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Carol Truth Squad
It seems that An American Carol director David Zucker is looking into a possible exhibitor conspiracy to switch tickets and pull other pranks in order to make it seem as if his film isn't doing as well with ticket-buyers as it actually is. Not displaying Carol posters as prominently as they could be, misrepresenting the film's rating (it's PG-13, not R) , not giving it marquee space and so on.
"We have had heard" -- the extra "had" is obviously a typo -- "from numerous people across the country that there has been some ticket fraud when buying a ticket for An American Carol this past weekend," says a special "fraud" page on the film's official website.
"Please check your ticket," the copy says. "If you were in fact one of those people that were 'mistakenly' sold a ticket for another movie please fill out the form below. Hold on to your ticket so we can have proof.
"If you have noticed other irregularities with the theatres in your area please let us know in the comment section below. For instance, Rated R film rating (when in fact we are rated PG-13), posters not being up, not being listed on the marquee, image or focus problems, sound issues, etc."
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on October 7, 2008 at 6:19 AM
comment #1
joncro
says ...
'image or focus problems, sound issues'
so THAT'S why theatre projection sucks - it's a vast left wing conspiracy!
Posted by joncro
at October 7, 2008 6:57 AM
comment #2
duck dodgers
says ...
I did notice they just put in these new Diebold ticket machines.
At the theater in Idaho.
Posted by duck dodgers
at October 7, 2008 6:59 AM
comment #3
p.Vice
says ...
How can there be ticket fraud for a movie that nobody is buying tickets for?
Posted by p.Vice
at October 7, 2008 7:41 AM
comment #4
duck dodgers
says ...
They're was actually more fraud per screen at Religiculous.
Posted by duck dodgers
at October 7, 2008 7:48 AM
comment #5
R. Hunt
says ...
Maybe David Z. wants to swap tales with Spike Lee over those crooked, biased ticket-sellers. Seriously, this is a ridiculous claim. Why would anybody bother?
Posted by R. Hunt
at October 7, 2008 7:52 AM
comment #6
Rich S.
says ...
I guess the "Naria-esque" church ticket sales blitz didn't work this time.
Posted by Rich S.
at October 7, 2008 7:55 AM
comment #7
tommysunshine
says ...
Zucker might have a point.
Oh and P.Vice I'm glad this site doesn't operate on the if-you-don't-have-anything-meaningful-to-say-don't-say-it-at-all principle otherwise you'd be making ZERO contribution to this forum.
Posted by tommysunshine
at October 7, 2008 8:00 AM
comment #8
Leonardcoenbrothers
says ...
As a good conservative Zucker should be taking "personal responsibility" for making a sucky movie, not blaming everyone else for the failure.
Posted by Leonardcoenbrothers
at October 7, 2008 8:11 AM
comment #9
Nick Rogers
says ...
In the heart of Indiana, early online showtime listings had it listed as "American Teen" - a revival that wouldn't have been out of the question given that it was filmed here. The error since has been corrected.
Posted by Nick Rogers
at October 7, 2008 8:28 AM
comment #10
Nick Rogers
says ...
I think the real conspiracy might be that Gruver's links go to ...
NOTHING
Posted by Nick Rogers
at October 7, 2008 8:51 AM
comment #11
Deathtongue_Groupie
says ...
I thought the same thing when I saw those numbers for An American Slander, although I came to the complete opposite conclusion: Zucker inflated his numbers. I mean, were enough people THAT bored last weekend?
I think that with country in crises, most people didn't want to see a ham-fisted polemic aimed at the powerless. Because, uh yes, the conservatives are still in power and satire really only works when it is aimed at those at the top. The right has so totally bought into this Orwellian-inspired crackpot "victimhood" they forgot it was just a tactic.
Posted by Deathtongue_Groupie
at October 7, 2008 9:28 AM
comment #12
T. S. Idiot
says ...
"As a good conservative Zucker should be taking 'personal responsibility' for making a sucky movie, not blaming everyone else for the failure."
What conservative since Teddy Roosevelt has taken responsibility for anything?
Posted by T. S. Idiot
at October 7, 2008 9:28 AM
comment #13
Deathtongue_Groupie
says ...
Eisenhower my Palmetto brother?
Posted by Deathtongue_Groupie
at October 7, 2008 9:29 AM
comment #14
DavidF
says ...
The only people more insidious than the Liberal Media are the Liberal Movie Exhibitors. Pinkos.
Posted by DavidF
at October 7, 2008 10:03 AM
comment #15
Josh Massey
says ...
As a ticket seller in 1992 when Malcolm X was released I resented the hell out of Spike Lee because he made my job ten times harder. I heard "check what the white boy sold you" many many times and actually got called a flat-up racist once (despite selling the correct ticket).
Thankfully for today's ticket sellers the movie will be gone in two weeks so anybody won't really care any more at all.
Posted by Josh Massey
at October 7, 2008 10:36 AM
comment #16
Edward Havens
says ...
At my theatre, we did very well with An American Carol, if only because there was no other theatre in a ten mile radius playing it. And as someone who has been a theatre manager who has been in this game since 1986, I am wondering who these people are who are informing Zucker of fraudulent ticket sales and the like? Most every theatre today operates using a computerized ticketing system that employees at the theatre level (including managers) have little access to, and those systems are also tied into online ticketing systems like Fandango and MovieTickets as well as Rentrak's tracking system. It would have to be a conspiracy of an insanely high order for it to happen and not get noticed.
Zucker needs someone to blame for his film not performing to his own expectations. A filmmaker can't blame himself for making a movie that had a very narrow audience to begin with.
Posted by Edward Havens
at October 7, 2008 2:16 PM
comment #17
swordandpen
says ...
Zucker employing the same self-victimization techniques as the McCain campaign. That should work out well.
It couldn't possibly be that his movie sucks.
Posted by swordandpen
at October 7, 2008 6:45 PM
comment #18
fran phelan
says ...
I was at the Regal in Sterling Va. and what I noticed was that it was showing in one of their smaller rooms- it was sold out, but could have sold alot more tickets -if it had been in a larger room. This struck me as kind of odd, but now it makes sense. This is probably what has happened.
Leave a comment
Posted by fran phelan
at October 8, 2008 3:46 AM
comment #19
frankbooth
says ...
There's an obvious solution to this: the taxpayers should bail Zucker's movie out.
Posted by frankbooth
at October 8, 2008 5:52 AM
comment #20
TVMCCA
says ...
fran paley wrote:
I was at the Regal in Sterling Va. and what I noticed was that it was showing in one of their smaller rooms- it was sold out, but could have sold alot more tickets -if it had been in a larger room. This struck me as kind of odd, but now it makes sense. This is probably what has happened.
Leave a comment
Given the large amount of openings or expanded runs last weekend, I'm assuming Regal (which seems like a conservative-minded chain) probably thought the film wasn't going to draw like, say, NICK AND NORAH or even APPALOOSA.
No conspiracey theory.
Posted by TVMCCA
at October 8, 2008 3:34 PM
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