During CinemaCon last week, there was a panel and a somewhat heated debate about letting moviegoers send text messages during films. This is a much talked about issue amongst theater owners and studio execs but it is an issue that the industry will have to deal with now and in years to come. After I read an article from Deadline, who summarized the panel, I couldn’t help but think about the topic all day.
Personally, I hate cellphones in theaters. Period. Sometimes I wish they had to be put in lockers outside the theater and collected when the screening ends just to help people avoid the temptation to check a message. But I’m not here to discuss my personal thoughts on the matter and go on an angry rant, I’d rather present the facts and arguments for both side and hopefully you can be swayed to understand everyone’s opinion and how the theatrical experience is evolving.
One of the things that I’ve truly learned to appreciate when going to a press screening is that nobody uses a cell phone during the film. Either they get yelled at by other critics or security on the lookout for bootleggers gives them a stern warning to turn their phone off. But every so often there are films I can’t screen beforehand and end up making my way to a local theater. There is one theater in particular I hate going to but sometimes I have no choice when the timing and location is right. But when I attend a film on a Friday night at that theater I brace myself for hell, AKA teenagers. They’re like oversized babies with full control over their bodies and mind. They talk during movies, chat, and are always on their phone. It’s the biggest distraction ever and one day I’m going to snap and attack someone…or just throw their phone across the room. Will I be at fault for destroying said phone or will that individual be wrong for breaking the cellphone rules? It doesn’t seem like a clear cut case, but I digress.
You can’t completely blame people for texting and using their phones during a film (unless they are making a call in which case they deserved to be slapped repeatedly until they hang up), you have to blame the digital age and society as a whole. First off, the reason people will text in a film is because they have unlimited texts. People are more conscious when there is a limit on things and are being charged per use. Also, when marketing campaigns, especially around films, require you to use a smartphone to participate and other apps are developed that cause you to be constantly engaged by your phone, it becomes rather difficult to leave it alone, and the entertainment industry is a big culprit in this respect.
So how can we remedy this issue?
Regal Entertainment CEO Amy Miles says that her chain currently discourages cell phone use “but if we had a movie that appealed to a younger demographic, we could test some…concepts.” For example, she says the chain talked about being more flexible about cell phone use at some screens that showed 21 Jump Street. “You’re trying to figure out if there’s something you can offer in the theater that I would not find appealing but my 18-year-old son” might.
It’s this massive rift in philosophy between Generation Y and earlier generations that dominates the issue. One of the things people seem to forget about the Millennials is that they have entitlement issues. Entitled to a job for going to college, entitled to be special, entitled to get instant gratification and entitled to text wherever they damn well please, especially if they pay to sit in a seat in a dark room. Besides the idea that everyone should be a winner, this is the major flaw of this generation and why it will be near impossible to avoid texting in theaters without hiring a cell phone police force (which costs money).
This issue of entitlement can be tied to Greg Foster’s (IMAX) comment about his 17 year old son who says that he:
“constantly has his phone with him.” “We want them to pay $12 to $14 to come into an auditorium and watch a movie. But they’ve become accustomed to controlling their own existence.” Banning cell phone use may make them “feel a little handcuffed.”
This doozy of a statement set off Tim League, the CEO of the Alamo Drafthouse, a chain which kicks people out for using their cell phone or talking during a movie.
“Over my dead body will I introduce texting into the movie theater,” he says. “I love the idea of playing around with a new concept. But that is the scourge of our industry. … It’s our job to understand that this is a sacred space and we have to teach manners.” He says it should be “magical” to come to the cinema.
Right after that Amy Miles shot back saying that “one person’s opinion of magical isn’t the other’s.”
I’m a fan of League’s policy but I have to agree with Miles. I may personally treat the theater as my place of worship but there are other people who are simply casual moviegoers and don’t take everything that seriously. Also, just to take a weak crack at League, his company owns Mondo, a company that sells artistic movie posters. In order to get people to buy them they tweet out when the item is on sale. Now, if you’re in a Drafthouse cinema for a matinee and get that alert on your cellphone you’ve now got yourself a dilemma. Spend the time walking outside with cellphone in hand and miss part of the movie or get kicked out while trying to purchase it in your seat (which makes money for him). It’s a true dilemma for a cinephile and art collector. Call it geek world problems.
Now, let me jump back a little bit. That night after I read the Deadline article, I saw another one from Russ at SlashFilm who, while reporting the deadline article to his followers, mentioned that if smokers could give up smoking on an airplane, something that is actually addicting, people (mostly teens) should be able to give up their phones in a theater. While I totally agree with Russ’ argument, there is one flaw, and that there is no nicotine patch or nicotine gum for phone withdrawal. Whenever I attend a press screening with a specific friend of mine I have to take her phone from her because even if she likes the movie she still has this need to text. Throughout the film I can see her hands twitching, having the urge to press or tap imaginary buttons until the phone is placed back in her hand when the credits start to roll. The thought of not being connected all the time scares people, especially city dwellers. It’s something that utterly shocks me, but then again I pay attention to movies and don’t have a smartphone, I have something called self-control, not to sound like an ass or anything.
At this juncture there are no clear cut solutions to this problem but I may have a few suggestions that, while a bit out there, are somewhat plausible.
This particular solution won’t be viable for many theaters, but for the ones that have a balcony and a mezzanine section, I suggest making the mezzanine a cellphone-free zone and the balcony the “phoning section.” The light from the phones can’t be seen from the ground and the noise from typing shouldn’t be heard above the speakers, especially when so many people have touch screen phones.
Another option is utilizing the one-way mirror method. Essentially, pick a section of the theater and create a wall out of the windows cops use when watching an interrogation but don’t want to be seen. This will prevent light from being seen by other audience members. I do think this idea would be tricky to handle because of the potential for vandalism or blurry viewing but at least the wall only needs to go up about five or six feet to avoid people using their peripherals.
The final option is to install a small and well contained EMP to disable all electronics within the seats area. You may need a warning for people that have pace makers or other medical equipment attached to their body but hey, what are the odds, right? It may be ridiculous but at least it is an option for those that are desperate [I’m kidding].
Blame technology for this issue in the first place. Blame parents for giving their kids phones. Blame movie theaters for being dark. Blame people for being inconsiderate assholes that have no self-control and are scared of not being connected to the rest of the world. No matter which way you look at it, this problem is not going to go away unless phones aren’t permitted in the theater or you have an insanely strict policy. Overtime we’ll see cinephiles seeking out art house theaters for peaceful experiences and I’m sure the everyday theaters will become more relaxed with their policies. Hell, maybe films will become more interactive requiring the audience to text or use an app to decide the fate of the film. Until then we can only hope people become more respectful or theaters give in to the Millennials just like everybody else has.
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