Top 10 Craziest Incidents in Movie Theatres

The 1973 release of Warner Brothers horror classic “The Exorcist” was famous for its endless thrills and the strong reactions of its audiences. Promotional reels taken from the film’s blockbuster screenings were full of testimonies from stunned and traumatized audience members. Many were made sick and even passed out at the barrage of horrors the movie contained. Ambulances and police backup were called at some screenings to corral the long lines of audiences and be on hand to help in the event of medical emergencies. Unsubstantiated stories of theater staff having to have paper bags on hand added to the myth. But the video footage of these traumatized patrons is hard to ignore and even harder to forget.

In the late 1950s, America was still in the throes of the Red Scare. In 1957, Universal released “The Girl in the Kremlin,” an otherwise forgotten anti-Communist propaganda film featuring an early scene where Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin orders a young woman’s head shaved. Head shaving became a large part of the movie’s promotional tour. In San Francisco, though, one housewife named Patricia Smith took part in a drastic head-shaving right there in the lobby of the Golden Gate Theater. The studio gave her $300 and some, apparently, unrealized hopes for enough publicity to start a film career, but she gave her hair for her country.

They say comedy is tragedy plus time. But for one Danish doctor who was having too good a time, comedy led to tragedy. During a screening of the classic comedy,“A Fish Called Wanda,” Dr. Ole Bentzen was having such a laugh at the movie’s antics that he suffered a fatal heart attack. Tragic as it is, the makers of the movie, former “Monty Python” members John Cleese and Michael Palin, chose to look on the bright side of life and consider the incident a resounding rave for their madcap crime comedy. After all, he may have died, but he did die laughing. Good taste stopped them from actually using the incident for promotional materials.

Walking into a slasher movie, you don’t really expect to get the whole 4D experience, but that’s exactly what one cinemagoer got after a screening of 2009’s “My Bloody Valentine 3D.” The incident took place at a multiplex in Valley Stream, New York. Security guard Ricardo Singh got into an altercation with a teenager after the screening. Allegedly, the teen wanted to wait inside for his ride. The conflict eventually escalated into a shoving match. Singh eventually pulled out a folding knife and stabbed the teen in the stomach. Although the teen was ultimately okay, Singh was charged with second-degree assault.

We’ve all felt the anticipation of a new movie starring our favorite actor or a midnight showing of the new installment of our favorite franchise. In June 2007, “Sijavi: The Boss,” starring beloved Tamil actor Rajinikanth, was one of the most expensive Indian movies ever made, and anticipation was at an all-time high for its simultaneous premiere across Southeast Asia. Thousands of Malaysian fans, though, were disappointed when the cinemas screening the film had to delay or cancel showings due to technical difficulties caused by Internet problems and failed deliveries. But the crowds did not go quietly. Unruly patrons began destroying the cinemas, demanding refunds, threatening staff, and brawling in the lobby. Instances of arson and assaults against theater managers were even reported.

In 2012, family man George DeGrazio decided to go to a screening of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” He never returned. Although his car was found at a Cinemark in Fort Collins, Colorado, theater staff insisted they had searched the place. Five days later, they noticed a foul stench coming from a bathroom stall. DeGrazio had died of a heart attack in the restroom, and his body had gone unnoticed. DeGrazio’s family was understandably outraged by the oversight. Five employees of the theater were placed on leave, and Cinemark had to release a statement to announce an “evaluation” of their opening and closing procedures.

To 19th century audiences, movies were still so new that they could hardly believe their eyes. The Lumiére Brothers of France quickly made a name producing and exhibiting short silent films that were a feast for their captive audience’s eyes. So it’s not totally unbelievable that when audiences saw their relatively innovative short silent film, “Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat,” they were terrified that a train might actually be coming toward them. The story goes that an audience in France ran for the doors when the onscreen train approached the camera. Although scholars still argue about the truth of this legend, considering how new the technology was, it’s not outside the realm of possibility.

“127 Hours,” the James Franco-led historical drama about a man trapped under a boulder, deeply affected audiences at early screenings. The shaky camera work mixed with the visceral scene of mountain climber Aron Ralston amputating his own arm was just too much for some. At the first public screening at Toronto International Film Festival, reports of three faintings and one seizure only built the public’s interest. More instances of fainting, seizures, and panic attacks were so common, Movieline.com kept a running tally of such incidents as the movie continued its rollout. One reporter said he hadn’t seen anything like it since “The Exorcist” was released, but where some of those audience reactions had been publicity stunts, these just seemed too real.

In 2016, a truly bizarre series of events that took place at a cinema showing “The Conjuring 2” could have inspired a movie of their own. During a screening of the film in the city of Tiruvannamalai, India, an unnamed 65-year-old man suffered from chest pains during the movie’s terrifying climax. The man collapsed and was taken to Old Government Hospital, where he later died. Things got weirder from there. The body was prepared for transport to Tiruvannamalai Government Medical College Hospital by the dead man’s friend, but the body never made it there. Local police conducted an investigation, but neither the dead man nor his friend were found.

Although we’ve seen some bad publicity stunts over the years, this one takes the cake for its combination of potential danger and lousy, lousy timing. In 2013, movie theaters were still reeling from the Aurora, Colorado shooting the year before. Every theater, apparently, but the Goodrich Capital 8 Theater in Jefferson City, Missouri. When “Iron Man 3” premiered, the theater decided it would be fun to hire actors to dress up in tactical gear and greet patrons with fake guns. Unsurprisingly, some visitors didn’t realize they were cosplaying and several called 911. The responding cops were armed, as they thought they might be walking into an active shooter incident. Obviously, they weren’t too pleased with the management. Luckily, no one was hurt.