Austin's Alamo Drafthouse Theater Gives Texters the Boot 370
Hugh Pickens writes "Ever been annoyed during that nail-biting darkened hallway scene by someone turning on their phone to send a text? Well, don't mess with Texas or you may end up on the screen in a public service announcement. Alamo Drafthouse, a local chain of dine-and-screen movie theaters in Austin, Texas, has long waged a war against impolite moviegoers booting out customers who talk or text during performances. Phoebe Connelly writes that according to Tim League, the Drafthouse's founder, a woman was recently warned twice about texting during a screening, and then, in accordance with company policy, was escorted out without a refund. 'I don't think people realize that it is distracting,' says League. 'It seems like nothing, but if you spend as much time as I do at the movies, you realize the entire theater sees it and it pulls you out of the movie experience. It's every bit as intrusive as talking.' The irate customer called up the Alamo Drafthouse and left a profanity-laced (and perhaps slightly inebriated) message decrying the theater's policies, but the theater got the last laugh as they took the audio of the woman's voicemail, transcribed it, and turned it into an in-house preview [tl: Note, YouTube video contains some profanity] that warns theatergoers against cell phone use during movies. 'Part of what we're trying to do is have a comedic message about what to us is a very serious issue,' says League, declining to give any more details about the woman at the center of the recent PSA."
Re:horseshit (Score:5, Insightful)
No you don't. A cinema isn't exactly a proper place to work.
Just a tip. (Score:2, Insightful)
I admit it, I check email during a movie because I need to.
You're using email to receive important and time sensitive messages?
OooooooooKaaaaaaayyyyy.
The way it's usually done is with text messages or voice which vibrate when you receive them - if you actually have the device on vibrate. In other words, when you're on call, you can go about your business without having to constantly check.
Re:Sucks To Be Her, I Guess. (Score:5, Insightful)
Meaning she wasn't even considerate enough to come in on time for the movie, so to hell with her. And even that would have only gotten one warning, ergo she had to have kept using the phone after being warned once. Additionally, there are signs posted that warn of this policy as well.
Another damn good reason for this policy is safety. As there are staff constantly walking around the theater serving food and drinks (in glass containers, no less) in the darkness, the last thing I would want is for some poor staff member to have their low-light vision impaired and end up tripping with a full tray of glass + food/drink.
Re:Respect the policy (Score:5, Insightful)
Or.... you could not be an asshole, and wait an hour until the movie is over, and then text your friends that it was bad instead of annoying everyone else in the theater behind you.
Bad for someone else, but OK for me to do it! (Score:2, Insightful)
I think there will be no one here who will "take the other side" until, that is, it is their side.
We have discussed mobile phone behaviors on occasion here and elsewhere. Invariably we say things like "no excuse" or "under no circumstances" and of course "rude" and "thoughtless." Really?
When driving, for example, it is next to impossible to resist answering the phone when it rings. And you know that last-second thought you just had? You've got to call someone right now because it might leave your head in the time it takes to at least get to a stop light or to pull over. And of course in a bus or train or in a movie theater, the phone is always a pain in the ass unless it's your phone.
I actually like the PSAs that often play before the movie starts. I usually forget to turn my phone to silent before it starts and the PSAs are a convenient reminder because I don't intend for my phone to ring at the wrong time. And these days, the phones invariably have a bright color display on them. In a dark room where the only light is being reflected on a big screen, other sources of light are a huge distraction.
And you know what? I too have texted during a movie... well, no it was before a movie actually started -- I tend to forget the whole world when I am actually watching a movie. (When I was younger, my brothers used to kick me and hit me while I was engrossed in TV -- they thought it was funny because I wouldn't respond most of the time... I'm still kinda like that) But when my focus is one place, I don't need it taken off by some stray light source from below or beside me.
I guess what I am getting at is we all agree with the PSAs where other people's behavior is concerned. We fail to see that very same behavior in ourselves or somehow feel we are the exception.
While I am thinking about it, I think I will visit the Team Whiskey IRC chat to see if they can add extra "do not answer the phone" buttons to say "not now, I am in a theater!" I have something like that on the phone already, but I have to hit a smaller button, then select one of several messages. Not convenient enough.
