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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Topic: Moviegoer sprayed with Mace in dispute over cellphone
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Frank Cox
Film God
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Posts: 2234
From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada
Registered: Apr 2011
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posted 11-11-2014 02:10 PM
Moviegoer sprayed with Mace in dispute over cellphone quote: A moviegoer got a face full of eye-burning Mace Monday night after asking a fellow patron to turn off her cellphone in California.
According to Variety, the incident happened during a screening of Mike Leigh's historical drama Mr. Turner at Hollywood’s historic TCL Chinese Theatre.
Witnesses said the man, who was seated behind the woman, repeatedly asked her to put her phone away after the film began. When his complaints were ignored, he tapped her on the shoulder and asked again.
That’s when the woman "flipped out," witnesses said.
"She stands up and starts cursing, saying, 'You hit me, you hit me, I'm going to call the police," a moviegoer told Mashable.
Despite the pleas of audience members asking the woman to settle down, she reached in her purse, uncapped a bottle of Mace and sprayed it directly into the man’s face.
He immediately left the theatre, but the woman returned to her seat and continued watching the movie.
Security came in about 15 minutes later to escort the woman out.
It's not clear if the man was hurt, but the Los Angeles Police Department told ABC News that no calls for service were received from the theatre.
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Leo Enticknap
Film God
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Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted 11-11-2014 02:47 PM
I was working the Egyptian last night and the festival's technical director was at the Chinese when this happened. She told me that the victim (assuming that this was an unprovoked attack) simply left without making himself known to theater staff after the incident, hence nothing having been reported to the police. Unless he makes a complaint, I'm guessing that no action will be taken against the "shooter".
It happened when the house lights were down in the middle of a movie, which was not paused at any point. So it's pretty much impossible to know whether her claim of self-defense is in any way credible.
We're all crossing our fingers hoping that nothing like this happens tonight, with the premieres of Selma and American Sniper both taking place, one after the other. This place is going to be a complete madhouse: when I arrived for the tech runs at 6.45am this morning, a line was already forming for Selma, over 11 hours before showtime!
A contractor working here this morning commented that the mace spray incident is why he prefers to watch DVDs at home rather than go to the theater himself. I so hope that nothing else like this happens during the rest of the festival, because with every highly publicized incident like this, more and more people will probably start to feel the same way.
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Leo Enticknap
Film God
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Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted 11-11-2014 06:10 PM
Dan - sorry about that. When it's an AmCin show, our staff and volunteers are usually pretty vigilant about pouncing on cellphone jerks. However, AFI are renting the theater for this gig and thus it's their call as to how proactive they're going to be about picking them off. Added to which, if the "perp" is in the middle of a row, nowhere near the aisle, it's very difficult to get to him/her without disturbing half a dozen other customers. Last night was a completely full house. Were you in the balcony or the main floor? I was keeping an eye on the balcony from the booth and didn't notice any cellphone glows.
I'm going to be taking a close interest in American Sniper tonight, in case the movie offers any helpful suggestions: at the Aero, in particular, we have a clear line of sight from the booth ports to take out the little gits, wherever they're sitting!
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Randy Stankey
Film God
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Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 11-12-2014 10:30 AM
If I'm not mistaken, they already make soundproofing panels that look like sheets of Homasote with metal screens embedded inside. If you use steel screws to mount them on metal Quick-Studs, they automatically make a Faraday Cage.
However, I'd go the extra mile and put metal builder's cloth right into the block walls, the foundation and the ceiling when the rooms are built. I want a radio-free dead zone.
I wouldn't put up signs, though. I'd just do this very quietly and not say anything. If anybody complained, I'd just say, "I don't know..." and if anybody pointed out the fact that the walls are lined with metal grid, I'd lie my ass off and simply say that it was done to prevent interference... which it is, technically doing. I just didn't specify what KIND of interference I'm preventing.
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