Worldwide attention for Navan cinema's listings warning on 'Bruno' movie

An automated message that warned local cinema goers about how "vile" Sacha Baron Cohen's latest movie Bruno is, has became an international sensation and attracted more than 80,000 hits on YouTube. The message detailing cinema listings for the Diamond Screen cinema in Navan has hit the international headlines in newspapers and websites around the world and been viewed on YouTube from as far away as Japan and Australia. The message was recorded by Paul Egan, a former presenter of LMFM's Loosetalk, who included the "health warning" as he gave the times for the movie Bruno. Film fans ringing for showtimes at the Diamond Cinema were told on the recorded message: "Bruno is particularly vile. It leads to a hell of a lot of complaints from people who say 'we didn't think it was going to be that bad." "It is that bad - it will offend every prejudice in the book, believe me, so don't come after the film and tell us how horrible it was." He goes on to say that "one or two people have enjoyed it though". The cinema message first came under the spotlight on Ray Foley's show on Today FM and the Diamond cinema's phone lines were hopping as people phoned to hear the hilarious message. It was soon posted on YouTube and the clip was watched by 80,000 people around the world. Articles have been written about it in newspapers including the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Tribune, The Mirror, and there have been items on the BBC, and USA Today. Mr Egan has been on the Will Leahy Show on 2fm, The Strawberry Alarmclock on FM104 and with Dave Fanning who was standing in for Ryan Tubridy on RTE Radio 1. Mr Egan said he cannot believe the response the message has had and questioned whether "there is anything going on in people's lives for them to latch onto this". Mr Egan's wife Liz manages the cinema and he records the automated message with the showtimes. He said that sometimes over the years he might make a remark. "It there was a film about devil worship or a horror about satan, I might warn people not to bring crucifixes or holy water. It's light hearted. Cinema messages can be boring." While people had made comment from time to time at the cinema about his funny remarks, this is the first time that real interest has been shown in the quips. Mr Egan said some of the staff, and his wife Liz in particular, was shocked by the movie and didn't know what it was like. "There are fellas in the nude doing all sorts of carry on. It is wildy over the top. They were worried what might happen if people started complaining." He added that you could not have ambiguity- "It is filthy dirty, depraved and that bad." Mr Egan said in his opinion the film was "pure and utter rubbish" and was one of the worst films he ever saw. "Borat was funny and I liked it but this is just sleazy, dirty old man stuff," he said. When asked why he thought the phone recording became such a hit, Mr Egan said that people in Ireland don't speak too plainly in general and that he was being truthful and it shocked people and surprised them. He said he had not spoken to the film's people though he knew they questioned it but decided to leave it. "I said there was a rough reaction from them, but I misunderstood and may have been a little unfair, I had not actually spoken to them," he said. A few days later the original message had been changed and those ringing were directed to YouTube if they wanted to hear it. Mr Egan went on to say that the 'Moynalty Virgin Club' had been in to see Bruno and said the film was "unmissable" but this message didn't last long and he was directed by his wife to take that one off. Mr Egan laughed that he did not think the people of the North Meath village would be welcoming him to the threshing this year. So what do the staff members think about the Diamond cinema's new found fame? "People are divided. Some staff think it is so stupid and then others think it is great that it has put us on the map." Mr Egan commented that from the messages left on YouTube, some people seemed to think he was being serious, said he was a "bogman" and did not get that he was being lighthearted. To hear the original recording, see www.meathchronicle.ie.