Ever Wished You Could Push A Button To Remove A Disruptive Movie Watcher?
from the now-you-can dept
We've had numerous stories in the past about how the real threat to movie theaters isn't that people might download movies online, but that the theater-going experience sucks. It's just not that enjoyable, and one of the biggest culprits are people who leave their mobile phones on and take calls in the theater. You would think that people would know better by now, but they don't. That's caused movie theaters to look into setting up mobile phone jammers in theaters, a move that many moviegoers approve of. Of course, the problem with that plan is that it's illegal, and probably a bit of overkill. Numerous people have pointed out that if theaters just did a better job kicking out the troublemakers, things wouldn't be so bad. However, unlike many years ago, most theaters don't have ushers stationed nearby any more. However, Regal Entertainment Group, owners of the largest US movie chain is calling technology to the rescue. They'll be giving out little devices to "mature" audience members, along with a free bucket of popcorn. If there's a problem in the theater, whoever has the device can click a button and immediately alert theater employees to come and help deal with the situation. The pager device apparently has 4 separate buttons. The first is for disruptions in the audience, including mobile phone-related issues. The others are for a faulty projector, temperature problems or the generic "other" button. It's a fascinating experiment, and one that makes a lot of sense. If it's become too expensive to employ full-time people to usher each theater, why not let members of the audience be the eyes and ears for you in exchange for a free bucket of popcorn? Right now, the company is testing these devices in 25 theaters, but hopes to expand it nationwide soon. Update: Carlo points out in the comments that the version he saw in a television broadcast had that last button labeled "piracy" rather than "other." Wonder if they've changed it, or just decided not to let this reporter know about it.
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help the MPAA
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Better than nothing at all
This of course, is better than nothing. However, two potential concerns exist. What makes anyone think that the ushers would get anymore respect than any audience member? It may actually get to the point or calling in the police during a heated confrontation. Maybe, instead of Ushers, 'Bouncers' would be more appropriate.
Secondly, the ushers are just as capable of sensing room temperature extremes as any audience member. The perception of heat or cold also depends on individual body weight, amount of attire and seating area-location in the theatre.
Does 'MATURE' mean middle aged or elderly?
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The Whole Reason...
Certainly, if this was instituted, I don't feel a lot of people would be removed from theaters, I think people would actually learn out of fear of being lead out of the theater in front of everyone who knows what they did wrong. It's a shame that we have to babysit the public to make sure people are 'doing right', but I guess that's what our society comes to when everyone wants a chance to say something.
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my idea
Seriously though.....
Sometimes though on a rare occasion a rowdy crowd is fun. I saw Borat at a late showing and it was full of teenagers whose reponses made the experience kind of fun. The really funny thing was the satire went totally over their heads and they laughed only at the raunchy or gutter humor elements.
I avoid this problem (though not totally) by attending the earliest matinees possible. There are less people, there's less problems. Typically the only people at matinees these days are older people. And sometimes I wait a week to thin out those opening crowds. Unfortunately this leaves out the prime time for viewing which does kind of suck, if you want to do the dinner and a movie thing, or just attend a late show.
I think a private movie theatre company would work. Charge for a yearly membership. Get an ID card. Make the ID card mandatory for entry. With enough marketing dollars thrown at it I think it would work. I'd glady pay an annual fee (with perks thrown in... like discount tickets, etc) to access to a threatre where my movie going experience is guaranteed a pleasant one with others who feel like I do. Or... hold private viewings away from the non-membership public. Again I'd pay for that exclusivity.
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moive thugs
I mean really. You think pushing a button to have snot nose teeener come to your rescue is really going to work ? Pathetic ! you deserve to suffer.
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Re: moive thugs
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Re: moive thugs
He stands up and starts swinging, so I beat him senseless.
Then as the cops arrest me for assault....
After that the asshole sues me....
Riiight....
The last time I asked someone to stop kicking my seat
I got the "Go f- yourself" and he thew a handful of popcorn at me. This resulted in me drilling my fist into his face repeatedly. His skank GF then had the manager kick ME out!
I think the bouncer idea is the way to go.
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Re: moive thugs
He stands up and starts swinging, so I beat him senseless.
Then as the cops arrest me for assault....
After that the asshole sues me....
