Jhannet Sejas is a struggling immigrant trying to put herself through college (we’ve all been there, not the struggling immigrant part, but the whole college thing) and to celebrate her 19th birthday she caught a showing of Transformers with her boyfriend. Now she faces up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine for filming 20 seconds of the coolest movie ever made.
The pimply-faced assistant manager at the Ballston Common mall theater in Arlington, VA spotted Sejas ‘filming’ and called the cops. She and her boyfriend were escorted out of the theater and the Canon Power Shot she used to film the movie was confiscated. Sejas claims to have pirated the clip to show her little brother to get him excited about it.
This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever read about. It’s not like she’s going to sell the clip to anyone. It’s already been CAM’d and there are hundreds of clips floating around. This is a complete waste of time and the Regal Cinemas Ballston Common 12 are a bunch of douchebags for prosecuting this poor girl.
Out of the Theater, Into the Courtroom [Washington Post]
Indeed there are many DVDs sold outside of the US which were taped by a handheld camera in theaters. Those DVDs even include audience swearing and lewd commentaries. Yet, there is a market for that especially in third world country. She really needs to prove her intention. If she intended to tape the whole movie, then she is a pirate. If she just wanted a clip to show her brother, there are plenty teasers on the internet. Her action was just stupid. Since she was stopped in the middle of her act, no one can tell if she was trying to pirate the whole movie. I wish her good luck. Sometimes it takes some news like that to show people it is not worth the risk.
Ballston Common 12 is a trifling theater – sorry-ass scratched prints, busted climate control, brain-dead staff. It was 4 blocks from my apartment and I would still rather drive into DC and go to the Foundry.
The “struggling immigrant” and “trying to put herself through college” are meaningless; justice is (supposed to be) blind. The law is the law, whether you were born here or not, and whether you’re struggling to put yourself through college, or struggling to work 2 jobs & pay a mortgage… We’re (supposed to be) equal in the eyes of the law.
At what point would you say prosecution is justifiable, Peter? A 45-second clip? 10 minutes? Half hour? At what point is it justifiable to prosecute people who steal money? If they steal more than $.25? $2? $50?
“It’s not like she’s going to sell the clip to anyone.”
— So if she stole an orange from a grocery store & ate it, that’s OK, but if she stole it & tried to sell it, that’s bad?
“It’s already been CAM’d and there are hundreds of clips floating around.”
— And if she stole one orange, but 20 other people stole a dozen each, she should be immune from prosecution because other people stole more than she, and they did it before she stole hers?
“The pimply-faced assistant manager at the Ballston Common mall theater in Arlington, VA spotted Sejas ‘filming’ and called the cops.”
– I see…. So the cute, young, foreign girl who broke the law is your victim, and the young, unseen-but-presumably pimply-faced employee who did his job by reporting a crime is your villain. Interesting……. Check your biases, Peter. They’re glaringly obvious to the rest of us.
“…prosecuting this poor girl.”
– Again, you’re biased. But since you’re a blog copy-and-poster, not a journalist, or a reporter, it doesn’t matter, huh?
If I were the theater manager/owner, I wouldn’t have called the police or prosecuted, but I definitely would have pulled her out of the theater, erased the clip, and told her to never come back. Had she come back & done it again, I’d have called the police & prosecuted, without a doubt.
It’s quite possible that CG would cover this story anyway, but…doesn’t anyone else think this is a story only b/c she’s smoking hot? Just sayin’…
Scott, you nailed it on the head. The commentary is classic Peter Ha. Completely ludicrous. Like the girl’s little brother couldn’t simply go on the internet and see a clip of the movie? Puh-leaze.
So, who wants a copy of my 20s of mobile phone video, from the front row. You almost make out a yellow blur of robotic motion!
If you want Transformers the movie for FREE then go here: http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3739664 and to the dumb fuck manager at the theatre if you read this remember this: PAYBACKS A BITCH MF’er and you will be F’N SORRY you F’N ASSCLOWN cause what goes around comes around and your candy ass is going to be taken care of and you won’t know who it is until its too late for the PIGS to save your candy ass you stupid MF’er!!!!
I know I’ve sent a message to Regal telling them I will carefully check the ownership of any theater I patronize to insure Regal never gets another dime of my money. If you want to tell them as well, send an email to
ddelaria@regalcinemas.com
It’s investor relations but it’s the email I have. I’m sure they will notice if their inbox begins to flood.
Donald De Laria
Vice President Investor Relations
Regal Entertainment Group
7132 Regal Lane
Knoxville, TN 37918
Phone: 865-925-9685
Fax: 865-925-7858
E-mail: ddelaria@regalcinemas.com
Its OK to download 2-3 min of transformers (as trailers) on internet.
But if we record 20 sec of an 2.30 hour movie, Its BAD(?)
WHATS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
If i wanted to “sell” an 20 sec clip, what would the street value be?
2.30 h = 10$ – 10/9000 sec is 0,0011 $ pr sec. 0,0011 times 20 = 0,02 $
IM RICH!
SHE IS NOT A IMMIGRANT U DUMBASS
she is a good girl she doesn’t dis serve this this is cruelty!!!
good comment what is a few seconds going 2 do it’s not like she was going 2 sell it