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Killing the Phone in Theatres

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BrendanLeahy

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Many of us know the absolute pain of seeing someone use their phone during a film screening.

My worst experience thus far has been having a teen in Hail, Caesar! snapchatting her friends and talking selfies with the flash on. I let the AMC theatre management know, but they did nothing about it except look at the row where the girl was and then leave.

I've asked people before to stop texting or move to the back, and while they briefly complied and put their phones down, they were ultimately compelled to sneakily check their phones again (i.e., holding it lower than before).

The theatres don't seem to care aside from having farcical characters advising against phone-gazing, and I honestly don't believe people will change their habits because at the end of the day, their screen lives trump your movie-going experience.

I saw that Elsie N. posted about "The Screening Room", but I don't want to stream theatrical releases to my TV. I want the full theatrical experience back sans impulsive, inconsiderate screen-lookers.

What can we, as avid film lovers, do about this?
 
I don't know if it's still available, but the Israelis used to sell a device that shuts off cell phones within a certain radius. If that's still available then theaters could post that there would be no cell phone reception in the theater during a movie. Anyone still seeing the movie after knowing this would have no standing to complain.

My early thinking for this was for people to form movie clubs and only watch a movie among like-minded people with like minded manners. If an affordable laser projector had been released, you could turn any building ( a church, a gymnasium, a garage) into a movie club meeting place.
 
BrendanLeahy said:
Many of us know the absolute pain of seeing someone use their phone during a film screening.

My worst experience thus far has been having a teen in Hail, Caesar! snapchatting her friends and talking selfies with the flash on. I let the AMC theatre management know, but they did nothing about it except look at the row where the girl was and then leave.

I've asked people before to stop texting or move to the back, and while they briefly complied and put their phones down, they were ultimately compelled to sneakily check their phones again (i.e., holding it lower than before).

The theatres don't seem to care aside from having farcical characters advising against phone-gazing, and I honestly don't believe people will change their habits because at the end of the day, their screen lives trump your movie-going experience.

I saw that Elsie N. posted about "The Screening Room", but I don't want to stream theatrical releases to my TV. I want the full theatrical experience back sans impulsive, inconsiderate screen-lookers.

What can we, as avid film lovers, do about this?
Click to expand...

raise our children with respect. that is about it.
 
I don't know if it's still available, but the Israelis used to sell a device that shuts off cell phones within a certain radius. If that's still available then theaters could post that there would be no cell phone reception in the theater during a movie. Anyone still seeing the movie after knowing this would have no standing to complain.
Click to expand...

Last time I check the FCC fine for a cell phone jammer was $50k. You can get them on line though.

Nick
 
Nick Gardner said:
Last time I check the FCC fine for a cell phone jammer was $50k. You can get them on line though.
Click to expand...
There are a few of them, like http://cellphone-jammers.com/, but they're no longer easy to find on eBay. Cost is right around $300-$600, and they are not permitted by the FCC. What is technically legal is a metal mesh shield (like a Faraday cage) that would effectively stop all signals coming in and leaving the theater -- not so much a jammer as a "signal stopper." That's 100% legal.

Maybe the theaters need to play this kind of reminder more frequently to advise the audience not to use cell phones during the film, to avoid disturbing others. The blare of light from cell phones makes me crazy.


I don't care if you have a life or death situation, there isn't any case where an audience member can't just get up and go outside to a hallway and make their call, take care of their emergency, send their text, or whatever.
 
I've always had the urge to take with me a very powerful military-grade flashlight to screenings, then shine it on anyone shinning their cellphone screen. Fight light with light :)
 
Manfred Lopez said:
I've always had the urge to take with me a very powerful military-grade flashlight to screenings, then shine it on anyone shinning their cellphone screen. Fight light with light :)
Click to expand...

I think that may have the opposite effect.
 
Realistically, I don't think we could jam phones (personally or have the theatres do that). Definitely too many concerns about the next mass theatre shooting to cut off all cell signals.
 
If only theatre management had a way to find out phone numbers of obnoxious patrons. That way, they could phone-bomb them until they shut their phones off. Either that, or have snipers in the rafters.


Roza_Shanina_zpsrfplsorc.png



I don't like the Yondr solution. Just insulate the venue. Problem solved.
 
Manfred Lopez said:
I've always had the urge to take with me a very powerful military-grade flashlight to screenings, then shine it on anyone shinning their cellphone screen. Fight light with light :)
Click to expand...

Ryan Sauve said:
A New Weapon for Battling Cellphones in Theaters: Laser Beams

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/03/1...eams.html?_r=0&referer=https://www.google.ca/

But yeah, I mostly watch movies at home via home theater because of exactly this. Too many people checking their cellphones has become extremely annoying to deal with.
Click to expand...

I can't believe they are actually doing this. I was just joking. But yea, laser-shaming people would do the trick.
 
I haven't had much issue with this. As long as they don't talk or have their phone on bright I'm flexible. I usually sit forward so can't see a lot of bright screeners. But the last time I was in one young guy had the idea, he was texting away with his screen brightness turned all the way down. He was one of two rows down to the left of me and I didnt notice it again after I saw it.
 
Is this insensitive. Are we to go to the cinema and watch our films with a sea of twinkling phones instead of a field of stars. Maybe the military could allow texting on the battlefield to encourage more recruits . Maybe the industry has had it a hey day and needs my cheap very immersive auto stereoscopic theater design (finally cracked it 2014/2015).

We get executives come up with these bright ideas now and again. Doesn't mean they can achieve it. The solution could be something like The Eye Phone in Futurama. 'Please insert before every session'.:smiley:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eJyMEkb_8to
 
AMC Theaters just announced that they are considering allowing texting DURING movies. An attempt to attract younger viewers. They may set aside theaters or sections or just mix in with general audience. Still undecided.


EDIT: sorry just saw recent post announcing the same thing.
 
Philip Lipetz said:
AMC Theaters just announced that they are considering allowing texting DURING movies. An attempt to attract younger viewers. They may set aside theaters or sections or just mix in with general audience. Still undecided.
Click to expand...
Haaaaarible idea. A movie theater is not a living room. There's a time and a place for everything. Nobody is so important or so busy that they can't disconnect from a cellphone for 2 hours to watch a damned movie. I'm opposed to cell phone use in darkened theaters mainly because of the light pollution. It's rude and obnoxious to all the people around you.

If you have to take or make a call, get up, walk out, and do it in the hallway outside the theater. I have no problem with that.
 
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