I’ve been going to the flicks for about 9 years now, and never have I experienced a film completely cut out and actually go off while watching .. last night, that all changed ..
Last night I went to watch a film I’d been gagging to see ever since I saw the first trailer. Taken. Now without reviewing the film (as that’s coming later next month) the film looks at a relationship between a daughter (played by Maggie Grace) and protective father (played by Liam Neeson) which is ultimately turned upside down by a certain incident which takes place overseas. Uncontrollable, the situation spirals out of control and causes him to go in search for his daughter.
So we’re in the cinema, watching Taken, just like any other normal film showing .. and half an hour in (you know when things are just hotting up? – I know, figures, right?) first the frames start to slow down, then scene’s started overlapping – in and out of audible levels, and finally *boom* it goes off, completely. The auditorium was packed so there were no lack of ‘boo’s!’ to be had. After about 15 minutes and the scarce cinema staff figuring out the particular screen (in this case screen eight) was no-longer playing the movie, a ‘Cineworld’ representative came to the rescue stating the problem is called ‘Brain Wrap’ – new to me, anyway apparently the term refers to the film reel ‘reeling’ over itself too fast, hence us seeing overlapped frames, and then presumably the reel spun so fast, it reached the end, hence the cut off.
Anyway after 20 minutes of sitting, waiting – wondering whether the film was going to return, (and credit where it’s due, it started exactly were it left off), the film returned to the screen! It didn’t affect me much as I’m on Cineworld’s monthly subscription service ‘Unlimited’. For anyone who doesn’t know about this you basically pay £11.99 a month, and that’s gets you a plastic card and the ability to watch as many films as you want, anytime, anywhere, at your nearest Cineworld cinema. Considering a film costs (on average) £3, if you go 4 times a month, it’s already paid for itself. We’re going at least 2 times a week currently, so it’s a good deal.
The people I did feel sorry for were the people who paid, upfront. It really was a shambles. Although credit where it’s due, the Cineworld staff got the film back on – albeit slowly – and after that little episode, there were no further problems. I did actually get to see the end of Taken.
It happened at Cineworld, Runcorn on September 24th 08 (last night).
It’s a first for me, were you at the screening?, have any of you experienced similar?
Taken Official Site: http://takenmovie.co.uk/
Cineworld Unlimited: Find out more …
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