Into The Stupid-verse

The movie “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” is out in theaters. If you’ve seen the movie, you know it has a very unique art style and plays around with different types of animation and effects. One of the tricks they use in the background in some scenes is a “doubled image” effect that ALMOST looks like you’re watching a 3D movie without glasses on. It’s to mimic old comic printing and the way it sometimes wouldn’t line up properly, thus creating a double-image. It’s a stylistic choice the filmmakers chose to use and was intentionally done. However, with nearly every 2D showtime we play, at least one person sees the effect and comes out and complains because they think we sold them a ticket to a 3D show.

Customer: *Storming up to box office register* “I didn’t want a g**d*** 3D movie!”

Me: “I apologize. What movie were you in?”

Customer: “The 2:30 Spider-Man!”

Me: “Well, sir, that looks like it was a 2D showtime and not a 3D one.”

Customer: “Bulls***! I could see plain as day that it was in 3D! There were two images onscreen!”

Me: “Sir, I think I know what the problem is. Some scenes have a double-image effect added to emulate old comic-printing techniques. Trust me, it’s supposed to look like that, even in 2D.”

Customer: “That’s f****** stupid! You’re just making that up, you p***k!”

Me: “Okay, lemme check it for you.”

It’s a slow day, so I grab a pair of 3D glasses and go into the theater and check the screen a few times. I’m a huge Spider-Man fan and have seen the movie several times in both 3D and 2D, so I know what to look for. And, lo and behold, it’s definitely the 2D version.

Me: *Returning to the box office* “Sir, I just checked. Trust me, that’s the 2D version. The double-image is a stylistic choice.”

Customer: “No! You listen here, a**hole! You sold me tickets to a 3D showtime! I know you did! Give me my f****** money back, now!”

Me: “If you insist.”

I refunded him and he left. Most people actually calmed down and believed us when we informed them it was supposed to look like that, but for some reason, this guy decided I was an a**hole and just had to have deceived him.