OMG!!! Some people want to see Serenity real bad. by Jeremy757

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

OMG!!! Some people want to see Serenity real bad.

POSTED BY: JEREMY757
UPDATED: Friday, May 6, 2005 16:00
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 17553
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Sunday, May 1, 2005 8:54 AM

I just found these Serenity screening tickets for sale on ebay. All three of these are already up to $150 dollars or more for a single ticket. There are several more that are under that price too. Are people so desperate to see this film that they will pay 10 to 15 times the going rate of a movie ticket just to see the movie a few months ahead of time.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16122&item=6529
092752&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16122&item=6528
858139&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16122&item=6528
858383&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 9:30 AM

JAYNEZTOWN

that's very mean indeed

making such a profit on somebody's dedicated fan loyalty

Why not just wait a few more days and watch the big Damn movie about 4 more times during the next month, rather than paying over 200 dollars for one ticket

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 9:33 AM

CHRONICTHEHEDGEHOG

The second and third ones aren't for profit, anything over the original price is going to charity... So he says...

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 9:48 AM

JEREMY757

I would be suprised if any of the people bidding on the ticket actually care about the charity.

It isn't the people that are selling the tickets on Ebay that im concerned with. What suprises me is the fact that someone is willing to pay so much for a single ticket when they could wait 4 months and pay $10 to see the movie instead of $100 or $200. Are they that anxious to see the movie to doll out that kind of cash.

I would suggest that anyone who dishes out that kind of money to see an unfinished movie, either has too much money or maybe somekind of addictive personality.

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 9:52 AM

WHOISRIVER

Well, let's not forget somebody was threatening theatre staff last week for tickets (see Joss's post on the official forum).

There's obviously a bit of demand to see the movie.

I am concerned how many non-fans will get into the movie. If somebody goes in with the intention of recording the thing (bare in mind the security at all the cinemas ain't exactly amazing) we could have a real problem on our hands... If people are willing to pay $200 to see the movie unfinished early, you can bet your arse they'd download it.

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 10:00 AM

JEREMY757

Quote:
I am concerned how many non-fans will get into the movie. If somebody goes in with the intention of recording the thing (bare in mind the security at all the cinemas ain't exactly amazing) we could have a real problem on our hands... If people are willing to pay $200 to see the movie unfinished early, you can bet your arse they'd download it.

oh..I didn't think about that. These people buying the tickets for hundreds of dollars might be the ones sneaking video equipment into the theater so they can make bootlegs. Then they set up shop in the local flea market and sell the bootlegs for 5 bucks a pop. Just have to sell 40 to break even, 80 to make a profit.

Yeah, the fact that people were threating theater employees for not selling them tickets does point to the fact that there are some disturbed people among us.

I wonder if Firefly was popular in the local prison TV room. ha ha.

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 11:40 AM

FIREFLYWILDCARD1

Yeah I can see people downloading it if someone got a video camera into one of the theaters. However, the movie is unfinnished (special effects still needing some work, I guess), so I'm willing to bet that some people who download it will go pay to see it in September. The other thing is, if they are only willing to see the movie for free, they aren't going to go to the theater in September anyways.

Hopefully nobody makes a bootleg of the movie.

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 12:02 PM

WHOISRIVER

The problem with a download copy isn't fans downloading it, it's other people - you know, the people going to see Hitchhikers etc, who see the trailer... if it ends up online in say a weeks time, they'll go "Oooooh! That was the Scifi film!" and download it, and then go "Errrr, the quality is crap, the effects are rubbish, the music isn't finished!!" and tell their friends etc.

I really do hope nobody leaks it: it'll damage things badly 6 months before release.

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 12:45 PM

RANGRBOB

You do all know that Firefly has a very good and loyal fan following, right? I don't see why anyone would be surprised that there are fans out there who would pay big bucks to see the movie early. It's no crazier than someone driving 4 hours to see it early with a regular priced ticket, and it's certainly no crazier than fans who would say wait 24 hours or longer in line to see a movie. Fans for the most part are well fanatical, if someone has some extra cash to spend and wants to see the movie early it doesn't mean that they have alterior motives it just means that they really like Firefly. I'm sure there are hundreds of people who frequent this site who would do the same thing if they had the cash. I would.

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 1:31 PM

MSHECUBUSISEVIL

In case anyone is interested in other auctions

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6529471279

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6529472107

Sorry for advertising!

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 1:41 PM

ZOID

Fellow Browncoats:

The thing nobody seems to have noticed in all this is that scalpers have become involved in this process. I was very concerned when Joss related that theatre personnel had been threatened by ticket requesters. I'm now inclined to believe that these were not the acts of over-eager fans, but of scalpers looking to make as big a profit as possible. My guess is that these people bought the maximum number of tickets and are now auctioning them off in various places, in order to victimize the fans and studio's good will.

