06 February 2012

Texters not welcome


The Alamo Drafthouse movie theater has a clear policy - and enforces it.
We do not tolerate people that talk or text in the theater. In fact, before every film, we have several warnings on screen to prevent such happenings. Occasionally, someone doesn't follow the rules, and we do, in fact, kick their asses out of our theater. This video is an actual voicemail from a woman that was kicked out of one of our Austin theaters. Thanks, anonymous woman, for being awesome.
Here is a report from a local Austin (TX) news station:

11 comments:

  1. This always strikes me as something of a solution in search of a problem. I live in Austin and attend an Alamo Drafthouse for at least 80% of my movie screenings - it is a great venue. They have always had strict yet humorous warnings about all forms of disruption and the resulting consequences - my favorite has Ann Richards herself tossing patrons out. I have always assumed these measures arise from the fact that they serve alcohol. Yet in 10+ years of patronizing the theatre, I have never witnessed a disruptive patron or been annoyed by the use smart phones in general at Alamo or any other local theatre. The few texts I myself have either received or sent in a movie generally involved a minor crisis with a sitter or kids at home and/or the destruction of my brain cells half way through a kid's feature "I am watching the Easter Bunny play drums for the Blind Boys of Alabama". Perhaps I have just gotten lucky, but drunk and disruptive patrons are far more frequent in the live music scene than the movie theaters.

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    1. Perhaps your not seeing a problem derives from your attending a theater that has addressed the problem. You might try visiting a multiscreen theater in a large city and see if the experience differs. My wife and I prefer to avoid theaters altogether.

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  2. you really just have to go to a Non-Alamo theater in Austin to see how bad texting and talking on your cel during a movie. We had a gift card to the local cinemark, and there were not only people texting with bright screens everywhere, there were people kicking my seat, talking well above a whisper, and *actually* talking on the phone throughout the whole movie.

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  3. I saw the top video when it was released and was as delighted as when I heard about the baby-less restaurant.

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    1. I am with you! I have 2 kids one 5 yrs and one 4 months old, and I'm all about the baby-less or no kids crying/being loud in a restaurant. I keep my kids quiet you can too. If I'm ever in Austin I know where I'll be going if I want to catch a movie.

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  4. It is SO rude to ask people to be polite.

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  5. I once walked out on a movie because some people in the audience were talking amongst themselves. So that level of disruption does happen occasionally -- even if, in this city (a small one by world standards with one million people), I've witnessed it exactly once.

    But a blanket ban on all talking would be, I think, ridiculous. Talking can only be irritating when it is persistent. There is nothing wrong if, during the course of a movie, one scene inspires a quick whisper to your neighbour -- say, a "yeah, right" in response to a particularly implausible sequence.

    Moderation is the key, as always.

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    1. I would suspect that the Alamo Drafthouse really only takes action if someone is either loud, or talking a lot. A few quiet comments to your neighbor isn't really going to disturb anyone, but constant talking, loudly talking, or texting can and would disturb someone. Mind you, a few quiet comments that no one else can hear is also not going to attract the attention of the bouncers.

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  6. Have to say that I've been very pleased with the movie-going public in the Seattle/Bellevue area. I can't even remember the last time someone was talking or playing on their phone.

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  7. I'm in Austin too, and it's not about kicking out anyone who makes a snarky comment to their friend. There's plenty of allowance for that. They just don't tolerate actions that distract the theater. I can honestly say that I dread going to movies that AREN'T at Alamo, mostly because Alamo is adults only. I think the moment I realized I was finally an adult was when I got two drunk 16-year-olds kicked out of Juno.

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  8. Love this, I wish every theater would do this.
    I have asked people to please not use their phone during a movie as the light is distracting....never mind the talking or texting.
    It seems that no one thinks of anyone but themselves lately :(

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