Social Experiment at the Movies

Social Experiment at the Movies

Muh wife and I went to see Batman Begins at the movies over the holiday weekend. (Side note -- this is a tremendous film and I really recommend it to anyone that wants to see it. The first villian that we meet was actually scary and I am so glad they went that way with that character. He was just a real stupid character in the Super Friends episodes.)

We got to the theater about 15 minutes early like we usually do so that we could enjoy "The 20" which is Regal Cinemas pre-movie entertainment. It usually shows you inside looks at upcoming entertainment on television, music or movies. It isn't great but we watch it anyway. This is where the social experiment of the afternoon began.

We could only hear The 20. It didn't have any pictures to go along with it. It was kind of annoying but we sat through it for a few minutes before I went outside to tell them that there was a problem in the theater. I was quickly dismissed as only a 22 year old theater manager can dismiss a 31 year old man who was wearing a black T-Shirt that read "Ninja Assassin" can.

The 20 finished up without ever showing us a single image. They ran the two ads that are common place now in the movies and then... we were ready for the previews. The first preview came on and it was extremely loud. Not loud in the sense where it bombarded you with noise from everything... just loud action sequences. You couldn't hear the dialogue at all. The older couple in front of us complained.

The second preview was the exact opposite. It had no sound at all. The images bombarded us and yet... not a sound. This enabled the idiots in the top row to make sound effects. Some were funny and some were not. ANything that invloved beeping on the phone... was not funny. I tried not to laugh because I didn't want to encourage them to keep it up.

The third preview was a return to the loud sounds without any dialouge while the fourth preview was completely silence but images only. The kids began with their schtick again too. The old lady in front of us finally got up to complain. When she did this, I said to muh beautiful wife. "I bet we are part of some big social experiment... to see how far we will go before we complain." The old lady lost.

The fifth preview began quietly and the old lady walked in and announced to everyone in ear shot that the theater is aware of the problem but the movie will be fine. "What a relief," I sighed. "and yet... I don't believe them."

The movie began and everything was perfect.

I wonder if there was some old fella with a white lab coat and a clipboard making comments about our group.

Also... one last and final funny... when we left the movie... I heard one lady go... "Daaaammnn... that movie was deep! It ain't nearly as funny as the first ones... it made me think too much.... "