Theft of movie posters from Oakville theatre caught on video

A “Barbie” heist in Oakville? Where’s Ken when you need him?

An Oakville movie theatre is having a little fun with camera footage it has of someone stealing movie posters, including one for the recent red hot release of Barbie, outside its front doors on Speers Rd.

Film.ca turned the surveillance footage of the theft, which happened at 3:39 a.m. on Sunday (Aug. 6), into a small movie mystery with someone narrating all the action in a suspenseful voice.

It even teases of previous heists at the local theatre, including the footage it had of a pickup truck breaking through the front doors to steal an ATM and film of two men, who were later arrested, slashing one of its movie screens.

“From the cinema that brought you the ATM caper and the case of the stupid slashers, comes the Barbie Heist,” the narrator says over the surveillance footage. “And for you Barbenheimer observers, Barbenheist. ”

The video starts by showing the thief approaching the theatre in early morning hours. He then proceeds to open the glass cases outside the front of theatre, first stealing a Ninja Turtles movie poster (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) before taking the posters for the Barbie movie and Mission Impossible (Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One).

“In a surprising twist of events, the Barbie thief opts not to steal Oppenheimer (movie poster) despite Christopher Nolan (film director) setting off real explosives instead of using computer-generated imagery for Oppenheimer,” continues the narrator.   “This was still not enough to impress the Barbie thief to steal the Oppenheimer poster. Not a Christopher Nolan fan and not a Barbenheimer observer.”

The footage then shows the thief appearing to go steal one more poster before he stops himself.

“Seeing it’s a poster for the Haunted Mansion, (he) decides ‘Nah, not this one,’” cracks the voice on the video.

🚨 The World Premiere of “Barbie Heist”!

It seems we’ve got a not-so-sneaky art admirer. This poster pilferer must’ve mistaken them for artwork they could take home! We’re flattered, kind of…but hey, remember, the movies are meant to be watched here, not on your wall at… pic.twitter.com/u1aPZ5W5ic

— Film.Ca Cinemas (@FilmCaCinemas) August 7, 2023

The video then puts up a poor movie review rating for the horror film.

“Looks like the critics agree with your choice there Barbie thief,” quipped the voice.

The voice on the surveillance footage asks viewers if they recognize the man wearing the white hoodie and green crocks holding a Barbie poster before driving away in a black hatchback and to please let them know.

“And to the Barbie thief, if you’re watching, we don’t want to be Ken-enemies,” said the narrator as the footage wrapped up with the man going back to his vehicle and fleeing. “If you would kindly return the posters that would be more than Ken-enough. But we do want an answer to the question, ‘Did you really not see the cameras?’”

All kidding aside, the theatre made it clear it wants its posters returned.

“It seems we’ve got a not-so sneaky art admirer,” Flim.ca said in a tweet on social media. “This poster pilferer must’ve mistaken them for artwork they could take home! We’re flatter, kind of, . . . but hey, remember the movies are meant to be watched here, not on your wall at home!”

Halton police had yet return an email confirming if they had received a call regarding the theft and are investigating.