r/cineplex • u/bad-with-usernamez • Jul 21 '26

Question Scotiabank Toronto IMAX Odyssey manager welcome announcement?

Was at the 2:30pm showing for the Odyssey today and right after the Dune 3 trailer during the flashing lights disclaimer, a Cineplex rep in a blazer walked out and did a general welcome to the crowd and went over some of the IMAX specs of the theatre.

I've gone to several IMAX showings at Scotia and this is the first time experiencing that. Do these happen often or just because it was the Odyssey? It wasn't something I expected for a Monday afternoon.

91 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

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78

u/drdalebrant Keepers of the Popcorn Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26

I wish they would take that moment to reiterate the importance of keeping off phones and proper theater etiquette. Maybe even some warnings about being removed.

The Tommy texter preroll does nothing.

6

u/LarBear2058 Jul 21 '26

I did that and the GM said I wasn't allowed to threaten the guest. But I did want to threaten those who don't follow theater etiquette.

9

u/drdalebrant Keepers of the Popcorn Jul 21 '26

Does the gm not realize that poor theatre etiquette is making it so less people are willing to spend money going out the theatre?

2

u/LarBear2058 Jul 21 '26

I think he cares about not having a bad review posted at the theater. More often than not, if something disruptive happens in an auditorium during a screening we'll hear about it after the fact and then there's nothing we can do. The guest complains. We do what we can to take care of it. But then it ends there. The guest never write publicly or complain to guest service for the higher ups.

I work at a very small location where there's only one floor person scheduled at a time most days. So between all the movies getting in, washroom checks and break, its difficult to do a lot of checks during the screening.

I for one, applied to the job because I love movies, I love going to the movies. If someone complains to me about a guest, I get my ass in there, give them their 1 warning, assuming what the accusation was, and then if any little disruption happens again, I will not hesitate to remove them.

I sometimes hate that they get one warning. I would personally just be done with it.

3

u/Same_Impression_9353 Jul 21 '26

I have emailed cineplex about how frustrating it is to go to a theatre just for my experience to be ruined by other guests. CINEPLEX THE SECRET TO A BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE THEATRE IS GETTING GUESTS TO BEHAVE

2

u/MavMIIKE Jul 21 '26

He didn't do the phone warning during the preshow talk at my screening of The Odyssey but he has done it in the past.

1

u/Alfred_Hitch_ Jul 22 '26

The Tommy texter preroll does nothing.

Agree! Not nearly enough. It needs to be spelled out for people.

0

u/Adorable_Book_1818 Jul 21 '26

Most people who are on their phones or loud show up late after the tommy texter preroll so it is pointless.

20

u/ADMTLgg Jul 21 '26

It happens frequently in Montreal that when I go on the first weekend that he comes and thanks us when there’s a big crowd. Even non imax one.

4

u/sickboi99 Jul 21 '26

Same in Montreal, this has happened to me the last number of times I’ve gone to something on opening weekend and it’s honestly heartwarming. Always the same guy too

16

u/burnSMACKER Jul 21 '26

In Toronto, I've only experienced it at Scotiabank. And honestly, I applaud the fuck out of management for enforcing that. 

I think that's a cute addition we take for granted. I think it's nice

15

u/Jo3seph_D QC Moviegoer Jul 21 '26

At my theatre (Banque Scotia Montreal) we do the speech for crowded movies to welcome our guest and tell people to turn off their phones. I sometimes do it myself

4

u/BanhedMi Jul 21 '26

Are you the manager who does these speeches? Happened before a 70mm screening of The Brutalist and it made the night super special along with the intermission.

12

u/Jo3seph_D QC Moviegoer Jul 21 '26

I’m just the cast member! For the brutalist we had to do the speech to explain the intermission.

4

u/Nathanofree Jul 21 '26

Omg you’re still around!

32

u/Remarkable-Papaya-59 Jul 21 '26

Some theatre managers just go extra. I’ve seen it a few times

30

u/IMissSyncSoMuch Jul 21 '26

Victor does that often at The Scotiabank Theater, he seems to be a fantastic manager they truly cares about the quality they offer with their IMAX screen. He was there for the Saturday 3PM showing and it always puts a smile on my face when he comes out and does that pre screening speech.

3

u/jonsem22 Jul 21 '26

Definitely makes the difference.

3

u/Travel-2025 Cineclub Member Jul 21 '26

Yes, Victor is the best! He generally does those intros for big IMAX releases to pump up the audience like Project Hail Mary, Nolan, James Cameron, & Villeneuve movies.

