Internet and then you guys who, like thousands of others, downloaded and printed it, get all upset because the theatre wasnt HUGE enough to accomodate everyone who came?

Yes, it was a stupid idea to put an evite up in a major market like NY or LA -- and if indeed "tons of links" are showing up in Google, then I think I would be a tad suspicious all around. But, from what I read, the pass very clearly says "Seating not guaranteed". Know what the means? You might not get in. And it doesnt matter if you spent four hours or four days waiting. You might not get in.

But what's even more amazing to me is that here all these people, who apparently cannot read, whine and moan until someone gives them a free ticket to something else -- as though entitlement kicked in yet again.

Lord. As someone else noted, if this is a "disaster", God help us when a *real* one comes along. I can almost hear it now: "I dont like the colour of this tornado! You promised me something in black, and this is just brown! I WANT ANOTHER TORNADO, AND I WANT IT NOW!!!!!"

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 7:18am

You obviously cannot read, Sean. The issue was not SOME people not getting in. The issue was that NOBODY with these passes were admitted. Every single person holding one of these passes was told that they would not be recognized.

Like you even care.

[Flaunt It]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 7:25am

YAWN! If it is a Broadway message board why all the bitching about a film? Honestly.

The evite ticket clearly states there is no guarantee of entry. Why did you feel you were the exception?

You took a gamble and it didn't pay off. Move on! Updated On: 7/17/07 at 07:25 AM

[JRybka]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 7:36am

Want to be a Foster-- Actually they did let some in at the Washington DC one so your comment is null and void. And we do care. But like you, we are intitled to our opinions. Remember, Opinions are like a**holes: everybody's got one... and sometimes they stink!

But I would like to comment about the person who thought that a lady saying "F**cking F*gs" was funny.. unless you were being sacastic, calling someone a Fag is not funny AT ALL. I mean what if she had said.. F**cking N-word... or something -- would that have been just as funny?

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 7:55am

Wannabe, I had one of those evite passes and was admitted. Granted, I was at the front of the line, but I had to wait until a majority of the other passholders got in before the theater manager took pity on those of us who showed up early.

[11/11/05]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 8:10am

The printed "Hairpsray" Screening Passes from E-vite/New Line were numbered (mine was #195) and the name of it's receipitant was printed on the Screening Pass itself. This was not a "free for all" internet download ticket which could copied and printed over and over. In order to recieve the screening pass you had to provide New Line with your name/address and movie going habits. This was clearly a marketing scheme if nothing else. New Line Cinema clearly deceived thousands of people across the country last night. News of this "disaster" is actually being picked up by entertainment websites and bloggers. Congrats New Line on a smashing public relations move.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 8:15am

I was pass #26 in DC. I think a lot of this could have been avoided, had they just admitted people from their placement in line. From what I saw it seemed that the evite people were in the minority (in terms of passes), yet, we were the ones at the front of the line. I knew if I got there late, that there would be a strong chance I wouldn't be admitted. That's why I left work early and got to the theatre 2.5 hours before the screening.

There was a time I almost left, and just thought I should wait it out. I'm glad I did, yet I'm sorry for those of you around the country who were not admitted.

Will I buy a ticket to Hairspray for further viewings? Absolutely!

Updated On: 7/17/07 at 08:15 AM

[cubanpab]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 8:26am

JRybka: "walked in off the street" is an expression... i think you're smart enough to know what i meant. and you are wrong. by 7:20 or so i had made it all the way to the front of the line after nearly everyone in line BEHIND ME had already been let in. There were people walking into the theater at 6:15 and being let in immediately while we stood there begging to be let in.

I saw them with my own eyes. They just waltzed right in.

I only saw about 10 to 15 "evite" holders go in before us. Several hundred ticket holders were let in all ahead of us. Most of them had not been there nearly as long as we had been. I'd venture to say that the majority of the begining of the line were all "evite" holders. And in total maybe 20 evite holders were let in. Total.

At one point people who were all the way at the end of the line just got tired of waiting and walked right up to the theater and walked in aswell. And we had been there since 5:45 or so.

I understand that this was a free movie so i shouldnt complain, but when my ticket says "first come first serve basis", i rush home from work, get there hours early, and rot in line with nothing by my ipod, i expect to be seated on a first come first serve basis!

It was handeled poorly. It was a miracle we got in.


Updated On: 7/17/07 at 08:26 AM

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 8:33am

>> The issue was not SOME people not getting in. The issue was that NOBODY with these passes were admitted

I repeat: "Seating not guaranteed" --> You might not get in. Life is full of disappointment. Move on.

