We had one of those special opportunities to go see a movie over Valentine’s Day weekend. I really looked forward to sitting down and enjoying a pleasant little film.
In the end, that did happen. However, I feel like my ADD got in the way a little bit. I blame it on the much-worse ADD of other people.
We found nice seats a few rows up in the upper part of the movie theater. We settled in, chatted through the previews and then dug into our snacks when the main feature started.
That’s when it happened. A light here, a light there, a light almost everywhere. Cell phones.
Far be it from me to complain about people using technology. I love technology. I feel shackled by my pre-paid cell phone and desperately yearn for something more fancy and fun even though I know it would be a waste of money.
I think we all know by now that we need to turn down the ringer on our phones when we go to a movie or play or something like that. You don’t want to ruin everything with a ring in the middle of an important scene.
So why can’t the courtesy be extended to texting or posting messages online during the performance?
I wish I could bore my friends with constant updates on Twitter and Facebook when I am away from a computer, but I have made my choice and live with it.
Others need to do the same. I’m trying not to sound like an angry old man here, but when you see someone’s phone light up every few minutes – and that’s no exaggeration – you have to wonder why they even came to the movies in the first place.
I felt so bad when I realized late in the movie that I didn’t wear my watch. I knew how long the film was and wondered how long they had to wrap up the obvious loose ends in the plot. So I slyly popped open my phone to check the time. It took two seconds, but I still hated doing it.
You can pin some of this on me. I have a curious personality and am drawn to things like a phone lighting up in the middle of a dark theater. I need to work on not losing my focus when that happens.
But what is so stinking important that you need to share it with someone right now?
You’re sitting in a movie theater. You’re watching a movie. Bring the person along if they need to know what’s happening.
Or, better yet, make them wait (gasp!) a couple of hours before you respond to the all-important “sup?” message.
I don’t expect the theater to turn into church, although I have probably heard more cell phones ring in church than in the movies. After all, I like nothing better than making snarky comments to my wife when we catch a flick.
But I know that I need to do it in a way so I avoid bothering others. After all these years, we almost have it down to a science.
Thank God I have her with me. Otherwise, I’d have to text my jokes to someone.
We’re lucky since we live in a small town and rarely are in filled theaters. This past instance was the exception. It’s only 5-6 times a year for the wife and I so I can channel my inner angry old man toward those events.
You’re becoming a cranky old man. I know this because I became one a long time ago.
I love movies, but I gave up going to movie theaters because I couldn’t stand the yammering customers, the crinkling of food wrappers, the morons explaining the plot to each other, the floors sticky from spilled vats of soda, and smell of month-old popcorn and nachos.
I’m willing to wait to see movies when they come out on Blu-Ray, and I get them sent to me by Netflix.