Stop talking during the movie!
Over the holiday weekend, I was excited to see No Country for Old Men, the universally acclaimed new movie by the Coen brothers. Along with P.T. Anderson’s There Will Be Blood (a Christmas release due in Dayton early next year), No Country is one of the movie experiences I was most highly anticipating this year.
The movie seemed pretty darn good, but I can’t be sure, because I spent most of the time watching other people watching the movie, rather than just watching it myself. Oh, I tried, don’t get me wrong. I did my level-headed best, in fact. But between the guy down in front checking his voicemail, or the frequently exasperated gentleman to my right (sigh!), or the couple a few rows back who felt the need to give stage directions (“There are five trucks!”; “He’s coming!”; and my personal favorite, “That’s a lot of dope!”), I found it difficult to be any closer than three steps removed from the story at hand.
And I’ve had many more experiences like this one, as I’m sure you have. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I went to a multiplex and didn’t have someone yapping or text messaging. (Once I even caught someone recording parts of the movie, but the theater staff showed little interest in doing anything about it. I contacted the movie’s distributor about my experience, and they were not pleased!)
Who are these people? Why do they pay $10 to come to a movie and talk? Or text message? Or check their email? Or whatever else the devil it is they’re doing? It’s not that I don’t understand the occasional urge to whisper a comment to a friend about what’s going on, or the horror that comes when you forget to turn off your cell phone (though I never do), but where is the shame? Shame has worked for centuries to get people to conform, so let’s put those lessons to good use! And since those of us who would rather be quiet and watch the movie are quite literally a silent minority, why can’t we work together to “SHH!” them into oblivion?
More importantly, why don’t chains make it a priority to root out violations? Don’t they realize that this is the biggest threat to their industry? I dream of a movie theater where you pay a little more for the ticket, but you check cell phones at the door, and the auditoriums are monitored at all times by a beefy, well-paid goon. In the meantime, I’m waiting to watch movies at home, in high-def, more and more.
Last week, I drove nearly an hour with a gaggle of friends to see Beowulf in IMAX 3-D. IMAX tickets cost about 25% more than regular tickets, because it’s intended to be a superior experience. But, of course, someone had their new iPhone on the whole time, checking email, text messaging or planning their day. And yet another couple (always a few rows back) just couldn’t resist the scintillating sounds of their own conversation. When I alerted the theater staff, they responded sympathetically, but never followed up — they never even came into the theater!
In addition to my day job, I work part-time as a projectionist at the Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs, and these experiences have motivated me to spend more time in the auditorium, rather than up in the booth, so I can be there to monitor and address any distractions. (Thankfully, Little Art audiences are usually very well behaved.) And the staff of the Neon in Dayton is very friendly and attentive, and can usually be counted on to address any problems brought to their attention.
Honestly, though, I’m more curious about who these people are, and why they behave the way they do. After near weekly experiences like the one I had at No Country for Old Men, I’m inclined to think that they’re honestly oblivious. They don’t even realize that they’re saying anything, or that they’re saying it as loud as they are, or that the back-light from their cell phone is visible to the rest of us.
