Prepare To Be Watched While You Watch a Movie

BussyB writes "Gaining entry to some movie theaters lately gives patrons an experience that is on par with going through a TSA security checkpoint at the airport. Then once you've gained access, there are cameras strategically positioned that record your every move. Unfortunately, the extent to which these companies monitor movie-goers is only going to get worse."

Comments

Heh

[Kireas]

In Soviet Russia...

Re:Heh

[Seriousity]

My initial thought is that they're recording peoples' responses to product placement / subliminal advertising, in an attempt to gauge the effectiveness thereof.

Did anyone else catch the giant cigarette advertisement in the last James Bond? It was right after he had sex with the blonde, what a hero.

Re:Heh

[Anonymous Coward]

Your initial thought is dumb. It's quite clearly to stop people recording movies.

Re:Heh

[DarkDust]

Almost, now it's: "In Corporate America, movie watches you" :-) I'm not from the US so I can't tell how bad it is, but one can get the impression that the level of surveillance is even worse than during the cold war... but most surveillance seems not to be done by the government any more but by corporations.

Re:Heh

[mcgrew]

Well, I don't fly because of the TSA, I guess the movie theater owners down't want my money any more than the airline industry.

Stupid cowardly people...

Re:Heh

[TheKidWho]

Yo dawg, we heard you like to watch movies, so we put you in a movie so you can watch yourself watching a movie while you watch a movie!

Re:Heh

[RMH101]

see also:
Girl to Bond: "Nice watch".
Bond: "Omega"
Girl: (breathes) "...beautiful"

In the UK, film critic Mark Kermode let a successful campaign to have audiences shout "KERCHING!" at this point when watching the film. More of this kind of thing is required.

Re:Heh

[Anonymous Coward]

but most surveillance seems not to be done by the government any more but by corporations.

Different fist, same bully.

Re:Heh

[JackieBrown]

In the UK, film critic Mark Kermode let a successful campaign to have audiences shout "KERCHING!" at this point when watching the film. More of this kind of thing is required.

Does Mark lead a campaign whenever a movie has characters drinking or using other drugs? Cigarettes are the easy bad to pick. As an ex-smoke, I do admit they are bad and stupid. The attacks on it, though, are disproportionate to the other drugs out there.

Re:Heh

[Profane MuthaFucka]

And also to stop people watching movies too.

Re:Heh

[E IS mC(Square)]

I used to go to theaters almost every week. But past 5 years, it's just once or twice. Getting a nice projector and having patience for DVD/BD release works for me.

And I can drink beer from bottle straight up.

My problem was not (just) theater owners, it had more to do with mobile loving teens.

Re:Heh

[JackieBrown]

I don't think we have as many camera's as parts of Europe.

London has 10,000 crime-fighting CCTV cameras which cost £200 million, figures show today.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23412867-tens-of-thousands-of-cctv-cameras-yet-80-of-crime-unsolved.do

I think I prefer surveillance by corporations since I know what their goal is. Government's goals changes every 2 to 4 years in the US.

Re:Heh

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm not sure where these movie theaters are that have this TSA like experience. In California I go to a lot of movies. No metal detector, no screening, nobody trying to look in my hip pack or my wife's purse. I've been to 5 movies (3 different theaters) in Houston, TX this year too and the same thing. Nobody doing any TSA nonsense. So I am not sure exactly where this market is that the summary refers to. Also, I've yet to see a camera watching me in a movie.

Re:Heh

[AlecC]

In this case, it is not the product but the advertising that is being objected to. You entertainment with ads free on TV. When you pay to see a film, you expect the fimmaker to tell the story, not sell more goods. It doesn't matter how good or bad the items being advertised are, I don't want my attention distracted from the story the film is telling.

I realize that I am fighting a losing battle here. I have given up TV; maybe I am about to give up films.

Re:Heh

[AlecC]

Technology has made surveillance cheaper. When you need people to watch the cameras and tape to record them is expensive, there is a natural damper on excessive surveillance. When computers watch the cameras for you, Moore's law is cutting the cost of surveillance exponentially. Plus storage is also falling in price, and compression improving. Expect much more of the same unless you protest.

Re:Heh

[slim]

Does Mark lead a campaign whenever a movie has characters drinking or using other drugs?

You have to bear in mind that "lead a campaign" here means "suggest on his radio programme that people do it, and read out emails from people who have done". It's not so much campaigning as filling airtime with wittertainment at its most wittertaining.

Re:Heh

[ekgringo]

The only TSA-like experience I've ever had at a movie occurred when I went to a midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show and they were stopping people from bringing in props like umbrellas and toast.

Re:Heh

[jgardia]

You can also drink beer in German theaters.

Re:Heh

[Anonymous Coward]

And Bond wore a Rolex Submariner traditionally.

True, Omega's trying to move more up-market by making its own mechanisms and not relying on Eta movements, but that was about the baldest, tackiest product insert ever.

Re:Heh

[mcgrew]

There was a theater in Orlando in the early '80s that was a bar/theater where you could drink beer while watching. But I have yet to find a theater that you can pass a fattie around in while watching a comedy.

If you're stoned anough, even Jar Jar is amusing.

Re:Heh

[RMH101]

I know we've always had a degree of product placement, whether overt or just because the producer got some nice freebie samples from a company, but that one really was cringeworthy. And I'm someone who owns both an Omega Seamaster Automatic (bought in 2000: got engaged and didn't see why I should miss out on something nice after buying her the diamond ring!) and an Omega Planet Ocean, which have been the Bond watches in recent years....Hmm, maybe I'm not immune to advertising after all.

