Movie Theaters

[Monterey Jack]

Originally Posted by MazeRunner

What theatres need is a number to text to snitch on other moviegoers.. "trailer park mom and her kids are talking too loud left lower side of seats in theatre 10"

So, we'll enforce people's ability to snitch on loud talkers...by encouraging them to use their cell phones...?

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by mwynn

How do you? Are they going to stop the movie to remove someone?

It's simply a matter of an employee telling the customer to put the phone away or they'll be asked to leave.

And if the customer doesn't respect that, then you ask them to leave.

Of course, most movie chains (with the exception of Alamo Drafthouse) will never enforce such policies even when they have them.

[Lee A Stewart]

Rules with no enforcement are not rules. They are suggestions

[Jay H.]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

It's simply a matter of an employee telling the customer to put the phone away or they'll be asked to leave.

And if the customer doesn't respect that, then you ask them to leave.

Of course, most movie chains (with the exception of Alamo Drafthouse) will never enforce such policies even when they have them.

Years ago, I took my daughter to see Brother Bear. During the movie, the lady next to me took a call on her cellphone. I asked her to please go to the lobby; she, her daughter, and her daughter's boyfriend started yelling at me. A lot. The woman left the theater, got an usher to come back with her, and my daughter and I were the ones who were kicked out. The lady said I was rude to her and used foul language (neither is true) and so we had to go.

If people want to use their phone in the theater, they're going to, and there isn't a thing we can do about it.

Well, there is one thing we can do...

[BluBonnet]

I'm sorry that happened to you Jay - if that happened to me I would just boycott that chain for good.

[Jay H.]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

I'm sorry that happened to you Jay - if that happened to me I would just boycott that chain for good.

I sent an email to their corporate office; I got an apology and a ton of free passes. (The chain's name rhymes with Sinamark.) Problem is, the passes didn't last forever and moviegoers are still rude. Before cellphones, it was idiots with laser-pointers. Before that, it was people checking the time on their Indiglo watches. Late-arrivers, talkers, literal mouth-breathers...

Maybe there's something in the water around here that causes so many people to act like d*cks when they're at the movies. I've been to many other cities and states, but I've never been to the movies elsewhere.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

Most theaters I know already do, but it's rarely enforced.

Originally Posted by mwynn

How do you? Are they going to stop the movie to remove someone?

I guess the goal should be for people to just be courteous and stay off their stupid phones during the movie. I know, asking a LOT for all the critically important people that just gotta be reached 24/7/365.

I like the idea of theaters being able to block cell service. Why not? Then, the most they can do is play a game or view photos. But it at least blocks texting & calls for sure.

[MazeRunner]

Originally Posted by s2mikey

I like the idea of theaters being able to block cell service. Why not? Then, the most they can do is play a game or view photos. But it at least blocks texting & calls for sure.

Sweetie, this is America. A gun-happy and lawsuit-happy Country. If a crazed 'Murrica-lovin' moviegoer decides to put everyone in danger and there's no cell phones to use? Everyone will sue and probably cause the chain to go bankrupt.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by s2mikey

I like the idea of theaters being able to block cell service. Why not? Then, the most they can do is play a game or view photos. But it at least blocks texting & calls for sure.

No biggie! All you need is an act of Congress

[MazeRunner]

Who do I have to sleep with to get Hannah Montana: The Movie and Country Strong back in theatres and on one of my theatre's two Dolby Atmos screens.

[Rodney-2187]

Reserving seats in advance online was one of the greatest things ever, along with the quality of the seats themselves improving. That helped a lot.

I know some don't like all the cheering from opening night crowds, but I've never had a problem on those nights. The only other time I'd regularly go to the theater is slow weekday mornings when less people are there. In my experience, the problems come from going some random evening when there will be a lot of people there, and movies aren't that big of a deal to them. They're just going for something to do.

I've also found better results when going to more expensive showings like Dolby, Imax, and 3D. People who pay extra likely care about the movie, but of course there's exceptions to everything.


