Apology to the Movie Geeks and a Call to Action

If you have attended a Movie Geeks in the past few months, you've likely noticed the darkness of the screen. And those of you who were in the house last night got to spend the evening with that ugly encroaching blue line on the right side of the screen.

We've had this problem once before at Capital City, a little over a year ago. The problem then stemmed from the bulb on the projector. As the bulb goes bad it emits less light, resulting in a darker screen. The blue line on the side of the screen . . . I don't have an explanation for that.

Needless to say this makes the movie-going experience rather unpleasant. Viewers have a difficult (often impossible) time seeing characters and actions during nighttime or otherwise darkened scenes. Key plot points can be missed. Key gestures can be missed. Elements of the film that the director wanted you to be able to see are going unseen before our watchful eyes.

Please know that Micah and I(John) have no control whatsoever over the equipment at Capital City Bar and Grill. We select a movie once a month and try our best to drag people to the theater for our screenings. Capital City provides the screen, DVD player, sound system, and projection unit. They also provide the service of food and drink.

I know that there is no cover charge for viewing the films, but I still feel if people are willing to make time out of their busy schedule to take in a film, they should be treated to a watchable film. Micah had a brief discussion with one of the owners last night who explained that the bulb was replaced recently but was messed up during a recent concert when a band tech was messing with the lighting.

Whatever the reason, we've noticed that the picture quality has been growing increasingly worse over the past few months, and we're concerned that we will start losing participants.

If you were in attendance last night or in previous months and you felt that the screen quality was poor or that the film was unwatchable, then please contact the bar and voice your concerns. The Movie Geeks Club consistently draws 20-30 paying customers. We buy drinks and food. We tip the waitstaff. We bring in revenue that they wouldn't ordinarily draw on a Tuesday night. Although we don't pay a cover to watch the movie, it is only fair that we be given a reasonable film-watching experience.

You can contact Capital City Bar and Grill by calling (217)529-8580. Let them know you are a paying customer who enjoys coming to the movie club and that you were disappointed in the quality of the film. Maybe they'll get the problem fixed.

Thanks,

John and Micah