Zwecker (Chicago S-T) Reports Gop'ers SNEAKING into F9/11

[wndycty]

MOORE MONEY? Don't know if this is happening here, but theater chain sources in Texas and other areas where President Bush is popular report an interesting phenomenon: People have been seeing Michael Moore's controversial ''Fahrenheit 9/11'' without directly paying to watch it.

Here's the deal: While a lot of staunch Republicans are curious about the film, ''they damn well don't want one penny going into Michael Moore's pocket,'' a Dallas theater executive told this column. Instead, they buy a ticket to something like ''Garfield'' or ''Anchorman'' and then ''once inside the multiplex, they slip into the theater that's showing 'Fahrenheit 9/11' -- without paying to see it.''

If true, that means box office figures for ''Fahrenheit 9/11,'' which already have made the film a huge hit -- have been understated.

-snip-

http://www.suntimes.com/output/zwecker/cst-ftr-zp13.html

[Trajan]

1. It also reveals the amoral nature of GOP supporters themselves ...

Figures ....

[hackwriter]

11. I don't know....

I did the same thing for THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. I bought a ticket for LOST IN TRANSLATION, then walked into the other movie...for the same reason: I wanted to see the film and review it, but didn't want to put money in Mel Gibson's pocket.

I wonder if it made any of them think differently?

When I saw TPOTC, it just made me realize even more that Mel Gibson is one sick mofo.

[GiovanniC]

2. And The Joke's On Them

Because Michael Moore couldn't give a shit less, as long as they see it.

[drumwolf]

3. well, my hope is.....

...that some of the Rethugs sneaking in to see 9/11 are still open-minded enough that the movie will shake their faith in Chimpy. Moore is wealthy enough that I'm sure he would gladly lose a few dollars in profit in return for such a scenario happening.

[Terran]

4. Plus, um, they're still paying to see it.

If they bought a ticket for another movie and then secretly "slipped into" F911, well then, they still gave their money to the theater that's showing F911. Right? It's not like the theater keeps separate pots of money for each movie they show and then they send the F911 money directly to Michael Moore. Idiots.

[cardlaw]

7. I believe

box office sales go directly to the movie studios. The theaters make their money on concession sales.

[Terran]

8. That sounds impossibly complicated

And not every movie is made by a "studio." Consider how that would work: there are thousands of individual theaters in the US. You're saying each and every one of them sends profit checks directly to the makers of the films shown in those theaters? That would be like filling up at the local convenience store and sending the payment to BP or Exxon.

[cardlaw]

19. Do you honestly think

the studio that released Spider-Man 2 would let its profits get put into the same pot as some crappy movie?

[hackwriter]

14. Nope...

Movie theatres keep an increasing amount of the ticket sales depending on how long a film runs. In the first week, the theatre only gets 10% of the box office....that goes up with every week.

But the BULK of a theatre's revenues and certainly most of its profitability comes from the concession stand.

That's why when I go to downtown mom 'n' pop theatres I always buy something from the concession stand. They also tend to have better concessions, like quality chocolates, good coffee, and such.

[THUNDER HANDS]

15. 90% goes to the studio

That's why popcorn is $5. Its the one place theaters can make a profit.

[Endangered Specie]

10. Umm, that is how it works...

A movies, the studio gets xx% of the box office take (plus maybe an upfront fee also), its not that hard to figure out, they have computers that keep track of all this.

B movies are what your thinking of, the box office pays $xxx to the studio and shows it as much as it wants and keeps all the take.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Somebody Get A Mop!

There's gonna be a lot of Republicans Meeeeellllttttiiiinnnnggggg in the mutliplex!

[Warpy]

6. I think this is apcryphal

Most theaters I know are megaplexes, and they all have ticket takers who make sure your ticket is for the movie you're walking into.

If there are some lax theaters out there and this is happening, it makes the GOPers liars and thieves, exactly what they accuse Moore of being. Kind of ironic, huh?

Not only that, but they're getting exposed to the truth about Bush, Iraq and the lying mass media for the first time in their lives.

