Earlier this year, the Alamo Drafthouse released a video of a completely real-life voicemail from a rather-upset film patron who was booted from the theater after texting during the film. The Drafthouse, which I'd argue is one of the great theaters in our Milky Way, is very clear about their no-texting policy: Don't. Do. It.
Fast forward to the times-of-right-now: The Drafthouse's newest PSA against movie-texting features Young Adult director Jason Reitman booting Oswalt out of the drafthouse for texting. The best part: Oswalt recreates the infamous voicemail mentioned above (full video below).
So, aside from the above comic brilliance: Where do we go from here? The New York Times broke the news of a theater in Washington that's attempting to mollify 24 hours a day, seven days a week smartphone users by actually allowing texting during screenings. Insanity, right?
Pre-sound, talking was commonplace at the movies (what the hell else do you do during Birth of a Nation?). So, it's up for discussion: Will movie-texting become just another part of the film experience, as innocuous as silent-movie theater talking?
That said, if anyone chats with Siri during my screening of The Dark Knight Rises prologue: I'm cracking skulls.
