No Yoda masks allowed: Quebec cinema bans lightsabers, face coverings
CBC News | Posted: December 14, 2015 6:19 PM | Last Updated: December 14, 2015
'Call me the party-pooper': Guzzo Cinemas CEO won't budge on no-mask rule, even for diehard Star Wars fans
The new Star Wars movie premieres tonight in Los Angeles, and while it doesn't officially open in Canada until Friday, fans in the Montreal area can see a special screening this Thursday night at Guzzo Cinemas.
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The only catch? No masks or lightsabers allowed.
Vincenzo Guzzo, CEO of Guzzo Cinemas, says there's a general policy against masks, and he's not making an exception for fans heading to Star Wars: The Force Awakens at several cinemas in and around Montreal.
"Call me the party-pooper," he says, adding his main concern is the anxiety it could cause if people were allowed to cover their faces.
"People are not identifiable ... You can imagine some guy with a Chewbacca mask who's not just going to walk in normally. He's going to pretend he's Chewbacca. And he may yell every once in awhile and he's going to scare people."
Guzzo says his customers are paying to see a movie, not attend a costume ball.
He says people are allowed to dress up on Thursday, as long as their faces are uncovered and they don't bring any props that resemble a weapon — fictional or otherwise.