Bring Back Manners At the Movies

As a little boy, my mom always took me to the movies. I was fortunate to discover the fun and joy provided by the silver screen since I was about 3 years old. To be honest, I can't remember which was the first movie I ever saw at the theater. Was it Disney's The Fox and The Hound? or Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back? Not even my mom can remember.

Along with the fun at the movies, I was also taught to be polite at the theater. That meant no talking while the movie was playing and no standing up and running around the place. Oh... and back then, I was not allowed to bring toys to the theater. According to my memories, I was not the only kid who behaved well at the movies. As I grew up in Venezuela, movie theaters also enforced codes of conduct, so if a kid started yelling in the middle of a movie, the usher would go fetch the screamer and his parents and escort them out of the theater.

Cultural, generational and geographic matters aside, I wish most people who go the movies nowadays had someone tell them not to talk and / or play with toys at the movies, when they were kids(I bet many had, but forgot by now).

Every week when I go to a movie, seems like i'm going to the stadium to see the Miami Dolphins play, or a U2 gig. People just do not shut up at the theater!!! Even when the film starts rolling, there are jackasses who just won't stop talking...and they talk about stuff that does not have anything to do with the movie!!!

People still bring their toys...cell phones to the movies and these are not only the unpolite tweenyboppers, but also grown adults. I do understand the necesity of having the cell phone at all times, but what I don't understand is why can't pepole set their phone on vibration for two hours???

This socially acceptable lack of manners really diminish the fun factor at the movies, and also shows disrespect for the artists that give the film its form (actors, directors, cinematographers, set builders, costume designers, etc.). These behaviors are even disrespectful to the offenders themselves!!! During these times, why would you pay ten bucks to sit in a dark room and chat out loud with your buddies??? Just stay home, get a movie on demand, or rent one, gather your friends, sit on the couch, get your popcorn and chat while the film is playing!!! it will cost you much less (about $4.99).

We all go to the movies for entertainment, but we constantly forget that the movies we see are an art form (Just like not all movies are good, not all sculptures, paintings and books are good either). Art is to be respected, even if you don't like it. When we go to the museum, or the library, we are told to be quiet, and not to talk on the cell phone...The same code of conduct should apply when we go to the movies. Now, here I blame the different movie theater companies for not enforcing a code of conduct at their theaters. They trust that we are considerate enough not to misbehave at the movies.

Please, to all who read this blog, let's be corteous at the movies. To those of you who like to talk with your buddies, significant others or on the cell phone...remember, you're paying for parking, popcorn and admission to the theater...and you're wasting that money if you don't pay attention to your movie. All of you texters out there, be aware that when you open your phone, its screen lights up in the middle of the theater and it distracts the view from the big screen where the attention should be. Texters, you are extremely annoying.

If you don't like the movie, stand up and leave.

For those of you who get annoyed at talkers and texters, don't be afraid to ask them to be quiet. If they give you trouble, go talk to the theater's manager and negotiate free tickets for your next viewing.

Let's all be considerate and bring back the fun and enjoyment of going to the movies.

Please post your comments and lets think of a way we can encourage people to be more considerate at the movies.

Alex