If I were the studio, I would immediately cancel all the shows and give ticket holders a refund of the $10 face value. Then I'd rethink the process (say a limit of 1 ticket per person) and reschedule the events. It would keep people somewhat honest (which scalpers are not).

In any event, Browncoats should never bid on one of these tickets. It's profiteering at its worst. Make the scalpers eat their excess tickets. And as for the two tickets with excess proceeds going to charity: Yeah, right, and I'm the King of Londinium and wear a shiny hat...

Disgustedly,

zoid

P.S.
Somebody's trying to take advantage of you, make a profit off of you. Don't let 'em.
_________________________________________________

"Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDM'

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 4:52 PM

COZEN

Yeah, but aren't these scalpers "misbehavin'" in the true profiteering spirit of the capitalist underdoggy? I posit that such folks are Browncoats in spirit, if not FF fans per se.

***
Anything for a buck.

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 5:12 PM

ZOID

cozen:

Guess it depends on whether you see the Serenity sneak tickets as TTJ medicine or geisha bobbleheads. I tend to see it as the former. The studio and Joss' intent was to provide them on a fair basis to them that needs 'em, meaning a regular movie-going audience. Not to have them all snapped up by some opportunists smelling a chance for exhorbitant profits.

Quote:
BOURNE
You were truthful back in town.
These are tough times. Hard to
find yourself work. A man can get
a job, he might not look too close
at what that job is.
(to Mal)
But a man learns all the details
of a situation like ours, well
then he has a choice.

MAL
I don't believe he does.

Browncoats don't hold other Browncoats ransom for their love of Firefly...

Respectfully,

zoid
_________________________________________________

"Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDM'

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 6:02 PM

RIVERNOT

Quote:
Originally posted by cozen:
Yeah, but aren't these scalpers "misbehavin'" in the true profiteering spirit of the capitalist underdoggy? I posit that such folks are Browncoats in spirit, if not FF fans per se.

***
Anything for a buck.

These types of people are the "Badgers" of the 'verse (they don't take sides so they can profit off of both). They're not interested in what's best for other FF fans, what's best for the studio, or, most importantly, what's best for the BDM. There is a big difference between being a Browncoat and a profiteer.

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 6:12 PM

RANGRBOB

For the most part I'm not sure how many of the tickets are actually being sold by scalpers and how many are just people who just couldn't go for one reason or another. Sure their _____ for doing it, but it's the fans who are willing to pay. If most of the people who bought tickets were just looking to scalp, then ebay would have been flooded with extra tickets 10min after they were purchaced not at the last minute and how many are on there 10 or so out of about 3000 nation wide. The only real _____ selling tickets on ebay is the person who put them in at a 250 buy it now price. JMHO

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 6:14 PM

COZEN

zoid,

I understand what you're saying. Cynically, perhaps, I tend to the "geisha bobbleheads" perspective. Serenity is a movie, in the end it is just entertainment for the masses (hopefully, in this case!). Created by writer(s), produced and distributed by producers and distributers for their profit. So, nothing you don't already know.

As much as I may not like it, scalpers intervene to feast on those that haven't the patience to wait for the commercial release. Heck, our own BDH Cap'n Reynolds said that half the folks in his 'verse were middlemen. Comes down to "buyer beware". In this case, it seems to me that the buyers are informed, and willing to pay. Who am I to judge the buyers, when they know the facts?

Personally, I'm with you, I would save the dollars and wait. I guess this becomes an ethical issue in light of, say, those who allocate their children's grocery funds toward purchasing scalped tickets. Given the opportunity, I might then attempt to dissuade such action. Otherwise, if one has nothing better to do than see a flick prior to its official release date, and one is willing to shell out the extra bucks to facilitate the event, then more power to the opportunistic scalper. Just so long as said scalper stays out of my face. Let's face facts: Serenity movie tickets are not required medicine. It is possible, although hard to imagine, to live without viewing Serenity. Pascaline-D (sp?), on the other hand....

http://www3.sympatico.ca/ldnemeth/images/blackjacksilver.GIF

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 7:07 PM

CALHOUN

Quote:
rangrbob wrote:
Sunday, May 01, 2005 12:45
You do all know that Firefly has a very good and loyal fan following, right? I don't see why anyone would be surprised that there are fans out there who would pay big bucks to see the movie early. It's no crazier than someone driving 4 hours to see it early with a regular priced ticket, and it's certainly no crazier than fans who would say wait 24 hours or longer in line to see a movie. Fans for the most part are well fanatical, if someone has some extra cash to spend and wants to see the movie early it doesn't mean that they have alterior motives it just means that they really like Firefly. I'm sure there are hundreds of people who frequent this site who would do the same thing if they had the cash. I would.

