I was at the movie theater earlier today. The lights dimmed, people turned off their cell phones, and the coming attractions reel started to roll.
Right in the middle of the short commercials advertising movies about cunning detectives and robots that people use to live their lives, was something altogether different. It was instructions on how to get out if there is an emergency. As well as I can remember, it went something like this....
"Make your way to the exits with the lit white signs. The exits marked by the white signs are the quickest way to leave the theater. As soon as you exit the building, get as far away from the theater as you can."
That sounds like good advice.
Just as an aside, I have been going to movies for 40 years and have never seen anything like this before. Even back during the Cold War, when we were all convinced that the Russians were going to drop the sky down on us some bright and sunny day, they didn't show "How To Run Away" instructions before the feature rolled.
I first saw this message played during the trailers a few months ago, but nothing since. I talked to the manager back then, asking why they were suddenly interested in making sure their customers knew how to flee if something bad happens. She reacted with extreme puzzlement, said that she knew nothing about it, and that she hadn't seen the reel herself.
Another conversation with her today elicited no more info. A number of people have approached her and asked about the message, which means a few more than just me has noticed. But she has heard nothing from the home office, and the preview reel is prepackaged from corporate. Not only does the individual theater staff have no say in the content, but they also know jack all about it unless they sit down and watch it with the customers.
I've tried to contact the main office, but so far no go. They are only interested in speaking to reporters employed by mainstream media outlets. Bloggers and customers should save the effort.
Oddly enough, there was a copyright mark down in the lower right corner of the screen during the warning reel. The content was copyrighted AMC Theaters, not the dept. of Homeland Security or any other government agency. This is something that the theater chain wants to make sure that their customers know how to do.
There is this phrase from the warning reel that keeps running through my head. "Once you exit the building, get as far away from the theater as you can." Have movie theaters in the US been exploding without me hearing about it?