Re:Heh

[Anonymous Coward]

That's because the corporations are getting nervous.

Re:Heh

[mlts]

It is getting pretty bad. To watch a DVD, I have to handbrake it, so I can actually watch the movie, and not 30 minutes of previews, MPAA warnings and other tripe.

My recommendation: Vote with your feet and your dollars.

The trick is to give the middle finger to the chain theaters that do this stuff. This is one of the good things about Austin -- why sit in a cattle arena with cruddy food when you can hit an Alamo Drafthouse, get a real [1] beer and a decent meal while watching something?

[1]: Guinness especially.

Re:Heh

[mcgrew]

There was no surveillance during the cold war; that ended about the time technology was at a point that it was affordable.

Now there are cameras everywhere.

Re:Heh

[IndustrialComplex]

Government's goals changes every 2 to 4 years in the US.

I wish it did. No, their goal has always been to regulate more of your life this year than they did last year.

Re:Heh

[jenningsthecat]

... but most surveillance seems not to be done by the government any more but by corporations.

Implicit in that statement is the silly idea that the government and the corporations are separate entities. Where have you been for the last few decades?

Re:Heh

[snowraver1]

If you're stoned anough, even Jar Jar is amusing.

Stop spreading your filthy lies!

Re:Heh

[Anonymous Coward]

He's very amusing. But there is a process to reach that amusement:

You begin to wonder how someone could think it was a good idea. Typically there exists some permutation of mind where you can imagine an idea being good.

But Jar Jar is different. This strain resists enjoyment in all combinations. Your brain doesn't know this, and attempts a brute-force search after exhausting its personality lookup table. As your brain's empathic resources are drained and its search process consumes more and more of your mind, you grow closer to madness. Your sense of humour gradually becomes less particular as its resources are consumed in an attempt to comprehend Jar Jar's inclusion.

After a while, he becomes very funny indeed!

Re:Heh

[Anonymous Coward]

There was such a place in the Fort Pierce, Florida area I attended regularly in the mid-90's that let you do exactly that. You could smoke anything you wanted, they had table service, and showed old movies. There was a small lobby and a single "theater"; I never saw anyone go outside until the movie was over. It was open for years, but after I got married and had kids I never went back. Some things just aren't the same anymore.

Re:Heh

[Sponge Bath]

...a theater that you can pass a fattie around

I have a fond memory from 1977 of witnessing this at a midnight showing of The Song Remains the Same at the now closed North Town 6 theater in Dallas. Everyone brought their own bottles of booze as well. No police busting people, the theater owners were happy to be filling seats, and the customers had a good time.

Of course, that kind of fun and freedom is now just a distant memory.

Re:Heh

[spun]

Yes, mcgrew, but you are an old coot. Old coots have the privilege of being able to say crazy things like "I won't fly on no gol-durned airplane no more because the security people want to look at my wiener" or "I don't go to movies because they are watching me." I'm actually looking forward to my coot-hood. I'm going to believe in something really crazy, like the basic decency of human nature, or the perfectibility of mankind or something like that.

Re:Heh

[Anonymous Coward]

you wouldn't download a car, would you??

Re:Heh

[VShael]

"And I can drink beer from bottle straight up."

It's one thing I like about European cinemas; getting a beer in the foyer and drinking it while watching the movie.

Of course, I can do that at home too, but you know what I mean.

Re:Heh

[CohibaVancouver]

And Bond wore a Rolex Submariner traditionally

I suppose it's how you define "traditionally." OO7 hasn't worn a Rolex since 1973's "Live and Let Die." In fact, aside from the early Connery films Bond has usually *not* worn a Rolex.

Re:Heh

[mcgrew]

I was in college at SIU that year, and they had the Mississippi River Festival; a different big name act every night, close enough to hear from the balcony (I was married and we were in on-campus housing).

Alcohol wasn't allowed, so people would bring coolers of beer and have to leave the beer. There were mountainous piles of full six packs outside the gate, so we'd sit outside and drink beer and smoke dope and listen to the music.

The next morning we'd go down to the audience area before the cleanup crews came and we'd find at least a couple ounces of pot.

We didn't have to buy any beer or pot all summer. Man, those were the days!

Re:Heh

[AtomicJake]

I never understood, whey you can drink huge amounts of sugar drinks in US cinemas but not a decent beer (if you get a decent beer in that part of the US - but I digress) as you can do it in most European cinemas. Poor Americans!

Re:Heh

[AtomicJake]

But I have yet to find a theater that you can pass a fattie around in while watching a comedy.

Drive-in cinema?

Re:Heh

[nabsltd]

It doesn't matter how good or bad the items being advertised are, I don't want my attention distracted from the story the film is telling.

Basically, as long as the characters don't "advertise", I think the public is fine with it.

For example, if Q says to Bond, "now, let me tell you about the 'additions' to the BMW Z3...", and that's the only mention of the make or model of the car in the movie, it's probably OK. But if Bond were constantly asking people if they "want a ride in my BMW", it'd be too much (like the mentioned Omega watch example).

Re:Heh

[BronsCon]

>And also to stop people watching movies too.
>also to stop people watching movies too.
>also stop watching movies too.
>also too.

Really? In many years on /. this is my first grammar nazi post, so I'll go easy and not mention the fact that you started your sentence with "And".

Re:Heh

[Anonymous Coward]

Hate to burst your bubble but surveillance by corporations is the same thing as surveillance by the government. The government will find a way to access those data, either by buying it or by legal maneuvering.

The only way to keep data out of the governments hands is to not record it in the first place.

