Brace yourself; It has been a few months since I have fussed about the low level of service at local theaters and I have lulled myself into a false sense of security. When things go bad at a megaplex, the results are horrendous.
I did not have a chance to visit a megaplex the weekend of May 25-26 because of the ghastly events in Santa Fe and the royal wedding. Since I was free on Wednesday, May 23. I decided to catch up. That was a serious mistake on my part.
There was no new film that drew my interest, but I vaguely remembered a review on NPR of a Rachel Weisz film, “Disobedience.” I arrived in plenty of time for the first showing, but it did not take long to realize that something was terribly wrong. After a string of endless and mindless commercials, the screen remained dark and silent. After a few minutes, one of the cashiers came in and announced that no one could fix the projector. (I never saw any of the adult managers; they may not have been on duty.)
I was already irritated from something that had happened at the concession stand. When I asked for a straw, the young man told me he was no longer allowed to pass out straws. To obtain a straw, I had to go elsewhere in the lobby. He said it was a new “corporate” policy; as you can imagine, I have no use for overpaid, underworked “bean-counters” who try to justify their existence by sitting around and dreaming up new ways to alienate customers.
I’m sure I resembled that volcano in Hawaii, the one that is throwing burning lava across the landscape. Some of the others in the auditorium were even more choleric, but the young lady, to her credit, remained calm and polite.
Before I wrote this review, I checked some reviews of “Disobedience” and realized I would not have cared for the film at all. I do appreciate the irony of the situation. I also realize how trivial my irritation is in comparison to the horror in Santa Fe.