Theater Credits 'Passion' Money to Movie Starring Bush Hater

NewsMax ^ | 3/19/04 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Although "The Passion of the Christ" is one of the most popular movies of all time, with box office of more than $285 million so far, a TV news station in Miami wonders "should that dollar figure even be higher ... yes."

Here's the scoop, as reported today by WSVN-TV:

Frances Cannon "is upset because she says Gibson's movie isn't getting all the credit or cash it deserves."

A deeply religious woman, she and her family paid to see the movie but noticed their six tickets were marked "Hidalgo," not "The Passion of the Christ."

(The unpopular "Hidalgo," by the way, just so happens to star Bush-hating appeasement activist Viggo Mortensen.)

Whe Mrs. Cannon noticed the mistake and asked the cashier to fix it, the manager intervened. "He told me that they have already sold enough tickets and these six credits wouldn't matter anyway ... he's [Gibson] made enough money anyway."

She contacted Seven News after the manager again refused to give proper credit to "The Passion."

'Theft'

The station's legal expert, Howard Finkelstein, said: "This is clearly a breach of contract ... when someone makes a movie they get money based upon ticket sales ... in this case the money that Mel Gibson's movie should have gotten went to another movie ... if this was done intentionally it's theft."

The station says a corporate official of the chain, which it did not identify, admitted the manager was wrong, should have corrected the error and would correct it.

WSVN reports: "The theater wanted to know why Frances was so concerned about this. Bottom line ... she didn't want to get anyone in trouble ... she just wanted to make sure that Mel Gibson's movie got the money she paid ... We contacted Mel Gibson's people ... they are aware of the situation."

The reader who sent us this tip wonders, "Is this kind of theft of Mel Gibson going on in other parts of the country?"

Movie fans, check your ticket stubs, and raise hell if your money is incorrectly going to Viggo or the other pampered leftists of Tinseltown.

[mewzilla]

This could get interesting. A check yer stub bump...

[Spruce]

Mortenson has less personality than a roll of sod.

[Mears]

I'll be damned. It would never occur to me to do what this lady did.

Thanks for the post.

[truthandlife]

'Passion' ping

[1rudeboy]

Mel, or Newmarket, or any affected party should lawyer-up. And not for the principle of the matter, either, but instead for the cash. This is no different from a hold-up.

[JeeperFreeper]

Good post. Never woulda looked at the ticket before. Now I will. No matter how cynical you get about the left, you just can't keep up.

[general_re]

Interesting. I wonder if they were trying to pump up their own bottom line by overselling sold-out showtimes. Rather than tell people it's sold out, and risk having them go home and not watch something else, sell them a ticket to something else and let them go sit in the aisles or whatever.

[Hildy]

If this did happen intentionally, I truly doubt it was politically motivated. Probably an effort to make it look like the movie theater was doing better business with all the movies instead of just one. Would be interesting if it was an "executive" decision, or just a local management one.

[Kieri]

Mortenson has less personality than a roll of sod.

I wasn't crazy about Jackson's choice of Aragorn when I didn't know about Viggo the Vitriolic's stand on terrorism.

BTW, one girlfriend dumped him for his "lack of attention to personal hygiene!" ROFL!

[conservativecorner]

I'm shocked I tell you, just shocked. LOL!

[Fiddlstix]

[ClearCase_guy]

To counteract this, perhaps people should buy tickets for The Passion and then see Starsky and Hutch. Then next weekend, they should buy tickets for The Passion and see Eternal Sunshine. Then the following weekend, they should buy tickets for the Passion, and see The Passion.

[netmilsmom]

My nephew manages the Tower City Theatres in Cleveland. When a movie is as top selling as The Passion, they will take another screen and show the biggie there. The ticket will show what was suppose to be playing on the screen. It truly sucks but is explainable. If Mel wanted to push the point, he has contracts with the distributors who, if they have The Passion but not the other movie, just lost a showing!!!

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

This happens to every movie at some theater or another during a run. It never becomes an issue or even noticed unless one of the films have a political base that is touchy. This is likely not a conspiracy, it's an error in the ticketing system or an inept 16 year old running the ticket counter.

[mewzilla]

But I don't think the theatre cares, does it, as long as there's a fanny in the seat? That's what gets the theatre the money. The only diff I could think is if the theatre gets a different percentage from different movies instead of the same cut from all. If the former's the case, this could get interesting....

[texasflower]

I haven't checked my tickets either and we have been three times so far.

[threat matrix]

Or churches could buy matinee tickets for Passion and stand outside giving them away to patrons