Yesterday, NPR had a discussion about why movie attendance has gone down. Many reasons were given: the infantile plots, too many films competing for attention, the high ticket prices, etc. The usual solutions were given: pay Jim Carrey less money, make more “adult” themed films, write better dialogue and better stories.

There is great praise for the Arclight Theaters in Hollywood because they have assigned seating and high class presentation (yours for only $14 a ticket). People who are sick of the bad manners of others are flocking to the Arclight because rudeness is less on display here. I have been to Arclight a few times, and the only bad manners I witnessed was the cruising in the men’s rest rooms, (which must account for the healthy business and tons of hot guys in this location). But the Arclight does improve one’s movie going experience. That said….

I went to the Sherman Oaks Pacific Galleria 16 to see KING KONG last night. It was crowded and the theater was packed. Since this movie is an EVENT and a BLOCKBUSTER, I naturally expected a lot of kids and perhaps some talking.

After the 20 minutes of commercials, and the 20 minutes of coming attractions, the three hour film began. And so did the mobile phone conversation of a man (with his son) in front of me. While the movie actors were talking on-screen, this jerk was talking off-screen. I yelled, “Shut-up!” and this caused him to turn off his phone.

The question is: Why is it necessary these days to have to ask people to not use their mobile phone during a film? Isn’t this self-evident to people that it is the MOST RUDE AND OBNOXIOUS sort of behavior to talk during a movie?

Let’s be honest about why we choose certain theaters. Lots of it has to do with location and convenience, but the other unspoken part is avoiding unsavory people. That’s why I live in Van Nuys but NEVER see movies in North Hollywood and Panorama City. I think I’m somehow going to sit in a theater with “higher class” people when I go to Century City or Sherman Oaks.

Then I remembered: the rudest people are now the ones who live in the best neighborhoods. They are the women on their cell phones driving the Lincoln Navigator down Rodeo Drive; they are the CEO’s in the movie theater in Century City who check their messages every five minutes; they are the scowling faces I see at Peet’s Coffee in Studio City; they are the angry, overeducated people in line at Gelsons who also talk on their phones when they should be paying attention to the cashier.A generation of spoiled and self-absorbed children (who were born 40 or 50 years ago) have total disregard for the feelings
of anyone but themselves.

King Kong himself should teach a class in etiquette to the middle-aged in this city.