Off-topic: Movie etiquette
I like the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre for movies because it has the greatest potential for the expression of genuine creativity. The writer and director of a fantasy movie can construct entirely new realities to share with the public. They can let their imaginations run wild and really, truly create. The actors involved participate by portraying characters that have never actually existed. Set designers, prop designers, art directors, and everyone else do their jobs in a more purely creative state than any other genre permits. The best recent example of that is The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkein was a genius.
Last week I went to see Underworld with my friend Jerry (Mrs. Happy hates sci-fi stuff, so she doesn't usually accompany me to such movies). I found it interesting, as it put its own spin on the mythology of vampires and werewolves. I also found it frustrating because it had a densely plotted, fascinating story that either the director or the studio felt was unimportant. The writer had imagined a thousand-year history between these two races, with detailed motivations and back stories for every major character, but it got lost among the copious fight scenes and, as Roger Ebert pointed out, people walking through doors. While watching the movie, I could imagine a studio executive saying to the director, "Hmm. Kate here doesn't seem to have as many fights as Wesley Snipes did in Blade, and we don't have as many stunts as The Matrix. We can fix that by adding three minutes to the fight in the subway and adding another in the werewolves' lair. Cut out some of that stuff about her parents if you have to. I don't want this movie being too long."
What irritated me more, though, were the other people in the theater. Jerry and I were able to catch a matinee right after work, so there were not many people there. However, the guy sitting directly behind us took a cell phone call right as the movie started. Jerry glared at him to let him know he was disturbing the people around him. For the rest of the time we were there, the guy never passed up an opportunity to kick the back of Jerry's chair.
Across the aisle from us sat three guys who seemed to have no interest in being there. They had full-voice conversations. They took and made cell phone calls, speaking loudly so that they could hear themselves over the fight scenes. And I can't be sure, but in the movie's quiet moments I swear I could hear headphone-quality music coming from their direction.
This sort of behavior can't be excused by ignorance. Even children know not to disturb others during a movie. Every film in America today follows a public service announcement asking patrons to turn off their pagers and cell phones. Not doing so amounts to willful disregard for others. When I was a kid, ushers routinely asked disruptive people to leave the theater. I think it may be time to revive that practice.