Re:Respect the policy (Score:5, Insightful)
Here is what is playig at the theater. Brides mainds, kung fu panda. x-men, etc. Not a high end theater like landmark or Dundance where the films require a little more attention.
That's right. Only people who are watching appropriately high-class, cultured, artistic works of cinema should expect to be able to watch a film without unnecessary distractions. Folks who are going to watch mass-market movies just to have a pleasant night out aren't interested in paying attention; of course they shouldn't expect to be able to see or hear what they're watching. Their low-brow entertainment preferences don't deserve any better.
Seriously? For someone who's bemoaning Austin (Austin? Texas? Really?) as a city of pseudo-chic poseurs, you're awfully stuck up. Sure, this could just be a publicity stunt--but I hold out some faint hope that there might actually exist theaters which care about the audience's experience, and expect a better level of conduct than we seem to settle for in most venues.
Re:Respect the policy (Score:2, Insightful)
Hmm.... Well, let's address this bit by bit:
1. Austin pseudo-chic -- Same thing applies at the Houston Drafthouses, and for that matter at the other similar themed theatres I have been to in Houston and St. Paul. The Drafthouse folks are nicer about it than others and they give much more warning than is usual.
2. Distracted by the popcorn, the cokes, the patrons trying to get refils -- That's a given at this sort of place and part of the reason they are so agressive on enforcement.
3. Distracted by people talking on the phone -- That is covered by the same policy, raise a flag and the management of the theatre will take care of them, same as they address texting.
4. Won't work in other urban parts of Texas... Let's look at where there are drafthouses or drafthouses opening outside of Austin (Looks like something is working):
a) Houston, TX
b) San Antonio, TX
c) Lubbock, TX
Oddly enough they have been pushing this for the past decade, it's only that recently it's recieved more attention due to internet coverage (I recall seeing warnings over the years from Chuck Norris (Who will kick you if you talk during the movie), Will Ferrell (Who will gently put you to sleep with his cattle prod), and others ). The Alamo Drafthouse chain serves decent food, is generally low-disturbance, shows first run movies and on a regular has events involving 'classic' movies and other shows of interest.
Re:horseshit (Score:4, Insightful)
Put your phone on vibrate and step outside if you get a message you need to check.
Re:Commercial Theaters are a waste of time and mon (Score:3, Insightful)
I agree, both sides are asshats. The customer for disturbing the movie, and the management for not putting their money where their mouth is and giving her a refund along with a written notice that she's barred from attending again.
If, as someone else said, the theater doesn't WANT this particular business, they should stop hiding behind 'policy' and just reverse the transaction - she's no longer allowed to watch the movie, so they no longer keep her money. It's not the 'escorting out' which is obnoxious, it's the 'without refund' bit.
Re:horseshit (Score:5, Insightful)
So NO ONE needs to check email or text messages during a movie. Tell someone if they really need to get hold of you to CALL YOU and leave a voice mail. NOW you know it's important and you can slip out, check your voice mail.
Your petty, self-centered excuses (along with others on this board) only show how inconsiderate, self centered, or technologically ignorant you are.
At least if you are technologically ignorant about your phone, you can learn
Re:Commercial Theaters are a waste of time and mon (Score:2, Insightful)
If refunds were given to people who disturb others, then people would start being obnoxious to get their money back when they don't like the movie. Then you'd really have to ban them, but that's much more work for keeping track and it doesn't give people a chance to learn the lesson.
Re:Its a very serious issue... (Score:5, Insightful)
How could you not find a bright backlit LCD distracting during a dark scene in a movie? The Alamo's policy is a great one - they prohibit children under a certain age, too, outside of certain designated showings They are well-loved in Austin for these kinds of policies - I won't go to other theaters now unless I want IMAX or they are not showing a movie I want to see. It really does make a different kind of experience, making sure that nobody is distracting their neighbors.
Re:Sucks To Be Her, I Guess. (Score:2, Insightful)
The problem is people of a younger generation have this entitlement attitude that because they can they should be able to do it. The theater rules are stated before each and every movie. I find it hard to believe she never heard of any theater having the policy against talkers and texters. It is also sad that people cant disconnect from their reality for a mere 2 hours to watch a movie. I go into a theater I turn my phone to silence and ignore it. I dont maybe I'm getting too old but I find it easy to not stay connected all the time with everyone.
