I was really looking forward to seeing Vigen Chaldranian's "The Priestess" - but I didn't. I was very excited about the notion of a Hollywood-style film, in terms of the picture quality, sound quality, and that polished look that Armenian films always miss, for better or worse.
Long story short, I didn't see it - and this is the main reason: "Premiere pricing" meant that I had to pay anywhere from $50-60 a ticket to see a couple of hours of film. What a joke!
Sure it's a premiere, sure it's a Chaldranian film, but does this mean getting raped financially for the pleasure of enjoying an Armenian film? At first, I planned on taking my family and my other half, but that would mean my spending $250. I don't think so. I was further dissuaded by the fact that when I called the special number to get the tickets - and this is before I knew of the steep price - a woman said the following in Armenian: "Yes?"
Did I get the wrong number? Were the phone lines crossed? Surely this couldn't have been Grauman's Chinese Theater! I don't know where I called - most likely some suite in a building somewhere in Glendale - but I was confused. I said, "Hello?" and she replied, "Ayo?" (Ayo is "Yes" in Armenian.) A few seconds after that exchange, it seemed clear that the only people taking orders were Armenian and they didn't speak English.
Why does this bug me? It bugs me because I want Armenian movies to succeed! I don't care what the theme is: don't limit the movie to Armenians! Get operators who can actually speak the language in which it is premiering! For crying out loud, are you trying every last possible option to make sure that this film does not succeed with the rest of the world?
Regardless, if you have a review, submit it and I will publish it if it is good.
