re: NY Hairspray Screening Disaster

[Yankeefan007]

As I understood it, the only people allowed in were those with the special pass New Line issued....to hair salons only. The line wrapped around the movie theater all the way to the ABC studios. I imagine there were a lot of pissed off ticket holders (with the passes from the website) who waited for a loooong time.

[Broadwayboy2631]

I'm sooooooooooooo glad that i dint go to that!

[me2]

How horrible! The screening I attended was very well managed.
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[fxy2003cmu]

Yeah, the same thing happened here in the Detroit area. We got to the theater to find people telling us that they aren't honoring the ones printed from online, only special black passes that came from who knows where...there were about 30-40 people waiting to get in, a few who had come from very far away, and the management was very rude and said if we had a complaint about it that we needed to call New Line because it wasn't their responsibility. I am not impressed with what happened, or the way it was handled. It's unfair to issue passes to people, have them show up ready to see the screening and then refuse them entry and say their passes aren't valid. If anyone knows who to contact to complain about this, please let me know.

It would be one thing if we all had just gotten there too late and all the tickets were taken, but that's not what happened and it's a bunch of bull if you ask me. Someone's got some explaining to do. Did anything like this happen to anyone else??

[Wanna Be A Foster]

I was there. The line was wrapped around three blocks and going, and after waiting for at least 2-3 hours, the theatre staff came out and said that this was not a public screening and that all of our passes were invalid. They said we should e-mail New Line and take it up with them.

That crowd was NOT pleased, to say the least. People were pissed.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Uh-oh.

[gertrudejessalynn]

[moving this here]
HAH, what a fiasco! I was at the Pittsburgh showing that I showed up to at around 5, and was told I wouldn't be getting in unless cancellations were made. A company bought out the entire theater for a showing (I think it was a hair care company), and New Line f*cked them over. So the theater gets to give out around 400+ free movie passes, coming to the decision after the police had to be called. ("Living in the ghetto..." - Silly Homestead. )

[TWSFan4Ever]

Glad I didn't do the Pittsburgh one! So all the ones from "Evite" are invalid?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Yep.

[elimeyer]

fxy2003cmu that is what happened here - but worse. My partner and I were in line around the block, when we got to the door after almost 2 hours, security came out and disbanded us, but within 1 minute of that, the NYPD was there, two cars-four cops, and shouting at everyone to get off the sidewalks and leave.

To have AMC not even tell us there was a problem, but call the police to disband us BEFORE saying anything about an issue is ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS.

The way the Theater Manager and the New Line Rep handled the upset customers was atrocious. Rude, tough, and "nothing I can do about it New Line screwed up" attitude.

We later found out that New Line made a mistake and announced two screenings, 7pm and 7:30 when there was only ONE for private screening for HAIRDRESERS???????????

MOST of the people tossed were saying things like, "I hope this film tanks" and "I will never go to another New Line Cinema Film again"

Not great PR folks, I am SURE that is not the intention of a Screening.

[fxy2003cmu]

I think it's pretty atrocious that people who took time out of their schedules to come see a movie that they didn't have to bother with were treated this way, in any city anywhere. Yeah, it was supposed to be free, but I'm pretty sure if you're trying to publicize something that's probably not the way to go. Definitely not great for PR for New Line or Hairspray.

[Just_John]

The lady working for New Line also was taking e-mails with people thinking they'd be emailed free passes for the show, some silly little man even wrote can't make Wednesday. Where were the police?!? People were cursing at the lady and no cops were there, they said they would call the cops if no one left. But yea, I get there at 3:30 and was 6th in line and while waiting an employee of the theatre was arrested, it was sort of worth missing the movie for me with all that exciting drama. Anyone know who to e-mail to complain about this?

[popular_elphie]

Wow. I would be extremely mad.

[B3TA07]

A woman died at the screening in Dallas.

[elimeyer]

There WERE Police!!! I spoke to them - the theater manager told the cop right in front of me that the people wouldn't disband and go home - So I set him straight that we were not told ANYTHING before they got there, maybe in the front you were told, but we were still halfway down the street when the cops came!

I went to new line's site and their contact us form says ACCESS FORBIDDEN when I try to email!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

The police were on 69th between Broadway and Columbus, on the south side of the street -- directly next to the theatre. They got there a little after 7:30.

[Just_John]

So they didn't tell you that you couldn't get in til' 7:30?? The front of the line knew before 7.

[BrodyFosse123]

Brody and Stacey called it.

This sorta **** happened before and I have vowed to NEVER do these advance screenings again.

I sensed this was going to go the way it did.

Earlier this afternoon I purchased tickets for an early afternoon showing this Saturday in case it sells-out early (here's hoping). No need to arrive hours early to deal with those horror stories you guys had to go thru tonight.

I've waited since September for this movie; I can wait a few more days. Thank you.

Now where did that Beckham girl go with my phone. Ugh!

[Just_John]

I now join you with never attending these screenings again, and I planned on going to two more this week that we found out about while waiting on line.

[elimeyer]

why was the employee arrested?

[Just_John]

We guessed stealing money from the register but we have no clue, she had to pee really badly so her dancing was very ammusing.

[Curtains07]

I was there, and the 2000+ people waiting in line were PISSED. Doubt they'll go see the movie now.

[South Fl Marc]

Advance sreenings may be nightmares, but it sounds like New Line Cinema deserves all the blame for what happened. My guess is they won't even try to make this right.

What jerks.

[CapnHook]

Mateo, what's the dish?

[Just_John]

I'm still seeing it.

[LoringsGuy]

Oh, lord....DRAMA.

I'm not exactly sure what's going on in these other cities. I used a pass printed out from online for the Minneapolis screening and had absolutely no issues. In fact, the New Line reps and theatre staff were delightful, giving us "swag bags" with several HAIRSPRAY-related goodies and they did a curtain speech before the movie thanking us for coming.

Sounds like an unfortunate situation in Pittsburgh and New York---I'm sorry to hear you had such bad experiences!

Did someone really die at the Dallas screening, or was that a joke?