Silver Surfer Claims Projectionist’s Job
Back when I was movie theater manager, whenever I had to fire someone I’d tell them, “cheer up, it’s only a minimum wage job with no benefits. You’ll find another one.” This would be cold comfort to them, just like it would be for Jesse Morrison, a part-time projectionist (”booth monkey”) for the Malco chain in Memphis. Instead of alcoholism or sex on the premises, the usual reason projectionists are fired, Jesse was suspended for writing a bad review of THE FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER for Ain’t It Cool News.
The Hollywood Reporter says it best:
A 29-year-old film, video and journalism major at the University of Memphis, Morrison worked for $7 an hour at the Ridgeway Four, next door to Malco’s home office. He picked up further compensation by readying movie prints for exhibitor and press screenings, which allowed him during the past year to write reviews of such movies as “Disturbia,” “Vacancy” and “Spider-Man 3″ for Ain’t It Cool. He also wrote reviews for Malco’s movie blog and a circular distributed at the theater.
On Monday, two days after his “Silver Surfer” pan appeared, Morrison was called into a meeting with Malco senior VP Jimmy Tashie and, according to Morrison, was “suspended until further notice,” with the suggestion that he would not be asked to return.
Morrison said Tashie pointed out that “20th Century Fox called them that morning and threatened to take away the press and trade screenings because of this whole thing. They were upset.”
Tip to Ain’t It Cool reveiwers - if you also review for your OWN COMPANY, try to change your style a little a little when writing pans elsewhere. Also never take a gig next door to the home office. They probably looked out the window and saw him in the lobby, laughing bitterly as he wrote the review on his laptop.
Morrison had not signed a non-disclosure agreement, though Malco now says projectionists will be required to do so in the future.
A number of Ain’t It Cool readers have rallied to Morrison’s cause, some even offering him jobs like a cameraman gig in Mexico. Morrison said he is weighing his options. “I’m hoping to get a job as a professional movie reviewer, but I don’t know what’s going to happen with that. I guess you could say I’m at some kind of crossroads right now.
Ironically, as a professional he could have written the review and there wouldn’t have been any problem, because Fantastic Four is a critic-proof movie. It’s only real people who can destroy it.