It used to be about providing enough revenue to cover the logistics of distribution, but now that digital is being used so much these days over physical reels, I’m not sure where they find justification.
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Varies by state of course. Most states don’t allow any cameras in bathrooms and such, then it’s a mix whether or not there has to be a sign, them whether or not the cameras can be hidden or must be seen.
My guess is a lot of posted surveillance signs are more for deterrent than law.
Sounds like the Alamo Drafthouse. They try to be a super hip theater but their zero tolerance stance is odd. I see 4-6 movies a year and I have never had a problem with other people talking like they always portray in sitcoms. Maybe I’ve been lucky?
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Good lord. That’s like 98% of the reason to go to the theater in the first place, especially if you’re a teenager.
I think there are cultural and regional differences in this. I never experienced it growing up in the northeast, but definitely have experienced it much more in the south and mid-Atlantic regions.
I’m having trouble pulling it up now(it may have fallen off the net if it didn’t take off); but I remember some outfit pitching the concept of putting IR cameras behind the projection screen and specifically using them to look for lens or CCD glare from anyone potentially pointing a recording device at the screen.
Not sure if it went anywhere; but the concept seemed at least technically plausible.
Oh, flashing is good. Maximum effect for your battery life, and you can probably run the LEDs brighter too.
You’re right!
I mean, I understand people can be both loud and distracting, but there is a difference between talking and a whisper and something occasional vs commentary or a completely separate discussion. Still, I was really surprised at the “handslap” I got. It was my first time and I had gotten there a little later than I was supposed to so maybe I missed the orientaion. I think I might have messed up twice on accident.
Well, now I know.
A friend of mine, who definitely isn’t me, sneaks snacks and drinks (including alcohol…) into movies on a regular basis at one of the big chains. Nobody has ever complained, but that’s likely because my friend cleans up after himself and doesn’t leave evidence behind. And, as he told me, he always gets at least one item from the concession stand - often using free loyalty rewards - to minimize suspicion.
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You sure have. 
Some of the time the person talking is the person I came to the movie with 
It’s really annoying and I’d love a theater that would just tell them to shut up so I’m not in the awkward position of trying to ignore them without seeming rude.
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The number of “I don’t go to theatres anyway” posts are amusing. Like, thanks for telling us, I guess? Do you have a list of other things you don’t do that you think people might be interested to know about you?
I absolutely loved, and will dearly miss, Alamo Drafthouse in TX. Not only did they routinely have staff pop in and check on people (in part because you may want to order something yummy mid-movie), but they’d turf you on your ass for talking in the theatre, and refund your ticket and turn you away if you’re late to the movie. There are still many people for whom watching a movie on a big screen with their friends or loved ones in a shared experience is a welcome thing, especially without other folks trying to ruin it by talking over the whole thing.
I can’t think of many places nowadays where you would expect a large number of strangers to congregate together and not be watched in case trouble is afoot. I think this can probably be abused quite a bit less than most other public, outdoor, fully-lit surveillance apparatus anyway.
I mean, unless you happen to think that the first concern on the minds of the couple who got undressed and started shagging in the back of the theatre’s first worry was the idea that someone may be watching them do it. 
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Not me; I come prepared.
Lol! Yeah, they hate late arrivals too!
Be comforted that it is gone, I actually dig B&B.
We’re lucky enough to have a 4-screen drive-in during the summer and shoulder months not too far away. If the movie you chose sucks, you can drive over to a different screen (headlights off, please!). Other than a mild guilt trip, there’s no policy against bringing your own food, drink, or booze. You can talk as loud as you want to your movie-going partners without disturbing others. No night vision goggles, no overeager staff, and the second movie of the night is free. No sticky floors or people talking on cell phones either. Really, the only downside is people who forget to turn off their headlights or randomly hit their brakes. Even before the pandemic, there’s no way that going to the theatre was a better experience.
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I think they are kind of relevant in that they are indicative of the patronage that theaters have lost, and their reasons for leaving relate to what movie theaters would need to change to get them back, or the degree to which movie theaters will never get those patrons back because theaters have coasted on their exclusive release windows rather than superior customer experience for decades.
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The “omg pirates” is a bit misguided. All it takes is one cinema somewhere in the world where the projectionist fancies making a copy, and the cat’s out of the bag. All the recent movies are pirated on streaming services anyway (there’s a full 4k HDR etc. copy of Dune already available, you know, for reference purposes).
Never saw the point in cinemas myself, it’s like watching a film at home, but worse in every way.
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I relate to this so much. Nothing worse than going to a movie only to find out your friend or coworker or… sigh… sister is one of those people who thinks it’s okay to constantly chatter throughout a movie. How do they not know? It’s like throwing garbage out of your car on the highway or not leaving a tip for waitstaff, you just don’t do it and it’s been that way for their entire lifetime.
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Aha! So they admit it: piracy is not theft, not even a crime.
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Wait, the Alamo Drafthouse is gone in Austin?
I went to the one in Kansas City. To be clear, I don’t mind the rules, I just wasn’t aware of them. I wasn’t late for the show per se, but not as early as they asked one to be. I was trying to get there! Parking is a god damn nightmare downtown.
I did see Bill Plympton’s premiere of Cheatin’ with him doing a Q&A afterwards at that location as well.
They aren’t gone, I am
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No, the one in KC closed.
And yes, parking and getting to your movie on time is a problem there!