I'm right there with ya, Rangrbob.

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 7:27 PM

GRANITE

Far any wishing to sell tickets on Ebay, pay close attention to the following Ebay page -

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/event-tickets.html

It appears that Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago are directly affected by laws which govern ticket resales. There is some other important stuff too

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Sunday, May 1, 2005 7:29 PM

11THHOUR

Well my take on this is that if Serenity screening tickets are being bid on at these amounts, what it does is enhance the prestige of the movie. Some people want to see Serenity so much that they'll pay big bucks... WOW!

Also, since only a handful of tickets are being auctioned, it's pretty obvious that the overwhelming majority of ticket buyers are fans who are keeping their tickets, as it should be. Doesn't really look like scalping is running rampant.

Just my opinion...

Serenity comes,

11thHour

________________________________________________

"Because teenage pranks are fun when you're about to die!" - Hoban Washburne

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Monday, May 2, 2005 2:50 AM

WHOISRIVER

There's another thing which seems odd to me.

For those who don't know, the tickets come with the buyers credit card number printed on the bottom of the ticket. Since there's security for screenings this early, they may well demand to see the credit card produced to make sure you're the owner of the ticket (in which case they already have your address etc in case of trouble).

Buyers could well find themselves unable to get into screenings, which given the prices, worries me.

Edit: there's also now an auction with a $450 buy it now option.

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Monday, May 2, 2005 3:36 AM

EMBERS

Quote:
Originally posted by Calhoun:
Quote:
rangrbob wrote:
Fans for the most part are well fanatical, if someone has some extra cash to spend and wants to see the movie early it doesn't mean that they have alterior motives it just means that they really like Firefly. I'm sure there are hundreds of people who frequent this site who would do the same thing if they had the cash. I would.

I'm right there with ya, Rangrbob.

well that's what I was thinking...
I've seen fans at Buffy conventions pay $2,000 to sit next to an actor at dinner.

And of course as we speak tickets to Broadway musicals have climbed to $200-300 to see shows like 'Spamalot' or 'The Producers'

I also freely confess to once paying a scalper $100 to see a day of tennis at the U.S.Open...
it doesn't seem that unusual to me.

So here:
http://search.ebay.com/Serenity_Tickets_W0QQfromZR4QQfsopZ1QQsacatZ130
5
we can see that there are now listings for

Atlanta 1 ticket
Austin 3 tickets
LosVegas 3 tickets
Portland 4 tickets
Seattle 2 tickets
San Francisco 2 tickets

myself I would be more than a little worried about being ripped off, paying a lot of money and then not ending up getting in after all...

And I think the truer Browncoat was the one in Detroit who had an extra ticket for Chicago and didn't want money...altho he was looking for a cool Firefly T-shirt or something fun like that...

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Monday, May 2, 2005 4:12 AM

TALLGRRL

i figured it had to be scalpers that snapped up all of the tickets that quickly.
hell, i live in las vegas. there aren't THAT many of us browncoats here to cause that kind of a ticket run. are there?
i want to see Serenity, but not bad enough to pay more than $10. (in fact, i pretty much never go to anything but weekend matinees so i don't have to pay regular admission.)
i'd've paid the $10 because it's an event, and to meet other vegas browncoats. if there isn't another set of screenings planned, then i can wait till september.
gorram scalpers.

"Take me, sir. Take me hard." -- Zoe

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Monday, May 2, 2005 4:22 AM

TALLGRRL

Let's see:
$200 (orchestra seats) for Broadway production with live music and performers. Sure. I can see that.
$100 for a movie. A MOVIE that's being released a few months later anyway? No. Oh, HELL NO.
Please, people. Have some sense.
$200 just to say you "saw it first"? Just how tenuous is the grasp on your self-esteem anyway?

You people in other parts of the country who slammed the "Signal" site and bought up tickets in other cities where you don't even live and weren't planning to go? Thanks, from those of us in those cities who couldn't get tickets because your greedy a$$ snatched them up to sell them on bloody eBay.

"Take me, sir. Take me hard."

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Monday, May 2, 2005 4:44 AM

KNIBBLET

I despise, loath, hate, detest, condemn and spit upon scalpers.

They are one of the lowest forms of cockroach in the universe - equal in low rank only with drug dealers and people who talk at the theatre.

Yes, scalpers buy up a product that isn't a life necessity (despite my 'need' to see Serenity, I realize that without it I won't stop breathing) but it doesn't make what they do any less reprehensible.

Would you be happy with someone who went to every grocery store in your city and bought up every carton of milk on the shelves ... leaving no milk for anyone else to be able to buy. Then this person turns around and charges mothers $20 a gallon because the mom now can't buy a carton of milk anywhere?