Re:Heh

[delinear]

No, they were managing that quite well for a long time before the cameras made their debut.

Re:Heh

[delinear]

The two don't have to be mutually exclusive - MK really does seem to be a massive film boff and I'm sure this kind of thing winds him up incredibly, so if he can kill two birds with one stone, raise awareness of this nonsense and hopefully put "serious" film-makers off trying the same AND fill some air time, it's pretty much a win-win for him I'd have thought.

Re:Heh

[Anonymous Coward]

Product placement is nothing new for Mr. Bond. From cars to watches to boats to smokes, there's always been some obvious product sponsorship going back to at least the first Roger Moore movies.

What's kind of sad about this is that Bond represents the embodiment of British power and the idea that no matter how far the British Empire has fallen since its glory days, no matter how much it is no longer the country to be feared, well, they still have Mr. Bond to show that Britain can go anywhere and do anything, on the land, in the air, in the seas or even in space.

The idea of Britain being a country to be feared is more or less as much of a fantasy as Mr. Bond himself. They barely manage land and air. The seem to be having trouble with the seas lately, or at least the rocks within the sea, and space? Yeah. Sure.

So it's not so hard to accept that the erstwhile hero of the empire, the UK equivalent of Superman, Mr. Bond, is reduced to hawking smokes and Glasstron boats and Ford Mondeos. Not even an Astin Martin -a Ford Mondeo! Sure it's nice and all, but wow.

IMHO, there was only one truly great "Bond-endorsed" product and that was the theft-proof car. It did not, in fact, get stolen.

Re:Heh

[a_nonamiss]

Expect much more of the same while you protest.

Fixed that for you.

Re:Heh

[Infonaut]

Implicit in that statement is the silly idea that the government and the corporations are separate entities.

Implicit in that statement is gross oversimplification of the complex relationship between corporations and government. It makes for an easy slogan, but isn't helpful beyond that.

Re:Heh

[gknoy]

As in, "ha ha, some idiot somewhere probably finds this funny .... oh no!" ? :)

Re:Heh

[ImprovOmega]

And Bond wore a Rolex Submariner traditionally

I suppose it's how you define "traditionally." OO7 hasn't worn a Rolex since 1973's "Live and Let Die." In fact, aside from the early Connery films Bond has usually *not* worn a Rolex.

Hence "traditionally" all other Bonds other than Connery are pretenders to the throne.

Re:Heh

[interkin3tic]

My initial thought is that they're recording peoples' responses to product placement / subliminal advertising, in an attempt to gauge the effectiveness thereof.

I thought it was to catch people using hand cameras to record the movie and upload it. After all, they seem so convinced that the reason people aren't spending $30 to go out to the latest crappy movie is because they can download a shaky, poorly contrasted, terrible audio, low resolution version of it for free.

Re:Heh

[spun]

If I could download a car, and the place I downloaded it from still had the car after I downloaded it, then yes, I would download a car.

Re:Heh

[mattack2]

It is getting pretty bad. To watch a DVD, I have to handbrake it, so I can actually watch the movie, and not 30 minutes of previews, MPAA warnings and other tripe.

My recommendation: Vote with your feet and your dollars.

But if you're buying/renting the DVD, you're not following your own advice.

BTW, most of the time, one or more of the following will work on DVDs: menu button; top menu button; chapter skip button [likely multiple times]; stop then play. Except for rarely the MPAA warning (even then I can often go into 1.5x mode on one of my players), I can only remember seeing a VERY small number of DVDs with truly unskippable/stoppable stuff.

Re:Heh

[kendbluze]

Implicit in that statement is the silly idea that the government and the corporations are separate entities. Where have you been for the last few decades?

Government and corporations are surely separate entities, at least at any given moment. But they cooperate intimately in order to fulfill their respective goals, power for government and wealth for corporations. They're a team, tightly knit, well practiced, interdependent, sharing information and people. Separately and together, they have long and hallowed traditions which have brought tremendous success. We the People are the raw material. Government and large business working together are the process. Wealth and power for select individuals is the final product. Such are the ways of the world. Always have been.

Re:Heh

[Anonymous Coward]

America just witnessed an election that was -bought- by corporations; republicans spent SEVEN TIMES more money than democrats. While saying that the government and the corporations is a gross oversimplification, it's a simplification that has merit.

Captcha: Swallows. But it doesn't say what.

Re:Heh

[mlts]

It depends on the player. Some that works, others, stop-play-stop works. Others, up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-b-a gets the ability to skip UOP stuff. Still others just do not have a way to skip altogether.

Re:Heh

[BronsCon]

I was going for funny... Oh well, got karma to burn, I guess.

Re:Heh

[Dutch Gun]

Of course, I can do that at home too, but you know what I mean.

Don't worry, we'll be looking into that little loophole soon enough.

Love,
Your Nanny-State Govt.

Re:Heh

[treeves]

Toast? Seriously?
What about fresh fruit?
It can be quite dangerous too.

Re:Heh

[bmk67]

If you're stoned anough, even Jar Jar is amusing.

That must be some bad shit you're smoking.

Re:Heh

[dave87656]

My recommendation: Vote with your feet and your dollars.

The trick is to give the middle finger to the chain theaters that do this stuff.

My thoughts exactly. I stopped going to movies about five years ago. My girlfriend wanted to see a movie recently so I agreed to go. That was enough to satisfy me for the next 5 years. I don't miss it.

Re:Heh

[Anonymous Coward]

And Bond wore a Rolex Submariner traditionally

I suppose it's how you define "traditionally." OO7 hasn't worn a Rolex since 1973's "Live and Let Die." In fact, aside from the early Connery films Bond has usually *not* worn a Rolex.

