Movie Rant
First of all, we had a wonderful weekend...just a wonderful one. The Westin is VERY nice!
Part of the weekend was to go see The Lion King at the IMAX Theater at the Seattle Science Center. I love The Lion King, as does Roy. We were really enjoying it when...
Clomp clomp clomp
A little boy ran in front of the seats ahead of us, noisily. Okay. When ya gotta go ya gotta go.
Clomp clomp clomp
He ran back.
Okay, that's irritating...
Mufasa lay, breathing his last, I have tears my eyes.
CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP
Back again, this time with his mother, father, and little sister following him. Okay, now I really AM getting irritated. Thank you for ripping me out of the moment in the movie.
And if you're reading this and thinking "Oh good Lord, it's a kid's movie. Get over it!" Well guess what? I don't care if I'm watching the grass grow. If I paid for a ticket I should be allowed to watch it in its entirety in peace.
So we go back to watching the movie. A few minutes later they tromped back in front of us again. Irritating, but no biggie. They're heading for their seats.
Rustle rustle...squeaky voice, clomp clomp clomp.
Dad has decided that the one year old needs to walk up and down the stairs to...what? Stay entertained? She's yabbering, he's talking to her.
SHHHHHHHH
He ignores us and the other patrons in the movie.
This goes on for a good 15 minutes. He's walking her up, one stair at a time while she yammers. He walks her down one stair at a time while she yammers.
Okay, this just pisses me the hell off. Where in the hell do you shop for an ego that is so big that you are under the belief that everyone in the movie theater is going to be A-Okay with your child's noise? If the child makes noise TAKE IT OUT OF THE THEATER! Better yet, how about this? How about you don't bring a child that you know won't sit through an entire movie TO the theater in the first place? You're not taking a one year old because she came up to you and said "Please Father, take me to see The Lion King at the IMAX. It is such a socially enlightening movie with messages on so many levels that I truly feel that it will have an ongoing positive impact on my soul."
No, you're taking the kid for you. Rent the DVD, pop popcorn, cuddle up on the couch under the blanket and make the memory at home. Take pictures and make a scrapbook page if you feel the need. But please do not assume that it's just fine and dandy to go to a movie and interrupt the other 50-200 people on the theater because you want to make a memory.
I wanted to go up after the movie and ask the guy for $20. IMAX films are more expensive than a regular matinee and this guy and his family had decided that I wasn't to enjoy my movie, so I felt he should reimburse me. Unreasonable? Maybe. But no more unreasonable than believing that since you're you, you have the right to interrupt the entertainment of 100 other people.
Oh I'm sure one could argue that it
is a children's movie, therefore I should expect noise from children. Well sure! Of course! I expect kids to make some noise. But I also expect parents to teach their children appropriate behavior in this particular social situation. I expect them to kindly shush a noisy child who is old enough to understand, and to take a smaller child out of the theater if quieting isn't a possibility. I think part of the problem in children's movies in particular is that many adults don't go to watch the movie. They go to take their kids. They assume that every other adult in the theater is like them, not interested. Well I am interested. I love Disney films and if it's a good one, like The Lion King, I may go to see it a number of times. I do feel that as an adult who bought a ticket I should have the right to watch a movie in peace!
I have heard that the AMC chain has made a no children under four rule in their theaters. I know it used to be no children under two. I love it! LOVE IT! Oh I'm sure someone will think I'm a heartless bitch because I want to impose on the right of someone else to bring their kids to the movies. I'm not anti-kids in movies. I'm anti-noise. I'm all for a child sitting quietly in a movie and watching it. I'm not for running up and down the aisles, making a lot of noise, calling names. Is that unreasonable? Face it. Very few toddlers are old enough to grasp what is going on in a movie and sit through the entire thing.
And don't even get me started on the morons who bring babies in arms into the theater! That is just a selfish parent deciding "To hell with it! I don't care WHO I bother, I'm going to bring my kid so
I can go see a movie! I don't care that the loud noises and larger than life images may scare the living hell out of my kid. It's all about
me and what
I want!"
Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine? I'm one of those people who loves movies...loves the experience of seeing them on the BIG screen. I sit up front in the third row so that the movie fills my vision and surrounds me. I want to lose myself for two hours in anothre world, another life, another time. When I watch a movie that is really good I REALLY get into it. I am so engrossed that I find it almost painful to be wrenched out by noises around me. I can handle the crunch of popcorn, the laughter, the odd exclamation of surprise, joy, or horror...but I cannot handle people who seem to think they are sitting in their own livingroom that what they have to say takes precedence over everyone else's enjoyment of the movie.
Okay, I'll step off my soapbox now.
Despite the family who felt that their wants came before the desire of every other person in the movie theater's enjoyment, it was really neat to see The Lion King on the HUGE screen! I adore this movie and the play even more (we've seen the play four times), so I REALLY enjoyed this. If you like The Lion King and have an IMAX near you, go see it. You won't be sorry! (Unless that same family is there. If they are, feel free to give them my email for my address to send my $20 to.)