It's the same damn thing. Scalpers are skulking, nasty, disgusting predators and the only way we're going to get rid of their ilk is to make scalping illegal across the nation. Make it a federal offense and institute public whippings.

Get it now? I hate scalpers. They have no redeeming qualities and their method of making money is moral swampwater.

Quote:
Originally posted by cozen:
Yeah, but aren't these scalpers "misbehavin'" in the true profiteering spirit of the capitalist underdoggy? I posit that such folks are Browncoats in spirit, if not FF fans per se.
Anything for a buck.

"I'm gonna rip you a new puppet hole, bitch!"

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Monday, May 2, 2005 4:44 AM

THEREUR

Browncoats in attendance could watch the BDH's backs by keeping their eyes open for pirates in the audience at the screenings. You could then report or even confiscate

if you were so moved. Do you think they might have tighter security to help avoid bootlegs? As rabidly as I am wanting to see the movie (didn't score tickets to the screening) and close to addict status, I would not purchase or download a pirated copy. Just ain't right.

ThereUR

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Monday, May 2, 2005 4:51 AM

KNIBBLET

I have a ton of Browncoat friends who live in my city. Even if I personally didn't know a single other Browncoat, I'm involved enough in Firefly to know of this site and hundreds of others.
I'm certain that if I bought a ticket and couldn't use it, I could post a note here and have 50 responses before my keyboard cooled.
I'm not buying that lame theory.
Scalpers suck swampwater through a swirly straw. They deserve no respect - and certainly no defense.

Quote:
Originally posted by rangrbob:
For the most part I'm not sure how many of the tickets are actually being sold by scalpers and how many are just people who just couldn't go for one reason or another.

"I'm gonna rip you a new puppet hole, bitch!"

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Monday, May 2, 2005 5:19 AM

ELLYDRAGON

I actually don't have any trouble believing that there are enough Browncoats to sell out the screenings. On the Official Site there are over -30,000- registered Browncoats. Even if there aren't enough people in one specific city, I'm sure there are enough within a couple hours drive of each of these major metro areas to more than sell out tickets. The closest screening to me is 8 hours away, and I still thought about setting it up to make it.

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Monday, May 2, 2005 5:47 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:
Fellow Browncoats:

The thing nobody seems to have noticed in all this is that scalpers have become involved in this process. I was very concerned when Joss related that theatre personnel had been threatened by ticket requesters. I'm now inclined to believe that these were not the acts of over-eager fans, but of scalpers looking to make as big a profit as possible. My guess is that these people bought the maximum number of tickets and are now auctioning them off in various places, in order to victimize the fans and studio's good will.

If I were the studio, I would immediately cancel all the shows and give ticket holders a refund of the $10 face value. Then I'd rethink the process (say a limit of 1 ticket per person) and reschedule the events. It would keep people somewhat honest (which scalpers are not).

In any event, Browncoats should never bid on one of these tickets. It's profiteering at its worst. Make the scalpers eat their excess tickets. And as for the two tickets with excess proceeds going to charity: Yeah, right, and I'm the King of Londinium and wear a shiny hat...

Bravo!

Well said Zoid!

In looking at it, it is very possible that the individuals responsible for the unpleasantness at the theatres were in fact scalpers trying to get tickets to sell on Ebay.

I am as eager to see the BDM as anyone, but I would steer clear of these auctions. There is no way to be certain that the additional money will go to a charity, unless of course the seller is willing to provide documentation proving the donation was made, perhaps in the name of the Browncoat who wins the auction.

Me personally, I will wait.

__________________________________________

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Fans:

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/richmondbrowncoats/

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Monday, May 2, 2005 5:50 AM

DIETCOKE

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:
cozen:

Guess it depends on whether you see the Serenity sneak tickets as TTJ medicine or geisha bobbleheads. I tend to see it as the former. The studio and Joss' intent was to provide them on a fair basis to them that needs 'em, meaning a regular movie-going audience. Not to have them all snapped up by some opportunists smelling a chance for exhorbitant profits.

Quote:
BOURNE
You were truthful back in town.
These are tough times. Hard to
find yourself work. A man can get
a job, he might not look too close
at what that job is.
(to Mal)
But a man learns all the details
of a situation like ours, well
then he has a choice.

MAL
I don't believe he does.

Browncoats don't hold other Browncoats ransom for their love of Firefly...

Respectfully,

zoid

What he said.
_________________________________________________

"Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDM'

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Monday, May 2, 2005 6:18 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

Yes indeed - shameful! Be strong and wait... wait for the $2000 tickets to the Big Damn Premiere!

Scifi movie music 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.net

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Monday, May 2, 2005 6:29 AM

BLACKOUTNIGHTS

The real unfortunate thing is that extremeists are edging toward ruining a kind gesture by the studio and producers. I didn't get a ticket, and will not pay megabucks for one.

