Anderson Cooper says Alamo’s Tim League deserves Nobel Peace Prize

[sonias]

Movie blog AAS 6/8/11

Anderson Cooper says Alamo’s Tim League deserves Nobel Peace Prize

The Alamo Drafthouse has a long history of taking a zero-tolerance approach toward talking and texting in theaters. People who talk or use their cell phones during movies receive warnings, and if the behavior continues, violators will be removed.

The Drafthouse’s unwavering commitment to a peaceful moviegoing experience went viral earlier this week when the Austin-based theater chain posted a video online with audio from a profanity-laced voicemail left by a young woman kicked out of the theater last month for texting.

The Drafthouse used the voicemail to create another in a long line of its clever pre-screening public service announcements warning patrons of the perils of talking or texting during a movie.

The video, which has received hundreds of thousands of views online, gained the notice of CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who reported the story Tuesday night at the end of his show and called Drafthouse CEO Tim League a “great American hero” who should win the Nobel Peace Prize.

“We thought we’d get a little bit of traction on it because it was kind of funny, but it just took off like wildfire,” League said Wednesday by phone.

If you haven't seen/heard the video here's the link. I got the uncensored version on Sunday night at the Rolling Roadshow showing of "Blood Simple" in Austin. The crowd absolutely loved it. Damn hilarious!
YouTube

I feel sorry for the girl. She's now the perfect idiot for leaving a voice message on an answering machine the Alamo would have to use. :)

:rofl:

[sonias]

1. The comments on YouTube are equally hilarious

The Magnited States of America must be that dark crawlspace under Sarah Palin's porch.

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[sonias]

2. SHE TEXTED. WE KICKED HER OUT.

Alamo blog 6/6/11
SHE TEXTED. WE KICKED HER OUT

As many of you know, I really can't abide people who talk during a movie. A couple of years ago I was accosted in the Village parking lot by a patron who was warned for talking in a movie. I've nearly come to blows more than a few times over the years with rude customers over the same issue. When we adopted our strict no talking policy back in 1997 we knew we were going to alienate some of our patrons. That was the plan. If you can't change your behavior and be quiet (or unilluminated) during a movie, then we don't want you at our venue. Follow our rules, or get the hell out and don't come back until you can.

Recently, we had a situation where a customer persisted in texting in the theater despite two warnings to stop. Our policy at that point is to eject the customer without a refund, which is exactly what went down that night. Luckily, this former patron was so incensed at being kicked out, she quickly called the office and left us the raw ingredients for our latest "Don't Talk or Text" PSA. You can check it out below, or come to the Alamo this weekend where the video will be playing before all of our R-rated movies.

That shoots down the whole "I didn't know I wasn't supposed to text" defense she tried to use. They obviously recognized her voice that night and knew exactly what customer this was calling into leave a message. She had two warnings before they tossed her out.

:nopity:

[kentauros]

6. I'm not so sure it shoots down her defense.

It sounds like she showed up late to the movie and then had to use her phone as a flashlight, at least I think that's what she said. However, I am not defending her. I can't stand not only people that show up late, but showing up late myself.

A friend (that is habitually late to events with set times) and I see movies sometimes and I usually look up the times. I tend to subtract about fifteen minutes from the choices for showings. That way, we are assured of getting into the theater before the previews and warnings ;)

She sounds like a college kid, and I'm wondering how she managed to get accepted with such bad diction, all right? :P

[sonias]

8. That's if you believe her version

Don't know if you have been to an Alamo theater, but honestly, there's light in there so you can find a seat. You just let your eyes adjust to the darkness and the empty seats are obvious. I mean the wait staff are back and forth the whole time - without flashlights.

I'm more apt to believe that someone that got kicked out, quickly phoned back to the theater to complain. Since the sting and anger is still hot enough to make the person want to vent. And even patrons of the Alamo are apt to tell you to turn your cell phone off too - not just the wait staff. Using as a flashlight or not. Still not a good use. Still disruptive to the people trying to watch the movie.

I'm sure the people they kick out are not that many, and each one has a unique story that someone on the wait staff knows. So I'm more apt to believe they had warned her and she just blew them off - until they tossed her butt out of the theater. To cheers of the crowd I'm sure.

:shrug:

[kentauros]

9. Again, I'm not defending her

and I'm glad they kicked her out. I read some of the posts to the video and it appears to be as you say, that she was texting anyway and blew them off (because she does it at all theaters.)

A polite person showing up late for a movie would have either waited for their eyes to adjust or asked for help finding a seat. To be thrown out of any venue indicates rude behavior, and likely the same behavior everywhere she goes. It would be nice if theaters across the country started doing this, too.

I've never been to one of their theaters (none are anywhere nearby, all are way out in the burbs around here) so I don't know what signs exist, what warnings are displayed and so forth. But if she showed up late as she indicated, then she wouldn't have seen the initial warning played at the beginning. And if her head is pointed perpetually at her phone, then she'd never have noticed posted signs, either. I may have to blog now about this scourge of phone-based social media and how it affects us all ;)

[hobbit709]

3. got my vote.

[onestepforward]

4. LOL!

It reminds me a little of how DKos handles their hate mail!

:rofl:

[sonias]

5. Exactly - be careful what you put out there

That's a warning for everyone. From Congressmen online to drunk girls leaving phone answering machine messages. :eyes:

[plumbob]

7. Excellent! More like this, please!

Phones have no place at all in the theater.

Period.

[WolverineDG]

10. Oh, pooh, I thought you meant Alamo, Texas

& was all fixed to :bounce: :bounce: for a fellow Valley person.

dg

[sonias]

11. Hey that's a great idea

I mean Alamo Theaters in the RGV. That would totally rock!!

They have franchises for sale. :)