AZIZ VS. IMAX ROUND 2: IMAX CEO Responds! And so do I. I challenge you to a televised debate sir!
On this site, IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond addresses my complaint.
“The overwhelming majority of comments on that guy’s blog this morning, more than 90% of them, are vehemently disagreeing with him. And consumers are confirming this with their continued purchases of tickets.”
WHAT A SURPRISE ANOTHER IMAX LIE. Who did those numbers? The same guy who measures your bullshit tiny IMAX screens???
Read the comments and you’ll find that’s not the case and its definitely not the case on Twitter responses either. Many, many, many people have agreed with me in that they paid $5 extra expecting the full 72 ft IMAX screens and instead saw this new BULLSHIT IMAX regular screen which your company says is the same because its an “experience.” Well I “experienced” a huge 72 ft screen that was awesome when I saw a film at Bridge Cinema and then when I went to AMC Burbank, I “experienced” a piece of shit ripoff.
If you agree and have been duped or feel this is a ripoff, add it to the comments on the original post or on here.
The chunk of comments backing IMAX and AMC are I believe a result of this Fark post that was titled - “Blogger gets his knickers in a twist over “fake” IMAX screens. Then uses the “do you know how many followers I have on Twitter?” threat to try and get a refund.” It kind of portrays the situation as I’m some idiot blogger who seriously goes around threatening people with Twitter, which is an absurd notion that I agree should be lambasted. However, I didn’t seriously do that, THAT WAS A JOKE.
Also, to those commenters, yes I understand Darfur is a serious issue. The IMAX thing is ultimately a stupid issue, that’s my point.
For those saying, “Dude you saw the movie! And then you want a refund!!! Why didn’t you leave??” First off, I just asked for the $5 IMAX surcharge on the principle that it wasn’t IMAX. I was fine paying the other $10 for seeing the movie. Second of all, I’ve been dying to see the movie and I finally had a window of time to see it. I was going to watch the movie. I didn’t want to deal with that hassle and not get to see it. Someone brought up a good analogy in the comments. If I bought a first class plane ticket and then got on the plane and saw all the seats were coach, I’d still get on the flight. I wouldn’t get off, miss my flight, and totally inconvenience myself. I would get on and then deal with the issue afterwards.
Now, here’s what I want do. I’m publicly challenging IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond to go on television and debate this issue with me. If you really think I’m in the wrong, LET’S DEBATE.
REBLOG THE FUCK OUT OF THIS. WARNING: AMC theaters are running FAKE IMAX's and charging $5 extra for a slightly bigger screen. Boycott IMAX, AMC, and Regal. Don't let them fool you.
I went with a friend of mine to see Star Trek: The IMAX Experience at the AMC Theatre in Burbank today. I drove out of my way to see the film on the large IMAX screen and paid an extra $5 for the ticket, which felt worth it at the time.
HOWEVER, we get in the theatre and its just a slightly bigger than normal screen and NOT the usual standard huge 72 ft IMAX screen. I was very upset and apparently this problem is happening all over at Regal and AMC theatres. Here’s a graphic representation of what’s happening at these “FAKE IMAX” screens:
If you don’t want the whole long story, I did some research online and found this article that explains it. Basically IMAX is whoring out their brand name and trying to trick people. These new “IMAX” theatres are really just nice digital screens with good sound, but they ARE NOT IMAX, in that they don’t have the huge 72 ft gigantic screen which people would expect. However, they still charge $5 more for tickets as they would for the regular IMAX.
REGAL, AMC, AND IMAX - YOU ARE LIARS!
Boycott them. Fuck them for taking advantage of people and charging them $5 extra. If you’re in LA, go to the Arclight from now on, and fuck the IMAX screens (fake and real).
Some people at Regal and AMC both wanted to call these screens IMAX Digital so as to differentiate it somehow from the giant IMAX screens people are used to associating with the name IMAX. Apparently IMAX doesn’t see anything wrong with duping customers like this and insisted on simply keeping it as IMAX. Well, I have a better term how about - “BULLSHIT IMAX.” Cause that’s what it is.