What are your movie theater horror stories? Are you a talker? A cell phone user and/or text message addict? Confess your sins! And finally, tell us where you’ve had your best movie theater experiences.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Categories: Movies
Comments
By Rude Society
November 29, 2007 9:49 PM | Link to this
These people are indicative of how rude our society is becoming…. brought to you, in part, by some of the bad behavior shown in the same flicks (in the very same theaters) that you like to watch.By di
November 29, 2007 9:11 PM | Link to this
Dear John, I am a middle aged woman and I NEVER talk in movie theatres. I respect the rights of people around me. You’re off base and out of line.By di
November 29, 2007 9:02 PM | Link to this
It’s not just the movie theatres. It’s the ballet or a musical performance (the quiet kind) or a play, etc. There are ALWAYS people around who don’t understand or who don’t care about simple rules of common courtesy. When I pay $50 or more for tickets to a live show, it really irks me that my enjoyment of the performance is spoiled by rude people in the audience. There ALWAYS seems to be those kind of people in every crowd. Where is Ms. Manners when we need her?By Bill Osment
November 29, 2007 5:30 PM | Link to this
When I saw a late morning showing of NCFOM the day after Thanksgiving, the audience was quite small. However, one clueless gent some distance behind me had cell phone turned on and it went off. Upon reflection now, I’ll add my Coen Brothers twist and wish Anton would have looked outside the film screen at the guy with the cell phone and point his stun gun at his forehead.By john
November 29, 2007 1:52 PM | Link to this
I handle talkers the same way every time. If someone in earshot is still talking more than 5 minutes after the movie starts, I get their attention and say in a normal voice “can you please be quiet.” If that doesn’t work I say “shut the f* up so the rest of us can watch the movie.” That has always worked bc it jolts people enough to realize they arent at home. It also helps to avoid theaters/movies that attract middle age women and members of a certain ethnic group there who seem to be the worst loud talkers.By Heather
November 29, 2007 7:54 AM | Link to this
I also hate going to the movies anymore. It costs far too much money to go and then have to listen to a couple guys in the back narrate their lives (in french no less) and ruin the movie. After what it costs to buy the tickets, drinks and snacks, you can just buy the movie on dvd and watch it as many times as you like.By Anthony
November 29, 2007 2:43 AM | Link to this
Rude people in movies is one of the reasons I love having Mondays off from work. I saw No Country For Old Men last Monday with 5 people, nobody said a word. It was quiet and a great movie experience…especially since the movie had no music with the gunfire. I would never go to a multiplex on a weekend. It’s a waste of money and someone will tick you off eventually since they have to talk to their babymamma on their cellphone or provide verbal closed captioning to their wife through the whole movie.By greener
November 28, 2007 10:13 PM | Link to this
they should put on the ticket for sale that any disturbance of any kind that disrupts the person setting next to you WILL cause you to beremoved fromthe theaterand 1/2 your money refunded.By Derwood
November 27, 2007 2:37 AM | Link to this
Zack, Sir Critic and I have discussed this in the past a few times. This, along with the overall cost of going to the theater these days is why I don’t go. Like you, I have a 52” HDTV, 5.1 surround sound, comfy couch and chairs, cheap popcorn and soda, and about 600 DVDs. I don’t go see current movies. I wait for them to be released on DVD. Then, I can watch them to my hearts content as loud or quiet as I wantBy Sir Critic
November 26, 2007 6:16 PM | Link to this
Well, to be sure, the Home Viewing experience isn’t the sole cause, Tony. I agree that much of the behavior depends on the nature of the person. But then again, my observation is that misbehavior in the movies has seemed to increase a significant amount in the past five years or so - which coincides with the rise of fancier home theaters AND cell phone usage. Put the two together, and it’s a deadly combination that brings out the worst in people.By Tony
November 26, 2007 3:58 PM | Link to this
Sir Critic, I am going to have to disagree with you on your stance that home theaters are to blame. Zack and I have a 46” HDTV, both Blu-Ray and HDDVD players and a home movie collection made up of over 700 titles. None of those things have made us talky moviegoers. We never talk during movies and we never check ANY electronic device. I really don’t think there is anything to blame for these people’s annoying behavior except their self-important attitudes. If you are such a busy and important person that you can’t go 2 hours without checking your cell phone for messages, then you shouldn’t go out in public. Stay at home and wait for those important messages from your important friends. Don’t ruin my friends’ and I’s trip to the movies.By Sir Critic
November 26, 2007 1:44 PM | Link to this
I blame home theaters, DVD players and HDTV for the incessant talkers. The home-viewing experience has so improved in the past few years that people are accustomed to seeing movies at home where they can gab as loud as they like or use their cells as much as they want. So when they do go out to the theater, they behave the same way there. It’s a really big living room with a really fancy movie-watching system to them. However, I’ve been lucky enough not to have too many horror stories. One reason is that I avoid evening shows like the plague so there are fewer sinners. Another reason is that I’m fairly good at tuning the sinners out. I usually sit close enough so that the screen takes up my entire frame of vision, so the movie drowns anything else. The indie theaters - Neon and Little Art - have the best-behaved crowds by far.