Adult Theaters (get your mind out of the gutter)
I hate to play the grouchy old man here (again), but I was thrilled to see this story in USA Today today (maybe we won't need those theater snitching devices after all). It's no secret that adults aren't going to the movies as much as theaters and movie makers would like. And you don't need a PhD in film studies to realize that a big part of the reason is the obnoxious audiences you tend to find on weekends (and no I'm not forgetting the complete lack of any decent movies most weeks). So theaters are fighting back... with adult-only showings (adult as in grown-up, not XXX), and nice perks like seat-served food and full bars (some even have babysitting services). My favorite attempt to brainwash improve the behavior of teens might be this one:
Two theaters in suburban Chicago require patrons 17 and younger to attend a short "code of conduct" class on decorum before they can see movies at 8:30 p.m. or later without parents.
A veteran of traffic school myself, I don't have high hopes for any "code of conduct" courses. But, short of arming theater staff with cattle prods or duct tape, this may be the best we'll get for now.
Won't it be a bummer, though, when we realize it wasn't just the teens and tweens doing all the yapping and tapping during the show.
Tags: kids | movies | teens | theaters
10:35 AM ET | 10-25-2007 | permalink