According to this piece, IMAX CEO, Richard Gelfond said the company only puts IMAX digital systems into multiplex auditoriums that meet certain criteria. He jokingly said, “It’s a very scientific test. It’s called the ‘wow’ factor. So if you don’t go in and go ‘wow,’ we won’t do it.” HAHAHA! REALLY FUNNY RICHARD!!!! What happens if I go in the theatre and go “This isn’t a fucking IMAX screen, I just got ripped off for $5!!” Do I get my money back?
At the AMC theatre this was my experience at guest services:
Aziz: Yes, I’d like my $5 back. I paid $5 extra for an IMAX screen and that’s not nearly as big as what I have known IMAX to be.
Guest Services: I can’t sir. Its IMAX quality picture and sound.
Aziz: But the screen isn’t big, that’s the whole reason I pay $5 more for IMAX.
Guest Services: Well sir, you watched the whole movie, you could have come out and we could have given you tickets to a different one.
Aziz: Why would I do that? I’d leave Star Trek, the movie I wanted to see and you’d give me a ticket for Ghosts of Girlfriends Past? Oh yeah that’s fair! No, you need to give me the $5 back, its the principle of it. Can I see a manager?
Manager: Sir, we can’t refund the money, you saw the whole film.
Aziz: I don’t want $15, I just want $5 cause AMC lied about IMAX.
Manager: Sir, I can give you popcorn and a drink.
Aziz: I don’t want to go home and drink a nasty soda and eat nasty ass popcorn. I want my $5 back. Its not about the money, its the principle of the matter, ITS NOT IMAX.
Manager: Sorry, I can’t do anything.
Aziz: You know what Twitter is? I have 25,000 followers, I’m tell 25,000 people you run fake IMAX’s and that they should boycott AMC.
Manager: I don’t really care sir.
Aziz: Yeah, I wouldn’t care either if I worked here, but you know you are in the wrong! You should give me $5!!
Manager: SIR, I CAN GIVE YOU POPCORN AND A SODA.
Aziz: I DON’T LIKE POPCORN AND I DON’T LIKE SODA, I WANT MY $5!!!
Manager: Ok here’s two free passes.
UPDATE: In addition to this terrible tragedy, there are also terrible things going on in Darfur. Please Google around for more info on how to help there.
REAL UPDATE: THE TWITTER THING WAS A JOKE YOU ANGRY PEOPLE IN THE COMMENTS THREADS WHO CAME OVER FROM FARK OR WHATEVER, I DIDN’T SERIOUSLY “THREATEN” A DUDE WITH TWITTER. HAHAHAHA. TAKE IT EASY. ALSO, YES, I’M AWARE DARFUR IS A MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM. CHILL THE FUCK OUT!
Aziz Ansari on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Here’s my appearance from Friday. I talk about Kanye, my cousins, and my upcoming role as Randy in Funny People. The show was a lot of fun. Enjoy!
Samberg and JT do the impossible and make a worthy followup to the legendary “Dick in the Box.”
Animal Collective KILLING it on Letterman. So good.
(via I Guess I’m Floating and Pitchfork)
My God. This is real. Please just watch til the very end, I promise its worth it. Wait til the very end, do not fast forward. Wow. Just wow.
This is real and it’s amazing. I Don’t want to give anything away. You must watch.
I’m headlining the Improv on Saturday. Two shows 730 and 930. DJ Ol’ Youngin will be joining my friend Randy in the first show. These are shows to warmup for my DVD taping so it will be material from the Glow in the Dark tour. Click the link above for tickets!
Holy shit. Cannot wait to see what Huebel is cooking up with this. If I know anything about Huebel, a series of shorts written by him about a bank hold up might be a little violent.
Day 1 of our HBO/FunnyOrDie series, Holdup! Today we shot with Jerry Minor, Brandon Johnson, Ian Roberts, Rich Fulcher, Tom Lennon, Kate Walsh, Ed Helms, Paul Scheer, and Weird Al Yankovic. Directed by Ruben Fleischer.
