Banning cell phones in theatres.

You don't ban something because some people abuse it. You go after the abusers.

It absolutely sucks when you have to leave the theater to get an usher (are they even ushers anymore?) because someone's talking too loud or using the phone... or something's wrong.

Once was if you made a complaint about something gone awry, the local theater chain automatically gave you a coupon for a free pop/soda and even on occasion a free movie pass. That local chain was swallowed alive by AMC and I don't frequent them as much, so I don't know if that policy holds true.

The current theater chain I frequent is locally owned - and while the theaters are very nice, their customer service kinda sucks. I've exchanged a few e-mails with them regarding an issue or two (one a disturbance and another trying to get an event)... it's amazing how some big corporations lack customer service skills.
 
Maybe the way is to corral these universally important texters into one theater. For high pop culture movies where or whatever and have a text allowed theater, and then have an absolute zero tolerance through the rest of the place. So if u dont want to be around it you wont, and if you feel so the need to look like u have friends across the world and need to tell FB you just squeeked out a damp one next to your first date than you can do it in a room full of likeminded people. May I say like a theater shortbus? lol JK I dont like to mock mentally challenged people it was a figure of speech. I think I made my point lol.
 
Zombie_61 said:
there are groups around the country (here in the U.S., that is) that are petitioning the major theater chains to allow texting during movie screenings.
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Zombie - not sure if you caught the other news from CinemaCon, seems the 48fps 'issues' kind of hogged the limelight.

Regal Entertainment Chief Executive Amy Miles, one of several panelists debating the ways theaters can lure "today's savvy moviegoer," suggested that exhibitors consider allowing younger patrons to use their cellphones with certain types of movies such as "21 Jump Street."

I saw Cabin In the Woods yesterday at a morning showing, only three other people there - it was great but there's something to be said for the full crowd, shared experience when they behave.
The film before that I saw was The Descendants at a regular evening slot and I lost count of the number of clowns texting openly during the performance, one girl was unabashedly having a full on phone conversation.
I'm close to giving up now, just sets me on edge when all I want is to experience a movie without distraction.
But like Nwerke says, it's becoming more apparent now that this 'always on' generation are the ones who will displace us and define 'acceptable' behaviour, sadly.
 
How good can a movie be if your screwing around with a cellphone. That's just as much a statement about the quality of movies as it is the audience.
 
I haven't had a problem with this since I started exclusively going to the Cinebarre for my movie viewings. The most annoying thing I've experienced lately is a couple half-drunken women who felt the need to take ten pictures of themselves in their seats for the 3D viewing of Avengers prior to the movie starting. I wouldn't have minded so much if the flash didn't seem to be perfectly positioned to blind me every time they snapped a pic. Ultimately, I couldn't look directly toward the screen until the movie started to avoid the experience.

Fortunately, it stayed stowed during the actual movie itself.
 
Emergencies are another thing entirely. Like a medical emergency. Not, ohmygawdmyboyfriendjustsleptwithmybestfriendandimmakillemboth, emergency.

We may be dinosaurs, but to sit idly back and allow bad behavior only encourages it. If people stand up for what is right then there is a chance to correct it. Even if it fails at least we can live with ourselves by knowing we tried and that applies to most areas of life, not just dealing with ******** talking or texting during a movie.
 
Commander Max said:
How good can a movie be if your screwing around with a cellphone. That's just as much a statement about the quality of movies as it is the audience.
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I don't care how **** the movie is. everyone in there has a right to see a **** movie without phone distractions. I think thats a horrible rationale. Not to mention alot of the time it;s the people not interested in the type of movie itself that do this. Just cuz it's crap or someone doesnt have their little mind wrapped up in the film gives absolutely no right to disturb others. Going back to the girlfriend that goes to a movie with her boyfriend and has no interest and cant stand having no attention on her from her date so she needs to FB and text to feel relevant for 90 min or so. It should be instant ejection regardless of whats on screen. Dont like the movie? leave before it's halfway done and the theater will give you a gift voucher for a free film. It's all of their policy to do this.
 
Psab keel said:
Emergencies are another thing entirely. Like a medical emergency. Not, ohmygawdmyboyfriendjustsleptwithmybestfriendandimmakillemboth, emergency.

We may be dinosaurs, but to sit idly back and allow bad behavior only encourages it. If people stand up for what is right then there is a chance to correct it. Even if it fails at least we can live with ourselves by knowing we tried and that applies to most areas of life, not just dealing with ******** talking or texting during a movie.
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I call people out all the time, never sit back and just take it. People doing this are in the wrong. Simple. Looming emergency? you shouldnt be tying yourself up in a theater in the first place. There was a time before there was cellphones, accidents happened and it not like the call reverses the incident. If it's a inbetween situation put your phone on vibrate, low light and keep it low. A quick buzz, quick glance and boot out of the theater. I encourage anyone to speak up dont get in a fight there are other ways, as I've stated before theres probably 30 people or more wishing they had the guts to speak up and stand for whats right.
 