I suspect that if there are future movies in the Firefly vein, the rash actions of a few will prevent any similar prescreenings and such for the many more of us that have some sort of rational (or semblence of rationality) mentality.

However, I don't just blame the extremeists. The people that thought this up SHOULD have had the foresight to see this coming. There have got to be limitations set on everything.

The whole thing is leaving a bitter feeling in its wake, and that's not something I associate with Firefly ... well, other than the series being cancelled.

"You're either in or you're out, and I'm playing to the in."—Greg Dulli

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Monday, May 2, 2005 6:49 AM

HELL'S KITTEN

Quote:
Originally posted by rangrbob:
Fans for the most part are well fanatical, if someone has some extra cash to spend and wants to see the movie early it doesn't mean that they have alterior motives it just means that they really like Firefly. I'm sure there are hundreds of people who frequent this site who would do the same thing if they had the cash. I would.

I'll second (or third?) that, Rangrbob.

I guess I'm not understanding why this is such a big deal. No one's being "held ransom" here, no one's being forced to pay these prices. And many of you are assuming that the sellers are scalpers and not Firefly fans.

(Out of curiosity, who else knew about the sale for screening tickets other than those on the mailing list? Do scalpers join every fansite out there in hopes of scoring screening tickets just for scalping purposes? Possible, sure, but I don't imagine it's terribly likely.)

If I had a ticket and someone offered to pay me $250 for it, I'd sell it in a heartbeat. Call me Jayne, but I must be missing the shame in that. And if money meant nothing to me, I'd probably pay that to see it, just because I could. I think judging fans on how much they're willing to pay for their obsession is a bit harsh. And this hatred of scalpers...? Just supply and demand. It's not your money afterall, so why do you care? Just cuz you didn't get a ticket...? If it's illegal in the state, report it to eBay and have them cancel the auction. Of course, you'll ruin an avid FF fan's day, but hey... at least you stood your moral high ground. (That last bit is not meant to be a nasty jab, by the way.)

Cheers.

无党派人士

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Monday, May 2, 2005 6:57 AM

DIETCOKE

I'm not going to let the nasty few ruin it for the wonderful majority of Flans. It's group dynamics. Statistically there has to be a few bad apples in the bunch.

I don't think Universal should have expected this. They weren't expecting this many fans to flock to the screening in the first place. They wanted to ensure the sneak previews were a sell out. I understand that they were going to run ads in newspapers in the ten cities announcing sneak previews on Thursday. Ads had to be pulled.

There are a lot more of us than we even know. we'll see on opening night!

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Monday, May 2, 2005 7:01 AM

MSCKAREN

Well, if I didn't have a final review that night, I would have bought tkts at the Atlanta screening with a plan to fly there to see the movie. Of course, I would have tacked on a visit with some friends there so I wouldn't seem like a total crazy fan...but that was just my cover story...

More money than sense? Yeah, guess so...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Appears they've canceled the show and we're still here. What does that make us?"
"Big damn junkies, Sir!"
"Ain't we just."

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Monday, May 2, 2005 7:08 AM

OXYOPIA

While I can agree with everyone's opinion that the scalping of tickets to the sneak preview is wrong, has anyone stopped and considered how little of it is actually going on?

Using the numbers posted by Embers, we can see that on auction are:

Atlanta 1 ticket
Austin 3 tickets
LosVegas 3 tickets
Portland 4 tickets
Seattle 2 tickets
San Francisco 2 tickets

Summed up, we have 15 tickets. There are 10 screenings across the country. If we estimate 300 seats per screening, we get 3,000 tickets sold. As a result, 15 tickets is only 0.5% of the total made available.

I perform this little exercise in mathematics to show that while a few bad apples seem to be doing what they do best, they represent a VERY small minority...similiar in size to those hooligans who threatened theater workers upon learning that the sneak preview was sold out. Therefore, it isn't really fair to say that these scalpers have ruined everyone's chances of seeing the preview for themselves...unless of course you happen to fall in the 0.5% category.

-Oxy

------------------------------------------------

'What people call impossible is just stuff they
haven't seen yet...'

------------------------------------------------

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Monday, May 2, 2005 8:13 AM

JEREMY757

Quote:
Summed up, we have 15 tickets. There are 10 screenings across the country. If we estimate 300 seats per screening, we get 3,000 tickets sold. As a result, 15 tickets is only 0.5% of the total made available.

Well those are just the ones that are brave enough to advertise what they have to sell. Over on Cragslist.com there are a whole slew of Want ads asking for Serenity Screening tickets, so who knows how many more have been sold to those people. And Im sure there will be attempts in local newspapers and people trying to sell the tickets on the street near the theater the day of the showing.

