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Author Topic: Restricting and/or banning children Vernon Cramer Film Handler Posts: 16 From: Virginia Beach, VA, USA Registered: Mar 2002 posted 09-06-2003 09:48 AM                     Small kids at evening shows really became an issue last night. I work with a large community college in southeast Virginia and last night we were running Matrix Reloaded in our large theater (a nicely restored former Loew's built in 1926). We book the films for our students, but since the theater is on one of the main streets, anyone can come in. Okay. So we're running an R-rated film. What shows up? Moms and/or Dads dragging along all their kids, ages infant on up. I almost went back outside to check the marque to make sure someone hadn't switched the title to Finding Nemo. It was a zoo! We spent almost the entire evening "dealing" with loud kids and oblivious, inconsiderate parents. Fortunately we have a security presence in the theater lobby and were able to rely on their support if we were unable to convince parents to take their screaming kids out to the lobby. We've had a very relaxed policy regarding kids since we started running films less than two years ago. Many of our students are parents and/or single parents, limited incomes, working multiple jobs and trying to get an education, etc. The thinking was to give them an opportunity to see some films without cutting into their tight budgets. We also have a sizeable number of students who aren't as cash-strapped but who often bring non-student friends. We give them a first-rate show (35mm, bright image, Dolby Digital sound) and their friends leave thinking differently about a community college and more open to coming back to us for classes. I was glad to read that we are not unique with the kid problems. After last night, I think it is time we adjusted our "relaxed" policy to keep the kiddie acts out except for shows we promote as "Family Films." Possibly some variation of the policies mentioned in this thread will be workable for our situation.  |  IP: Logged Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-06-2003 11:51 AM                     So first show at the Galaxy Theatre at the Telluride Film Festival this lady, who's a passholder, comes in with twin babies! They let her in but the first rule of the festival is; Nobody gets in without a pass. Me thinks the babies weren't pass holders. What was she thinking?  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 09-06-2003 06:26 PM                        This is a very interesting topic. I was planning to start a thread exactly like this one until I noticed one was already started by Charles. I personally had a problem with a crying infant last weekend during a showing of "JEEPERS CREEPERS 2" at Consolidated's Kapolei 16. The child must have been less than a year old and it was the 3:00 PM showing. Despite my nasty stares at the parents, they only made a token gesture to keep the child quiet. I must admit watching movies in theatres is not what it used to be many years ago. It is unfortunate many people behave exactly the same way they do in their living rooms in a crowded movie theatre. They fail to realize their rude behavior is preventing other patrons who paid hard earned money from enjoying a film they richly deserve to see in peace and quiet. Do you feel I am entitled to a refund if I decide to leave in a middle of a showing if a crying child is preventing me from enjoying the movie? I am also thinking about doing this whenever a disrespectful patron (s) prevents me from enjoying a movie with excessive talking and when they smoke like one did two weeks ago. I used to travel much more than I do now and one of the things I did when my trips took me to the east or midwest was to spend a couple of days on my way home in San Francisco to relax and go to the movies in many of the fine theatres in the city. Some of my favorite theatres were the Northpoint, Coronet, AMC Kabuki (Large auditorium), The Regency #1 and #2, Royal and the Alhambra. I do not know the status of the Coronet now but with the exception of the AMC Kabuki, all the theatres I had mentioned no longer exist. One of the nice things about the chain that had operated the Regency theatres, Royal and the Alhambra was their NO INFANT policy for ALL shows. I think this is a fantastic idea and it should be a standard policy for all theatres. -Claude  |  IP: Logged William Hooper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1879 From: Mobile, AL USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-08-2003 01:37 AM                        "No Babes in Arms" has been a theater admittance restriction from *before* movies.  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 09-08-2003 08:40 AM                     Our policy of strictly requiring everybody, regardless of age (if it is alive, it must have a ticket) seems to minimize the number of babies. We also suggust to those who bring them in that they go to the balcony which is closed except for Saturday. Noise in the balcony is almost inaudible downstairs. One evening though, one couple with a baby in the balcony complained about another, no complaints from downstairs. Make them pay for the infants and make no exceptions, Very few are willing to fork over the money, even our $2.00 price makes 'em balk.  |  IP: Logged Ryan Henry Film Handler Posts: 2 From: Marquette, MI, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 09-09-2003 01:11 AM                        While researching the theater I work at, I learned that kids had to sit in the balcony, and the management apparently found an employee who hated kids who's job was to watch over them. If a kid did anything disruptive or noisy, he would just point at them and they had to leave. I guess he was a little intimidating...  |  IP: Logged Scott D. Neff Theatre Dork Posts: 919 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Oct 1999 posted 09-09-2003 12:30 PM                        While we're restricting kids -- can we restrict idiots who actually answer their cell phones when they start ringing?  |  IP: Logged Jim Ziegler Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 753 From: West Hollywood, CA Registered: Jul 99 posted 09-11-2003 03:40 AM                     Darryl, Your description of the Palace is correct. 5 auditoriums are in a seperate building as the other 9 and the VIP room (which serves alcohol and is 21+), and are connected with a skywalk. The theatre itself is very upscale (rumor has it that total construction costs of the facility exceeded $50 million). Anyway, this is a very posh and very upscale facility, located in KC's most exclusive shopping area, but was totally overrun by kids and losing money. From what I have heard, since Cinemark implemented the policy, attendance is on the increase. Back to lurking...  |  IP: Logged Charles Everett Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: New Jersey Registered: May 2001 posted 10-20-2003 06:27 PM                     Destinta in New Windsor NY has modified its policy: No one under 10 after 6:30 PM unless accompanied by an adult chaperone. Photo ID required. (Per a sign in the box office window on 10/18).  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 10-20-2003 07:57 PM                    Looks like Cinemark will be implementing it's new policy starting friday at some of it's theaters. It goes pretty much like this. No children under six admitted to R rated features after 6PM.  |  IP: Logged Kyle Caudill Film Handler Posts: 92 From: Wichita Falls, TX Registered: May 2002 posted 10-20-2003 11:41 PM                     Darryl, Has the heat out here fried my brains or did I miss something? Kyle  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 10-21-2003 12:27 AM                    No you just may not be one of the theaters on the list. It's not going wide only to selected locations. All the theaters here will be going to the new policy.  |  IP: Logged Daniel Wright Expert Film Handler Posts: 163 From: Okmulgee, Ok , USA Registered: Oct 2003 posted 11-02-2003 12:37 PM                     Nothing makes more then parents who bring their little brats to the movies and then let them tear the place apart during the show. If Jr. cant sit and be quiet then DON'T BRING HIM. I baby sit two neighbor boys ages 8 and 10 quite a bit. When I took them to see Good Boy, they misbehaived so I marched them out of the theatre and we went home. Theres no excuse for anyones kids not sitting still and keeping their mouths shut during a movie.  |  IP: Logged Michael Gonzalez Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 790 From: Grand Island , NE USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 03-19-2004 06:03 PM                     I figured that this thread could use a bump up with the Dawn of the Dead opening and I already had a couple of "parents" bring in their little kids to see this one. I am just looking forward to hearing complaints from the other customers about these kids being allowed in the theater  |  IP: Logged Pravin Ratnam Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 844 From: Atlanta, GA,USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 03-19-2004 06:13 PM                     I think the problem is not parents bringing their kids to an R movie. It is the fact that they don't consider whether their kids are capable of handling the movie and not getting weirded about it. I went to a lot of the 70s classics as a kid and a lot of them were 'R's. I can tell you that as 8 or 9 year old , if Passion of the Christ or Kill Bill was sent back in a time travel machine, I would have had no problem handling it. Then again, if it was Basic Instinct, I would have been squirming in my seat next to my parents not because sex is bad, but because lurid material is just not something you want to watch next to your parents. But then again, if my mom even knew that I would not be able to handle a certain movie, she would not take me to it. I think we underestimate kids ability to process stuff, while at the same sometimes make the mistake of assuming your kids can handle somthing because you were able to handle it. It's a pretty grey area. I was not pleased when kids came to Bad Santa because it was like kids invading your roast and one can't laugh freely at some of the vulgar punchlines with a 5 year old sitting next to you.  |  IP: Logged

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