By The Sea Premiere Debacle! Security Hand Picks People For The Fan Barricade Screwing Everyone Who Waited All Day Including Random People And Their Friends? WTF!?!
So, I didn’t really want to relive this moment but it’s fanboy fail friday and let’s be honest there won’t be a bigger fail than this for me in 2015. At least I hope not, oh God could there be a bigger fail?
Anyway, the By the Sea premiere was last night with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt… So, it was supposed to be a fun day. Let me start by saying I love Angelina Jolie, I’ve loved Angelina Jolie since Foxfire… Never heard of it? Didn’t think so. I’ve been following Brad Pitt since Cutting Class, You didn’t know that one either? Not s surprise.
So, when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have a premiere I have to go. Anushika, Scotty, and I headed down and met up with Megan, Janna and Duggan on the rail. It was a long day, it was a cold day, it was a day filled with salsa, chatter and more.
Now, a water barricade was set up on the street. We were told by Universal that it was for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s protection… Sweet. Now, what we didn’t know was that waiting all day and getting a spot was for nothing because we would be fucked either way. Yes, I said fucked cause that’s what happened.
Around 6:00 p.m. after waiting all day, and let’s be honest I didn’t do the bulk of the waiting, (I’m sure Billy can insert joke here) security from SEM or SPEC Security started hand picking people to go into the barricade. Did they go by the order in which people arrived? Nope. Did they go by who was in front and was waiting all day? Nope.
They picked people who were randomly walking by, people who had no idea what was going on, people who they were friends with. Oh yeah, that was fun to see after waiting all day.
Like, the sheer power trip of it all. For SPEC Security to grab people three people behind the ones who were waiting all day was atrocious.
Anushika was able to get in, and had a great time, because Brad and Angie were nice as usual. And let’s be honest, I’m sure that this was at least partially their doing, it could have been a security concern because of what happened with Maleficent, who knows? But it should have been organized, people should have known at the beginning and fans shouldn’t be treated this way. Taking time off work when it wouldn’t have mattered.
To make things even worse security let in a whole batch of dealers at the end, which was even more of a slap in the face.
If it wasn’t for MTF Reader Joe who took my Pop vinyl in, I wouldn’t have gotten shit. So, big thanks to him for that, I owe you one brother.
You know, it just gets more and more frustrating. Especially when you’re dealing with nice celebrities and then security just fucks the situation up.
And here’s the thing, why would you want people you DON’T know in a barricade like that. Those are the people that can cause a problem like what happened to Brad at Maleficent! IF you know people are just getting autographs and you’ve never had an issue with them, wouldn’t you WANT those people in because they are easy to deal with? It really never makes sense!
I just needed to share my frustration.
Until next time kids…
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So shameful. They should all be fired!
I was there, and this is all true. I’ve been a fan forever and because I’m a guy I couldn’t get in? I waited since 9:00 A.m. and took a day off of work. Downright ridiculous!
They should let the celebrities decide who gets passed over. Like David Clit said, he took the day off work and waited, but what if they chose him and everyone else who was there all day, then stopped at the person next to him because the barricade was full? That person would have been there all day too, but got screwed. Someone always gets fucked, but at least let the celebrity be the one to do it.
Let’s point out the main cause of the problem. Charles from SPEC security is one miserable human being. He thinks he has a job that requires skill. Let’s be real Charles, there is no degree at any university for barricade set up. SPEC resets barricades a number of times at premieres as if the setups were different. Most premieres run the same with the exception of a few. It is obvious when Charles states to a collector, “Let’s have you come in to puss everyone else off.”, that he is a petty and malicious person. There was no need to pick over any of us on the barricade knowing full well that we had been there all day. 95% of those let in had been there about five minutes. Even after picking those people he asked people passing by if they wanted to come into the area. Unbelievablly rude. If you are a professional security company, act as such. It was simply childish. I hope someone from studio publicity departments read this and consider finding a new security company to use. This will eventually lead to more and more angry fans leaving the events with a bad taste in their mouths and not wanting to go see the movie. Social media can have an effect on ticket sales. It just wasn’t right. Charles get a therapist and take your anger issues out on someone else.
This is 100% True. I was there at 10am and didn’t know this was happening till about 30 min. before the arrivals (Approx. 6 pm). It is horrible how the people who waited all day long just get passed over. I was standing waiting for the “Head of Security” guy, he walks up. Looks at me and my friends (Who all got there at 10 am also) and he picked 4 ladies that were standing behind us. These 4 ladies just minutes before (Yes, minutes) asked us what was going on!!!!! Really!!! I wouldn’t have minded it if we new this from the beginning. That way I could decide if I was gonna wait all day just for a “Chance” to be picked. I would have just gone home, because…… Yes……Some of the people that take the time to stand there have lives also. I could have spent that time with my parents. My friend standing next to me took the day off work to be there. And she is a Huge Angelina Fan!! I talked to a Security guy who had a “By the Sea” badge on and he said SPEC Security was a separate Company, and the head guy (Bald, Hispanic, Blue shirt) was going to hand pick people to go in the barricade. He picked Random people he had never seen before. Mike has a valid point “Those are the people that can cause a problem like what happened to Brad at Maleficent!”. I also overheard someone that said he told a small group of Dealers “I’m going to play favorites now!” and he let them in. This guy is a Douche And I hope that The movie companies promotion and events departments understand that this guy is representing their company when they hire them. He made Brad, Angelina, and Universal Pictures look like Assholes last night! On a side not I was at a Star ceremony on Hollywood last year. And this Same guy was directing the Star to sign autographs in certain sections. I asked him, very politely “Sir She skipped our section” He responded with a “I don’t give a fuck!”. While he had the celeb standing right next to him. Not very professional. Needless to say I’m not very happy and have no intention to see “By the Sea”. If Brad and Angelina knew or didn’t know. They need to make sure this dude doesn’t handle their events from now on!
#TrueStory this was a complete bullshit move! And i was told by AFI this will happen for all AFI festival
This happens a LOT in NYC. It’s so dumb.
all studios and companies should fire spec, over the years i’ve seen them do sketchy stuff, like Charles yelling at a family at the barricade claiming they were graphers when they were photo opers, saw another spec person get on the bus and yell at the driver one year for afi cause they closed off parts of street and bus driver didn’t know where else to drop people off in hollywood, saw another spec person escort a walking guest from premiere to their car and told people to stay away while they took a picture on the job with with the celebrity guest before they got in the car. Also seen spec employee drinking on the job at an event, and also them pushing a guy back that was calming to be part of red carpet photography, and random times where charles just yells at people in line thinking they are graphers even if they r just lining up for tickets. And playing favorites is not cool and what happened at premiere yesterday was not cool. They should be fired from every company that uses them.