Craig Th Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 http://www.indie.cinematical.com/2007/08/0...conds-of-trans/ I think it's safe to say that the fear of movie piracy has officially gone too far. On July 17th, Marymount University sophomore Jhannet Sejas (pictured) was celebrating her 19th birthday with her boyfriend at a screening of Transformers. Sejas, a Bolivian immigrant working two part-time jobs to support her education, was loving the flick. She wanted to show her little brother a clip from the film to get him excited to see it, so she took out her digital camera and recorded 20 seconds of the climax. The assistant manager of the theater saw her use the camera and reported it to the general manager. The general manager decided to bypass such reasonable steps as a) asking her never to record in the theater again, b) asking her to erase the footage or c) asking her to leave the theater, and simply telephoned the police. Within minutes, two police officers entered the theater, confiscated the camera, and charged Sejas with the crime of "illegally recording a motion picture." Sejas says "I was terrified. I was crying. I've never been in trouble before." Sejas has been banned from the theater (where she frequently paid for and viewed films) for life, and she has to go to trial for the incident this month. She faces up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. The Regal Cinemas Ballston Common 12 Theater decided to prosecute the case, which is a first for Arlington police. Kendrick Macdowell, general counsel for the Washington-based National Association of Theatre Owners, says that there has to be a "zero-tolerance policy at the theater level," adding "We cannot educate theater managers to be judges and juries in what is acceptable. Theater managers cannot distinguish between good and bad stealing." You know what? They can, actually. It's part of being a manager. This story really infuriates me. Do they really think this girl intended to sell a 20-second clip of a movie that had been out for two weeks? Where's the market for that? If anything, she was trying to give these people more money by getting her little brother psyched to see the film. If they really need to make an example of somebody, why don't they go after the people who actually do pirate entire movies, and leave this poor girl alone. Or better yet, how about we hold off on calling the police until, I don't know, there's a friggin' emergency! See, because that's what the police are for. Disgraceful.
Timmy8271 Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 She better watch her ass in prison. They will eat her alive.
SamoaRowe Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 She better not go to prison. I hope there's protesting if this isn't thrown out of court.
dubq Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 ..and what? She's a moron. You're warned before most new movies that piracy (ie: recording all or part of the motion picture) can result in a heavy fine or prison time. If she wanted her little brother to "get excited" for the movie so bad then why not show him one of the countless trailers on the net? Personally, I doubt she'll get any prison time. Possibly a reduced fine. But really, it should just serve as a lesson to most other dumbasses out there to use the internet for things like this.
2GOLD Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 Yeah, I'm not seeing the massive outcry here. You record a movie, you get fined or jail time depending on the judge. She'll get a fine of a couple hundred dollars or she'll just get community service and a nice little don't ever do it again thing. Judge isn't going to throw her in jail for 20 seconds and he won't give her the max fine. He'll give her community service or a very small fine and probation. Story over.
kkktookmybabyaway Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 "I was terrified. I was crying. I've never been in trouble before." Well now you have. I'm impressed that a theater manager would actually be gung-ho about something like this.
spman Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 Regal isn't going to prosecute, we had a guy steal copper pipes out of our bathroom, and when he got arrested after the fact, the company wouldn't even press charges for that, and that was an open and shut case. If NATO or the MPAA decides to press charges though she's fucked.
Black Lushus Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 ..and what? She's a moron. You're warned before most new movies that piracy (ie: recording all or part of the motion picture) can result in a heavy fine or prison time. If she wanted her little brother to "get excited" for the movie so bad then why not show him one of the countless trailers on the net? not too mention it's one of the lamest excuses ever...that ranks up there with getting pulled over with drugs in your car and telling the cop your friend must have left it in there.
Guest benoitwasmurdered Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 I hope she does get a big fine. i've had too many people ruin movies for me by fucking around with cameras and video phones in the theater.
Guest Soriano's Torn Quad Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 Sejas, a Bolivian immigrant working two part-time jobs to support her education Irrelevant. Poor journalism. Ballston haha oh man
Guest Smues Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 While I don't think it deserves jail, she should have known the rules so whatever happens she brought upon herself. But really the person who should be arrested for filming Transformers is Michael Bay.
Prophet of Mike Zagurski Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 You're supposed to feel sorry for her because she's an immigrant working two jobs. Anyway, I don't feel sorry for what she did based on the fact if you turn on the TV, you can find Transformers TV ad. She was just trying to spoil the ending for her brother.
Jingus Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 Couldn't have been the ending, the cops had to have time to arrive. And MAN they must've had a slow night to come out and arrest someone on a "camera in a movie theater" charge.
bobobrazil1984 Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 that sucks. Although I wouldn't even thinking of recording any video whatsoever in a theater even a clip on my phone for precisely this reason (more so because I wouldnt want to get kicked out rather than getting arrested, wtf) so I guess the scare tactics have worked on me.
