SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
DrTheatre
Broadway Star Joined: 9/23/05
#1SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 12:20am
Yes, SF had the same problem almost 400 people did not get in. I was third in line and waited since 9am and the movie started at 7:30pm and they let the people who had these special passes in first.
I was cool that the fact they let the people in first...I had no concerns about that..but the fact is the way they handled it...they started to let people in from the second line...which was fine...(I was like WOW I got in)...anyway...when me and my friends got inside the theater... there was already another 100 people standing in isles. HELLO can anyone count? You don't let people in when you still have more people to fill. At the time we had suggested to them that maybe you should cut the line off where they were at and move the screening to a larger theater to so those who did get in can see the movie...they said no and we all were asked to leave....
Needless to say it was a major disaster, the person from NEW LINE CINEMA pretty much told us "Tough sh**" now get out...the person involved had all 160 people escorted out of the theater by security as if we were in the wrong.
A number was given out by a young man to NEW LINE CINEMA productions and everyone who did not get in, but was told to go in in called that number and complained.
I know it is just a movie, and if I was told we could not get in because there was a mix up or whatever, I would have been totally cool with it, but what got me was that fact they did not know what they were doing at all. And just kept leading us on.
At one point they had no clue why there was a second line. If I was in charge, at that point I would have addressed those that were in the second line and identify what happen and apologies for the mistake.
Poor Management all around.
I heard SF CHRONICLE will have a story on it tomorrow and there were some top reviewers and press there as well that did not have the special passes and did not get to see the movie (but were let into the theater) and then asked to leave when there was not enough room.
Many of the people who did not get in, plan now not to see the movie or support the movie HAIRSPRAY not because they did not get in, but because they way things were handled and they way they were treated.
I was also told that HAIRSPRAY (at the theater that had the screening) was not even going to be showing there come Friday. Now that puzzles me, because that is the biggest theater chain in SF and you are not even going to be showing the movie come Friday....that just does not make sense.
Well, you know what they say "Bad press is good press"
"In the U.S.A.
You can have your say,
You can set you goals
And seize the day,
You've been given the freedom
To work your way
To the head of the line-
To the head of the line!"
---Stephen Sondheim
Updated On: 7/17/07 at 12:20 AM
TapTapTapioca
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/27/07
#2re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 12:23amNot good PR for Hairspray.
I shave me Xanadu every morning!
jimnysf
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/10/05
#2re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 12:25amI also posted a thread about this a few minutes ago. A complete disaster all around. Shame on New Line and AMC.
"I've lost everything! Luis, Marty, my baby with Chris, Chris himself, James. All I ever wanted was love." --Sheridan Crane "Passions"
-------
"Housework is like bad sex. Every time I do it, I swear I'll never do it again til the next time company comes."--"Lulu"
from "Can't Stop The Music"
-----
"When the right doors didn't open for him, he went through the wrong ones" - "Sweet Bird of Youth"
------------
---------
"Passions" is uncancelled! See NBC.com for more info.
SueleenGay
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/9/03
#3re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 12:26am
Blame Shaiman. Always blame Shaiman. 
PEACE.
jimnysf
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/10/05
#4re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 12:28am
No one is blaming Marc but I hope he let's them know about these posts.
Here's mine from the other thread...
Whoever arranged tonight's so called free screening should be fired. I arrived at 4:10 for the 7:30 screening with the pass I got from New Line/Evite. I was near the front of the line. At 6:30, the New Line person came and weeded out people with a pass that read 7:00 screening from some hair products company. They said that there would be 2 screenings. One at 7, and one at 7:30. I did not believe it because the sign at the front of the line indicated only one showing in auditorium 10, at 7:30. (There was no indication of any 7 pm show.) Only the people with the hair products passes for 7 got in along with very few from the 7:30 group )the first 25 or 30 in the line). The rest of us were told that there was no more room. When I confronted the AMC staff and promoters, they finally admitted that there was a mistake and there would only be one showing and the people with the hair products pass were given preference, even though they had not waited in line as long as some of us. I am so ticked off that I wasted hours there for nothing. The AMC management went into hiding as did the promoter. Some of us refused to leave and we were finally given passes to go to an AMC for future films. This fiasco was very poorly managed. I see the same thing happened in NY as well. Who is responsible for this?
"I've lost everything! Luis, Marty, my baby with Chris, Chris himself, James. All I ever wanted was love." --Sheridan Crane "Passions"
-------
"Housework is like bad sex. Every time I do it, I swear I'll never do it again til the next time company comes."--"Lulu"
from "Can't Stop The Music"
-----
"When the right doors didn't open for him, he went through the wrong ones" - "Sweet Bird of Youth"
------------
---------
"Passions" is uncancelled! See NBC.com for more info.
BSoBW2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/8/04
#5re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 12:28amWho is Shaiman? I only ever heard of Zac Efron...
DrTheatre
Broadway Star Joined: 9/23/05
#6re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 12:30am
I just felt that someone should have known about this. I am sure I am going to get people who are going to say "It was a free screening, not the end of the world" true, but it was the way it was handled.
I heard at one point that the tickets that the 400 some people had were a mistake...well if they were a mistake...then address the people who have them and again, explain what happen. I think everyone would have understood that, then to just keep sending people in and in some more to realize once they get there that there are no seats at all.
