Amzing turnout. 500 people. Sleep started at 6.45. First shotm which lasts about 45 minutes, is close-up of man's abdomen. You can see him breathing. People started to walk out at 7, some complaining. People getting more and more restless. Shot finally changes to close-up of man's head. Someone runs up to screen and shouts in sleeping man's ear. "WAKE UP!!" Audience getting bitter, strained. Movie is silent, runs at silent speed. A few more people ask for money back. Sign on box offices says no refunds.
7.45. One man pulls me out into outer lobby, says he doesn't want to make a scene but asks for money back. I say no. He says, "Be a gentleman." I say, "Look, you know you were going to see something strange, unusual, daring, that lasted six hours." I turn to walk back tto lobby. Lobby full, one red-faced guy very agitated, says I have 30 seconds to give him his money back or he'll run into theater and start a "lynch riot". "We'll all come out here and lynch you, buy!!" Nobody stopped him when 30 seconds were up; he ran back toward screen. In fact, the guy who had said he did't want to make a scene now said, "Come on, I'll go with you!!"
I finally yelled at him to wait a minute. Mario Casetta told crowd to give us a chance to discuss it. Mario and I moved into outer lobby. Thoughts of recent football riot in South America. People angry as hell, a mob on the verge of violence. Red-faced guy stomps toward me:"Well, what are you going to do?"
"I'll give out passes for another show." Over two hundred passes given out.
Decided to make an announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen. I believe that Sleep was properly advertised. I said in my ads that it was an unusual six-hour movie. You came here knowing that you were going to see something unusual about sleep and I think you are. I don't know what else I could have said. However --[shout from audience: 'Don't cop out !! Don't cop out!!']--however ..."
Sleep continued on. Projectionist kept falling asleep. People are not able to take the consequences of their own curiosity. Woman calls at 11 " Are you still there?" "Sure, why?" "I was there earlier. Heard people in back of me saying this theater's not going to have a screen very much longer so I left." Fifty were left at the end. Some people really digging the movie.