No sane soul would defend the current movie going experience.
IFC.com’s film blog recently posted a Movie Theater Etiquette Manifesto, an online document detailing activities one should never do in the theater. It’s hardly earth-shattering material, but I can’t disagree with anything on the list, including:
- Shut our mouths
- Turn off our cell phones when the movie starts
- Never bring a baby to an R-rated movie
- Never bring loud, stinky food to the theater
I still won’t sign the accompanying pledge.
Even the petition’s author admits the manifesto won’t change anything. The stooges who talk during movies, chat on their cell phones and otherwise make themselves a menace won’t bother to read this petition, let alone change their ways because of it. Their parents failed to teach them the proper social rules, and it’s likely too late to fix the problem.
It’s the equivalent of those “co-exist” bumper stickers. The folks who will never harm a living soul slap them on their cars to make themselves feel better, while the people who would willingly kill in the name of their religion go about their business.
We should better pool our energies into complaining to movie theater chains about the issue. A handful of complaints won’t do anything, either. But if enough people raise their voices up then we might see some effort to boot talkers out of the theater.
Perhaps the best solution is the most radical. If movie goers decided to boycott a particular movie day – say the first Friday of the month, that could send a real message. But that will never happen even though we have the technology – social media – to make it possible.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
An off the wall suggestion: why not get rid of the “Paramount Decrees”, the SCOTUS decisions on the Sherman anti-trust act which prevents movie companies from owning movie theaters? Big movie companies could block book an entire year’s worth of movies into their theaters, improve the bottom line for both the companies and the theaters and then have the resources and reason to improve the movie going experience.
Bad manners of theater customers has a lot to do with lack of patrol by ushers. Improve the end to end profit margin of movies and it would give them the resourses to keep a tight rein. A bad movie going experience in their theaters would directly impact their movie’s profit margin.
You hit the nail on the head, here. Like some snot-nosed teenager who wants to yak and text during a movie is going to sign this thing. Sounds about as effective as the Kellogg-Briand pact that a bunch of nations signed back in 1928 to outlaw war. How’d that work out?
The aggressive enforcement of policies like no talking, no cell phone usage is the only way to stop it. Hoping for people to be nice is ridiculous and ignores human nature.
Its kinda like those stupid loyalty oaths back in the 50’s and 60’s. If I were a communist attempting to spy in the United States, do you think for one minute I would hesitate to sign a loyalty oath?
All this does is keep honest people honest, but does NOTHING to solve the bigger issue.
I think an effective tactic to use would be to give a phone number for people to use to text a short message, simply the theater number and offense, talking, babies, food, etc. It would also enable the you to finish watching the movie instead of trying to track down an usher or manager for help.
Actions are more effective than pledges – and a lot of people who agree with this pledge are probably not going to the movies as often. Is this enough to get movie theater owners to rein in obnoxious theater-goers?
Looking at the examples you give
Shut our mouths – I wouldn’t be able to do it during some movies, but I never talk loudly, just whisper once in a while during the movie which I don’t think will bother anyone else.
Turn off our cell phones when the movie starts – People won’t be able to do this. I always set it to silent and really don’t use it during a film.
Never bring a baby to an R-rated movie – I would never bring a baby to a movie as I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the movie as the baby needs attention as well.
Never bring loud, stinky food to the theater – It should be “stick to the food that the theater seels” even though I must admit that they sometimes sell stuff that makes noise.
As for the possibility of sending a text message when something happens, it’s something which has been implemented by the chain I always go to in the Netherlands. You text the theater, which screen and kind of disturbance.
We have identified the problem.
Nostra is the problem. (just kidding)
For everyone under the age of 30:
Do the opposite, in a theater, of what you think is acceptable when you’re hanging out with your friends.
That should fix it.
Ok, I’m guilty. From now on I will post a twitter update when I’m about to enter a cinema allowing everyone to go to a different movie so I won’t disturb them