Jingus Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 Question: does anyone here watch movies on shaky bad-quality bootlegs like the one in question here instead of actually going to the theater and paying for it? Anyone? Ever?
2GOLD Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 Question: does anyone here watch movies on shaky bad-quality bootlegs like the one in question here instead of actually going to the theater and paying for it? Anyone? Ever? I've seen a few when the theater near me didn't bother releasing the movie and I had no other options. When it's in the theater, I go pay for it. I paid to see Shaun of the Dead after seeing it quite a while before it hit American theaters. But major releases? No, not a one. I'll usually just wait till it hits DVD or the cheap theater.
dubq Posted August 19, 2007 Report Posted August 19, 2007 Question: does anyone here watch movies on shaky bad-quality bootlegs like the one in question here instead of actually going to the theater and paying for it? Anyone? Ever? I've had one in my posession before - lent by a friend who got it in China-town - and I couldn't even sit through it. I can't even remember what movie it was. Normally if I get a bootleg it's a dub of an actual DVD.
Ravenbomb Posted August 20, 2007 Report Posted August 20, 2007 Question: does anyone here watch movies on shaky bad-quality bootlegs like the one in question here instead of actually going to the theater and paying for it? Anyone? Ever? I refuse to watch a camera-copy of a movie.
The Flamboyance Posted August 20, 2007 Report Posted August 20, 2007 Question: does anyone here watch movies on shaky bad-quality bootlegs like the one in question here instead of actually going to the theater and paying for it? Anyone? Ever? when we were poor and living in the ghetto, yes. i've seen home alone 2, batman returns, men in black and some others that way. it sucks.
Yuna_Firerose Posted August 20, 2007 Report Posted August 20, 2007 Question: does anyone here watch movies on shaky bad-quality bootlegs like the one in question here instead of actually going to the theater and paying for it? Anyone? Ever? Only way I'd sit through a cam version of a film is if its something I really, *really* want to see and can't - ie, X-Men 2 or Fantastic Four 2 - and the quality is watchable. But otherwise? Hell no. I usually wait for a dvd rip, but even then, I'd rather rent.
luke-o Posted August 20, 2007 Report Posted August 20, 2007 This is the dumbest story I've ever read. Why should I feel sorry for this broad?
cd213 Posted August 20, 2007 Report Posted August 20, 2007 If she's dumb enough to record part of the movie, she should get everything that's coming to her.
Ripper Posted August 20, 2007 Report Posted August 20, 2007 Sejas, a Bolivian immigrant working two part-time jobs to support her education Pay attention, you.
The Buzz Posted August 20, 2007 Report Posted August 20, 2007 I do feel bad for her, as she was recording 20 seconds of an almost two hour movie for her little brother to get him excited about it. Why wouldn't I feel bad that she might spend a year in prison or have to pay a rediculous fine. Had she had a fucking camcorder and had an hour and a half of the movie recorded, and then stated it was to get her brother excited for the movie, then I'd be heartless and say she had it coming. As it stands, she made a mistake and some manager decided to follow the rules for once, but decided he was too afraid to confront a girl about not recording footage and kicking her out. He decided to call the police to do his job for him.
spman Posted August 21, 2007 Report Posted August 21, 2007 I do feel bad for her, as she was recording 20 seconds of an almost two hour movie for her little brother to get him excited about it. Why wouldn't I feel bad that she might spend a year in prison or have to pay a rediculous fine. Had she had a fucking camcorder and had an hour and a half of the movie recorded, and then stated it was to get her brother excited for the movie, then I'd be heartless and say she had it coming. As it stands, she made a mistake and some manager decided to follow the rules for once, but decided he was too afraid to confront a girl about not recording footage and kicking her out. He decided to call the police to do his job for him. The policy is always call the cops first, detain the person making the recording second. Don't blame the theaters, blame the film industry lobby.
luke-o Posted August 21, 2007 Report Posted August 21, 2007 No, blame her. She has no one to blame but herself. FACT: It's against the law to record a film in the cinema. She wanted to get her brother excited? There's a BUTT load of Trailers on youtube and on TV. Yes she was unlucky to have been caught, but she is at fault here. She clearly wasnt really thinking about this.
Dobbs 3K Posted August 21, 2007 Report Posted August 21, 2007 This reminds me of a few years ago, way up north where my in-laws live, there was a pirated copy of a movie circulating around, which had been recorded in a theater off of a handheld camera. It was "Passion of the Christ." How wrong is that?
dubq Posted August 21, 2007 Report Posted August 21, 2007 Wrong in the sense that people had to sit through that pile of shit.
Jingus Posted August 21, 2007 Report Posted August 21, 2007 Wrong in that you probably couldn't read the subtitles and would have no idea what they were saying.
Ripper Posted August 21, 2007 Report Posted August 21, 2007 he was saying "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" alot. Hard to miss that.
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