Re:horseshit (Score:3, Insightful)
Your urgency does not entitle you to disrupt other people's enjoyment of their paid-for evening. The Alamo's policy is in place because of self-important jackasses like you,
Re:Its a very serious issue... (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, this seems like an incredibly stupid thing to become so righteously anal over. I've never once been distracted by someone texting in a movie. Talking, yes, but never texting.
This is just some stupid theater owner's personal crusade to fight a really ridiculous cause. They've probably spent 10x as much fighting cellphone use as they would have lost in customers had they allowed them in the same capacity as any other theater. Heck, if they are escorting people out of the theater for texting, that would be WAY more distracting than someone just using their phone.
I would stay away from a theater with this policy out of spite.
You must not have to deal with many texters. Many times have I had to kick the back of somebody's chair because I'm being blinded by their lack of ability to keep themselves from chatting with their friends every minute of every day. It's not about being righteously anal, it's about not wanting to have your $11 experience be ruined by some self-centered asshole.
The Alamo's policies alone make me wish there was one around here that I could patronize, but the fact that they would take an angry person's voicemail and make it into a pre-show video (without trying to appease the hypersensitive by censoring the hilarious overuse of profanity) makes me want to travel to Texas solely to give them my money.
Re:horseshit (Score:3, Insightful)
I sit on the isle and try to be subtle about checking.
I'm sorry that my job requires me to be available 24/7.
I guess that means no movies for me because some hypersensitive person might be offended.
I cannot believe this is even ambiguous to some people. If your job requires you to be on call, YES THAT MEANS YOU CAN'T GO TO A MOVIE THEATER! Holy shit, how could you possibly think otherwise?
You want to watch a movie while on call? Get a good home theater system, some comfortable chairs, and watch it at home. You think it's not reasonable to give up going to a theater? Don't take a job that requires you to be on call, or at least negotiate for somebody else to cover for you during the time you will be unavailable to do work. You cannot have both. This also applies to plays, concerts, and just about anywhere else where you are the member of an audience.
Re:Commercial Theaters are a waste of time and mon (Score:3, Insightful)
ok, the thrust of my argument is that by attaching such conditions (and especially by enforcing them) they are behaving like asshats. All you seem to have is 'everyone else does it' and 'it's ok to do it because that's what they're doing'.
There is no reason why a break clause allowing one party to unilaterally cancel a contract on grounds of unreasonable behaviour by the other should allow the cancelling party out of their obligations whilst requiring the other party to fulfill theirs.
Let's have another thought experiement: Imagine if it were possible to just withdraw a payment you've made. You call up your bank, ask them to withdraw it and whoosh, the money is back in your account. You get thrown out - you call your bank and get your money back. Why would that be wrong? Everyone is now back where they started - you haven't seen the movie, the theater hasn't got your money.
Nowehere outside small purchases, where it's not worth the cost to go to court, would anyone think this to be remotely acceptable. Imagine if you paid a builder up-front $500k to build you a house, and by the time he'd got through $150k worth of labour and materials you'd already given him 3 complete changes of the plans, he goes "screw this - you're being completely unreasonable" and just ends any further involvement in the project. Would that be cool with you? $500k spent, and no house? Even though there's $350k worth of work that he's already been paid for and not done? No, of course you wouldn't, you'd sue his ass off. If he managed to wriggle out of giving you the $350k back by using a get-out clause which wasn't thrown out he'd never get any work again - because no-one is going to do business with an asshat who works on those sorts of terms.
Re:Bad for someone else, but OK for me to do it! (Score:4, Insightful)
Yup - people look strangely at me when I have a meeting with somebody in my office at work, the phone rings, I glance at it, and then I don't answer it and proceed with the meeting. I find this bizarre - this person has taken the time to set up a meeting with me, and I made time on my calendar to meet because whatever we're talking about was important enough to discuss (and my calendar tends to book up quite a bit). Why would I then set aside that carefully prioritized calendar just because some random person wants something from me? When I have a free moment I'll find out what it was about, prioritize it accordingly, and deal with it. If they're having a heart attack they should be dialing 911, since there isn't much I can do for them personally.
Answering the phone when it rings amounts to prioritizing your work (or recreation) purely on the basis of the urgent, and not on the basis of the important. Learning the difference changed my life.