This always makes me laugh:

Angry Voicemail We Got From an Alamo Drafthouse Customer - YouTube

[Rodney-2187]

Originally Posted by MazeRunner

Who do I have to sleep with to get Hannah Montana: The Movie and Country Strong back in theatres and on one of my theatre's two Dolby Atmos screens.

Bob Chapek?

[Jay H.]

Originally Posted by MazeRunner

Sweetie, this is America. A gun-happy and lawsuit-happy Country. If a crazed 'Murrica-lovin' moviegoer decides to put everyone in danger and there's no cell phones to use? Everyone will sue and probably cause the chain to go bankrupt.

Unless your phone has an impenetrable shield feature, it's not going to help you. I guess you can call someone to make sure they can hear the chaos...

[MazeRunner]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

So, we'll enforce people's ability to snitch on loud talkers...by encouraging them to use their cell phones...?

Ummm put your phone brightness on 0-10% and it only takes 10 seconds to send a text???

Beats getting up, trying not to trip over people's feet as you make your way to the aisle, then walking down the stairs and missing a few minutes of the movie while you go find someone to talk to about a rude moviegoer. Hell, my theatre has some long ass hallways too.

[MazeRunner]

Originally Posted by Jay H.

Unless your phone has an impenetrable shield feature, it's not going to help you. I guess you can call someone to make sure they can hear the chaos...

oh yeah let's not let anyone call the police so the psycho can hit up every screen because there was no warning

[Jay H.]

Originally Posted by MazeRunner

oh yeah let's not let anyone call the police so the psycho can hit up every screen because there was no warning

Oh, don't worry. I'm sure the teenager working at the snack bar will hear the screams and make the call.

[JediJones77]

I got an e-mail survey from Regal that asked a few questions about whether I would be okay having closed captions added to some or all movies. I said hell no in as strong an answer as I could. I can't believe they would consider this, and that this is what they're spending time on instead of trying to improve the theatrical experience for all people. How about a survey asking if I'd be okay with banning cell phones from the theater? Of course I'm sure it's government regulations pushing them to consider this. Next they'll want every movie to have a box in the corner of the screen with someone doing sign language.

[rsp_clark]

I used to love movie theaters and I would watch 3-4 movies every week. I would watch all kinds of movies from all the corners of the world and I LOVED it.
However, the theatrical experience has gone downhill in the past five years. First of all, here in Brazil, we don't get 2D showings of big blockbusters, only 3D showings, which I hate. Then, they started installing lounge seats and charging DOUBLE for them, as if tickets weren't expensive enough.
I would be okay paying for tickets if the sound was always good, but sometimes they don't even turn on the surround speakers, and there are virtually no Dolby Atmos theaters where I live. Then, the image is also very underwhelming, and it got even worse with digital projection. My TV is "only" 65 inches, but the image is way better in my home! Also, at home, there is no one shining their cell phone screens in my face.
Still, I kept going to theaters every week because of the exclusivity. But now, with so many options on Netflix and Amazon Prime and with movies being released digitally less than a month after the theatrical release? I'd rather wait and see them in my home theater, wearing my PJs. And that's what everyone I know has been doing. Actually, people have been avoiding theaters ever since 3D became a "thing", but now it just came to a point where people don't go to theaters not even to see a big Marvel movie.
I really think that here in Brazil theaters are dead. And it's a pity.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by JediJones77

I got an e-mail survey from Regal that asked a few questions about whether I would be okay having closed captions added to some or all movies. I said hell no in as strong an answer as I could. I can't believe they would consider this, and that this is what they're spending time on instead of trying to improve the theatrical experience for all people. How about a survey asking if I'd be okay with banning cell phones from the theater? Of course I'm sure it's government regulations pushing them to consider this. Next they'll want every movie to have a box in the corner of the screen with someone doing sign language.

Your callous disregard for disabled people is appalling.

[JediJones77]

If you're not aware, there is already this:

Movie theaters are required under the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide accommodations for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, which most often come in the form of closed captioning devices like captioning glasses and displays placed on armrests.

This idea by Regal is probably meant to fulfill some government requirement that they had to investigate this option, or a way for them to try and cut costs by ditching buying those devices and messing up movies for everybody else.