Er, actually Timothy Dalton wore a Rolex Submariner in the 1980s too.

Re:Heh

[wwfarch]

According to the article the system for detecting recording equipment is already in place. This is a new addition to the system to record audience reactions.

Re:Heh

[CohibaVancouver]

Timothy Dalton wore a Rolex Submariner in the 1980s too

Er, actually, no. Dalton's OO7 wore a TAG Heuer watch, not a Rolex, then in 1995 Brosnan's OO7 wore an Omega Seamaster (the watch that coincidentally happens to be on my wrist right now).

Re:Heh

[Profane MuthaFucka]

And also too the Grammar Nazi posts aren't usually often considered relevant. Because communication it doesn't need perfect grammer. or spelling. It's like fucking without an instruction book. If you cum, it couldn't have been that awful.

Re:Heh

[BronsCon]

Yes, and but I did had some karma to burn.

Re:Heh

[Anonymous Coward]

Sorry CohibaVancouver, but Timothy Dalton wore a Submariner date in both Living Daylights and Licence to Kill. I'm not saying he also didn't wear something else as well, as Roger Moore definitely had a Seiko in the 1970s and Connery also wore a special Breitling Top-Time in Thunderball. I'm pretty sure that Bond has never worn a TAG though and the internet agrees with me. Check out: http://jamesbond.ajb007.co.uk/rolex-submariner/ for a decent write up of Bond watches. You are right about the Brosnan Omega bit though. NNice watch you have there, wear it well!

Chauncy Gardiner

[2.7182]

"I like to watch" (from Being There).

Re:Chauncy Gardiner

[shoehornjob]

I remembeer that movie. My parents made me sit through it when I was a kid.

Re:Chauncy Gardiner

[Bergs007]

I remembeer that movie. My parents made me sit through it when I was a kid.

The irony is that if you were to watch it in a theater now, you would also be watched.

Re:Chauncy Gardiner

[Dryanta]

yo dawg i herd u like movies so we put a camera in yo theater so you can watch while you watch

Re:Chauncy Gardiner

[morari]

You know Raphael?! You tell that punk-ass bitch...

Re:Chauncy Gardiner

[2.7182]

Hahaha! Exactly why that movie is so funny.

Will she go down on you in a theater?

[cindyann]

Apologies to Alanis Morrisette.

Re:Will she go down on you in a theater?

[Stregano]

My thoughts exactly. I guess it is back to the weenis in the popcorn again (and that butter is awfully hot these days, ouch)

Re:Will she go down on you in a theater?

[Chris Tucker]

She might go down on you in a theater...

But You Can't Do That On Television.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[Sonny Yatsen]

Only, this time it's "Who watches the watchers?"

Re:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[crovira]

"If you stare into the Abyss long enough the Abyss stares back at you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Re:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[Drakkenmensch]

Or in the case of bad DVD sales, Who watches the Watchmen movie?

Re:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[supertrinko]

But who will watch the watchers watching the watchers watching the watchmen movie?

Re:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[Anonymous Coward]

Who watches the watchers watching the watchers ...

Re:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[An ominous Cow art]

I didn't realize they were remaking The Abyss. Still not enough to get me to go back to the theater, though.

Re:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[Anonymous Coward]

42

Re:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[jbeaupre]

No one. And the watchers won't be watching either. Profits are razor thins so theaters are manned by kids making minimum wage. They don't give a crap about what goes on, as long as they don't have to clean it up. I've walked in carrying a couple pizzas and no ticket, taking diner to my brother who worked there.

Re:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[Anonymous Coward]

No, it's who watches the people watching the watchers?

Re:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmmm...depends on which actress upon which they perform CPR...if you're a boob [wo]man.

Re:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[Anonymous Coward]

I bet you if Hollywood did remake "The Abyss" in the "re imagining" of it the aliens would be here to conquer earth and the plucky crew would purposely send the nuke down to destroy them before they could complete their nefarious plot...... The horror.

Re:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[delinear]

It depends what the incentives are. If this is coming from the cinemas themselves, you're probably right, the people working there won't care enough to watch everyone once the novelty wears off (or the people they will be watching are not the ones who they should be watching, if you catch my drift). If it's coming from elsewhere - MPAA for instance - then maybe the cinema just gets a small handout and they give the film directly to the studios, or maybe they get a bounty for spotting people recording, suddenly there's a real reason to be paying attention.

Re:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[SheeEttin]

Only, this time it's "Who watches the watchers?"

Er, the guys with the security cameras. Didn't you even read the headline? :P

Re:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

[Anonymous Coward]

In soviet russia, movie watches you!

even more reason to wait for the dvd

[DynamoJoe]

On the upside, Hollywood keeps turning out crap so I feel like I'm not missing much by waiting for the movie to come out on video.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Himring]

This'll just make me stop going to the movie theater, cuz if I feel like they're watching me pour rum into my diet coke, in order to tolerate their bad movies, then I just ain't goin. And I'm pretty sure the flare from my pipe will be picked up by these cameras too....