Posted: 7/17/07 at 8:56am

New Line Cinema
888 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10106
[phone]

Robert K. Shaye, Co-Chairman, Co-CEO
[e-mail]

Michael Lynne, Co-Chairman, Co-CEO
[e-mail]

Teri Fournier, SVP, Business & Legal Affairs
[e-mail]

[courtnyj]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:00am

scooter? Oh dear.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:06am

I had the great pleasure and privilage of going to the London premiere last week. Its heart breaking hearing all these stories here but take a deep breath and in a few days you will have your dream come true. Its a great fun film that will be a smash hit come next week. Granted it is different from the stage show so loved by everyone but just go with it and you'll have a ball. I cant wait to see it again with a normal audience over the weekend. You Cant Stop The Beat!' -and you wont want to either.

[ChicagoPLAYer]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:20am

Similiar situation in Chicago. I got in line at 5:00pm for the 7:30pm show. I was about 20th in line. By 7:30 there were about 800 people in the line. They brought everyone with a special black pass into the theatre, then started letting the printed interenet evites into the theatre. Me and only about 30 people behind me got in. I'd guess about 700 people with evites did not get into the show. When I went to buy popcorn, I saw absolute chaos in the lobby.

[Flaunt It]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:42am

What is amazing are the people who waited 3 hours in a line to save $10 on a movie... How little do you value your time?

It is like driving an hour out of your way to save a dollar on grapes.. never thinking of the gas you are wasting!

[cubanpab]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:48am

i dont think thats the point "flaunt it". i didnt wait 2 hours to save $10... i waited 2 hours to save $20! j/k!!

no. in all seriousness... we waited two hours because we anticipated the film so much we didnt want to wait till friday to see it.

simple as that. silly i know, but as a fan you get excited at the prospect of seeing it earlier than planned. and then after they let everyone else in, you get so pissed that it becomes less about the movie and more about getting inside the damn theater after rotting in line for 2 hours. so u didnt feel like u wasted your time.

[turquoisefish]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:23am

I think it is awful that the screenings were handled that badly (I wouldn't call it a disaster though)

I have been to a couple of screenings and the screen has been less than half full. The screenings I went to were promotional ones for general people - not sponsors, so there was no conflict there.
I was at the London Premiere (behind the barrier though) and can't wait for the film to come out on Friday, So happy we get it at the same time as the Americans :)

[Elphie4ever]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:29am

ok i am so pissed about yesterday. I got to the lincoln center at 4:00. I wasn't that far from being in the front of the line right after the garage. Tell me how I stood there for 3 freaking hours with my aunt next to me and four friends in front of me. Then a bastard comes up and says that oh this is only for a special screening with a yellow ticket for salon owners. Seriously, I was like WTF I stood in line for so long for no reason and these idiots didn't know about another screening.


Jeeze, someone go to the today show with me when the Hairspray cast performs or watever. Please join me someone has to stand up because I wasted my free time standing in line to watch Hairspray. Its either bootleg or these guys better make it up. I am MAD, and someone has to bitch about this because its not to save $10, because i was excited to watch Hairspray but now forget it

[jarretSF]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:41am

It was a TOTAL DISASTER. I was in line right behind Eugene, and what a mess. I do feel for AMC, but NEVER have I been treated more like cattle.

The AMC manager I spoke to said he is billing New Line for all the free passes he handed out.

[JRybka]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:43am

Elphie4Eever-- if you want to blame someone do not blame the movie theaters. They are only doing what they were told.

and Cubanpap~ Maybe if you had not sat there rotting listening to your ipod you would have talked to people around you...Then someone might have taken pity on you and given you a cardboard ticket. There were plenty of them seeing as most if not all of the "Sebastian" ticketholders each had one and they were allowed to bring a friend. This elderly lady behind me was given one by a salon owner cause he had extra. I actually had an extra one myself. And I was pretty up in line (mind you I got mine from THE CW) but still.... I would have given you mine if you had not been on your ipod ignoring the world around you.

[Kringas]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:44am

Let that be a lesson to you. Tracy Turnblad didn't have an ipod, did she? Uh, no she did not!

[Fosse76]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:51am

"I repeat: "Seating not guaranteed" --> You might not get in. Life is full of disappointment. Move on."

That may be true, but seeing as how they weren't honoring the passes, this would fall under the heading of consumer fraud, since I believe you had to submit personal information to print the pass. It appears to me that they issued passes they weren't even accepting. It's not any different then issuing a free popcorn ticket and then refusing to accept it. From anyone. But even if you can argue that they had the right to refuse the eVites (which, in my legal opinion, they did not), they had an obligation to inform people right away; not wait until 20 minutes before the screening.

[finebydesign]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 10:59am

[finebydesign]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 11:00am

My evite said 7:30. There wasn't even a 7:30 screening. That made no sense.