Movie director detained after saying his reason for flying into LAX was to "Shoot a Pilot"

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.cinematical.com/2007/05/29/director-mike-figgis-detained-for-threatening-to-shoot-a-pilot/

I'm not exactly sure how the word "pilot" came to mean "initial episode of a TV show," but it's definitely a part of the general lexicon by now. "Did you watch that new series called People on an Island?" is what I might ask you, and your response very well could be "Yeah, I watched the pilot but I couldn't get into it." So you understand the word "pilot" in this context, right? Good. Maybe you should get a job at Los Angeles International Airport.

It's funny because I'm kind of surprised it hasn't happened before: Director Mike Figgis was going through security at LAX when he was asked the reason for his visit. "I'm here to shoot a pilot," was his response. Obviously he meant "I'm here to shoot the first episode of a TV series that may or may not be picked up for broadcast distribution," but what the immigration official thought he meant was "I'm here to shoot an airplane pilot with a gun." Yikes! The director of Leaving Las Vegas, Timecode and Internal Affairs was then detained for about five hours until immigration officials could get online and figure out that, yep, "pilot" has more than one meaning.

[babylonsister]

1. That is so unintentionally funny!

:rofl:

[alarimer]

2. what idiots!

I mean, it's L.A. Who does not know what pilot means in this context? And these are the people entrusted with security. We are so screwed.

[Cleita]

3. I guess he will qualify it from now stating that he's filming

a TV series pilot leaving the word shooting out of the sentence. Or maybe he shouldn't say it at all in these touchy times. Poor guy.

[IChing]

4. He made a Huge bomb with "timecode"

it never exploded on the LA scene.

[AlCzervik]

5. rofl!! I guess time he should say "Film a pilot" but then again they may think he's training

for Al-quaeda, nope it's a lose lose.

[Parche]

6. Pilot

Lets just hope next time he doesnt go thru the line and say "My last film was a bomb at the box office" :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[EFerrari]

7. I feel so much safer now. n/t

[Critters2]

8. Morans. Do they seriously think terrorists just announce their

intentions?

"What is the nature of your business?"

"I'm planning to hijack this flight and kill some folks."

"Oh, see, that might be a problem. Turns out, we have rules against that sort of thing"
:eyes:

[slackmaster]

9. Kind of like the German guy who said he would expode if he didn't get into the lavatory soon

Because he had a painfully full bladder.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. This damn thug needs 15 years in prison.

Minimum.

[dave_p]

11. Maybe TV hasn't reached LA yet

They mustn't be very media-savvy there. The mind boggles.

[MikeNearMcChord]

12. Imagine if he had a friend named Jack

And said "Hi Jack" while going through the TSA line, OK I know thats bad.:yoiks: :hide:

[karlrschneider]

13. Good thing he didn't add "I don't need any more bombs"!

:evilgrin:
edit: Reminding myself to READ THE DAMN THREAD before posting! :silly:

[EFerrari]

16. Oh no.

:rofl:

[Robb]

14. Subcontext: ICE official saw "Timecode"

...and realized his duty to humanity superceded that to his country, and did whatever he could to delay Figgis. :rofl:

[Az]

15. Because all terrorists inform people of what they are planning on doing when you ask them

The collective IQ of the nation dropped three points.