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[2.7182]

I know what you mean. Forget modern movies - if you want to see a well-made classic, try "Dirty Dancing". Pinnacle of movie making.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[WankersRevenge]

My wife and i started to go to drive-in when my daughter was born and while the quality isn't super duper imax 3D, there's nothing quite like laying on the hood of my car and sipping a beer or laying out on blanket with a radio besides us. Next summer, we're picking up a portable grill to get a little tailgating action going on. Honestly, I see no reason to go back to the traditional theaters. The experience is just too miserable for the money plus, we're guaranteed to see our drive-in movie in 2D which for me is worth the price of admission (I get headaches after awhile, plus the 3D glasses never fit right over my own glasses - chafing the shit out of my nose)

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

Dirty Dancing is still a lot better than any romantic movie that came out of Hollywood in the last 2 years.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Kozz]

On the upside, Hollywood keeps turning out crap so I feel like I'm not missing much by waiting for the movie to come out on video so I can torrent it.

FTFY.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[JackieBrown]

I know what you mean. Forget modern movies - if you want to see a well-made classic, try "Dirty Dancing". Pinnacle of movie making.

You must have missed Step Up 3D.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[ricosalomar]

Awesome! We did the same thing when my daughter was born. The picture was lousy, but it was really fun.

That place is gone, now. It was one of the last Drive-Ins in SoCal. Now we've moved back east, and I don't think there's one in the state.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[ciderbrew]

I think you've come up with a perfect "Are you homophobic?" test.

That just might be one of the gayest posts I've read in a few years. and I cruse some awful sites when I get bored. Well done..

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[jackbird]

And that fucking owl movie.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Thud457]

And here I was with the erroneous assumption that couples frequented the drive in before their kids were born. nudge, nudge, wink, wink

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe they should install cameras in everyone's houses to prevent that people just stay at home and avoid the economical damage.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[BeanThere]

There are still movie theaters? I stopped going long ago. From all the people talking on their cellphones and talking to one another during the movie, to sticky floors and sitting on someone's old dirty popcorn etc., I'd much rather watch at home, I have a decent screen and sound system, I can pause whenever I want, watch whenever I want, I can rewind if I accidentally missed something or stopped concentrating, and I don't even have to get my ass out my chair and get dressed and sit in traffic etc. Not to mention the prices, and the overpriced snacks and limited snack choices. Perhaps if I cared about being more social and wasn't basically a hermit it would be a different story.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

do you think only lesbians watch romantic movies?

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

Next summer, we're picking up a portable grill to get a little tailgating action going on.

Where I come from tailgating is a euphemism for anal sex. Good on you dude! (I'm not sure where the grill comes into the equation, but each to their own)

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[mlts]

Go to a theater that doesn't suck. I've seen security at an Alamo Drafthouse franchise remove cellphone yappers quite quickly. Then find something decent on the menu and your beverage of choice and kick back. If you have to go use the restroom, there is plenty of space to duck under the table and go down the aisle.

Going to the Alamo is a nice change from the neighborhood watering hole.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[WankersRevenge]

You might want to check over here in all its 1990's web design glory: http://www.driveinmovie.com/mainmenu.htm

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

I used to do this all the time as well until the local drive-in went under. I wish this would come back in. Remember when drive-ins had swing sets for the kids?

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm lucky enough to live less then a mile from a drive-in, and it really is an excellent experience. You can get as many people as you can fit in a car through the door for just $16, plus you get to watch two movies instead of one. You can hang out and relax and if people wanna talk in the car using the radio for sound it won't bother other people. Plus you can bring your own beer as you mentioned, and is the perfect spot for high-school/college students as it provides just enough "privacy".

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

(I'm not sure where the grill comes into the equation, but each to their own)

Wow. There must be something wrong with me. The first 2 times I read this I read "grill" as "girl."

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

You wrote exactly what I was thinking. Thanks! Except maybe the hermit part, but that could just be denial : )

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

Too bad Muvico doesn't do the same thing. And yeah, that's the best we have in the Palm Beach, FL area. $13 for a matinee IIRC, plus the hassle with parking at CityPlace.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you a chicken? What are you laying on the roof of your car? Dude!

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

The experience is just too miserable for the money plus, we're guaranteed to see our drive-in movie in 2D which for me is worth the price of admission (I get headaches after awhile, plus the 3D glasses never fit right over my own glasses - chafing the shit out of my nose)

Amen to that. I watched Avatar in 3-D and it was terrible. With the glasses on the picture was too dim, and with the glasses off it was too blurry. The 3-D effect is good, but not good enough to offset the dim picture.

The home theater 3-D has the same problem, the 'blinker' glasses just serve to dim the picture. Also if you want to entertain a large group, everybody has to have glasses or they see garbage.

True 3-D in my mind is an R2D2-style projector, bright and viewable from all angles. Until that happens I'm staying away from 3-D. (Yes, I realize that's hard and may not ever happen).

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

That was a hoot.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[ancientt]

When I take the kids to a movie lately it is invariably in 3D which makes me feel queasy. I've taken a left lens from one pair and reversed it to replace the right lens in another pair. Wearing those, I get 2D. It takes a little time up front, but has made the movies viewable.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[BronsCon]

Portable girls are the best. The larger units that just sit there on the couch are nowhere near as convenient as the ones you can bring with you.

Then again, the couchtop units are easier to get away from when you need to.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

The bit about food reminds me about some theater that was also a diner or a restaurant so people go in and get actual food instead of horribly marked up shit. I could never find it so maybe it was just a dream.

*Initiates dream sequence Wayne's World style*

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[delinear]

Exactly this! The irony is, the last handful of times I actually have ventured to the cinema, I get to sit through big anti-piracy ads telling me how copied movies are low quality and have people talking, using their phones and walking back and forth to the toilet captured on them. Then I get to watch the movie (which, for me and my girlfriend, costs 50% more than just buying the DVD) and witness ALL of the things they just told me were bad about pirated movies IN REAL LIFE. Way to take out a huge advertisement highlighting all the reasons I prefer not to go to the cinema (and then make me sit through it even though I've already paid for your damn movie and am clearly not pirating it).

