Why Trying to See Avatar at the IMAX Can Be Bad for Your Health!
Monday, January 11, 2010 at 5:32PM This past weekend I had the most unpleasant experience trying to see Avatar 3D at the IMAX theater at Universal City Walk. It was total chaos and when I think back, it was down right disgusting!
I'm not disgusted about pre-paying $18 the previous day for a movie that after four weeks you still can't get a 
seat for the day you decide you want to see it. I'm also not disgusted that this $18.00 does not guarantee me reserved seating or valet parking validation, or that it doesn't guarantee a seat even when arriving to the theater an hour before to stand on lines I tried to avoid by pre-paying for my ticket on the web in the first place (ok a little annoyed at this point). Actually, now that I think about it, I had to stand on six lines to NOT see Avatar!
The experience began at the broken kiosk outside the theater where I tried to print my pre-paid tickets (Line #1). To no avail I go inside to stand on the guest services line (#2) for 15 minutes so the theater person could print the tickets out for me. After I get my tickets, I then have to go back outside by the kiosks, to stand on a line (#3) that wasn't there 15 minutes ago, and enter the theater again (it surprisingly flowed along quickly even though there was only one usher). I then walk upstairs to the theater to encounter another large line (#4) of people, in which the ones at the front must've showed up 12 hours earlier than my slacker self (1 hour early). I then left my beau there while I went to the concession stand line (#5) to get some goodies while he held our spot in line (#4). Are you keeping up? We had to wait another 1/2 hour before we were let into the theater only to have a "situation" occur and I had to get Jeerzy on some idiot trying to take our seats for himself and his party that wasn't even there. My beau pointed out the seats were crap and not worth fighting for and (too close to the screen). Fun times and no wonder he never wants to take me on date night to places where there are crowds of people. I now know why he likes to say "the masses are asses".
Well this is not why the IMAX theater can be bad for your health but it's a start, let me rewind.
As I am entering the lobby to go to my theater line (#4) the usher hands me a pair of the 3D glasses as he takes my ticket. I take them and start walking, thinking to myself these things are so hideous, I really don't want to wear them. Pondering the unflattering design the light hits them just so and I see that the lenses have what appear to be greasy smudge marks all over them. Here is when my inner voice says to me "That there is a petrie dish of H1N1 from some L.A. germbots you don't even know!". I then realize as I keep walking, I know I saw a bunch of unopened packages of glasses in the same bin the usher was handing the used ones out from. Why didn't I get one of those and why didn't I speak up when I had a chance?
In any event, after the verbal assault inside the theater over the crappy seats put us over the edge, my other half and I thought it would be best to get the hell out of there. On the way out of the theater we run into Eli Roth (who was a total slacker and only got there 1/2 hour before the start of the film), and my guy tells him "Eli, don't bother" and I mumble "no good seats left" and he looks back at us perplexed like we should throw him a life preserver to save him from the crowd in the theater that was swallowing him as we made a quick egress. As we made it out the exit, I spot a poor usher crouched down in a dark corner trying to clean a box of glasses collected from the last show. The sight of of the pile of greasy yet to be wiped down glasses grosses me out again but then I remember I'm about to get all my money back (lines #5 &6) and I have dodged inviting some Super Bug into my life. We then walk off into the night and go have a much needed cocktail at the nearest bar!
IMAX, here's what to do, charge people a few extra dollars for pre-packaged germ free glasses or at least give people the option. If someone's paying $18 for a ticket, $25 to valet and $20 for concession they will pay the extra $2-3 not to catch their death! Or as our friend Len mentioned to us the next day after hearing our unpleasant experience, "Someone should make stylish Rayban looking 3D glasses that people can purchase to keep, I've been on a hunt for them on line since seeing Avatar in Pensacola." Wow, a pair of 3D glasses that can be stylish and germ free all in one, revolutionary! IMAX with all the money you make, maybe you should be the angel investor?
Is anyone else disgusted by this or has had an experience similar? Post your experiences or comments below?
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Reader Comments (13)
Yes I agree, I had a experience once like that at a Valley theatre, I guess that's why I probably don't go to the Valley anymore for movies! But it could happen anywhere, my favorite theatre is the Arclight because they have reserved seating!
Sorry to hear your experience was one you'd like to forget. We saw Avatar 3D last w/end. No lines, no nasty pps. We had Rayban style 3D glasses. . Someone over there needs to do this http://www.villagecinemas.com.au/Cinemas/Gold-Class.htm
I pre ordered my cheese platter to come out 1 hr into the film and a drink. 2hrs in I ordered a coffee. All brought in by lovely ppl I didn't even notice they'd set my treats down. Sal
Ok I may just lose dinner & birthday cake. WOW! How gross! Hence why I avoid the IMAX. The only one closest to me is Opry Mills Mall & well the mall is WAY over crowded all the time as it's so touristy, etc, etc.
I did one IMAX movie that I can remember off the top of my head (the experience not the movie title) & they were pre-packaged. I agree with Len. Smart man.
IMAX ...ok just insert all the foul words you can think of...
When I get the chance & have some spare cash after bills, I'll hop over to a semi decent theater (ok maybe less than semi decent but now they have security) & I get my tickets off the internet & then go on in & skip the line of crazy families & teenagers & college brats. When I do get to the customer service counter, usually batting my eyelashes work. I can't wait for a friend of mine to come back from Mexico so she & I & her husband can hit up double features on the weekend. She knows management so when I want a movie sized poster I can get one.
I eat before I leave now because the food is nasty & way too expensive.
