Tonight's Forbidden Kingdom premiere was mostly a good time -- the film was fun, if a bit formulaic, the crowd was enthusiastic and full of Vermont pride, and the tickets and popcorn were on the house.  Still, there was definitely a pall in the air.  Something didn't feel quite right.  Oh yeah, it was the fact that the entire audience was treated like criminals by the black-suited representatives of Lion's Gate Entertainment.

I get that they don't want videos of the film made and sold online a week before the official release of the film.  I understand the need to make sure nobody is smuggling cameras into the theater.  But these guys were ridiculous. 

So first of all, they told folks in line not to bring any recording devices into the theater.  Fair enough.  Then we were told "no cell phones."  Okay, so some phones have video cameras -- were they really afraid of still camera images too?  Whatever.  But no, even those of us with cell phones that have NO CAMERA WHATSOEVER were told to go put them in our cars.  So I left my place in line, stowed my camera, and got back at the end of the line (Emily saved me a good seat).  Finally at the front of the line I found that each and every movie goer was being subjected to a wand search before entering.  I witnessed one of these Hollywood yahoos suspiciously questioning a guy's Leatherman pouch.  "What's that?"  "A Leatherman."  "A what?" "... it's a utility tool." "...okay, go on in."

Okay, so now that the scary Lion's Gate men have personally checked every single person in the auditorium with an electronic wand for a recording device (and even phones w/o recording devices - lest I phone in a play-by-play to a sketch artist, I suppose), we can just get on with enjoying our film, right?  Wrong.  We were then presented a lengthy and punitive-sounding statement by one of the Men in Black that threatened us with prosecution "to the full extent of the law" should we attempt to record any portion of the film we'd been invited to see.  And then, after checking us each individually for cameras and reading us the riot act in no uncertain terms, the Lion's Gate gestapo literally stared at the audience from the front of the auditorium throughout the entire film, sometimes using night vision goggles (I'm not kidding) and sometimes just with their cold, dead eyes.

Checking for recording contraband is one thing.  Actively treating your invited guests like criminals is another.  I was angry leaving the theater -- probably not the sentiment the powers that be at Lion's Gate wanted to confer upon their audience.

I'll add that the Vermonters there -- the screenwriter, theater owners, the Vermont Kung Fu Academy -- were all great and had totally the right attitude.  It was the distributor's thugs that made the otherwise fun night kind of a downer.