Wed, July 13, 2005
Piracy paranoia—2:24 PM
Tomorrow night, Arksie and I are off to a preview screening of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at our alma mater, including Q&A with screenwriter/alumnus John August. Today, this via e-mail from the Alumni unit:
We have been informed by Warner Brothers that due to piracy concerns they will be checking for any recording devices (including cell-phones with camera capability) before the screening of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Thursday evening at 7 p.m. at Norris Theatre/Sinatra Hall. Please do not bring these items with you or they will be confiscated and returned to you after the screening. We apologize for this inconvenience.
I hope Valenti himself is in attendance, to piledrive any offending cell phones into glistening, silicon pulp. That'd be worth the price of admission right there.
Joe Mulder — Thu, 7/14/05 9:32am
Cell phones with camera capabilities? Well, I guess so. It's not like they'd want to have people seeing still photographs and short clips of the movie before it actually opened, now, would they?
"michwagn" — Thu, 7/14/05 9:36am
I always get a big kick out of this stuff. For me, it seems like it would be a lot more trouble to find a pirated copy of a movie that is suitable for viewing, choose to buy it, and then watch it than it would to go to the theatre where there is buttery popcorn and a large movie screen for E-Z movie-viewing pleasure.
Bee Boy — Thu, 7/14/05 9:47am
Yep. To me, the only arguable reason to watch the lower-quality pirated version is that it omits that angry pre-show announcement about piracy. That thing literally gives me headaches. Way to alienate your conscientious, paying customers, assholes.
I actually went out of my way to get the last flip phone my cell carrier offers without camera capabilities, but you can bet I'll be pirating C&CF with my napkincam.
"Alicia" — Thu, 7/14/05 5:18pm
Are you going to post a Charlie & Choco Factory thread or should I put all my Rip-to-pieces-that-crappy-piece-of-shit-movie here?
I heard so much stuff about this movie NOT being a remake of the first (and much better) Charlie movie, and that it was an adaptation of the book...well, someone should have told the director and production designer because the sets looked suspiciously almost IDENTICAL to the sets on the first (and much better) movie. Major thumbs down.
"AC" — Thu, 7/14/05 9:26pm
Are you insane?? Maybe we didn't see the same movie, but every time I see that old one I want to puke. SOOO doesn't adhere to the spirit of the book.
Bee Boy — Fri, 7/15/05 12:13am
You should be able to post them wherever you like. I'm certain that Arksie will join you.