Elijahturner011 had a simple question: “Can someone release a ticket to me, please?”
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“I’ve been trying to get a ticket forever. I’ve been scammed left and right,” they wrote on July 20 in the Reddit post that followed. “I just want one ticket to 70mm … it’s hurting my heart that I can’t just get one ticket for one day, and I’m hearing some people didn’t even show up to the movie. So please if you’re not sure or planning to not go, drop your ticket to me, please. I’m calling on Zeus himself.”
This is just one of the desperate posts from dozens of moviegoers that have popped up on the subreddit r/NYCmovies, a place dedicated to discussing “moviegoing in New York City — AMC, Regal, Film Forum, IFC Center, Film at Lincoln Center, N.Y. Film Festival and more!” And even though they don’t all name the movie, it’s clear what the treasure they crave is: A ticket to see “The Odyssey” in Imax 70mm.
While some New York City moviegoers are lucky enough to be able to experience Nolan’s film in his preferred format, screenings are sold out to an unprecedented degree. Wheelchair spots are all that remain for the showtimes at AMC Lincoln Square 13, one of just 41 Imax 70mm screens worldwide, and the only one in New York City.
The sold-out Lincoln Square Imax 70mm screenings include all the 2 a.m. showings, which continue through Aug. 2, and all other listed showtimes, which run through August 12. A spokesperson for AMC declined to comment when asked if more showtimes were going to be added soon.
On the front page of r/NYCmovies, there’s a clearly listed rule: No Scalping of Tickets. And yet scores of interlopers have dropped by the page in order to try and score a miracle — or even have more nefarious plans of ripping off cinephiles.
Tessa, one of the mods of the page who has been working to protect the readers, tells Variety that the community has also been working to keep scalpers and scammers at bay. But it’s tricky, given the anonymity Reddit can afford.
“People are very quick to report if someone is trying to sell them tickets above face value (scalping),” she says. “Anytime we get a report of someone doing that, we ban their account. However, often these scalpers, once they are discovered, will delete their own accounts and will make new ones. So it can be hard to successfully ban them completely. There are also users actively offering to pay above face value (which other users will also report). I’m sure there are some users quietly and willingly paying above face value. The worst thing are users pretending to have tickets they don’t have at all. Again, once reported, we ban, but they often just make new accounts. We are warning people to be careful and check post history, get proof of tickets, if possible do an in-person exchange (if you print the ticket on a kiosk you know you have a legit ticket that can no longer be double sold or refunded), and if you do an online transaction, turn on PayPal’s Goods & Services protection feature. Most legit users with extra tickets just refund them and will notify the sub when they are dropping the extra tickets.”
Although the Reddit community is looking after its own, there are plenty of other places scalpers can strike. The $33 tickets have bids starting at $69 for Lincoln Square screenings on eBay, all the way up to $1,200 for a pair of seats on July 22.
Perhaps a better idea for New Yorkers? Head upstate to Cinemark Tinseltown Rochester, a six-hour drive from midtown that has tickets available for showtimes this week in Imax 70mm. After all, it can’t take as long to get there as it took Odysseus to get back to Ithaca.
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Additional reporting by Matt Minton.