The Best Laid Plans...

One of the perks of being a SAG Film Society member is that come awards season (i.e. now), I get invitations to free screenings put on by the studios/ production companies to promote their awards-bait films.  We RSVP'd and went to such a screening of 'Nine' this week -- complete with post-screening Q&A with most of the star-studded cast!  Great, right? They always warn that they overbook to ensure capacity, so arrive early.  We got to the theater at 6 for a 7 pm weekday show.  There was a pretty long line, but the line went on behind us even longer.  So, we assumed we would get in.  Wrong.  We made it to the front of the line and were the 3rd and 4th people NOT to make it in.  There were at least a couple dozen people who went ahead in line during the wait to 'be with their friends' and another 20 or so people who were on the SAG Nominating Committee who were allowed to skip ahead.  So, if it wasn't for all that crap, we would have gotten in easily.  And there were hundreds of people still in line behind us who were not happy.  Why they would overbook such an event by HUNDREDS of people is beyond any rational person's thinking.  It is a horrible, horrible system that could be corrected pretty easily, but given the low priority that we masses in the line rate,  I doubt there are any changes imminent.