[Boomer]

20. Apocryphal? Not where I live

All the local theaters (and I'm talking a tri-state area) pretty much ignore you once you buy a ticket. The ushers wave vaguely in the direction of the right screen then forget all about you. You don't have to sneak into another film, you just walk right in.

[redqueen]

21. Same way here

I've only been to one movie where anyone checked your stub as you entered the theater.

[Mike Daniels]

23. I show my ticket to exactly one person for a 20 screen theater

I buy my ticket, show it to the ticket taker who works about two steps behind the ticket sales window and am in the concession area. From there are two wings that hold the theaters and not one person in sight to make sure that I'm even in the proper wing.

A twelve year old could easily go see an R rated movie after buying a ticket to "Ernest needs a Kidney".

[Bandit]

9. I'm thinking that they may feel the same way when the DVD comes out

It would be nice if someone with unlimited funds or at least a huge amount could buy up a bunch of DVDs (bulk buy) like Republicans do with conservative books and give them away to people just so they can see the movie without having to put money in Moore's pocket since they detest him so. Maybe the Kerry Campaign could do something like this or George Soros. Just an idea anyway.

[KharmaTrain]

12. O'Reilly Admitted He Was At The Premier To See Shrek II

Or a lot are downloading it from Kazaa and other sites.

The good news is the movie is a hot ticket in Iraq right now among our troops...the ones who really need to know the truth.

[The Flaming Red Head]

13. three strikes

now all they have to do is steal a pizza and a bag of popcorn while they're there and we've got the bastards.

[SpiralHawk]

16. Any old way they see it is fine with me

Michael Moore and the theaters will do just fine any way, thank you very much.

And as for the GOPers, the film cannot help but RAISE QUESTIONS for them. I am happy to have the price of my ticket go to support this process for them.

The questions are the first step on the Road to Recovery...

"People say, how can I help on this war against terror? How can I fight evil? You can do so by mentoring a child; by going into a shut-in's house and say I love you."
- George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2002

[leesa]

17. Who cares? As long as they see it.

[MadHound]

18. Oh this is an old story

They've been planning this, and then bragging about it, over in Freeperville before F911 ever came out. So much for the party of law and order, eh. Sneaking into a movie that they didn't pay for:eyes: Just shows, once again, conservative hypocrisy at work.

But hey, at least the truth is getting through to some conservative minds, but you would at least think that they would be honest enough to pay for it up front. Hell, I wanted to see The Passion, just to see what all the hubbub was about(I think that it is a bit hypocritical to criticize a movie or other art if you haven't viewed/heard it). So I paid for a ticket to The Passion, a matinee ticket. Mel got money off of me, oh well. I'm not so hung up on politics that I will allow them to dictate my every entertainment decision. If you start doing that, then before long you won't be able to see anything, as there are both liberals and conservatives in each and every movie, either acting, directing, or producing it.

That said, The Passion was a POS movie, some serious S&M for the Christian set. Focusing virtually continously on the pain of Christ's final hours is almost blasphemous. I'm sure that Christ would much rather Mel had focused on His message, that of peace, love and forgiveness for all.

[Ducks In A Row]

22. Has anyone found out what happens afterwards

Are they so floored by the movie and they buy a ticket later to apologize for being sneaks and crooks?

I've been hoping that was the case when I first heard about it.

[trof]

24. Heard some dweeb on WRKO in Boston

Substitute talk host.
Snickering like a little kid who just found out you could use slugs in a Coke machine.
"Here's what I'm gonna do. <snicker/giggle>
I'm gonna buy a ticket to Shrek, and then sneak into F 9/11. I don't want Moore's numbers to go up."
Brilliant. Guy acts like he's just pulled the scam of the century.

[buycitgo]

25. question is,are they going to another movie first?

if so, they're committing misdemeanor theft

even if they buy a ticket, and go into another theater, they still can be ARRESTED for that

wouldn't that be sweet if it happened?

[wndycty]

26. Most likely. . .

. . .they are buying a ticket for another film and then sneaking into F911. It really does hurt the film because F911 needs consistently good box office to stay in the theatres. If people buy tickets for this movie and sneak into something else then F911 gets no credit for its $$$'s and thus suffers.