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh you still go to the theaters because you think the movie will be good? That's an upside but not why most people go to movies.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[gknoy]

It's all about the realism, though. Why would you want to settle for virtual jerks, when you can be there for the real thing?

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[gknoy]

In my scout troop, it was also a common shortening for "tailgate camping" (as opposed to backpacking), where one brings all one's needs via car, and presumably could use the tailgate for a makeshift table. It had a connotation of "real campers don't do that", but as I get older I see it more as "hey look, convenient showers". ;)

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

On the upside, Hollywood keeps turning out crap so I feel like I'm not missing much by waiting for the movie to come out on the internet.

There, fixed it for ya.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[MokuMokuRyoushi]

So they won't allow people sex, but they don't mind mating owls?

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

How does the drive in threater solve the ambient lighting problem created by city lights? Are you in a rural neighborhood?
The last drive-in I visited had viewing quality like that of a normal theater with the house lights up.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

"Troll"? Denial is not just a river in Egypt.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Gerafix]

I know exactly what you're saying. I don't even have to leave my mum's basement either to get cinema quality audio and visuals.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[jackbird]

Now that you mention it, seeing a film in the theater might be a good way to avoid those "deleted scenes" of owl mating, if they ogodihopenot exist...

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Taibhsear]

My wife and i started to go to drive-in when my daughter was born... laying on the hood of my car and sipping a beer

Uhhh... so who was driving home? Your newly unpregnant wife, your newborn daughter, or your drunk ass?

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[BeanThere]

I've seen security at an Alamo Drafthouse franchise remove cellphone yappers quite quickly.

Seriously? That's awesome, I would almost patronize a cinema just for that - that's unheard of round my part of the world.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[mlts]

They have as part of the previews to leave a notecard on the clip where you place your orders about yapping patrons.

They give one warning.

It also applies to people texting, so your night vision doesn't get trashed by that.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Dr Herbert West]

If you're in Chicago, check out the "Brew 'n View" at the Vic-- more raucous than the Alamo (from what I hear) but the same deal: beer, (bar) food, and cheap cheap cheap.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

couple things wrong with that ... laying on the hood of your car - could only do that when cars were made of metal, not his synthetic fold up crap nowadays, portable grill, is you inviting me?! yeah ... but yeah I remember that kind of thing and I whole heartedly agree with you on the current state of film going experience ... drive in or wait for the downloads / dvd's

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[kmoser]

Yeah, I saw Avatar in IMAX 3-D on my home theater. It was way better than seeing it in a theater.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

> there's nothing quite like laying on the hood of my car

What were you laying? Eggs? Or were you simply lying on the hood like most humans?

HINT: these words are not synonyms.

Re:even more reason to wait for the dvd

[Anonymous Coward]

Not an option here. We have an indy theatre that shows indy movies and tends to have a better crowd, but it's downtown, parking is hell, and they'll only show one or two movies for a whole month.

The bigger problem

[mwvdlee]

The bigger problem we're facing with corporate practices like this is that, when the revolution comes, we won't have a wall big enough to put all these marketing departments against. We should really start to prioritize who will be first, and who goes second, third, etc.

Re:The bigger problem

[TheKidWho]

We should put you up first!

So say we all!

Re:The bigger problem

[Anonymous Coward]

So it's time to start building a bigger wall.

Re:The bigger problem

[Pharmboy]

The bigger problem we're facing with corporate practices like this is that, when the revolution comes, we won't have a wall big enough to put all these marketing departments against. We should really start to prioritize who will be first, and who goes second, third, etc.

There's an app for that. Unfortunately, it's patented.

Re:The bigger problem

[Culture20]

So it's time to start building a bigger wall.

They have one in China. They had a revolution too.

Re:The bigger problem

[gstoddart]

The bigger problem we're facing with corporate practices like this is that, when the revolution comes, we won't have a wall big enough to put all these marketing departments against.

No, the biggest problem is that you will be so heavily monitored by both corporate and government interests (often using the same gear) that you could never hope to get a revolution off the ground.

You can't revolt against Bog Brother, because they watch your every move. Welcome to the dystopian future of a full-time surveillance society which doesn't have any real freedoms.

However, I figure some really good culture jamming could come into play here -- like an entire audience mooning the screen at a pre-determined point. ;-) Of course, they'll have you on video and will have fingerprinted you before you come into the theater, so, they'll just send you a ticket and charge it to the credit card you used to pay for your ticket -- they'll have tracked that too.

Re:The bigger problem

[Gizzmonic]

You can't revolt against Bog Brother

Bog Brother: Swamp Thing's lesser known brother.

Re:The bigger problem

[gstoddart]

Bog Brother: Swamp Thing's lesser known brother.

Oh god, I can't believe I made that typo. That's freakin' hilarious.

Or, maybe it's like that Senator in the mens room at the airport? ;-)

Re:The bigger problem

[Anonymous Coward]

etc.

There's an app for that. Unfortunately, it's patented.

There's an app for that. Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to the marketing claims.

(There you go. Fixed that for you.)

Re:The bigger problem

[L4t3r4lu5]

The Bikini Atoll would be a large enough wall. Let's ship them there.

"Only way to be sure..." and all that.

Re:The bigger problem

[Anonymous Coward]

"we won't have a wall big enough to put all these marketing departments against."

Two words: Cage match.

Re:The bigger problem

[Anonymous Coward]

So say we all.

