AMC Theaters is considering to allow texting during movies

[TigerClaw]

In an interview with the AMC CEO, He's open to the idea of AMC theaters to allow texting during the movies, and it's all cause of Millennials.
Would appealing to millennials involve allowing texting or cellphone use?

Yes. When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don’t ruin the movie, they hear please cut off your left arm above the elbow. You can’t tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone. That’s not how they live their life.

At the same time, though, we’re going to have to figure out a way to do it that doesn’t disturb today’s audiences. There’s a reason there are ads up there saying turn off your phone, because today’s moviegoer doesn’t want somebody sitting next to them texting or having their phone on.

[CyberCubed]

Makes no sense. The light from the phone goes on and lights up the entire area because you're in darkness. Its distracting either way. You can't read texts in pitch black anyway

[TigerClaw]

Makes no sense. The light from the phone goes on and lights up the entire area because you're in darkness. Its distracting either way. You can't read texts in pitch black anyway
Yeah, and I always put my phone in my pocket when the movies on, why would you text during the movie, cause you'll miss out on the movie your supposed to pay attention too.

[Powder]

F**k people & their phones.

[TheSkeletonMan939]

Another reason to avoid the theater. They're really making it easy for me to justify my deep dislike of them.

[IndigoErth]

Then it needs to be restricted to the back of the theater and phones silenced.

Like I really want the distraction in my line of sight of the glaring light from someone's phone in seats in front of me.



If someone is a nuisance with it... then I say take that one crying child in the theater and seat him/her next to the phone user. *evil grin* Give theaters restricted back section "nuisance seats."

[The Deadman]

This is never going to make it in the entire theater chain, from what I read on Twitter it would be "very few" that would implement it and you would have the option to enter a theater with the texting or no texting option.

[shuriken]

This is never going to make it in the entire theater chain, from what I read on Twitter it would be "very few" that would implement it and you would have the option to enter a theater with the texting or no texting option.

That makes sense. Honestly though, if they did this in every theater that would be stupid.

[DarkLightDragon]

Yeah, because people don't go to theaters to see movies, they go to see all the glaring and annoying lights given off by people's phones.

Care to try and shoot that other foot you have left there, AMC?

[TigerClaw]

This would introduce a dangerous precedence if they allow this in some AMC theaters, thank goodness it's only AMC and not any others, I don't even have an AMC near me, only Muvico.

[TheSkeletonMan939]

Heck, why not allow audience commentary during the film? It's just as distracting.

"Don't go in there!"

[Krutch]

This shouldn't even be considered up for debate.

No phones. Period.

[Splinter the boss]

This doesn't even make sense. Why would they even think about that? It's as if they've been hit in the head.

[ProactiveMan]

I don't know from AMC theatres, but in my neck of the woods 'allow' doesn't come into it. Theatres can play all the cute, cross-promotional, 'turn off your phone' PSAs they want; chuds are still going to text because no one ever stops them. The theatres near me are tended by a skeleton staff of teenagers, who couldn't stop anyone from texting if they wanted to.

[TigerClaw]

I don't know from AMC theatres, but in my neck of the woods 'allow' doesn't come into it. Theatres can play all the cute, cross-promotional, 'turn off your phone' PSAs they want; chuds are still going to text because no one ever stops them. The theatres near me are tended by a skeleton staff of teenagers, who couldn't stop anyone from texting if they wanted to.
The Alamo Drafthouse bans texting, if they catch someone texting during the movie, they kick them out the theater.

[Commenter 42]

I like smashing phones. Be rude and pay the price.

[Storm Eagle]

Then it needs to be restricted to the back of the theater and phones silenced.

Give theaters restricted back section "nuisance seats."

I just heard them talk about this on my local news, and they did say that the plan would be to do just that. The exact words used were "setting aside certain auditoriums which are text-friendly", and that the goal is to appeal to younger moviegoers. Way to cater to this entitled generation's every whim, eh?

[plastroncafe]

Because that's how capitalism works?

[Spike Spiegel]

Why don't they just charge them extra? Get some of that Millennial spending money.

I love smartphones, they're like a real life "Mother Box," but people are really too attached to them.

[ProactiveMan]

The Alamo Drafthouse bans texting, if they catch someone texting during the movie, they kick them out the theater.

So I've heard. That might be hard to pull off in a 20 screen multiplex staffed by high-schoolers. The root problem with these automated places is that the management is spread thin across too many locations.

I've been to a few movies that have broken down for whatever technical reason, and both the projectionist and the manager were off-site at the time. One time it was simply a matter of engaging the stereo lens on the projector for a 3D movie, but no one in the complex knew how to do it.

They have allocated seating at most cinemas here, so you have a seat number on your ticket. Not that difficult a concept to understand, but it's been ten years since this practice became ubiquitous and it still causes arguments, because there are hardly any ushers anymore to make people follow the system.

[Wildcat]

Well I think phones should be allowed to be left on in silent/vibrate mode in case someone tries to reach you for emergency situations but if they're clearly just sitting there having a conversation in texts they should be asked to leave.

[shuriken]

Because that's how capitalism works?
Essentially

Why don't they just charge them extra? Get some of that Millennial spending money.

That or just have a theater that has all the annoying people texting in a theater a la (smoking sections in restaurants). Have a showing that has texting allowed/ encouraged and have it be $.50 more or something.
Not that hard. If this proves to be successful I can see it working. I personally can wait the 90-150 minutes of the movie to not call or text anyone.

[chrisdude]

My friends and I were discussing this, yesterday. To be fair, the man hadn't chosen a plan of action... As someone who actually shuts his phone down in movies, I hate seeing that glow come off someone else's phone.

But I know young people, too. I think this guy is right that asking them to cut off their phones is like asking them to cut off their arms. There's pretty much no other situation where your average 22 year old spends two waking hours without checking their phones. It truly is the way they live their lives. And outside of this setting, who really cares? So it may kind of make the theater rule seem a little extreme.

I kind of doubt the rule keeps them from buying tickets, though. I see this more as a promotional possibility. Look at television. Seems like every show has the whole cast live tweeting the episodes. Do you think actually care to do that? It's part of the promotional plan to drum up conversation and get their hashtags trending. Perhaps they could do the same thing with a movie?

[TigerClaw]

Here's a whole bit about it on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

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[ranger_scout]

AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron is backpedaling on statements he made to Variety two days ago about being open to allowing texting in some theaters.

Following a social media outcry from moviegoers, the new head of AMC Entertainment said in a statement released to AMC guests on social platforms that there will be no texting allowed in theaters. “Not today, not tomorrow and not in the foreseeable future,” he promised.

“NO TEXTING AT AMC. Won’t happen. You spoke. We listened. Quickly, that idea has been sent to the cutting room floor,” the AMC Theatres official Twitter account wrote.

http://variety.com/2016/film/news/amc-texting-theaters-not-allowed-1201754502/

[TigerClaw]

http://variety.com/2016/film/news/amc-texting-theaters-not-allowed-1201754502/
That's after the huge backlash regarding it, good to see he had a change of heart.

Here's the official tweet on it.
https://twitter.com/AMCTheatres/status/720972338699702272

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CgFohVjUsAAQCbQ.jpg

[Powder]

Nice to see big wigs listen once in a while.