Posted on 06/30/2004 8:41:58 AM PDT by NewHampshireDuo
Ken Siegel would not describe himself as a Michael Moore fan.
But on Saturday, he went to see “Fahrenheit 9/11” with his son, Ryan, and one of his son’s friends at the AMC Tyngsboro 12 in Tyngsborough, Mass.
Siegel is still perplexed why a uniformed Tyngsborough police officer working a security detail seemed to be checking identifications only at the theater screening “Fahrenheit 9/11,” Moore’s documentary about the Bush administration in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Siegel ordered the tickets online, picked them up at the theater Saturday, and then left to do some errands with the boys. When they got back to theater, Siegel dropped off the boys at the front door so they could get seats while he parked.
When he got inside the building, the boys were waiting outside the cinema showing the film, which is rated R.
According to Siegel, a Tyngsborough police officer working at the theater had asked the boys for identification. When they said they didn’t have any with them, he didn’t let them in the theater.
After finding seats, Siegel went back to speak with the officer.
He said he asked if it was normal to have an officer in front of a particular theater. Siegel said the officer replied that he was doing what he was told to do.
Siegel said he asked why the officer wasn’t checking IDs near the front of the building, where AMC employees were taking tickets.
“At that point, other people started questioning the officer,” Siegel said.
Others were asking the officer the same questions and becoming animated, he said. Siegel said he went back into the theater.
“He’s an officer of the law. I respect the officer of the law,” Siegel said.
Most of the company’s theaters have security, usually provided by off-duty police officers, said Rich King, an AMC corporate spokesman. The security guards assist theater management in enforcing policies, such as preventing loitering and observing the rating guides, King said.
“Our policy is strict enforcement of ratings,” he said.
A Tyngsborough police official confirmed that officers from the department regularly are hired to work at the theater for weekend security details. The officers patrol the parking lots and monitor activities inside the theater as well, he said.
The usual shifts are Friday and Saturday night from 7-11 p.m., but last weekend the theater hired officers to work Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-11 p.m., he said. “Fahrenheit 9/11” opened Friday.
For his part, Siegel said he was interested in seeing Moore’s movie, which has been generating controversy since Disney announced it would not release the documentary. The film was produced by Miramax, a studio Disney owns.
Moore is well-known for other works such as “Bowling for Columbine,” which won an Oscar.
“I’m not even a fan of Michael Moore; I think he’s a jerk,” Siegel said.
However, he was angry that the theater appeared to be focusing on that movie.
It almost becomes a political statement, checking identifications in front of Moore’s film, Siegel said.
“It struck me as unusual,” he said. “I was angry about it.”
Nothing puzzling about it, Moore has openly told underage viewers to sneak in. The cop was checking Id's. Either that or he was looking for terrorist fans.
Talk about a trumped-up scandal. I mean seriously, this is one of the most petty things I've ever seen.
My understanding is that the MPAA "R" ratings don't have force of law.
Is that a big fat whine I hear? Yep, sure is. Glad they are doing it, heads full of mush don't need to hear the kind of propaganda that fat boy moore is putting out, this is what repressive countries do to their people to make them obey.
I think you're right, but the city may very well have an ordinance that covers it.
Sounds to me like he was working security for the theater in his off-duty hours, and was enforcing the theater's policy.
"Sounds to me like he was working security for the theater in his off-duty hours, and was enforcing the theater's policy."
Good point. The story doesn't mention who told him to check ID's.
I assuming the theater is private property and as such they have the right to refuse admission, and have police.
Sounds intentional to me, he sent underage boys in to get seats at a controvercial 'R' rated film while he parked the car. uh huh sure.
Is this the best they can do to conjure up headlines for this piece of crap film...?
That explains the cop car outside the theater where I saw "Shrek 2" and "Dodgeball" this weekend.
2 teenaged boys, alone, must show ID to enter theatre.
The KIDS had to show their ID, not the dad.
What is it about Rules some people are purposely obtuse about?
This is a non-story, published to make more people want to see this travesty just because THE MAN doesn't want them to. Aaaiaiaiiai!
Need to make a list of who goes up against the wall first when the revolution comes.
I wonder if the guy is also upset that convenience stores won't sell smokes or booze to his children without first asking for I.D.???
Thats kind of like telling kids to steal if they have to. After all the theatre owner is providing a service. Moore is telling kids to get that service for nothing.
Yes, but if the theater allows children into a pornographic movie like Moore's, they could open themselves to lawsuits from parents. They might just be trying to protect themselves.
I doubt he's not a Michael Moore fan. He's giving Michael Moore-on money by viewing his crockumentary and taking 2 children to see it too.
Do you normally order tickets early, go early to pick them up (running errands in between times), and then drop off your children to get seats? I only do this for films that I expect to be full. Because he expected this theater to be full, it tells me he's a Lib.
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In the most extreme example, a film from the 1940s called "Mom & Dad" which showed the birth of a baby and had sex segregated audiences, it was reported that at least one exploiter turned off the air conditioning and pumped in noxious gas to ensure that at least one patron would faint or get nauseous.
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