Price/Ethical Gouging of the American Consumers

[asiab3]

This time it was a movie theatre. Pray tell, what other ways has your vigilance towards quality Volkswagen parts ended you in a better situation?

Tonight, I took Brian (of TheSamba fame) to see Quentin Tarantino's new film, "The Hateful Eight." It is the first film since 1966 to be shot entirely on Panavision 70 film, and only the eighth or ninth in history (memory fading) to be shot entirely in this hugely expensive and cumbersome format. True to his cinephile roots, Tarantino shot and projected the film entirely on 70mm formats at select theaters around the country, in what he called the "Roadshow Presentation," which mimicked the grandeur and event-like presentations of films in decades past.

When rumors of a San Diego theatre having the equipment to show 70mm films, I jumped on the tickets, for $21 a piece. Drove an hour plus a little traffic time after work, skipped dinner, and settled in with my $6.83 medium soda. Now, the Roadshow Presentation comes with a behind the scenes booklet and extra few minutes of film, (notably, a musical overture with no images,) and all of those elements were there.

Except our projection equipment stopped working earlier that day and they just decided to show us the low-resolution digital screening with 2.0 stereo audio instead. For $21. Per person. In the sold out theatre.

Thankfully, the 3+ hour film had a ten minute intermission, where I waited thirteen minutes behind half of our theatre to get a refund. They didn't even ask questions, but the gentleman behind the counter did that "bad puppy" thing where he won't look you in the eyes when you ask why they would pretend like nothing was wrong.

These were people who drove to San Diego from as far as Orange County for a niche, premium, and (mostly) once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And the theatre didn't say anything. But I heard a voice in my head, likely similar what I heard when I called Airhead Parts last year, and I kept my calm and got the office phone number of the lead projection technician. They're working on the equipment this week and should have it up and running by the weekend. He told me to call him personally every day until I can see it properly.

I am angry, but I still highly recommend the film. Especially if you live in a city where they have the 70mm projection capabilities. Call your theatre, and verify.

I hope you're not squeamish,
Robbie

[weisswurst]

thanks for the info Robbie, this film is on my and the wife's radar to see it properly although we will have to drive at least 1.5 hours and secure a babysitter for the boy too (maybe when Colin comes back here for more rust eradication).
Jeff

[Jivermo]

Gouging of the American public? Let's talk about the rapidly expanding toll network. Now here is a real gold mine for the politicians and bureaucrats. South Florida is a hotbed of this activity. Politically connected landscape companies, such as Manny Diaz Tree Farms (a favorite camping spot on the itinerant trail), plant 8,000 dollars exotic palms along the toll roads, and get millions in greenery contracts. Money gets funneled back into campaign funds for guess who? Yep, the gang who expands the toll system. Even part of I-95 is tolled down here, with Lexus Lanes that can cost big bucks to use on high traffic count days. The private toll companies are actively working to expand the system nationwide, so if you have a Florida Sunpass, it will work in Virginia or Rhode Island. There are active anti-tollation groups forming now-join, or start one up wherever you are, because this nefarious scheme is coming your way.

[asiab3]

Gouging of the American public? Let's talk about the rapidly expanding toll network. Now here is a real gold mine for the politicians and bureaucrats. South Florida is a hotbed of this activity. Politically connected landscape companies, such as Manny Diaz Tree Farms (a favorite camping spot on the itinerant trail), plant 8,000 dollars exotic palms along the toll roads, and get millions in greenery contracts. Money gets funneled back into campaign funds for guess who? Yep, the gang who expands the toll system. Even part of I-95 is tolled down here, with Lexus Lanes that can cost big bucks to use on high traffic count days. The private toll companies are actively working to expand the system nationwide, so if you have a Florida Sunpass, it will work in Virginia or Rhode Island. There are active anti-tollation groups forming now-join, or start one up wherever you are, because this nefarious scheme is coming your way.

I've always been cautious about the CA toll roads I take, because I actually like our system. I've read horror stories of other states, but the bit about the palms and contracts makes me breathe heavily through my nostrils. (For the most part, ours are undecorated, and I'll gladly pay $5 to get around an hour of stop-and-go. But we only have like four in Southern California.)

How is the citizens response to your road situation? In Carlsbad last year, we had a mall tycoon from Los Angeles try to rip out 80 acres of farmland for a new mall, and his "environmental study" was a copy-paste from a nearby site. They also conducted traffic studies on days that the local theme park (18,000 people on a summer day) was closed. But we did as any good town full of wealthy retired people should, and petitioned, gathered signatures, and hosted meetings about the atrocities. It's a good thing our city has a large enough retired population for Democracy to work. Even though it worked out in the citizens' favor, the effort put in was monumental; it could not have happened in a city where most people work full time.

[Sylvester]

My gripe is with the town I live in and having cameras on the stoplights to catch people going through stoplights. It is run by a private company, I am sure they make a killing as they set them on busy roads here. No matter what anyone would say, I hate them and have issues with a private company running it.

[Jivermo]

Here is our very active group:

http://rollbacktolls.com/

[asiab3]

My gripe is with the town I live in and having cameras on the stoplights to catch people going through stoplights. It is run by a private company, I am sure they make a killing as they set them on busy roads here. No matter what anyone would say, I hate them and have issues with a private company running it.

Arizona was that way for a long time with speed cameras. You legally didn't have to pay, but most people did anyway. Straight into the pockets of the company running the cameras. They were removed a few years after due to citizen protest. Notably, I remember one human wearing a monkey mast twice a day past all the cameras on the interstate; he racked up a few grand of fines before they realized they couldn't actually fine him/her/it without identification.

[Jivermo]

Yep, the red light cameras are another ripoff. We have 5 of them along US 1 near my home, installed by a little municipality that bought into the great camera pitch by the private company, Redflex Traffic Systems. They have charges pending in Ohio and Chicago for bribing public officials. 2 million in bribes in Chicago! They all should be shot, and I would volunteer for the firing squad.

[Randy in Maine]

I am morally opposed to paying $21 for a movie. I would like to see it, I don't need to own it.

[dingo]

Grab your monkey masks and cheap chinese plastic pitchforks..its time to storm the castle !

[Randy in Maine]

I just saw the Hateful Eight. It was worth the $7.50 x 2 that I paid for the 2 of us at the matinee. My wife likes him. I think he is over rated. Still worth seeing.