But I agree its not a large number of people doing this but I think its larger then what you think. I can't say I blame them for doing this If they think they can make money off of a "sucker born every minute" then more power to them. Ill think less of them for doing it and Ill think even less of the person desperate enough to buy their goods. The Libritarian in me says that I can't stop these people from exercising their right to be stupid and illogical, but it doesn't stop me from think less of people who perticipate in either side of such ticket scalping skeems. But to some people making a buck or fullfing their addiction is all that matters.

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Monday, May 2, 2005 8:14 AM

DAL

I'd pay that much, not because I want to prove I'm the hardest of all hardcode fans, but rather because when I say "I can't wait", I mean it. Unfortunately the 1000 miles of sea in between my home and those cinemas is too far to walk.

Some are hinting that this is exploitation by the sellers in some way, I don't know why it's any different to owning a grocers or hiring a cleaner. Unless, perhaps I'm misunderstanding where these tickets came from?

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Monday, May 2, 2005 8:38 AM

ZEEK

Quote:
Originally posted by WhoIsRiver:
There's another thing which seems odd to me.

For those who don't know, the tickets come with the buyers credit card number printed on the bottom of the ticket. Since there's security for screenings this early, they may well demand to see the credit card produced to make sure you're the owner of the ticket (in which case they already have your address etc in case of trouble).

Buyers could well find themselves unable to get into screenings, which given the prices, worries me.

Edit: there's also now an auction with a $450 buy it now option.

Not to the Austin screening they don't. They have a code at the bottom but it's not a credit card number. That would be very identity theft friendly anyway.

Also for the record I'm half tempted to open an auction for one of my two tickets and just put the buy it now at $400. If someone buys it I won't feel bad and if it goes unbought then one of my converted friends gets to go with me.

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Monday, May 2, 2005 11:18 AM

UNCHARTEDOUTLAW

Boy! And here I thought $10 for a regular movie ticket was bad...that's real lame!

-Taylor

The Uncharted Outlaw!

Read My Words:
http://norcalriviera.blogspot.com

San Jose Area Browncoats:
http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/SiliconGulchBrowncoats

"Well, no more running." -Malcolm Reynolds, Serenity Trailer

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Monday, May 2, 2005 12:03 PM

SIMONWHO

Is this the right place to say that umpteen hundred of us got to see it in London for free?

Man, I suck today!

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Monday, May 2, 2005 12:16 PM

CHRISISALL

The right place-
Did ya see what happened to that cow that was lowered into the raptor cage in Jurassic Park?!?

Jus' a joke Chrisisall

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Monday, May 2, 2005 1:05 PM

ZOID

Knibblet:

I'm posting this to you, but it's for everyone gnawing on this unexpected bone of contention. (NB: And I guarandamntee you, Joss and The Studio never wanted it to be one.)

A little thought experiment on morals:

Let's say that -- instead of paying $450 for a $10 Serenity sneak preview ticket -- I decide to purchase myself a little female companionship instead. I have the need (although it's not a life-threatening one) and some extra cash that I can afford to spend on such a luxury, and the girl in question has no qualms about performing the services for which I'm willing to pay. A straight transaction, nobody forced to do anything they weren't willing to do. Really, it's the same thing as paying for the scalped ticket, isn't it? Nothing wrong with it, right?

Now let's say the girl in question is your daughter, sister, mother... Hey, why not make it your son, brother or father! I mean, this is a free society, is it not? Now how do you feel?

Okay, so we can all agree with the concept of prostitution as a 'good thing', right? It's just another form of free enterprise, supply and demand...

"So, zoid," you're thinking, "you're comparing the scalpers to prostitutes." No, I'm not. I'm comparing the scalpers to pimps. None of it means anything to them, because they've checked their souls at the door. They're not risking anything, yet they have wrongly finagled their way into the role of middlemen, reaping profit without any justification to do so.

On the one hand, we have JW and The Studio -- the creators of this heart's desire -- and on the other we have the 'consumers' -- us -- with desires that range from normal, responsible to obsessive or even downright sick. The pimps take something wholesome and pure (the intentions of JW and The Studio) and prostitute it to anyone who's got enough of a whacked notion of morality that they think it's okay.

Wanna stop pornography and prostitution? Stop buying it. Wanna end ticket scalping? Make the 'pimps' eat their tickets. To put an end to immoral and predatory practices affecting your life, you need not stand on a street corner or carry a placard screaming at the 'sinners'. All you need is a well-developed sense of morals of your own, and then apply them equally to whatever form of prostitution you encounter. If it's wrong in one case, it's wrong in all of them.

If that's still a little vague, think of this: It's possible to prostitute money, acting as a middleman between the resource itself and those who need/want it (whether that need/want is normal or even downright sick), and in the process reap an unjust profit. Starting to ring a bell? Look for other examples in your life and you'll find 'em. When you do, I promise you'll also find a dark place in your soul.