I don't go to the theater too often (about 8 - 12 times a year, depending on the movies coming out... it got down to 3 during the drought of '10), but I've NEVER had an issue with texting/talking during the show. In fact, the only annoying time was during "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" when this woman got up twice during the middle of the movie - she was sitting in the middle and had to go through a bunch of people to get out and get back to her seat - a grand total of 4 interruptions.

Unlike some of my friends, I have no problem with people on their devices during the 'lights on' phase. If you want to text on your iPhone, read your Kindle, or play Mario Kart on your 3Ds while waiting for the show to start, I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

HOWEVER, as soon as the lights dim, the devices go out - and they always have. Never have I encountered someone who insisted on using devices during the movie or even previews.

I don't doubt it's a real phenomenon, but I'm amazed I've never dealt with it during my years of movie-going experiences - not one pager/phone ring, no glowing screen, not so much as a whisper. (I usually sit towards the back, about 3/4 of the way up.)
 
Nwerke said:
I don't say *I agree* with it! Far from it. But it is what it is. WE are the dinosaurs here, and we're going to be outbred and replaced by the numpties who think it is fine. Who think it is SERIOUSLY UNCOOL, in fact, that we object to it.
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blipper said:
But like Nwerke says, it's becoming more apparent now that this 'always on' generation are the ones who will displace us and define 'acceptable' behaviour, sadly.
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As much as I loathe the thought of it, I sincerely believe that cell phone use and texting in movie theaters will eventually become so commonplace that it will be deemed as acceptable behavior. And that'll be the day that I stop going to movie theaters.

blipper said:
Zombie - not sure if you caught the other news from CinemaCon, seems the 48fps 'issues' kind of hogged the limelight.
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That may very well be the article my friend mentioned and I simply got the details wrong, or it could be a related article; obviously, I don't know.

Another aspect of this trend. At the theater I usually frequent, adult ticket prices range from $9.50 to $15.00 for some 3D movies. Add another $5-$15 spent at the concession stand per person. So here's the thing I can not get my mind around: Why would anyone spend so much to sit in a movie theater and not watch the movie?
 
CJS said:
I used to go to a theater in Toronto called the Uptown
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Yeah, but keep in mind when the Uptown closed - pre movies-as-utterly-disposable-crap days. That's a big problem I think - studios have managed to make going to the movies such a fundamentally lacklustre experience through predominantly garbage releases that no one actually cares much about the experience, or could even tell you about the movie they just saw. Also to blame is the prevelence of on-demand media. If you can get anything you want, any time you want, what's to make the theater experience special?

I worked at the Pantage in TO when I was a kid, mostly becuase of what that building represented - a time when going to the movies was an event. Hell, people used to actually dress up and make it an evening. Without something to make going to the movies an event, what's to keep people from acting like they're in their living room, watching a DVD?
 
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I once slapped a cell phone out of a guys hand who literally carried on a 4 minute conversation in the middle of a movie. His voice was even louder than normal conversation outside of the movie theater.

More people these days need an asswhipping plain and simple.
 
Stansfield said:
I once slapped a cell phone out of a guys hand who literally carried on a 4 minute conversation in the middle of a movie. His voice was even louder than normal conversation outside of the movie theater.

More people these days need an asswhipping plain and simple.
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Sadly enough that seems to be the only way to deal with it half the time. Ignorant selfish people cant be approached rationally, it's a language they dont understand. Respect, class and thinking about others. Society is breeding self absorbed d-bags in mass quantity. It takes a village to raise a child, what if that village is full of idiots lol.
 
Luckily no one has actually had a phone conversation in the theaters I'm at, but I hate those damned LED screens, they light up the entire theater and draw your eyes right to them. I usually peg them with popcorn, and if it's bad enough go to the usher to get them kicked out.

If you need a phone in a theater use vibrate and walk out of the theater before answering...
 
The best deterrent for cell phone use / texting during a movie is to come dressed in costume.

Case in point:

We went to the midnight showing of Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides with a group of about 15 all decked out in pirate regalia! I of course was dressed to the nines as Captain Jack Sparrow.

We all sat down in our row and we were surrounded by pirates with the exception of a group of three (two girls and one boy in their late teens I imagine). They were joking and laughing and having a good time. We said excuse me and HI as we went to our seats. I was sitting next to the Justin Bieberish looking dude.

The lights dimmed and the preshow started. What was the first thing Bieber did? He pulled out his iPhone, turned it on, and started texting. I turned to him and said, "Really? You are going to start texting right now? I really hope you don't intend to continue!" His response to me was, "Don't worry about it!" I waited three minutes or so and again stated to him with a much firmer voice, "You really need to put that away because the movie is starting I would hate for you to miss the film!" Again same response, "Is this your phone? Don't worry about it!" A minute or so passes by and the previews are over and the movie is about to start. I pull out my Master Replica Captain Jack Sparrow sword from the baldric / scabbard, lean over to him and whisper, "If you don't put your phone away I promise you I will drive this blade straight through your iPhone so that you will never be able to use it again" whilst showing him the sharp tip!

The phone immediately was turned off, put in his pockets, gave me a dirty look and all was well!!! No problems understanding one another after that!
 
Imagine if Hawkeye pulled a special anti-cell phone arrow from his quiver or if Iron Man fired up his repulsor in his hand while you were watching Avengers.....!!!
 
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