Reserving the right to say "I told you so" on a spectacularly bad idea > Movie Mate

[Mike Blakesley]

We live in an age where companies like Netflix produce low-attention garbage on purpose, so people can keep scrolling through TikTok while simultaneously "absorbing" some of the dreck that's transpiring on their TV.

So that's what it is! I never thought of it that way but I'll bet you're right. I never scroll while watching TV, and I have watched a handful of Netflix series and wondered if I was missing something, because I thought they were nothing special, unlike seemingly everyone else.

[Carsten Kurz]

How does the antipathy towards cell phones square with the idea of Bring Your Own Device for HI/VI/CC? Will patrons' cellphones used for closed captions light up the theater?

For HI/VI-N, you can leave your cell phone in your pocket or concealed in your hand, the screen will go dark. For ClosedCaptions without AR glasses, it might be an issue.

[Josh Jones]

Maybe we shouldn't silently stand by while our societies turn into generation Zombie? So, maybe, we shouldn't support the proliferation of the rot of our society?

A bit late for that

[Ryan Gallagher]

I think there is a fundamental difference between being flexible to generational changes and experimenting with phone friendly screenings, versus this nonsense, force feeding people a reason to play with their phones that might have otherwise simply sat and enjoyed the movie.

Try-hard approaches like this almost never appeal to the younger groups who like to find their own path and literally meme on anyone who tries to set trends for them.

[Frank Angel]

Time to dig out the old idea that NATO and maybe even the NRA (National Restaurant Association) strongly lobby Congress and petition the FCC to allow theatres and restaurants to legally jam cellphone use in the theatre (or restaurant proper). The cellphone industry's argument that has been promulgated by their lobby-- that terrible things will happen if a person should not be able to instantly use their phone (gasp!) wherever they are or whatever they are doing at the moment. What will happen in emergencies, say, with doctors?: That is easily answered: same thing they did between 1930 and 2018, i.e., give their name and seat location to the House Manager. Besides, if you are a doctor who has a patient on the cusp of life or death, maybe you shouldn't be watching a movie or dining out at that critical time. And the jam would only be used in the auditorium proper. Anyone needing to make an emergency call, can just walk out of the auditorium and make the call in the lobby. There is no reason why we HAVE to have cell phone service on every square inch of the planet. There are PLENTY of areas, even in populated places, where cell service providers don't cover because it is not profitable enough for them to do so. The FCC doesn't demand that they cover those areas, so why is it not reasonable to allow businesses who are negatively impacted by cellphone service to be allowed to keep the cellphone company's damn microwaves out of their theatres?!

Signs at the theatre's box office would advise patrons that cellphone service is available only in the lobby and not in the theatre proper, so they are made aware before they purchase. Eventually it would become common knowledge .

[Frank Cox]

Doesn't solve the problem of the guy playing Flappy Bird though.

[Frank Angel]

Yah, but a smack upside the head will. Or...like in the old days, actually have an usher or two to periodically check the rooms to be proactive in nipping that kind of disturbance, as well as a number of others (talking, rowdy jackassing, etc.), in the bud. I always thought it shouldn't be left to patrons to have to confront unruly patrons just so they can watch a movie in peace. That used to be part and parcel of the job of the theatre management and implemented by a team of ushers (and "matrons" for Saturday Kiddie shows -- you remember kiddie shows). I've sat thru many movies in a number of cinemas since covid and never once -- not ever, did I see an usher come into the room to do a random check. Yet, twice I have seen incidents that shouldn't have happened: patrons actually TALKING on cellphones during the feature, another time a group of 5 people having an animated conversation During the feature, and in one situation, an argument broke-out that almost came to blows because two Gen Zs were loudly laughing which annoyed someone else. What ever happened to the concept of ushers dealing with those kinds of conditions?

[Ryan Gallagher]

I witnessed the new classic of a late arriver using their phone flashlight to navigate to an empty seat... but with no flashlight decorum at all... front rows of balcony, pointing it up and into people's faces looking for an empty area he liked (there were tons, he just didn't seem to know where he wanted to go).

We have the benefit that both levels have doors in the back. Personally I think the VOMs should be roped off after the film begins, force people to climb the hidden stairwell to the very back for late seating (at least those with no mobility issues). At least approaching empty seats from above is not as distracting.

Proudly it evoked a loud "Com on man!" from a fellow audience member. A bit of self policing. No cinema sized faraday cage would solve this one either. Though maybe those "check your device at the door" type services would. But that approach is not gonna fly either, people are too attached. Some comics used to use those services, but most of stopped because they realized people stopped buying tickets when they found out a booking was going to involve phone jails.

[Martin McCaffery]

What ever happened to the concept of ushers dealing with those kinds of conditions?

Theatre insurance probably doesn't cover the usher getting his nose broken by an asshole patron.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Theatre insurance probably doesn't cover the usher getting his nose broken by an asshole patron.

There is also an element to public embarrassment no longer being an effective deterrent. We are not in an era anymore with closer nit communities where any amount of embarrassment was a personal reputation hit that people strived to avoid. For better or worse, embarrassment only works now if something goes viral and you get embarrassed on a national or global stage.

People will all to happily yell at each other and make a scene with zero felt consequences, perhaps not even a lesson learned for next time.