Re:The bigger problem

[Hungus]

Sorry, the first spot is reserved for the Marketing Division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation

Re:The bigger problem

[dtml-try MyNick]

The bigger problem we're facing with corporate practices like this is that, when the revolution comes, we won't have a wall big enough to put all these marketing departments against.

Not a problem at all, we just need one big island where we can dump them.
Supply them with massive ammounts of high-tec surveillance equipment and shitloads of all kinds of weapons. Then keep the food supplies limited to 'almost enough to survive'

Come back in 10 years and shoot the ones that survived.

Re:The bigger problem

[Anonymous Coward]

The bigger problem we're facing with corporate practices like this is that, when the revolution comes, we won't have a wall big enough to put all these marketing departments against. We should really start to prioritize who will be first, and who goes second, third, etc.

Line them up three deep and use rifles with full metal jacketed ammo. First two are shot through and the third gets hit and all will bleed out if they don't die of shock. Occasionally you might have to finish the thirds with a shot to the head or a couple of bayonet thrusts.

(And for any doubters out there this is a proven method.)

Re:The bigger problem

[Anonymous Coward]

How is this 5 insightfull, where I come from revolution and a wall big enough means murdering the deposed.

Re:The bigger problem

[TheKidWho]

It's kind of amazing isn't it?

Who knew the USA could fall so fast.

Re:The bigger problem

[Anonymous Coward]

How is this 5 insightfull, where I come from revolution and a wall big enough means murdering the deposed.

That's exactly what he means.

Re:The bigger problem

[damien_kane]

The Bikini Atoll would be a large enough wall. Let's ship them there. "Only way to be sure..." and all that.

There is only one "only way to be sure".
It is fitting though; if you alter your perspective, the surface of the earth could be viewed as a fairly large wall, and it would surely be big enough.
The bullets, in this case, rather expensive, however there would be little mess to clean up. The wall would be turned into a window (well, glass, anyways).

Re:The bigger problem

[damien_kane]

The bigger problem we're facing with corporate practices like this is that, when the revolution comes, we won't have a wall big enough to put all these marketing departments against.

Not a problem at all, we just need one big island where we can dump them. Supply them with massive ammounts of high-tec surveillance equipment and shitloads of all kinds of weapons. Then keep the food supplies limited to 'almost enough to survive'

Come back in 10 years and shoot the ones that survived.

So... Los Angeles?
What? It should be an island anyways.

Learn to swim.

Re:The bigger problem

[TheVelvetFlamebait]

I would put people who sell bad products in front of people who I have petty gripes with, and behind people who actually deserve it.

Re:The bigger problem

[qwijibo]

So the patent lawyers go up against the wall first, problem solved.

Re:The bigger problem

[Anonymous Coward]

when

Optimist.

Re:The bigger problem

[TheKidWho]

Why? You would give the ones you hate the most the quickest death and the ones you hate the least the most painful?

Re:The bigger problem

[Anonymous Coward]

Is this your new marketing campaign?

Re:The bigger problem

[nacturation]

So the patent lawyers go up against the wall first, problem solved.

All in all, that's just another dick in the wall.

Re:The bigger problem

[maxwell demon]

And the very first must be the patent lawyer holding the patent on shooting patent lawyers.

Re:The bigger problem

[Anonymous Coward]

The bigger problem we're facing with corporate practices like this is that, when the revolution comes, we won't have a wall big enough to put all these marketing departments against. We should really start to prioritize who will be first, and who goes second, third, etc.

We already know who will be first. An encyclopedia that fell through a time warp from the future told us. The real question is who goes second!

Re:The bigger problem

[Anonymous Coward]

revolution [...] means murdering the deposed.

Yes, it typically does...

Re:The bigger problem

[cynyr]

There's an app for that. Unfortunately, it wasn't approved by apple.

FTFY

so what!?

[Anonymous Coward]

If people are stupid enough to accept it then they deserve no better. The only acceptable backlash would be for the company who had that idea to go bankrupt but this won't happen.....

This is not like boycotting the government, boycotting a private company is simple but it is not convenient.

Re:so what!?

[delinear]

What we should do is find a photo of the head of the studi... I mean "company" behind this, print off thousands of masks of his face and hand them out to wear in cinemas. Anonymity for all.

Think of the positives!

[happy_place]

Hey, this can't be all bad... With video feedback, perhaps movie professionals could automate audience reactions to various scenes, and systematically improve their movie products. Also murders within theaters could go down... and when the couples in the corner start making out, maybe the theater employees would grab some popcorn and get a good show. See? It's not all bad... being watched all the time. Ahem.

Re:Think of the positives!

[Anonymous Coward]

"With video feedback, perhaps movie professionals could automate audience reactions to various scenes, and systematically improve their movie products"

You mean all those annoying teens texting on their cells and lighting up the room will be hunted down and exterminated?

Re:Think of the positives!

[zarthrag]

You joke...but I lost my virginity in a movie theater! (late 90s...good times...) But I lived in a (very) small town, lucky it had a theater at all. It was hard enough back then avoiding the guy going back/forth to the projector room! The thought of being watched by staff armed with night vision creeps me out.

Re:Think of the positives!

[mounthood]

But what about piracy? If the monitoring cameras record sound the theaters will be pirates. What if the cameras can see part of the screen? And the audience reactions are surely a "derivative work" and therefore copyrighted.

Re:Think of the positives!

[Anonymous Coward]

Question: Has there EVER been a murder in a theater?? That seems like a really weird way to die.

Re:Think of the positives!

[aquila.solo]

mutter, mutter, mutter...

