TEST SCREENINGS... Total Bull Shit! Father Geek here with what I wish I could say was a shocking incident, an isolated local occurance, but I can't, what happened below is an all to common happening in the life of those who try to attend Test Screenings. Here it is in Voltron's own words...
Denied! Rejected!! Do not pass go!
I was not allowed in because I did not fit the demographic they were targeting with the film. I'm a 23 year old male... How could I not fit the demographic?!?!
Here's how it went down... I get there with my friends about ten minutes before we were told to get there. They're a significant number of people in line ahead of us, about 50. They take our green admitance passes from us and give us a personal information card they want us to fill out and sign. The card basically wants to know if I am affiliated with anyone in the movie biz, and that I will not post a review of the movie on an Internet website. My friends and I snicker as we read that one, imitating Comic Book Guy's "Worst Movie Ever" line. Gender: Male, Age: 23, Nationality: Asian...
A Big 6' 3" 280lb white guy looks at our cards and tells us we can not see the movie... We do not fit the demographic they are looking for. We are in shock as he pulls us out of line. He then gives us a free pass to see any other currently running movie they are playing in the theater and sends us on our way. We watch as he lets scores of other people in who are about the same age as us. Except they are ALL white. All east-asians and south-asians were being rejected. We think this is total BS.
After another five minutes they say the theater is full and no one else can get in. We then see a group of eight white 17-20 year olds walk up and they let them in. Then a group of 3 women in their late 20's try to get in. They were denied also.
As we are in line to see another movie, we hear a white couple behind us in their late 30's to early 40's complaining that they weren't allowed in either. We asked them why they weren't allowed in. The bouncer told them they are targeting 17-20 year olds for the film. Anyone who did not fit that demographic was being turned away. Is this a teeney-bopper movie? I guess they are banking on the fact that all the puberty stricken teenagers who fell in love with Leo several years back will still watch his movies now that they are older.
I never thought I'd see the day where a 23 year old wasn't allowed to see a Marty Scorsese film, and barely 17 year olds were openly ushered in. Extreme BUMMER of an evening!
Call me VOLTRON.
