Hamilton's Pamphlets: The Polar Express in 3-D at Seattle IMAX

10 January 2005

The Polar Express in 3-D at Seattle IMAX

Maybe it's my military background. Maybe I just can't stand a lack of organization. Maybe I'm just grumpy. Anyway, Sunday afternoon I loaded up the two youngest pamphleteers (2 1/2 and 4) along with the Mrs, her mom and her grandmother and headed over to downtown Seattle to watch "The Polar Express" in 3-D at the IMAX theater. You may be thinking that it would be a long day of it with the mother-in-law AND the grandmother-in-law. You would be wrong, I actually get along really well with both! That is not at all what's griping me.

The IMAX at Seattle Center is if not the worst theater I've ever been to, it's real close. We left plenty early and got to the theater about 30 to 45 minutes prior to the start. I was stunned to see a LONG line waiting to get in. No benches, no chairs, NOTHING. Mrs. Pamphlets grandmother is in her 70's and has to stand in this ridiculous line for 45 minutes. Off to a bad start. Now figure that there are six of us and a whole bunch of folks in line ahead of us and FESTIVAL SEATING. That means that we may not all get to sit together. Not getting any better. I would pay more for a ticket to something like this to guarantee my seats. The dang thing was sold out for every showing for it's entire run. We all got to sit together - but down near the front, not optimal.

They shoveled us in like steerage passengers on the Titanic handing us the goggles as we make our way to the life boats, I mean seats. Yup, I said goggles. Kind of a combination welding mask, Terminator 2 set up. Bulky, uncomfortable and heavy. The 2 1/2 year old wouldn't wear them. Period. Sorry no. The 4 year old thought they were cool. Mine had to be as tight as a vise to stay on, which gave me a raging headache. Before the movie starts our lovely hostess got on the PA system and gave us her best explanation of how to watch the movie and use the goggles, etc. etc. Actually it was more like a lesson in Eubonics. I'm still not sure what she said. I felt like Marlin in "Finding Nemo" when Squirt was explaining the exit procedure for the EAC...Why on earth would you choose the least understandable person on your staff to make public announcements? She might as well have spoken in Chinese.

Little Man (that's the 4 year old) sat in my lap the whole time, which was OK by me. I got as much out of watching him as I did the movie. He actually reached out to grab the ticket as it appeared to float just out of his reach (the 3-D effects were pretty cool). Bean (that's the 2 1/2 year old) wandered between me and her mom, and just hung out. I'm sure it really sucked for her. I took the goggles off to see what it looked like for her and it was like watching a movie out of focus, I'm surprised she didn't hurl. Speaking of hurling...Grandma got motion sick from the whole thing.

After the movie the Purser from the Titanic had moved on to her night job as a bouncer at a biker bar and a really nice hostess helped us find grandma recouperating in the lobby.

It would be a VERY tough sell to get me back to the IMAX theater. Festival seating sucks. 3-D goggle/welding masks suck. The attitude and service from the staff sucks (except the one nice one after the movie). The website didn't warn us that some people may get motion sickness from the 3-D effects. They didn't warn us that the welding mask/goggles weigh 3 pounds and that children under 5 probably wouldn't wear them. Was it greed, stupidity, laziness? They were sold out for every show for the whole run, so I don't that any of those warnings would have impacted their bottom line. Did they just not know that some people get nausea from the 3-D effects? Didn't they realize that the goggles were to big and bulky for small children? Or was it that they were lazy and didn't care if we enjoyed the show. I really think that they didn't care if me and my family enjoyed the experience. Disney World they ain't. I will not be going back anytime soon.

On a good note (I love capitalism!), we went to Spaghetti Factory for dinner after the movie and had great food and awesome service for a stunningly low dollar figure. Seriously, I've spent more for a bottle of wine at some dinners than the tab was for all six of us last night! Great food, great service, great price. I will go back to the Spaghetti Factory every chance I get.

One place is run by the government and one place is run for profit. As usual, capitalism wins. I got great service and look forward to my next visit to Spaghetti Factory. I got treated like crap at Seattle Center and I won't be going back anytime soon. I can't believe that some people want the government to run health care, but that's a whole nother post...

