Perhaps it's the local theaters. Perhaps its the mentality of many of those who frequent movie theaters. Most likely, it's just me. It just seems to me that a movie theater is just not the place to enjoy a movie anymore.
In my county, we have two theater options - the local, family-run theater, and the humungo-multi-onmiplex theater at the local mall. The two settings differ drastically, but my moviegoing experience at each venue has been a little less than dismal of late. (I think you can see where this is going.)
Recently, I visited the humungo-multi-onmiplex to see "Constantine", an R-rated movie about a man who battles the Hordes of Hell while facing his own impending death from lung cancer. The theater advertised the movie as starting at 3:45pm, so wifey and I showed up a few minutes early to make sure we had a good seat. Well, 3:45pm came and went, with wifey and I thinking that perhaps there was a problem in the projection booth, and that once the problem was resolved, the movie would get underway forthwith. At approximately 3:55pm, the lights dimmed, and film started rolling. Did the movie start forthwith? No. We were subjected to about 10 minutes of TV ads (TV!!!) before another 10 minutes of "coming attractions", and then the movie. While trying to focus on the movie, we were subjected to a teenager in the next row text messaging a friend on his cell phone and children in the row behind us talking and kicking our seats. The experience left askig ourselves, "what was the movie about? I can't remember..."
Then there was the visit to the local, family-run, theater to see "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." While the movie started on-time, and we weren't subjected to TV ads at the outset of our experience, we were again subjected to children and adults who obviously intended to do something other than sit quietly and enjoy the movie. A woman playing a handheld video game, restless children who's parents apparently threated the theater as a babysitting service, etc. You get the idea.
Am I upset? Hell, yes! Do I want to be able to enjoy a movie at a movie theater without having to deal with these sort of distractions? Hell, yes! Attending a movie used to be a special event for a family, and garnered a measure of prestige among the jet-set and those in "the know", which leads me to think that those in "the know" actually knew how to conduct themselves in a theater.
And what's with unruly children in the theaters? I'd like to think that parents would consider the content of a movie before:
A) taking said children to the movie
B) letting their children talk, scream, and run up and down the aisles while the rest of us are trying to watch the movie, or
C) dropping the kids off at the movie theater, thinking they will behave themselves unattended.
If it's not a Disney movie, chances are children are not properly acclimated to a respectful moviegoing experience.
To the credit of the humungo-multi-omniplex, they run messages before their TV ads inviting families with small children (read: NOISY children) to visit the theater on a specific day, so the rest of us can actually try to watch a movie.
Parents of small children: please, PLEASE, look into what a movie is about before you take them to the theater as a family, or worse yet, drop them off at the theater, thinking they'll behave. Take it from this theatergoer, they DON'T behave, and I am not paying $20+ for my wife and I to hear/see your kids be undisciplined. "Family" movies are great for the younger audience, but movies like "Constantine" are not (trust me, I know now). If you can't get a babyitter and want to watch such a movie, please wait until you can get a babysitter, or wait until you can rent the movie on DVD or whatever. You'll be doing the rest of the moviegoing public a great favor.
With that said, I'm waiting for the DVD release of "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith". Waiting six months for the DVD release will be less painful than trying to watch the sith get their revenge with people kicking my seat from behind, adults and children playing video games next to me, and kids running around with parents innefectually saying "settle down".
1 comment:
As far as irritating people in the theater, your best bet is to go at odd movie times. I never go to a movie on Friday or Saturday night, if I can help it. My favorite time to go is Sunday night. Also, I know this won't necessarily work for you, Glen, but if you go to the later shows, the kids aren't usually there. Lastly, I have absolutely no problem with going and complaining to the manager. I paid my $3,000 to see the movie, not to watch harried moms scream at unwashed kids. If they won't help, they'll usually at least refund my ticket price, and I can go somewhere else.
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