This is absolutely my last word on the subject. The fact that many of you feel similarly to me (and I know we otherwise disagree politically, in some cases) is something I find heartening. That so many think scalping is okay, that no one is getting hurt, ya-da, ya-da, is deeply troubling.

I guess that's what JW/The Studio get for scratching our surface, hmmm? Turns out we're no better than Star Wars fans...

Respectfully,

zoid

P.S.
I know many didn't want to hear me spout morality. But, I really don't want impressionable minds to think this sh!t is okay, without at least expressing an opposing viewpoint. Maybe someday, when someone runs afoul of this type of exploitation, they'll remember these words and think, "Hey! I have a choice! I can try that 'morals' thing for awhile and see if it makes me feel any better about myself!"

What's more, I've got Malcolm Reynolds on my side. Re-watch Shindig, if necessary, to see how he feels about having your heart's desire turned into a commodity, having something beautiful (JW/Studio's gesture to the fans) turned into something prurient ( http://tinyurl.com/bjdt8) in the name of making a buck. And of course, what that does to anyone whose sense of right and wrong is maybe a little... Underdeveloped...
_________________________________________________

"Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDM'

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Monday, May 2, 2005 1:25 PM

CHRISISALL

Zoid, scalpers are like mosquitos, they do what they do to get their blood, and what would happen if they dissappeared? Bats would die or be forced to seek out a new food source.

Well, it meant something before I typed it...
I mean, they're inevitable, like, well...like ...mosquitos...
* Chrisisall realizes he's being neither funny or pointed*
And what's this?

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:
Turns out we're no better than Star Wars fans...

Didn't we all start out as such?

I still got a lightsabre Chrisisall

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Monday, May 2, 2005 1:44 PM

ZOID

chrisisall wrote:

Quote:
(re: Star Wars fans comment) ...Didn't we all start out as such?

Yeah, heh-heh, it wouldn't be a post of mine if I didn't figure out some way to poke my finger in everybody's eye unexpectedly, at least once (that's what '

' means; I'm being intentionally arch).

But, if you think about it, how has the Star Wars we all once loved been prostituted, simply in the name of making more money off of our desire for that original beauty? Can you say 'digitally remastered', or "Han shoots first?!"

"I knew that'cha could!" -Vinnie Barbarino, Welcome Back Kotter

v/r,
-zed

P.S.
Whether you're scalping one ticket or a hundred makes no difference. There's no such thing as "I'm just doing a little prostitution." And you're right about the mosquitos, too. Blood-sucking carriers of disease...

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Monday, May 2, 2005 1:57 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:

But, if you think about it, how has the Star Wars we all once loved been prostituted, simply in the name of making more money off of our desire for that original beauty?

Yeah, it started with too many teddy bears, and Chewie doing a Tarzan yell, and ended up with Jar Jar Binks! I hear tell this last one isn't so bad, though.

Quote:
Can you say "Han shoots first?!"

No, but it seems from the trailer that Mal already has that covered!ha ha ha
(take that, revisionist dorks!)

Ain't misbehavin' Chrisisall

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Monday, May 2, 2005 2:43 PM

HELL'S KITTEN

Zoid -

Never in all my time here have I ever disagreed with anything you've posted. Most times, I look to your posts as a sort of 'moral compass,' if that doesn't sound too stupid (and cuz I get to learn new words). However, I must've wondered into some strange electro-magnetic storm or something, cuz I'm just not reading you here.

Universal is the biggest pimp of all; they're not being altruistic about this one bit. That's what business is: you want this? you need this? it's yours... for a price. How you feel about this particular thing is of no relevence to the business, and tying such strong emotion to a particular thing doesn't automatically make you (generic 'you') morally or ethically superior to those who don't feel the same way about it.

You really think the 'Versal execs are basing their decisions about Serenity on how much we fans love it? With 99.99% confidence, I can gaurantee that if there were only 3 fans in existance, all the love in the world we had wouldn't convince them to back the flick. Unless I were that exec, of course.

Heh, in my industry, Marketing is synonymous with pimping.

I agree completely in that, if you want to try to put an end to this sort of thing, don't buy it and convince all your friends to do the same. But I can't really judge someone who decides that, in this instance, viewing this unfinished movie May 5th is more important to them than mere money. Don't necessary agree with that, but I can't condemn it. Maybe it's why I never saw Badger as a "bad guy."

I'm not entirely sure you do have Mal on your side. If you recall, he couldn't give two good gorrams if what he was selling didn't directly impact the lives of others. Evidence of this is the blackmarket sale of the medicines he stole, cattle, and those grade A food cubes (foood cuuuuuube!), all of which was sold to someone who was gonna up the price even more. All of those things could greatly improve the lives of others, but he didn't know 'em personally. Where he took issue was when it got personal; when there was a direct impact on the lives and well being of others. He certainly didn't have an issue with Nandi and her merry band o'whores. Situational morality, I guess.

