I think the police escort was a bit much. However, the theater had every right to kick them out for texting.
The movie magic is seriously gone. When I was younger, going to the movies was an event! We didn’t go often, but when we did it was quite enjoyable. The lights go down, you get absorbed in the action on the screen, you become a part of it.
Today, some kids act like it’s their God given right to do what they want, when they want. And their parents act the same way! “What? You kicked my kid out for texting? Well, I told her to text me when she got there so I knew she was OK! How dare you!”
As a former GM, I can tell you I’ve encountered every type of teen and their parents. I think a lot of the problem is that parents expect the theaters to keep their kids safe. Cheap babysitting. And that’s complete BS.
But until theater chains start to grow some … (well, you fill in the blank)… this will continue to happen. All a person has to do (including parents who have kids that cause problems) is write or email the corporate office and 9 times out of 10 they’ll get a letter of apology and free passes to come back!
As someone who has worked in theater management for 10+ years (although I recently left) I have to address some of the points made here:
1. Lengthy advertisements. Annoying? Yes. Needed? Probably not in all theaters. However, for smaller chains these advertisements provide much needed funding. Regional and local theater chains try to keep their prices low, in order to compete with national chains. Yet, they typically don’t bring in the revenue simply because they have fewer screens than the giants. So in order for them to keep prices low, they need to place advertisements from outside companies. Sorry if you hate them, but advertising is apart of our culture. It’s here to stay.
If you really have a problem with ticket prices, contact film studios. The price to bring in a film is what sets the bar for ticket prices. Theaters have bills to pay in order to operate. Xenon bulbs can cost $1000+ EACH. Heating bills, water bills, etc. It costs a lot just to open the doors for business each day.
Code of Conduct. I have mixed feelings on this. The last theater I managed was horrible when it came to disruptive teens. Friday nights, 7pm set. Ugh. Security presence didn’t help. Kicking them out didn’t help. Week after week. The corporate office basically ignored the problem; I don’t think they knew how bad it was (or, more likely, they choose to ignore it). I had customers yell about their movie being interrupted by these kids. I had parents calling the theater yelling about their kid being kicked out (parents who think their children are little angels and would NEVER do such a thing). The movie theater has become a place for kids to hang out on the weekends, and until the theater industry as a whole comes together to combat this problem, it will always be a problem.
Do I think singling out a few choice locations is OK? No. However, I do agree that not every theater location has this kind of problem.
Corporate types only see the big bucks these teens bring with them. What they don’t see is the bigger picture; Americans as a whole are going out to the movies less often. I’m sure the price of admission is part of the reason. But why would anyone willingly spend that kind of money, knowing that there is a good chance that their movie experience will be spoiled? I finally started telling some of my customers that if they really want to enjoy their movie, don’t come to the 7pm set on Fridays. And I hated telling them that. They should be able to come whenever they want and enjoy their movie.
I don’t agree with Kerasotes on their selective factor. But at least they are starting to think outside of the box. At least they acknowledge that it IS a problem. And for that, I applaud them.
I think the police escort was a bit much. However, the theater had every right to kick them out for texting.
The movie magic is seriously gone. When I was younger, going to the movies was an event! We didn’t go often, but when we did it was quite enjoyable. The lights go down, you get absorbed in the action on the screen, you become a part of it.
Today, some kids act like it’s their God given right to do what they want, when they want. And their parents act the same way! “What? You kicked my kid out for texting? Well, I told her to text me when she got there so I knew she was OK! How dare you!”
As a former GM, I can tell you I’ve encountered every type of teen and their parents. I think a lot of the problem is that parents expect the theaters to keep their kids safe. Cheap babysitting. And that’s complete BS.
But until theater chains start to grow some … (well, you fill in the blank)… this will continue to happen. All a person has to do (including parents who have kids that cause problems) is write or email the corporate office and 9 times out of 10 they’ll get a letter of apology and free passes to come back!
As someone who has worked in theater management for 10+ years (although I recently left) I have to address some of the points made here:
1. Lengthy advertisements. Annoying? Yes. Needed? Probably not in all theaters. However, for smaller chains these advertisements provide much needed funding. Regional and local theater chains try to keep their prices low, in order to compete with national chains. Yet, they typically don’t bring in the revenue simply because they have fewer screens than the giants. So in order for them to keep prices low, they need to place advertisements from outside companies. Sorry if you hate them, but advertising is apart of our culture. It’s here to stay.
If you really have a problem with ticket prices, contact film studios. The price to bring in a film is what sets the bar for ticket prices. Theaters have bills to pay in order to operate. Xenon bulbs can cost $1000+ EACH. Heating bills, water bills, etc. It costs a lot just to open the doors for business each day.
Do I think singling out a few choice locations is OK? No. However, I do agree that not every theater location has this kind of problem.
Corporate types only see the big bucks these teens bring with them. What they don’t see is the bigger picture; Americans as a whole are going out to the movies less often. I’m sure the price of admission is part of the reason. But why would anyone willingly spend that kind of money, knowing that there is a good chance that their movie experience will be spoiled? I finally started telling some of my customers that if they really want to enjoy their movie, don’t come to the 7pm set on Fridays. And I hated telling them that. They should be able to come whenever they want and enjoy their movie.
I don’t agree with Kerasotes on their selective factor. But at least they are starting to think outside of the box. At least they acknowledge that it IS a problem. And for that, I applaud them.