Riiight....
The last time I asked someone to stop kicking my seat
I got the "Go f- yourself" and he thew a handful of popcorn at me. This resulted in me drilling my fist into his face repeatedly. His skank GF then had the manager kick ME out!
I think the bouncer idea is the way to go.
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Re: Re: moive thugs
Who can beat half a movie for free? What do you say?
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Re: moive thugs
At most sites, we do not allow the employees to handle any type of "extra special" guest service situations.
Also, in any type of fight situation where an audience member attempts to "teach someone else a lesson", both parties are asked to leave. It is not our job as managers to decide who was right and who was wrong. It is our job to remove the problem(s) from the theatre. If you contribute to the disturbance, that means you.
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Or the people behind me kicking me.
Or the people who have to comment at every scene, or talk about something else, or laugh at every stuipid thing. I recently asked some people in front of me to "please stop talking" and THEY were actually offended! They got up and moved and talked loudly about how rude I was!!!
I love going to movies. I hate everyone else at the movie theater. The best, is when the place is empty.
Every time I take my wife to a movie, dropping about $30, it's an encouragement to get a home theater. We could just stop watching movies for about 3 months and then buy the movie when it comes out on DVD and watch it in comfort, peace and quiet, and without paying $10 for some sugar water and a handful of corn.
Death to Movie Theaters! Long Live Home Theaters!
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Blocking
http://www.ambitcorp.com/html/antenna_distribution.html
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Re: Blocking
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Re: Re: Blocking
cool?
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It's true that a lot of times cinemas do not have ushers nearby but this is due to two things. 1) Cinemas have grown from being two screens to mega multiplexes. & 2) Cinemas just don't have enough staffing to place ushers nearby.
These two problems are slightly interconnected, e.g. solve one, and the other ceases to be a problem. However they are mostly independant.
Now before you rant at me that "Oh they should just hire more ushers" at the cinema my mother works for not only do the box sales go to pay for the film being in theaters (Which is supposed to be the ONLY thing that does) but part of their concession goes to it to.
Cinema companies across the country (sorry I don't have a reference, this is just me talking to my mother's bosses.) are finding that it's becoming increasingly expensive to have the right to publicly show these films. It's not just inflation, this is the MPAA telling them, "You will pay us THIS much $$$/ticket to show this film"
The prices at this cinema are as it stands, Matinee $5.00, Elderly $4.00, and normal prices are $7.00/adult $5.00/child. (speaking of increasing costs, these prices all were $0.25 cheaper last week.)
For concesssion, (yep, just checked these prices are newly raised too) a small drink is $2.00 medium $2.50 and large $3.00. Popcorn small $2.50 medium $3.00 large $3.50.
as you can see as far as cinemas go this is by far not the most expensive concession stand. (not sure about ticket prices though, i haven't been to another cinema in ages) now factor in that at any given weeknight they have 2 managers on duty, 4 "kids" in concession 1 "kid" in box office, and 1 usher. All of the kids are making $7.00/hr (give or take $.25) and the manager is making close to $12.00/hr (again +/- $.25) and the average shift runs for about 6 hours.
Although all that's off topic, I just wanted to explain why cinemas charge what they do. It's not really in their choice, they have bills to pay, to the biggest greed hound of them all. MPAA.
back on topic ,the cinema is actually run pretty decently though, and if a viewer is causing a problem you only need leave your seat for about 30 seconds to find somebody to help you. Granted you'll lose a little chunk of the film you're watching, BUT you'd lose that same chunk going out and getting your soda refilled. My theory has always been, If there is a problem in the theater, address it with the trouble maker, if that doesn't work, wait till i go get my soda refilled and have the manager come in and kick them out.
That's my $0.02
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Take that phone and jam it
Mike wrote: That's caused movie theaters to look into setting up mobile phone jammers in theaters [...] the problem with that plan is that it's illegal
Sort of. It is illegal to intentionally create electronic or radio interference in another device (insert standard boilerplate exceptions here). On the other hand, I know of no restrictions on passive jamming. Say, for instance, your building just happens to make for an effective Farraday cage, and everybody's happy. The nits don't have to turn off their phones, but it really doesn't matter because they can't get a signal to ring anyway.