Also JimnySf, the one ticket with the HAIRCARE product on it had the wrong address as well.
People are going to hate me, but I have seen the movie already (2) at another screening, and it was a breeze, it was handled so well...so I was very shocked about they this was handled.
Poor management all around....
"In the U.S.A.
You can have your say,
You can set you goals
And seize the day,
You've been given the freedom
To work your way
To the head of the line-
To the head of the line!"
---Stephen Sondheim
Updated On: 7/17/07 at 12:30 AM
#7re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 12:38am
"Who is Shaiman? I only ever heard of Zac Efron... "
What the hell?!!! You can't be serious!!!!
Broadway Shows I've Seen: Hairspray, Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors (2003), The Wedding Singer, Spamalot, Riverdance, Rent, Beauty and the Beast, Spring Awakening, Wicked, Legally Blonde, Phantom of the Opera, Sweet Charity (revival), Drowsy Chaperone, The Lion King, Dreamgirls(2010 Tour).
#8re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 12:39amSarcasm, fnyboi.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
jimnysf
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/10/05
#9re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 1:44am
I heard SF CHRONICLE will have a story on it tomorrow and there were some top reviewers and press there as well that did not have the special passes and did not get to see the movie (but were let into the theater) and then asked to leave when there was not enough room
I hope they actually do a story about this. It's not right to treat people the way we were treated tonight (not just in SF it appears).
"I've lost everything! Luis, Marty, my baby with Chris, Chris himself, James. All I ever wanted was love." --Sheridan Crane "Passions"
-------
"Housework is like bad sex. Every time I do it, I swear I'll never do it again til the next time company comes."--"Lulu"
from "Can't Stop The Music"
-----
"When the right doors didn't open for him, he went through the wrong ones" - "Sweet Bird of Youth"
------------
---------
"Passions" is uncancelled! See NBC.com for more info.
DrTheatre
Broadway Star Joined: 9/23/05
#10re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 3:22amFor those who got free movie passes...does your say expire March, 2007? Mine do...even though I heard that passes don't expire...
"In the U.S.A.
You can have your say,
You can set you goals
And seize the day,
You've been given the freedom
To work your way
To the head of the line-
To the head of the line!"
---Stephen Sondheim
TicketBoy
Understudy Joined: 2/22/06
#11re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 3:36am
Same thing happened in San Diego. Everyone with a black stylist pass went in first and the rest of us were held outside. Luckily, everyone ended up getting because it was a HUGE theatre and there weren't many of us who had the evite passes.
Most of the people who had the evite passes ended up in the first 3 rows of the theatre, cranning their necks to see the screen. Then, before the movie started, we had to listen to some sales pitch about the new hair products from the company sponsoring the screening.
At least I got in, so I'm not complaining. I just wish we would have known we would be second to the stylist people.
#12re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 3:49am
I knew something fishy was going on when I saw the 100+ party of hair-dressers showing up with their "official passes" for the 7PM show (versus our print-out 7:30PM passes).
The crowd took it really rough and wouldn't take "no" for an answer. Soon the question became: "What are you going to do with all these unhappy people?"
The poor AMC staff boor the brunt of the abuse (I'll admit, I was in there pissed off too). A manager from AMC came out and gave free general-movie passes (which do not expire) to the crowd who stayed behind... so my friends and I saw RATATOUILLE instead. AMC was pissed because the free-tickets were on their dime.
The contact information for the
SF NewLine Cinema Event Organizer is:
Rebecca Robbins
415-834-1111 ext.607
CALL HER! They have our contact information (necessary information to fill-out online pass) if they end up refunding or something.
#13re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 3:54amI was wondering why all the guys had nicer hair then me...its because they where stylists
"I never had theatre producers run after me. Some people want to make more Broadway shows out of movies. But Elliot and I aren't going to do Batman: The Musical." - Julie Taymor 1999
#14re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 3:59am
Eugloven,
I think you meant "bore".
"The poor AMC staff boor the brunt of the abuse "
Updated On: 7/17/07 at 03:59 AM
DrTheatre
Broadway Star Joined: 9/23/05
#15re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:01amYes, I do feel bad for the AMC people...I use to work for a movie theater, so I know how it could be....but to be honest...it seems like that they knew this all along that we would not get in...I blame the AMC staff or NLC for not keeping us informed, period..I think people would have been more understanding if there was some communication.
"In the U.S.A.
You can have your say,
You can set you goals
And seize the day,
You've been given the freedom
To work your way
To the head of the line-
To the head of the line!"
---Stephen Sondheim
BSoBW2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/8/04
#16re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 1:24pmOf course I can be serious! I just so happen to like being sarcastic more.
DrTheatre
Broadway Star Joined: 9/23/05
#17re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 1:27pmGo see the movie nonetheless...this movie is great
"In the U.S.A.
You can have your say,
You can set you goals
And seize the day,
You've been given the freedom
To work your way
To the head of the line-
To the head of the line!"
---Stephen Sondheim
BSoBW2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/8/04
#18re: SF Hairspray Screening Disaster...as well..
Posted: 7/17/07 at 1:29pmI'll be seeing it free in a week or so.
