So the movie last night was fine; nothing to really comment on. It was pretty, the story was good, I enjoyed it. However, I have something even more interesting to report on: the passes scandal.
See, Code Pink Boston got invited by the movie's publicist to go see the film; our organizer posted the provided free pass in the file's section of our group's site. All we had to do in order to attend the movie was to print out the pass and bring it with us to the theater. Having had trouble getting into free screenings before (hey, it's understandable, when tickets are over $10 a pop now), I knew I had to get there early. I arrived at the theater shortly after 6 for the 7 o'clock show; there were already maybe 60 people in line ahead of me. I staked out my place and pulled out my knitting to kill some time.
Around 6:30, they started letting people into the theater. I showed the ticket collector my pass, and had no problems getting in. Luckily, Jeanette also had no problem convincing the guy downstairs that I was holding her ticket & seat; she joined me shortly thereafter. The theater was already packed, but I was no longer worried: we had our seats! What could go wrong now?
Well. It wasn't quite as smooth sailing as I had hoped for. We noticed rather quickly that some girl was standing in the aisle next to us, yelling into her cell phone, waving a pass identical to mine around, and - most significantly - making this poor girl, the holder of the pass, stand & wait next to her. Phone Girl was exclaiming that there were all of these "fake, photocopied passes" going around and that they weren't supposed to be letting people in with them - there was no movie title even listed on the pass, just the date and time and place! Oh, was she upset. She sounded like heads were going to roll at the office tomorrow morning. I assumed her office was somewhere in the theater, despite how I couldn't totally take her seriously, as she was wearing an outfit fit for a thirteen year old. But, I just kept quiet and watched the action play itself out, because I didn't want her to know I was also sitting on one of these "questionable" passes! We were safely in, weren't we? What could they do now, kick us out?
Shortly before the movie began, this girl stormed to a row several aisles in front of us and demanded that about half a dozen people move - saying that those were seats being specifically reserved for "VIPs". (Yes, that was the word she used.) Jeanette & I were intrigued and making wild guesses as to who those VIPs could possibly be (movie stars? the mayor?) while we watched the poor displaced souls (people who had been sitting in those seats since the theater doors first opened; by this point, there were only random empty seats scattered throughout the theater) gather up their things in bewilderment and shuffle out of the aisle in search of somewhere else to sit.
We kept an eye out for these VIPs, but I guess they showed up just as the movie started, because we never got to see who they were.
No matter, though - really. Because, see, you wanna know the thing? Phone Girl didn't even work for the theater!!! I'm totally serious. I told Code Pink's organizer about the whole debacle this morning, and she contacted the publicist who had originally offered the passes. I don't know the whole story, but I guess the publicist told her there was a "rogue staffer" who was scamming around at the preview. Un-fricking-believable. Seriously. Who does that?!?
Especially because it just occurred to me that she probably was worried her friends wouldn't get in okay - seeing as so many people had these "fake passes" - that she decided to up and claim some seats, Christopher Columbus style, from the innocent people who were already sitting there! So not cool.
And I have to say, I feel totally guilty because I didn't want to question her "authority", even though I should have. And maybe I would have, had I been subject to her outrageous behaviour. But still. I wanna say that I'm impressed by her tactics - so very Frank Abagnale Jr. - but I just think she's a bitch. Plain & simple.
xo
1 comment:
ugh.
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