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Top Five Ways To See The Dark Knight Rises At A Midnight Screening Even When They're All Sold Out
I want to help you out a little.
As it is has been left to the discretion of cinema chains when they will start selling tickets, we probably shouldn't expect a big, centralised announcement from Warner Bros. indicating when the majority of screenings for The Dark Knight Rises are going to be on sale.
As such, many might lose out. Many already have. There's not a single seat left in either New York or LA for the first, midnight screenings of the film in IMAX. Die hards in those areas might now consider a trip to another area, probably even State.
At the time of writing there are a couple of wheelchair spaces available in the LA screening, so that's one way in: book yourself one of those, turn up in a wheelchair. Don't forget the chair, though, because I don't think they'll let you just sit on the floor. Start practicing not moving your legs for three and half hours at a time now.
But what if you have decency and some kind of moral code when it comes to denying wheelchair users their Batfix - or, for that matter, what if the screenings are completely sold out? What can you do then?
Here are my top five ways to see The Dark Knight Rises at a midnight screening even when they're all sold out.
1. Buy your ticket from a tout I'm pretty sure that somebody is going to tout their tickets, possibly on the night at the venue, possibly ahead of time via eBay or Craigslist. It happens with pretty much every gig or festival, why should keenly anticipated films be different? There's over six months to go until opening night, so a lot can change for those lucky early ticket holders.
Second hand tickets are going to be available. It's just a question of where, when and for how much.
2. Get a job at the cinema If you work at one of the cinemas screening the film, you could get the proud duty of sitting in the auditorium - it's a job I did as a younger man, allowing me to see most of The Lion King most days for literally months on end.
There's a chance you'd have to step in to prevent rioting over the Banemuffles, or the abrupt, unresolved ending with a surprise caption telling the audience to look online for "more", but there's even a way to avoid all that fuss: be the projectionist.
You could be up in your little box being paid to look and listen rather than paying for those exact same privileges. Chances are. you'd be alone (though not necessarily - read on) and if it's an IMAX screening we're talking about, you'd also be far back enough to actually be able to see the screen properly.
Better still - you'd have run the film through before this midnight screening just to make sure it was all in order. You'd not only get to run with the pack, you'd get to run ahead making nyah nyah noises.
3. Hide in the toilets after the previous screening of whatever it was. Maybe your local cinema is built in such a way that you can avoid the security patrols by hiding, or screen hopping. Though I'm going to frown on this as much as I would you turning up in a wheelchair when you don't actually need one.
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4. Become a member of the press And it's even possible to get ahead of most projectionists by earning some kind of press credentials. It's not that hard, really. Start a blog today. Make it good. Get readers. Become known to the right PR agents - which, in my experience, happens more through luck than judgment.
There's going to be some kind of press campaign for this film, and that will mean early screenings. I remember somebody who started a blog about Snakes on a Plane and wanting to attend its premiere, and he got enough attention that his dream came true. Be the Dark Knight Rises equivalent of that and not only could you see the film early, you could Christopher Nolan up the red carpet on your way in.
(Yes, I know this isn't really a tip on how to see the film at a midnight screening, but seeing as it's arguably an even better option, I want you to let me off.)
5. Date a projectionist
Sleep your way to the top. Sort of the top anyway.
Many projectionists I know have pretty much all the privacy they want, when they're up there in their box. Make the right buddy (f*** or otherwise, I suppose) and you could find yourself sneaked in to get all the benefits of point 2) without the pay, uniform or, on the other hand, responsibilities.
Of course... those IMAX projection booths can be less than ideal, in audio terms, so perhaps shop around for a friend with the best possible set-up. Being able to jack in headphones to the monitor speaker system would be ideal, I guess. Immoral of this story: see who has the right tech before you decide to inveigle your way into their life.
And there you go - five perfectly viable-ish ways to catch a midnight screening when all other hope has been extinguished. Let us know how you get on.
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