Opening night Last Jedi screening malfunctions, leading to small-scale uprising

Opening-night screenings of highly anticipated movies can be a real mixed bag, as you deal with long lines, possibly terrible seats, the delighted cackles of superfans, and then the movie itself, which may or may not live up to expectations. Fortunately, The Last Jedi is very good, although viewers at a screening in Burbank had to endure the hellish ordeal of a fucked-up, dialog-free screening, leading to a small-scale rebellion in the lobby.

Fans stormed the lobby of the AMC Burbank 16 after the 10:00 p.m. showing malfunctioned, chanting “Restart it!” Two high points of note to the video: First, the kindly Jedi who attempts to keep the peace in the early going, as the mob mentality begins to roil and he remembers his time in the shit on Naboo; and second, the poor employee sent into the fray to tell these fans that the movie wouldn’t be restarted, and who seriously could not possibly be getting paid enough to deal with this sort of shit.

Cops were eventually called in to disperse the uprising, but, presumably, no true property damage was done or else there would be very funny footage of that, too. Anyway, after 20 minutes or so, the theater got the sound fixed. Disappointed moviegoers were offered the option of refunds or tickets to later screenings, when presumably all they’d really like is a time machine, such that they could experience the movie the first time the way they intended, and also to kill Hitler. If you’re getting a time machine, you have to kill Hitler, those are the rules.

Here’s hoping everyone else’s viewing goes smoothly, or at least that there are more Jedi peacekeepers distributed throughout the country.

[via Hollywood Reporter]