Theatres Unprepared for Pirates

Was I alone this weekend in feeling that most movie theatres were vastly unprepared to handle the crowds at Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest showings? Every showing I showed up for was sold out. I bought a ticket for the next showing, but unless I wanted to sit at the theatre for as long as an hour, forget getting a good seat at the next showing. I thought this was simply preposterous. There is no reason they couldn't give people time stamps and ask them to line up in 45 minutes according to time order. They do this on all the major airlines, so there is no reason they cannot put the ushers to work for huge event movies and make things fair. Meanwhile, concession stands at all the theatres I visited were vastly understaffed. I waited in line for nearly 10 minutes at one theatre further ensuring I would get terrible seats. How could they not have known how big this film would be? Who did they have prescreening it for them? I would have been happy to let them know that people would be coming out in droves to see this film and they should be prepared with more screenings and more staff. Meanwhile, let's hear it for my predictions that this film would break records. PoC:DMC shattered Spider-man's records for two day total and best weekend opening EVER! Wow, congrats to Gore Verbinski, Jerry Bruckheimer, Disney Execs, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley! A true $14 (on the W.I.P. Scale™) job! But, a sad $5 effort on the part of theatre chains for not being prepared for this wave of movie goers! Come on guys, this is your business, you've got to do better!