Perhaps I just need more guidance... probably didn't get this nickname for being an angel and all. Don't ever leave us, Zoid.

Cheers.

无党派人士

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Monday, May 2, 2005 2:45 PM

JEREMY757

I would like to invite anyone who is selling or plans to buy any of these overpriced auction tickets to tell us your side of the story.

I know out of all the people selling and buying these tickets at least a few of them have to frequent this site.

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Monday, May 2, 2005 2:51 PM

ZOID

chrisisall wrote:

Quote:
...I hear tell this last one isn't so bad, though.

If the pencil-necked geek in the really expensive Darth Vader Holloween costume dismembers Jar-Jar with a blunt lightsaber, I'll consider it a win. Otherwise...

Just be glad I wasn't responsible for marketing Star Wars Episode III: The Sudden But Inevitable Betrayal. Being 'intentionally arch', I'd have gotten one of those overly bright-voiced announcers to say things like: "See all the Jedi killed!" or "See the entire known Universe hurled into darkness in the clutches of Evil Incarnate!"... "See Yoda exiled to a swamp! See Obi-Wan marooned in a desert!"... "See Amidala killed and her children separated... Hidden from each other and their monstrous father!"... "Uproarious fun for the whole family!"

On the lighter side, everything runs in cycles, and yesteryear's fads become new again. SWIII:TSBIB should be the biggest anti-hero movie since 1976's Taxi Driver. All those who fondly remember rooting for Travis Bickle will have that love affair rekindled by Hayden Christensen's 'hero'.

Hopelessly,

zoid

P.S.
Why am I the only one who finds (supposedly smart enough to have been elected Queen) Amidala's judgment of character unbelievably bad? I mean the Angel and the Reruns song from Bachelor Party was not titled "Why Do Good Girls Like Mass Murderers?" If she's so wise, why did she bear Hitler's children?! Maybe she's secretly a Sith too, huh?
_________________________________________________

"Sure as I know anything, I know this: I aim to misbehave." -Capt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity, a.k.a. 'the BDM'

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Monday, May 2, 2005 3:24 PM

MALICIOUS

Quote:
Originally posted by zoid:
There's no such thing as "I'm just doing a little prostitution."

Crap!

(Mal-Licious goes off to find a new hobby)

Mal-licious

"Let's go be bad guys."

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Monday, May 2, 2005 3:37 PM

ZOID

Hell's Kitten:

Please don't mistake heartsickness for condemnation. I'm not condemning others, I'm just saddened by their unthinking (okay, in some cases pre-meditated) actions.

As to medicines, I already provided evidence about the medicine on TTJ. As to medicines in "Ariel", the whole crew had to be reassured by Simon that the hospital's meds would be promptly replaced and that their stolen ones would be put to good use on the Rim. For the cattle, the scene goes (emphases mine):

Quote:
HARROW
You're mistaken, sir. I'm an honest
man.

MAL
Seems to me, there's nothing
dishonest about getting your goods to
people what need them.

HARROW
You're concerned about the poor. And
yet, for what you're offering, you'd
want money, I imagine.

MAL
Well, sir. I think you'll find that
working with me is giving to the poor.

For the food cubes, maybe; but they sure weren't doing anybody any good in a space-wrecked derelict. I still say Mal is a man of morals, regardless how much he'd like to turn his back on them and be a real bad guy. Hell, even Inara remarks that he's a pretty poor excuse for a criminal (geisha bobbleheads scene). That's why he protects the 'whores' for free, even though Inara insists on paying him (why does she feel the need to give him money for what he does naturally? Things that make you go, "Hmmm!") It's also why he slept with Nandi: She may have been telling a whore's lie to a john, but I believed her when she said she wanted him, and no money exchanged hands... (NB: She also says, "I'm not her", meaning Inara. If she was only doing it for the debt she owed Mal and crew, not for her own sake, she'd have been anyone Mal wanted to call her.)

Respectfully,

zoid

P.S.
...And I think that's why Inara was crying: Because Nandi could let herself go and tell Mal the truth about how badly she wanted him, which Inara couldn't or wouldn't do.

And I'm not going anywhere just because other people disagree with me. I know you were just being respectful, that you really wanted to tell me off. I get that, and I appreciate your graciousness and gentility (qualities I clearly lack, heh-heh). But if I pulled up stakes and left every time someone in this world vehemently disagreed with me, I'd have already run out of places I could be.
_________________________________________________

"Take me out to The Black, tell 'em I ain't comin' back..." -The Ballad of Serenity

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