mhg83

About a week ago I went to see 3:10 to yuma at a second run theater with my dad. Throughout the movie, the projector kept stopping. It went out 5 times! It completely ruined the film. They gave us all courtesy passes. This wasnt the first time the projector at this theater has stopped working but I think this was a record.

How many times has a projector stopped on you during a screening?

resinrats

Back when I lived in Europe, the "theater" at the base was in a multiuse room. They only had one projector so it there were breaks between every reel. It was free so I didn't mind it (was also 6 at the time).

Otherwise, I've only had it happen a couple of times (1 per movie). Once in ST: Generations when they started the film with no sound. They stopped and rewound it and started it with sound. The other time was during Holow Man (Kevin bacon movie) when the film caught fire. Was pretty cool to see it on screen shake and then melt. They offered us passes to see it later.

One other time was the theater lost power due to a storm. Passes offered again. I noted the time so when I can back, I came back at that time to see the end and not rewatch the 1st half again.

Apple Gooncha

When I saw Blade Trinity (ugh) in theaters It stopped at least 3 times, there was a decent stretch with no audio, and the first 15 or so minutes of the movie weren't even framed up right to the screen, so I saw about 5% of the picture.

Also, my 2nd time seeing Return of the King in theaters with my friends who hadn't seen it, the power went out

Giggles

While I can recall just a couple of times when this happened in a theater, one time the projector came to a halt twice during one film. That was indeed irritating.

TomOpus

I can't remember the last time a projector has stopped on me. Nowadays, I tend to go to DLP theaters.

GoldenJCJ

When I first Saw Speed the projector stopped about the time they got to the airport.

The projector stopped during the middle of Saving Prive Ryan. It became misaligned where Tom Hanks feet where on the top half of the screen and his head was on the bottom half.

When I saw 8mm the projetcor just shut down when Nic Cage was walking through the house with the blaring heavy metal music. Actually, the way I saw it just end in the theater was a better ending than the real ending. I fit perfectly with the grungy atmosphere of the movie. I kid you not.

Mondo Kane

Exorcist III-It shut off during the freaky confessional scene in the early going. For a moment, I thought the theater-manager was going "William Castle" on us. (Speaking of which....*Adds to Horror Challenge*)

Wag The Dog-Some guy in the crowd yelled out something like "I hope it wasn't a missle". Since that was what the previous scene was about.

sundog

Gremlins 2.

Luckily, a fellow audience member fixed it right away.

Fanboy

The projector once shut down when a friend and I went to see Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. The theatre went dark for a few minutes. Then the projector came back on. Then we noticed people near the front of the theatre starting to leave their seats -- while shouting.

At that point we discovered that the lower part of the theatre was filling up with water! Apparently, a water main burst and all of the theatres were flooding. Not that the multiplex bothered to shut down the screens, but at least a manager came in to direct everyone toward the exit (at the top of the theatre, thankfully).

And the worst part? I never got to use my 3D glasses.

Niiiice.

stingermck

Revenge of the Sith. Midnight showing. Nerds with lightsabers. Film was never restarted. Whew what an ugly night that was.

Randy Miller III

Once, but I forget which movie was even playing.
Rocky something-or-other, maybe.

paradicelost

I was a projectionist for close to two years, and the only time I had a screw up during the film was at midnite shows. I can't remember the term but when you're using one print for 3 or 4 houses, you have to loop it to one projector to another one. You have a much bigger chance of something screwing up during the feature than normal.

GreenVulture

Funny you mention that, since I saw Knocked Up in a DLP theater and the movie froze/went to a black screen not once, not twice, but three times.

But with DLP and normal projectors, I'd say I've experienced the movie stopping probably about 15 times or so throughout all my theater going.

SPiRAL

For me, three times. I forget what movie, but we all received courtesy passes. I remember going to see Buffalo Soldiers, and the film and reel caught on fire. You could see the flame on the screen and we looked at the booth and ran out of there.

Giles

this was new to me.

DLP screening of 'Nightmare Before Christmas 3D' - audio dropout during first song.

DLP screening of '30 Days of Night' - audio dropout at least twice during first 8 minutes, cut out projector twice - resulting in about ten minutes of footage lopped off - since it was DLP a quick restart fixed it.

mndtrp

I've only had issues a few times, and only once did it go on for more than 5 minutes. As far as I can remember, anyway.

bcd

I saw, me myself and Irene and the projector stopped 6-7 times the house lights came up twice and a staf member came in told us that things should be back on shortly...twice. The only time that I have ever demanded my money back from the theater. Oddly enough I haven't been back to that theater sincee that incident


bcd

Joe Molotov

When I went to see A.I., the film stopped once or twice, then burned up somewhere around the Blue Fairy part so they gave us free passes.

EdTheRipper

The projector had some issues when my wife and I went to see Blade II. We got through about 15 minutes or so before it went out. After a few minutes, a manager came in and told us that whatever happened was not repairable so we all got free passes for a future show.

BigPete

5x during the first 90 min of The Green Mile before they sent us home. Lots of upside down reels, too.

zombeaner

The most memorable time a projector crapped out when I was in the theater was during Se7en. As Brad Pitt is pacing around whimpering "What's in the box?!" the projector eats it. ?!?!?! They never got it back up, I had to wait for rental to find out....