Trips to the movie theater remind me of how these venues can sometimes leave a lasting impression on the kinds of experiences audiences associate films with. Fortunately, most of the movies that I’ve watched at cinema houses in Pennsylvania were so good, they pretty much made the undesirable events that took place at the theater seem like a distant and trivial memory. Some of these inconveniences were understandable mistakes that no one could have foreseen while others are unwise business decisions that often make me resent visiting theaters.

The Fire Alarm in Manayunk

It was a cold evening when I went to watch “Couples Retreat” at a movie theater on Main Street. The theater was pretty full until this comedy suddenly stopped playing more than halfway through the film. Almost immediately following a blank screen, flashing fluorescent lights came on in the theater, accompanied by a loud and very annoying alarm sound.

We were instructed to exit the theater while the manager and employees follow protocols set in place for this type of situation, which includes waiting for the fire department to arrive and check the building. Many of us remained in the theater lobby and ticket area because it was heated, compared to the low temperatures outside.

As we waited, many people became restless after learning that there is no fire in the building but employees continued to keep the theater out of operation at that moment. The staff suspected that a patron pulled the alarm on their way out of the theater earlier that night. Eventually, the fire department arrived and we were able to resume watching “Couples Retreat” after the projectionist started it near the scene that cut off so customers did not miss portions of the movie.

The inconvenience of this whole fire alarm and evacuation ordeal occurred during a crucial scene in the movie where it looked like something big was about to happen among the main characters. Since we were at one of the last showtimes for the evening, this particular trip to the movies made us get home much later than expected after about 20 minutes or more of confusion and regrouping to continue with the entertainment that we paid to watch.

Troubles with Movie Projection in Montgomery County

The scenes where Hermione, Harry and Ron are hiding out in the Forest of Dean in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” cut to black when I went to see this movie. The screen remained this way as the audio continued to play, so the other audience members and I could still hear what was going on but were unable to view any of the action. A few moments passed and then this technical issue was fixed after it was brought to the attention of a theater staff member.

Upon our departure from the theater, we were given a free ticket to a future showing of any movie at this location. While it did not ease my sorrow over Dobby’s death, this gesture was a nice way to convince me to not only return as their patron, but also overlook the on-screen glitch that could have sparked a riot from upset, Harry-Potter-fanatic teenagers, if this were opening weekend.

An Extended Commercial Run in Plymouth Meeting

As mentioned in an earlier post, a movie theater pre-show I watched that preceded “X-Men: First Class” was 40 minutes long. This outrageously inconvenient experience at the local cineplex made me feel insulted as a movie goer because I did not buy a ticket to watch an almost endless parade of advertisements and on-screen games, yet, that is what I received….at least until the movie finally began. I could have watched an entire episode of one-hour dramas such as “House” on Hulu during the time I waited for “X-Men: First Class” to play at the theater.

Did a movie ever stop playing or a fire alarm go off when YOU were at the movies?

Photo by: fatseth

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