Posted by Alexander at 05:52 PM | Permalink

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Comments

Riverfront Park in Spokane was the same way. Is that run by the City? Disengaged teenagers looking bored, tugging on their ill-fitting uniforms, hoping to god no one needs any information or assistance. Announcers who can barely articulate a full sentence, much less with half-ways decent grammar or pronunciation. Speaking of which, ever ridden public transport in Philly? Everytime I go to the Spaghetti Factory, though, I get watery sauce.

The only cool thing at Seattle Center is that big fountain. In the summer. It's free. I only live a couple blocks away, and my ten-year-old sister splashed around it on her birthday when the folks were visiting. Other than that, it's a diversion on the bus-ride downtown.

Posted by: ninme | 11 January 2005 at 10:38 PM

Festival seating at the movie theater! Shocking. Sorry you didn't have a good time, but it sounds to me like you are predisposed to dislike Seattle Center since it's run by the government. I've been to IMAX many times with my kids and we always have a good time. Note: it's popular and therefore usually crowded. They must be doing something right. I think that's capitalism, too.

Posted by: Steven | 12 January 2005 at 08:56 AM

Every time I've tried to go there it's been sold out. Peter went once with his company, and I believe the rented the theatre for it. Point being: It's ALWAYS busy, there are ALWAYS lines. Would it kill them to put out a bench? Or a webpage that provides proper info? Do you have to be a corporate event to get good service?

Posted by: ninme | 12 January 2005 at 07:13 PM

I think Steven missed my point. There are thousands of movie screens in the Seattle metro area (the majority of which are barely hanging on, talk about an industry in decline...) however, there are only TWO IMAX screens. That means going to IMAX is "an event" rather than just entertainment. When I go to other "events" like a Mariners game, a Sonics game, a Seahawks game, PNW ballet, a Reniers game, etc. I get a reserved seat. No running with the bulls to get to sit with the people I came with. No getting there two hours early to get the best seat. Sorry shipmate, IMAX isn't capitalism. It's much closer to communism. Same price for everyone regardless of the quality of the seat or service. Stand in a long line. Surly, disinterested staff.

I wasn't predisposed to think it was going to be a bad time because the city operates it. I had never been to the IMAX theater before. My impressions came from the experience IMAX gave me. Had I known that we would be standing in line for 45 minutes for crappy seats to wear 3 pound goggles (that my daughter flat refused to wear) and it would make my wife's grandmother sick, I would not have gone. It is a shame that Steven has such low expectations for his entertainment dollars.

The fact that they are so frequently sold out is not a reflection of good capitalism, it is derived from the economic theory of constraints. The demand is greater than the supply. However, there is not enough profit for the private sector to invest resulting in a constraint that will likey prevent supply from ever meeting demand.

Bottom line: Just because it's run by the government should not be an excuse for shoddy service.

Posted by: Alexander | 13 January 2005 at 08:57 AM

Good point about the sold out status. That is the definition of a shortage.

Shortages are rarely caused by natural scarcity (because alternative supplies or substitues can be found), but are routinely caused by imbalances of supply and demand when prices are fixed by monopolies. (Nowadays, monopolies are almost always governments - just try to buy a bottle of gin from a non-government store in WA or find a private ferry ride to Vashon).

A rational free market proprietor facing perennial sold out shows would either increase prices (to reduce the demand) or increase the supply (more showtimes daily, open a new theater).

However - I don't think there is any non-economic reason why an entrepreneur couldn't open a competing IMAX screen. It may not be a good business to get into but tough luck. Selling liquor or running a passenger ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island might be a very good business to get into - but if you try government employees will make you stop or lock you up - at gunpoint if necessary.

Posted by: Adler | 13 January 2005 at 02:26 PM

Just a quick correction - the IMAX theater is part of Pacific Science Center, which is a private, not-for-profit organization. It's not run by the city and isn't even technically part of Seattle Center exept for its proximity to the Center's property line.

Posted by: Philip | 14 January 2005 at 12:33 PM

Posted by: Philip | 14 January 2005 at 12:34 PM