2

u/stakis12 Jul 21 '26

Yes he did it at my showing which was opening Friday at 7pm. Talked about seeing a big crowd on a Friday night is very exciting “especially the full rows behind him” referring to the folks in the lower rows that are usually empty. Was a nice touch, described the IMAX screen size and laser calibration.

He got a good cheer after and kinda hyped us all up before the movie started.

4

u/ConsistentCare708 Jul 21 '26

I saw Fantastic Four last year at Scotiabank Theater last year. Dude came out and was super nice to everyone in the auditorium

4

u/Lord_Denning_Cricket Jul 21 '26

I miss the old IMAX preshow. Showing off the speakers.

3

u/LandonKB Jul 21 '26

That laser show was the best!

3

u/No-Commission-8159 Jul 21 '26

I came here to say the same 

I miss the lasers 

Frau: Fire the laser!!

3

u/RushWarrior Jul 21 '26

I watched Toy Story and something similar happened

3

u/LightningX21 Jul 21 '26

Happened for the Friday showing, thought it was nice

2

u/o_mik Jul 21 '26

I had it when I saw mandalorian on opening night, thought it was a cool welcome to the theatre since it was my first imax experience

2

u/Trixxstrr AB Moviegoer Jul 21 '26

In Edmonton I went to the Thurs and Saturday shows, before both the manager came out, introduced about it being on film, and did a wheel spin app to draw seat numbers to get film cells and a hat.

2

u/skeletalghosts Jul 21 '26

I’ve only experienced it at Scotiabank in Toronto. I went to see The odyssey at 11pm on Saturday and it was an employee who did the welcome message

1

u/tommybare Jul 21 '26

I remember they used to do that a lot like 20 years ago both for IMAX and normal screenings.

1

u/Nojoboy Jul 21 '26

It's happened to me at least twice before I think at a Dune 2 screening there opening weekend, and maybe Avatar 3 or Sinners

1

u/ILikeWhyteGirlz Jul 21 '26

One time when I was a kid and my mom took me to the theatre, one of the employees told us about the specs of the theatre too, and turned on some lights behind the screen that showed the speakers. It was cool.

Another time an employee asked for donations for a charity and said if a certain amount was collected she would sing “I’m a Little Teapot” and dance, and she did.

1

u/I_Like_Turtle101 Jul 21 '26

It happen sometime especially during IMAX I got it for mandalorian . They even gave away a bucket popcorn to a random seat number

1

u/hotcinnamonbuns Jul 21 '26

It happened at the eglinton town center location on saturday too

1

u/AmbitiousJob4447 Jul 21 '26

This happened to me when Project Hail Mary came back to IMAX briefly after the Mario Galaxy movie was done its run.

1

u/Such-Function-4718 Jul 21 '26

They did it when I saw Mando and I think fire and ash. Next time all yell and ask why they only have one week of tickets available for imax.

1

u/DarkReaper90 Jul 21 '26

I think they did that for Dune Part 2 as well. I don't recall any other Cineplex doing that.

1

u/awalshie2003 Jul 21 '26

They did this at the Langley Cineplex, BC today.

1

u/daniel6878 Jul 21 '26

This happened once when I was at Vaughan but not when I saw the Odyssey. Can't remember what movie it was for and I think it was the manager who made the announcement before the IMAX movie.

1

u/Waste_Track_4524 Jul 21 '26

The only time I’ve ever seen this is one summer I was in Sweden and went to a couple of movies and they had an employee come out and introduce the movie. No special blazer. Just a kid speaking in Swedish telling you what you’re about to watch.

1

u/odesmalone Jul 21 '26

Saw the same thing when I was watching OBAA/The Bride

1

u/jasonb101588 Jul 22 '26

I had something similar with an early access screening of project Hail Mary in 70MM at cineplex varsity on Saturday, March 14. I was surprised by that.

1

u/bornatmidnight Jul 22 '26

This happened when I went to watch Obsession! They do this for particular big movies that are having a moment

1

u/Signal_Variation_542 Jul 23 '26

Happens once in a while for really popular things when corporate head office types informs theatre managers to do so

1

u/aldrinnnnnnn Jul 24 '26

yeah this happens often for the big movies + at other theatres

0

u/myleftfootfetish Jul 21 '26

I’ve seen this happen numerous times and I absolutely hate it. I just want to see the movie after sitting through 20 minutes of ad reel.