Kevin Marshall's America
Last night I had the opportunity to see Darren Aronofsky’s widely hailed “Black Swan” at the Spectrum in Albany.
"Can someone help me? My head is stuck in this big red circle with a slash through it! Helloooo! Anyone?!"
First off, I love the Spectrum. I appreciate that they offer lower prices for all films and, more importantly, show films that otherwise wouldn’t be available to local audiences until they were released on DVD. More importantly, it gives these films attention they so desperately deserve in an industry where 3D is deemed a priority over story and character.
Some purists have given them Hell for showing the sort mainstream fare that also appears in Crossgates. But the way I see it, if showing “Love and Other Drugs” will alow them to also show stuff like “Client 9″ and “Heartbreaker” (neither of which I’ve seen yet but both of which come highly recommended), then I’m all for it.
That said, there’s one consistently annoying aspect to going to see a movie at The Spectrum: old people talking in my ear.
It’s definitely a generational thing. It seems that I never have a problem with, say, someone my age talking behind me. It’s always older folk, and they’re always asking why this person did that, why this thing happened that is about to be explained by the movie, or asking for clarification on something that’s clearly meant to be ambiguous.
Which is fine; some people just can’t grasp subtlety. But the TALKING right in my EAR!
I can’t shush them, which is something I despise and discourage even more than talking during a film. Just because you can hear it doesn’t mean everyone else in the audience can. In fact, they most likely can’t. However, everybody hears your angry shush, which is much more distracting and takes us out of the experience more than the distant murmurs you’re bringing further attention to.
Also, they’ve been through many more life obstacles, experiences, and Presidents than me. II feel like they’ve earned the right to talk during a movie or cut in line at the grocery.
I don’t know what The Spectrum can do, if anything, to alleviate this situation. They throw up a large image at the beginning of the film that says “no talking.”
Maybe at the end of it, they can add “, even if you were born before V.E. Day.” Or, perhaps, we can strike a deal. If old folk stop talking in my ear during the movie, I’ll volunteer to stand outside and allow every old person to slap me in the face for being such a jerk about this and also for people my age these days who don’t show them the respect they deserve and have earned.
What do you say, older folk. Deal?
As for the film itself, my review was posted last night. CLICK HERE.
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10 Responses to Irish Whispers at the Spectrum
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STALK ME
I’m surprised… I frequent The Spectrum also but have never had a problem with old people talking in the audience. I actually find that if I go with friends, we are the ones talking amongst ourselves about the movie, asking questions and we’re in our late 20’s and early 30’s. If it really bothers you, you could always get up and quietly move. :)
Funny guy! I’m old, but I don’t talk during movies (or lectures),but I can appreciate the frustration you’re experiencing.I too can’t stand people who talk when there should be quiet…no sense in saying anything…they won’t get it…oh, and by the way,it’s not just old people…it’s rude/ignorant people.
Give me old people talking any day of the week…who I can’t stand are the texting/talking-on-the-cell-during-the-movie type I keep experiencing at the Regal Cinema in Colonie Center.
During a recent trip with my 9 year old niece, I had a guy a few rows back answer his phone 12 or 13 times during the movie, just to say, ‘I can’t talk right now, I’m in the movies’ like three times for each call. Solution: TURN OFF YOUR F%%KING PHONE, DUDE!
Goose – I haven’t run into that at Colonie or Crossgates but hear of a lot of people who do.
You mentioned bringing your niece – I wonder if it’s a matinee thing?
I’m with the Goose, it’s generally the kids with the phones that annoy me. It’s not just at matinee either, it’s prime time. Oh, and just to set the record straight, i do turn of my f%%king phone when in the cinema :)
If they’re really right behind you, just turn around, look them straight in the eyes and put your finger to your lips.
I’ll still shush though. I thoroughly enjoy telling my elders what to do and where they can put it.
Take that, Nana! …just kidding, I love you Nana. Now SHHH!!!! -_-
This is why I wait for weeks before I see a movie in the theaters (if I can’t wait for it on DVD) – I wait until the # of showings drops to two or three a day, so I know it’s just about to leave, and most everyone has seen it, so most likely the theater will be empty-ish, and I go to a showtime (4:45 or something) where most people wouldn’t attend, so there will be less attendees. I saw the most recent Harry Potter with 2 other lovely, quiet people. I just got so tired of paying a ton of money to listen to other people talking in the theater, but some movies just beg to be seen on a big screen – so I take all kinds of weird precautions to guarantee to the best of my ability I’ll be as alone as possible in the theater. Sad, but it works!
Ironically, this was the subject of my post on AOA’s “Airing of Grievances” post. While you are correct about older people talking, I see it in all ages. What’s worse than the talking, is that teenagers seem to have not yet figured out that it is impolite to take off your shoes and use the back of my seat as a footstool. Seriously. I turned my head to the left and there was a BARE FOOT NEXT TO MY FACE. Grrrr. That was the one and only time I actually had the balls to say something to them, and I still was polite, even though I was boiling with disgust and indignation.
It wasn’t older folk who were talking next to us when we went to see it on Saturday night — it was a couple of women whose idea of courtesy when asking us to rise so they could get to their seats was “Coming through!”
Obnoxiousness knows no age.
Interesting……why “Irish” whispers?