I do remember seeing The Ugly Truth the night it came out. I was sent out to get tickets in advance for my sisters & I. It was at a fancy theater (in my opinion) & the area in Nashville is called Green Hills. We get there & there was still a line & a crowd. Before going down the escaltor a guy took our ticket stubs but asked our bunch if we were over 21. WTF? It's rated R! My sister piped up & showed her ID which allowed us all down to the theater. She actually asked the ticket taker if they planned on serving us alcohol after they asked if we were all 21 and up. I was gleefully skipping along & giggling while my sister's friend went & got some nachos. Thankfully no lines downstairs. I stuck myself up against the wall to make sure I was the first one in. They were cleaning the theater & more & more people came. I managed to zip past all of them AFTER yet again showing my ID to prove I could be in the theater. This was over the summer. I was 30 last year! Granted theater being "cleaned up" it was still gross in there, very packed & no place to put my purse (which I usually set in a chair). All the people, all the trash everywhere and the only thing that made the night was all of us girls, laughing hysterically & having fun.
Doesn't matter the price of the ticket & food, etc...those theaters are a health hazard & I'd be out of a bottle of Germ-X before leaving the theater!
Super hugs!
Twitter friend,
Anne
I never even thought about "heath" aspect of the 3D show. I saw it in 2D first, due to the fact that I was told the 3D or IMAX 3D was making people sick. I have vertigo, so I kept waiting. Decided to take the big step and go with the kids and familia to see it IMAX 3D. I took some motion sickness pills, just in case. Unlike you, we did not buy our tickets before hand. When we got there, all the IMAX shows were SOLD OUT for the day. So we opted to see SHERLOCK HOLMES. I still have not see it at IMAX and now I am wondering if I should even try. Maybe I should just stick being happy seeing it in 2D. I rather enjoyed it. Your idea about the 3D glasses in unopened packages or stylish 3D glasses, SPOT ON!
Cinerama Dome was better than IMAX Experience IMHO and you get the benefit of their "extraordinary rendition" program for rude theatergoers!
That was just outright gross! Now i know what you tweeted!
Looks like you have a few, closest to you is in Pasadena. It's the way to view every film. :)
Wow! So glad I escaped LA when I did.
I had nothing but a positive experience in Dallas, TX. The 3D glasses were in a sealed plastic bag. But here's the key no matter where you're looking for the best movie going experience. Buy the tickets ahead of time. Event movie or not. Go to a matinée on a weekday (yes, yes, I know, you have to work but can you say "play hooky"?). Still, get there early enough to get GOOD SEATS! This can be tricky. Sometimes me or my "honey" will go into the theater first to get the seats. It's best of one of you stay there. In your case the good news is that you both had a plan. Divide and conquer! He got the pre-paid tickets (sorta) while you got the goodies. The bad news is that it ate up time to get the better seats.
See you at the movies. We'll hold a seat for you. Oh, and would you get us some pop-corn? Lite butter. Thanks.
Sal,
A few people tweeted me about this theater experience. I personally will try it or only ever go to Arclight Cinemas where you can buy reserve seating. Thanks for the tip!
Wow, I've never thought that to see a movie could be that challenging and complicated. Here you can reserve the seating in Internet. And if you want you can also pay the ticket in Internet, print it at home and walk straight to the theater with that printed ticket and take your seat. No standing on line, no fights over seats. Simple and easy.
Well in our town there is also a small theater which doesn't have reserved seating, but there has never been any problems.
I worked at a theater, and I never heard of glasses being reused, we always had fresh ones in bags, the food is a given to not be good, eat at home, The liquid stuff for popcorn is a mystery.and hand sanitizer is a good idea. the theaters are cleaned buy kids who don't clean their rooms at home. but a GM should be available for complaints, I would still call and complain, We can't help you if we don't know your experience, and people who have a bad experience will tell more people then ones who have a good one
Hi Jargan
I'm from Clamart, very close to Paris (France). We've been to a 3D movie to see Avatar in Paris. We didn't have problem with glasses, because we had to buy them (1 euros, about 1,40 $) so they were new. But we had many people (because we arrived 5 mn before beginning). Here we have automatic distributor, and we just bougth ticket there and were able to get a good seat!
Cécile
Hey Johanna
I live in South Africa, and we always seem to think that we're "behind the times" here at the bottom of Africa. However, your experience sounds like something out of a third world country!!
We have great theatres down here. If you pre-book your ticket, you just swipe your credit card in a machine at the entrance to the theatre, and within a couple of seconds you have your tickets. There are also a lot of self-service kiosks where you can book and purchase you own seats at the theatre. You seldom stand in a queues longer than 10 minutes - and then it's probably a premiere or really popular movie.
All seats are allocated to each ticket holder, so there's no worry that you won't have a good seat. When we go to the IMAX theatre, we rarely arrive more than 15 minutes before the show begin, and we've never had problems with seats.
All 3D glasses comes in a sealed little plastic bag, so you know you're the first one to wear it. You get to take your glasses home, so they won't be able to recycle them without properly cleaning them.
Our 3D movies are a bit more expensive than the normal 2D movies, but it's absolutely worthit!
A ticket to a 2D movie costs R48 (approx $6.50), I belong to a movie club, I pay only R24 (approx $3.20)
A ticket to a 3D movie in a movie theatre costs R65 (approx $8.70, I pay only $6.50).
And an Imax ticket also costs approx R65 ($8.70).
Let me know when you want to come visit or even move to South Africa...! :-)
Thanks for your great blog, I enjoy it!
@sunevh