(Vanity) Brokeback Mountain, a Curious Attendance Story

Michael Medved Radio | 1-6-06 | Vanity

[Balding_Eagle]

Did anyone else hear this on the Michael Medved talk radio today?

A man called in, near the end of the hour. He said he had been taken his kids to the theater, and the kids movie they were waiting to see had a very long line. Brokeback Mountain was also showing at that theater. He said he sat near the ticket booth for 35 minutes, as his kids waited in line to buy tickets for their movie.

During that 35 minutes he never heard one person buy a ticket for Brokeback Mountain. However, during that 35 minutes, the “SOLD OUT” sign came on for Brokeback. Out of curiosity, he went in to the Brokeback theater, and only saw 4 people in there. The theater manager refused to comment when the man questioned him.

Is this how all those theaters are getting such high attendance for Brokeback? Imaginary theater goers?

Perhaps other theater goers can investigate for themselves this weekend.

I can only vouch for the fact that this man called in a related the story as I presented it here, not if it’s true. Callers can make up stories too. It peaked my interest though.

[RVN Airplane Driver]

In Louisiana it's known as BrokeDick mountain....and it's made all of $3.94 in 3 venues in New Orleans.....

[goodnesswins]

Or...maybe ONE person or ONE group bought up ALL the tickets (online?), but NO ONE really was going to see it? There are a lot of possible scenarios.

[DBeers]

I don't understand why some people insist on talking down the success of this movie. It IS a success as a small budget movie, released in a limited number of theaters, as many such movies are.

LOL - why would people disagree with such propaganda EVEN if repeatedly posted?

I would agree that [it] is the most successful unsuccessful homosexual propaganda movie thus far...

[Huevos Rancheros]

pique a boo or is it picabo? twin peaks?

[AmishDude]

Did they give them tickets to see the last Starwars? NO. Did they give them tickets to see King Kong? NO. Did they give them tickets to see (fill in the blank with every popular movie in the last year)? NO. All they ever gave them was a bunch of tickets to see a couple of gay cowboys.

Well, duh! If you give away those tickets, they might take a seat away from a paying customer.

[montag813]

If you buy out a movie theater on Moviefone, it is considered SOLD OUT, even if no one attends. The numbers then go into Box Office Mojo, etc, and count. I would not be surprised, given the critical importance to the Left that this film "succeed", that Harvey Weinstein himself were buying up all the tickets. The man is worth seveal hundred million dollars. Laying out $1-2 million is chump change to falsely portray "B.M." as a mainstream hit and pump this up for the Oscars.

[Texican]

Ivan:
My friend why don't you just come over here and stay?? Your country, I am sorry to say is becoming mostly Muslim. Maybe not in numbers, but in the way the people are letting them get by with all of the ideologue that they expound. We would welcome you with open arms. I even have a spare bedroom, and my wife is a half way good cook. My granddaughter is in England, as she has married an English fellow. She said last night that it was COLD in Carslile(sp). It was only 80 degrees F. in California today.

Good evening and the very best to you and yours.

Semper Fi
Tommie

[Czar]

"Probable financial loser, I'd say."

Big time.

However, that won't keep the Hollywood PC-crowd of liberals and gays from voting it an Oscar just to give the finger to the rest of the country.

[magslinger]

LOL Who'da thunk it?

[Political Junkie Too]

I was just thinking that. The box office is all computerized now, so you can buy your tickets from Fandango on your home computer and pick up the tickets yourself at a station in the theater lobby. The box office has to know about those sales so the Sold Out sign goes on automatically.

Are Special Interests using Fandango and Moviefone to stuff the box office by paying for empty seats?

-PJ

[Rocky]

I understand what you are saying. And I am not saying that what they are doing (might be doing) is legal.

All I am saying is, whether for money, or a theater manager's sympathy for the subject matter, if tickets sold for one movie are posted to the account of another movie, the only losers are the people connected with the first movie. For example, if I sell tickets for Narnia, but post them to the account of Brokeback Mountain, I am cheating the Narnia folks and sending undeserved receipts to the BM folks.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

They were there. They were just hiding in their closets.

[ansel12]

You cracked me up with that one.

[potlatch]

They did the same thing with 'The Passion', only in reverse. There were stories of them attributing 'Passion' ticket sales to other movies.

I have no doubt they CAN do this and HAVE done this before!

[popdonnelly]

I see your point, but the producers of the movie don't have to show inflated ticket sales. It's the owner of the theater, a separate company, who would be misrepresenting the ticket sales by putting "Sold Out" in the window. As long as the theater accurately reports its income to the IRS, who is going to care?

And consider this. When the movie gets nominated for an Academy Award, which is probably the intent from the get-go, it can be re-released as "Nominated for X Academy Awards". And the company that owns the theater can profit from that. And if it wins, which isn't all that unlikely, it can get a longer and bigger run at theaters. So I still think there may be an element of hype here.

[ansel12]

good one

[JLAGRAYFOX]

No you are wrong my friend. The entire Democrat Party is just excited to the core over this fudge packer film. Why Democrat liberal, left-winger Jon Stewart is going to tend to the sheep, if you know what I mean, during the Academy Award Presentations while the two gents go at it. Spielberg and Clooney will bless the proceedings. And...Soros and Moore may try an act of their own with Nancy Pelosi assisting. The Academy Award Presentations are just going to be magnificent this year. The highlights, sheep and men, America haters, Jew haters, trans-sexuals, etc. Grand, isn't it!!! Everyone in America should watch these creative artists at work!!!! NOT!!!!

[popdonnelly]

"despite proclaimation of it being a "Cultural Phenom"!"

Is it being produced by Bialystock and Bloom?

[MCH]

In Louisiana it's known as BrokeDick mountain....and it's made all of $3.94 in 3 venues in New Orleans.....

Lotsa good names gleaned from this thread, which has been quite entertaining...

Brokedick Mountain
Bareback Mounting
Buttbuddy Mountain
Barecrack Mounting

...and the list goes on...