Reporter's Investigation: Where to Find Sisters in Chongqing
Ms. Chi said that this kind of situation occurs from time to time in all small cinemas, "It's like eating in a restaurant when suddenly the power goes out," she said. For temporary situations, even if it's just for a minute, the general handling method for the cinema is: immediately change the screening, refund the ticket or sign an effective viewing date on the original ticket. "Maybe the viewer who posted the Weibo felt regretful, but I didn't ask for a refund or anything."
Screening accidents are strange and varied, with relevant regulations.
Later, a Xi'an netizen named "Lantiao19790908" revealed on Weibo: "On November 29, while watching the 3D movie 'The Adventures of Tintin' at the Xi'an Saigao Oscar Cinema, we encountered a film malfunction. Just as it was about to end, there was suddenly only sound and no picture. The result? The staff narrated the ending, advising the audience to leave the scene. What a joke!" At the same time, he also showed the movie ticket from the scene. When the Weibo post was reposted on December 2nd and gained attention, it eventually became a topic for netizens to mock.
Netizen Comments: A very creative ending
Netizen "Stanshum's Bell LC" said: "Although this movie has a new plot, the visuals were indeed somewhat disappointing to the audience, affecting the mood!" And "Yes94Connie" commented: "Cinema staff are not easy. They have unknowingly honed various skills over time. I actually admire their ability to adapt to changes. At least they are trying to solve problems!"
Mr. Zhou, a projectionist at Dongwei Movie Theater, told reporters that there may be various issues during the screening process in theaters, and everyone has probably encountered them. In late 2009, during the media trial screening and premiere of 'Three Guns', the theater mistakenly used the wrong copy for up to 20 minutes. Last year, when 'Avatar' was released, the IMAX theater at Wanda International Cinema in Dongguan experienced a screening incident where the full house watched over an hour of advertisements before finally becoming restless due to impatience. Reporters learned that such situations often occur at domestic film festivals: some due to incorrect order of copies leading to disconnection; others due to having pictures but no sound. This year at the Venice Film Festival, Chinese director Cai Shangjun's movie 'Three Three Two Two' premiered, but due to the lamp in the theater not being properly lit, it emitted a burnt smell, causing water damage.
Cinema Response: Malfunction occurred in the last minute
What would you do if you were watching a movie in the cinema and suddenly encountered only sound and no picture near the end? Refund the ticket? Change the session? Yesterday, a Xi'an netizen exposed another kind of ending on Weibo: Watching 'The Adventures of Tintin' when it was about to end, mechanical failure occurred, and the staff orally narrated the ending before dismissing the audience! Reporters contacted last night, and it turned out that the incident happened in the last minute of the movie.
Last night, reporter called Zhang Xiaomei, a staff member at Xi'an Oscar Saigao International Cinema. She confirmed the incident and introduced the details, "Yesterday, the movie was about to end with one minute left when equipment malfunction suddenly occurred. There were approximately 20-30 viewers present, and the staff member was a young girl. She explained to everyone that if they could wait, it would take about 10 minutes to fix it. However, a few viewers said it was almost over, 'What's the ending? Just tell us!' Therefore, the staff member orally informed everyone of the final minute's ending. Then, everyone did not wait and left."
In response to those comments, the reporter noticed more mocking responses. "DlingDling Nandating" said: "Haha, too talented! As if Teacher Tian Fang had possessed her!" Netizen "xujey" said: "Oral narration of the ending? How does one depict the silent scenes?" And "Fei Shenme Zai Hang'ai Lixiang" thought it was "a very creative ending."
For cinephiles, how can one protect their rights if encountering such incidents in the future? Mr. Li, the person in charge of Xi'an Bojing Cinema, told the reporter: "Today in the afternoon, our cinema also experienced a minor fault. Due to server issues, one movie stopped five times, and in the end, we refunded the tickets to the audience or changed them to other movies." He said that organizations like the Foreign Film Distribution Association do not have relevant regulations because screening accidents are varied and strange. Generally, the cinema handles it verbally. For the cinema, they will consult the audience's opinion and meet their demands. Even if the movie is played to the last minute, if any viewer requests a refund, it must be granted, because it is the right of the viewer.
Chongqing Daily Reporter Tang Henan