a question for those who felt mistreated at a HAIRSPRAY screening

Hi, Marc "Hairspray" Shaiman here

I'm horrified to hear of so many terrible experiences. Although I suppose it is obvious that when you go to a free screening you are taking your chances that more people than a theatre sits might show up, there is no excuse for rudeness.

If you can think of a realistic way that New Line or Evite could "make it up" to you, write it here, and I will CERTAINLY pass it along.

And if someone can give me the exact wording on either the ticket or a link to the website so that I can see with my own eyes that it didn't say anything about "depending on availability of seats" or something like that, I would appreciate it.

I went to the Premiere in NYC last night and basically lived a fantasy. I am truly sorry that anyone out there went to the movie last night and had the opposite experience.

So...suggestions?

-Marc

Updated On: 7/17/07 at 07:18 AM

How about an explanation from New Line about why this happened? It wasn't at one location, it was nationwide. A total waste of people's time and some very rude behavior on behalf of the New Line and AMC staff.

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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.

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I had the exact same experience down in Tampa. The salon passes were valid, anyone else's weren't. It was absolutely horrible. We waited for a full three hours. I went with a group of friends and not one of us got in, even though two of us were quite near the front.
I too just gave up. It's not your fault, Marc.


But I do second Yankeefanoo7's suggestion. =8->

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Sorry you guys had such problems but I have to ask, why on earth would anyone wait 3 hours to see a movie?!

My biggest thing was, why didn't they have people come to the back of the line and explain what was going on earlier. We waited and waited and then the line finally started moving as people dispersed after being told their tickets were invalid. Then I get to the front of the theater and the cops are telling us we have to leave. Meanwhile no reason was ever given.
I did feel bad for the one New Line rep who was there. It probably wasn't her fault and she had to deal with everyone yelling and screaming.

The bottom line is that people don't like to be jerked around. We came out and waited in line because we were excited about the movie and at the chance to see it before it officially opened.

As is the case with any customer service oriented interaction, people like to be treated with respect. In situations like this where there had been a major misstep, people appreciate when management is up front and honest with them from the start, so that nobody's time is wasted, people have time to clear out, and they’re not left in the dust with questions and no one to answer them but a handful of cops.

We were given misinformation, and when we continued to wait in line based on that misinformation, we were tossed out like they didn't know what we were talking about and we were wasting their time, when essentially they had just wasted ours.

I can’t imagine anything that can be done now, but I appreciate your acknowledging the situation, Marc.

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I hope to see it this Friday. Hope I can get in.
I wanted Vilanch but I love the show.
Congrats to Marc! Love him. Just wanted Vilanch and Harvey in this film.
I also wanted Matt Morrison, Chester, Jackie Hoffman and Mary Bond Davis.
I still plan on seeing it this Friday if I can purchase a ticket.

ok i am so pissed about yesterday. I got to the lincoln center at 4:00. I wasn't that far from being in the front of the line right after the garage. Tell me how I stood there for 3 freaking hours with my aunt next to me and four friends in front of me. Then a bastard comes up and says that oh this is only for a special screening with a yellow ticket for salon owners. Seriously, I was like WTF I stood in line for so long for no reason and these idiots didn't know about another screening.


Jeeze, someone go to the today show with me when the Hairspray cast performs or watever. Please join me someone has to stand up because I wasted my free time standing in line to watch Hairspray. Its either bootleg or these guys better make it up. I am MAD

I did get to see the screening yesterday in Michigan as it was a part of a Health Magazine "Girls Night Out". I loved it for the most part (We're all critics). Great Job!! MY only complaint, about the screening, was that for "security purposes" they had to 'wand' us all to make sure were weren't bringing in any recording equipment (which is fine) BUT... anyone with a Camera Phone was told they had to take it back to their car. Who doesn't have a Camera Phone? Almost everyone had to return to their cars. This woud have been fine IF we were told in advance. The people screening patrons for recording equipment were very RUDE! They acted as if everyone should have known better. The screening started a 45 minutes late due to the fact that Parking structures are very far away. I returned 3 cell phones to my car for my group (because I'm the fastest) and when I returned, the staff asked me if I had a cell phone, to which I replied "Not anymore". Then I proceeded to stand their whilst they talked to each other. "What do I do next?", I asked. "Oh haven't you been in yet?" "No", I replied. "Oh then when need to wand you!" I could've gotten through after all with no problem. So, Glad they were doing their jobs. *sarcasm*

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What was the purpose of the Evite? It seems to me they collected quite a bit of data just to find some seat fillers for the "legit" passes. Data mining is sketchy at best, what is that information being used for anyway?

Was this some kind of a publicity stunt? Whoever was monitoring that Evite should have known all the passes were being used; I think it even stopped allowing entries. That must have blipped on somebody’s radar.

The NYC line was forming quite early and it should have been clear to someone something was up. That business of “oh we didn’t know” just does not fly.

I think it was COWARDLY of New Line to send out that woman into a crowd of a few hundred. She should be promoted immediately for dealing with the entire ordeal and not flinching. I bet her boss was hiding upstairs e-mailing tyrannical things on his/her blackberry. Where was her back-up? Why didn't AMC bring out the megaphone? Instead call the cops like we were common criminals. That is pathetic.

This certainly isn’t the first time at the rodeo for New Line or AMC. Normally when something like this occurs, communication is probably the best thing to do. They also have what are called “Emergency Passes” which can be handed out in the event of an emergency. That is normal theater protocol. These passes can be used for most future films. At the very least people could have seen Harry Potter (also Time Warner) or something else last night. The movie theatre would still make its concession stand per cap.

I saw one family ahead in line with some children and they were celebrating a birthday. That was the birthday, and it was ruined.

What can New Line do? Well for starters an immediate public apology would be nice for the crowds and for that New Line employee. It’s a real shame you guys missed the boat on this one, this film needs the positive buzz to tackle summer blockbusters.

Updated On: 7/17/07 at 10:35 AM

emergency passes are a theater thing and as the theater management stated it was a new line screw-up not the theater. oh, and man that's a cheap ass family. spring for a buck or two and buy the kid something next time!

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Marc,
I really appreciate the fact that you are concerned over what happened. I don't know that there is anything that anyone at New Line can do, but they do have all our information. I emailed someone over there hoping that they would at least be able to explain what happened but I don't expect much. The event was poorly run in my area and I felt personally like I did something wrong when all I did was show up with my pass. The worst part was that we had two younger girls with us who were really excited to see "Hairspray 2" as they call it (they don't understand that there can be different versions of things) and they had to be disappointed. We'll all still see the movie and I expect it to be fantastic, but it was not a good experience. Thanks for your concern though!

Ashley from MI

All we were "offered" was a changce to be notified of future screenings from new Line to deal with the same thing. No one wanted to take responsibility for what happeed or deal with people. They called the police to get people away almost imediately.
There was nothing said to anyone about this being a private event at any point until after the people showed up and went in.
We were told nothing.
When things first started playing out, we were told that we needed a yellow ticket. Nothing more. We were never told who had them or how to get them or why.
We then had several employees talk about one screening and several talking about two. The ones mentioning two screenings said to stay online for the "7:30" screening.
Next we were told that our passes were invalid. We were even told that we never should have had them to begin with.
It was even more insulting when they asked for email addys. They already had them.. for everyone. The girl said she'd put together amailing database for future screenings of this type. THERE ALREADY WAS ON WITH ALL OF US.
But the nerve to send out one man and one woman, have them speak to JUST the group at the front, and then call the police and have us threatened with arrest?!?!