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No more movie theaters for Bob
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Re: No more movie theaters for Bob
The last time I went to my friendly neighborhood Octagoogleplex, not only did I watch the movie I paid for but during the quieter scenes I could hear the action sequences of the movies next door ...
All the hyped, mass market, multi-million dollar flicks I'll wait to see on video or better yet TV - if at all. If I want a theater experience you'll find me at my local Indy Theater ... with better movies, better food, more interesting culture and a crowd that can appreciate it.
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it was an amazing experience. unfortunately, it didn't help make the movie king kong any shorter.
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Re: London
That is what is missing, I think; that sense of order the Brits seem to have down. I would be willing to shell out a few bucks not to have to share the experience with riff-raf.
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Because the last time I was in a movie theater the 2 phones that rang belonged to a doctor and a lawyer?
If that is the type of "riff-raf" you are referring too than I'm ok with that. Just wanted some clarification.
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Re: rif-raf
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cool
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Cell in movies
Then the movie doesn't start until the phones are off.
If people would just learn to more considerate. LOL Right! or put their cell phone on silent and leave the theater if they have to take the call. Again RIGHT!
People are just inconsiderate.
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Re: Cell in movies
This way they can receive potential emergency calls and then leave the theater to talk or call back ...
But again, that's putting a lot of faith in the general public.
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Re: Cell in movies
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Hmmm...
About once a month (except during tax season -- my wife is a CPA), my wife and I get a movie on DVD or VHS (sometimes we rent, sometimes we check one out from the public library, and sometimes we borrow one out of my stepson's extensive collection -- rarely, we buy one) and watch it in the comfort of my own home at a time of my choosing. If we need to go to the bathroom, or run to the kitchen for a snack refill, we simply pause the movie. If it's too loud, we turn the volume down. If it's not loud enough, we turn the volume up. If I want to watch something my wife isn't interested in, I put on my wireless headphones, and I can watch while she reads, and I rub her feet.
Somebody please tell me -- what advantage is there to going to a public movie theater on somebody else's arbitrary and inconvenient schedule, to get my ears pounded, my feet stuck to the floor, pay ridiculous prices for 'refreshments' (with essentially no nutrient value), and factor myself in with a bunch of epsilon-minuses who don't know how to behave in public?
--
Violins and Accessories
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Focus & Thumps
But my biggest peeve is that the movie is always out of focus. A projectionist used to tweak the focus at the beginning of each showing. Now there is one projectionist for each theater and they run back and forth between screens, and only when complaints are heard.
I agree about the noise from next door. I saw Borat the other day and much conversation was drowned out by the big budget flick next door.
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Sign me up for this!!
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Fighting?
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I love confrontations!
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Re: movie thugs
I like the idea of a membership that allows you to hold one of these devices. It would be a give and take type of membership. Discount on movies or refreshments for an honest patron to report any troubles. You would have an ongoing record of how reliable your reporting is. If you make a whiny call about the temperature being 1/2 degree too cold every time you attend, then you lose your privilege.
One last thing - public movie theatres are not leaving us anytime soon. It does not matter what any of you hermits think - the public experience is here to stay. Generally speaking, I agree that there seems to always be an a-hole in every movie with a phone or kid or something. The big screen - the roaring sound - the escape from everyday life back at home - its worth the price of admission to a movie once a week or so.
I have a nice home theatre too. I may just be a movie-buff and the hermits above who claim they have not been to a movie "in ages" have no interest. I can understand and respect that. Just know that this form of entertainment is not going away anytime soon.
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Download
once you start uploading movies from iTunes you won't stop....and it is a great deal compared to the cost of going to a theater. The last time I took my 4 year old to a movie, tickets and a bucket of popcorn cost me over 20 bucks....faaaaaaa-get-it....
Jim
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Enough said.
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Re:
Like I said - you may prefer to stay home. I also have spent money on technology that will be useless in 3-5 years as I have a comparable home theatre. I just prefer to watch the movies I most anticipate on the REAL big screen (which would swallow your 61 inch and my 51 inch televisions up together). I respect your preference - just realize there are more people out there than you realize who will not stop going to the theatre - no matter how nice home theatres can get or how attainable movies get.
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Bad behavior in movies isn't anything new
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Movies
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dissatisfied patron
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