Posted by HardCharger707 at spider-we034.proxy.aol.com on August 24, 2001 at 18:34:05:
It was suppossed to be a cool day... A really cool day. But August 23rd will go down as a day that will live in infamy (At least in the minds of puertorrican Kevin Smith fans). Going to the 'plex down here in the island is a mixed bag. Because of a variety of factors, we either get the movie before, simultaneously, after, or a week before it arrives on DVD. Fair enough, we always thought. We are a U.S. Territory or a "Commonwealth" as it is officially refered to, so that political status ambiguity is one of the things that decides wether or not we get a movie as part of the U.S. release or as part of the International release. But I don't want to get into that, for most of the power in matters of film is wielded by the Local theater chain "Caribean Cinemas" or its competition "Cinevista" And the local arms of the Distributing Studios. We expected to get JSBSB around a month after it's U.S. release, simply because we anticipated that "Caribbean Cinemas" or "Dimension Films Puerto Rico" wouldn't consider the film a big seller here in the island. And that Ladies and Gentlemen, might be considered utter horseshit. Kevin has a strong cult following among local college students, and I know a dozen or two that would kill to see the flick. Hey, we really didn't mind to wait a couple of weeks as long as it got here. But what they did to us was nothing short of rude.
A couple of my friends got wind that JSBSB would do the astonishing feat of actually ariving in theaters a day BEFORE it's U.S. release. Caribbean Cinemas officially included it on it's "Upcoming Releases" list on the Marquee, put the poster outside on of their largest theaters in the Metro area and rolled the Ball. An add was put on by Dimension last Sunday's paper making the August 23rd date Official. We were basically extatic and salivating at the prospect of watching the movie a day before the Continental U.S.. Thrusday Arrives and we all checked the paper to see the times of the showings and gather our possee for the 1st showing. A gruop close to a dozen people were expecting the word from us, when we checked the paper and... There were no listings for the movie. We checked in all the local papers, nothing, Zilch and as we say "Absolutamente Nada" (absolutely nothing). We call the theater, the phone had a busy tone all day. A friend of mine checked in the theater box office and was reffered to Dimension's Distribution arm in Puerto Rico, looking for an answer. Caribbean cleans it's hands and we finally reach an answer... and a slap in the face. Dimension in Puerto Rico pulled out JSBSB at the last minute for one simple reason: Rush Hour 2. They had made the brainfarted mistake that Rush Hour 2 had not yet premiered in theaters and was scheduled to do so in the 23rd (Same day as JSBSB was suppossed to arrive in Puerto Rico) so to accommodate the movie on an additional screen, they pulled out Jay and Silent Bob at the last minute to avoid unnecessary competition. To this we have only one thing to say...
Fuck Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, Fuck them in the ass. We want the Snootchies Bootchies, NOW! It was suppossed to be a cool day, and after that, the rest of it sucked.
Kevin's fans down here are always ignored. Dogma got here after two months, but we expected it. We weren't expecting it this time around, but we got pretty darn close to getting it. Dimension screwed up and our weekend was somewhat hurt by it.
We are slowly realizing that fact, and we are very Pissed Off...
In any event, we hope the movie eventually makes its way here sometime before the end of the year. To all the Boys and Girls who go out to see it in the continental U.S. this weekend, Cheers!
And To Kevin Smith and all the fine people at ViewAskew... A warm sunny greeting on behalf of all your fans in Puerto Rico (All Twelve of us). Thanks and Hasta Luego
J.F.