Ratings
Enforcement
Done Right
On
opening weekend for Eminem’s R-rated “8 Mile” I
decided to venture out to observe the front line of ratings
enforcement at its most challenging. I picked a theatre
listing at random – the Mann 16 at “The Plant” in
Van Nuys, Calif. My selection served two purposes because
I hadn’t visited that location before.
Donning
my jeans and hooded sweatshirt, I headed out to catch
the Saturday matinee. I arrived 45 minutes before
the show. I took my time buying my ticket, and then loitered
around the box office for the next 20 minutes, watching
the show outside the show.
In
front of me in line stood two teen girls. As they approached
the box office and requested two tickets to “8 Mile,” I
waited for the question. “Do you have any ID?” Out
popped one drivers license, along with the line, “I’m
17, see, and so is my friend. She just left her ID at home.” The
young woman behind the glass stood her ground. “I’m
sorry, I need an ID for each of you.” After a
minute or two of pleading and begging, the girls gave
up and walked
away.
I
changed positions to listen to other box office attendees.
The result was the same in each line. Identification
was requested for anyone appearing under 25 years
of age.
But
these Eminem fans did not give up. Though the vast majority
had come to the theatre with a parent
or guardian,
quite a few came without. During my 20 minutes
of milling around the lines, three different bold kids
asked me
if I would buy tickets for their group of teens
to
see the
movie. (For the record, I politely refused.) I
watched as they worked over other adults. Several adults
gave the same reaction as mine, but one young father
relented
to
the two girls and agreed to buy their tickets.
Following
the crowd, I moved through the ticket-taking stand at
the only entrance to the lobby. After
my traditional stop at the concessions stand,
I headed
toward the
hallway with the designated auditorium. At the
entrance to that
hallway stood a very large man, wearing all black,
with an earpiece in his ear. “Have your ticket stubs ready,
please.” I stepped back to observe the action at
the second screening point for underage, unaccompanied
teens. The two girls approached the security man. “Here.
We have tickets.” After looking at the tickets, he
looked the girls in the face. “Got any ID? You don’t
look old enough for this picture.” Intimidated
and dejected, the two girls returned to the box
office to select
another movie.
I
showed my ticket, and entered the auditorium. But the
ratings enforcement didn’t end there. A few minutes
later the same security man made a quick sweep
through the auditorium, looking for young, unaccompanied
faces.
He found a few, only to see their mother return
from the restroom. All was OK. The guard returned to
the hallway.
The movie came on, and a packed auditorium
enjoyed quality entertainment from a very gifted young
entertainer.
Thank
you to Arash Behrand, Mann district manager, for a job
well done. I spoke with the security
man and the
assitant manager on duty to congratulate
them as well. (For the record, I attended the 3:45
show
in auditorium
five on Nov. 9.)
I
spoke with many other operators in the days before and
after the opening of this
huge film.
I have
also heard
from reporters who did their own theatre
checks. And I have learned that the practices
at the
Mann 16 in
Van Nuys,
though terrific, were not unique. Many
other companies adopted these techniques. Some,
unfortunately, have not.
As
most exhibitors will recall, the NATO Board of Directors
unanimously approved
a 12-point
ratings enforcement
and education initiative in November
2000. The Mann
theatre
complied with every enforcement prong
of that agreement. (If you need copies of
the 12-point
agreement again,
please contact the NATO offices.)
Keep
up the good work! 