HERE!

Re:Think of the positives!

[Scarletdown]

Can you name a second person after Lincoln who was also shot in the back of the head at a theater?

Re:Think of the positives!

[Anonymous Coward]

They COULD do all those things, but all they really care about is stopping you from bringing in your own popcorn.

Re:Think of the positives!

[aquila.solo]

Well, the AC GP asked if there had EVER been a murder in a theater. Supplying one example was sufficient evidence for that.

You want a second person? Here are two through four (funny what a few seconds of Googling can turn up). The article doesn't say whether they were shot in the back of the head or not. Also, there were apparently three others injured.

HTH. HAND.

Re:Think of the positives!

[Scarletdown]

Ah geez. I was going for humor here.

The answer I was expecting was "The guy sitting in front of Peewee Herman."

Re:Think of the positives!

[aquila.solo]

Ah geez. I was going for humor here.

Oh. No worries, then. I don't always catch the subtle ones.<shrug>

The answer I was expecting was "The guy sitting in front of Peewee Herman."

<facepalm> Wow. :-)

Finally!

[Errol backfiring]

Are you aware this movie is being shown in feel-o-rama?

Re:Finally!

[Shadis]

...Thank you for watching.. We invite you to stay for out next feature presentation..'Deep Throat'

Uh...what?

[Pojut]

Things tend to be locked down fairly tight around here (Montgomery County, MD)...but I've NEVER encountered anything like this while going to the movies. Sure, I've seen people walk in during opening night to make sure no one is taping the damn thing, but you don't have to go through a security checkpoint or any of that nonsense.

Has anyone?

Re:Uh...what?

[Anonymous Coward]

I had a man pat me down and perform a full cavity search, but theater management called the police and had him escorted out. Does that count?

Re:Uh...what?

[ZenDragon]

The theaters around here are usually guarded by some pimply faced 16 year old, or some special needs individual. I've had the kids get all guardian of the gate on me when I tried to bring a drink that I hadn't finished from the place I just ate at, but otherwise its never been an ordeal. Although I've caught a couple advanced screenings and they are definitely a little more protective there, understandably. Although, early or not the quality of those recorded videos is never worth the couple hours they take to download.

Anyhow, if they want to stick cameras in the theaters to gauge my reactions, they will certainly get one! My middle finger!

Re:Uh...what?

[somersault]

Just a couple of days ago I was watching a movie, and an attendant came in with what must have been a night vision camera and scanned the room with it :/

Re:Uh...what?

[Culture20]

Things tend to be locked down fairly tight around here (Montgomery County, MD)...but I've NEVER encountered anything like this while going to the movies. Sure, I've seen people walk in during opening night to make sure no one is taping the damn thing, but you don't have to go through a security checkpoint or any of that nonsense.

Has anyone?

At a recent Tron preview, a friend said they had to fork over all recording devices and cell phones into a coat-check room.

Re:Uh...what?

[KarrdeSW]

Prince George's County here, and I'm pretty sure I could be robbed at gunpoint in my local theater without ever seeing an employee, much less security.

Re:Uh...what?

[Pojut]

PG County? I'm pretty sure you could be robbed at gunpoint while sitting in your home home, much less while going to the theater...

Re:Uh...what?

[KarrdeSW]

I'm pretty sure you could be robbed at gunpoint while sitting in your home home, much less while going to the theater...

Pretty close: About ten feet from my house. I just said theater because it was topical.

Re:Uh...what?

[jackbird]

That's a preview screening, though - I'm fine with them enforcing (or attempting to enforce) NDA conditions and stopping leaked footage on something not available to the general public

Re:Uh...what?

[crow_t_robot]

This has actually happened which makes it even funnier:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strip_search_prank_call_scam

Re:Uh...what?

[slim]

Things tend to be locked down fairly tight around here (Montgomery County, MD)...but I've NEVER encountered anything like this while going to the movies. Sure, I've seen people walk in during opening night to make sure no one is taping the damn thing, but you don't have to go through a security checkpoint or any of that nonsense.

Has anyone?

From TFA, this doesn't seem to be about security. It seems to be about measuring audience reactions, with a view to using the findings as guidance for future filmmaking. ... which sounds like a recipe for awful, lowest-common-denominator, characterless films with no artistic vision.

Re:Uh...what?

[IndustrialComplex]

Looks like I'm going to have to start building my baseball cap with a rim covered in high powered IR LEDs.

No one in the theater will notice, except the one's trying to check in on you with low light cameras or NVGs.

Re:Uh...what?

[Anonymous Coward]

I had a man pat me down and perform a full cavity search, but theater management called the police and had him escorted out. Does that count?

It's ok, he was with the TSA.

Re:Uh...what?

[Anonymous Coward]

I watched a movie in a theater the other week, it was a prescreening and they had a tough guy in a suit in every corner of the room watching you, it was so annoying. Each time the guy scanned the room I stared right at him and waved, he was not pleased and could not smile. Needless to say, not going to that theater again.

Re:Uh...what?

[delinear]

... which sounds like a recipe for awful, lowest-common-denominator, characterless films with no artistic vision.

So... business as usual?

Re:Uh...what?

[Anonymous Coward]

There were full pat-downs and metal detector wands in use when I went to the midnight premiere of Zombieland, and customers (what does that word even mean anymore?) were politely asked to return their cellphones to their cars. The reason stated was prevention of illicit video capture via the phone's camera. I haven't been back to that theatre or to any other theatre since then. I mean really, with plummeting sales and all the other inconvenience factors surrounding public movie viewing (sticky floors, talking kids, bad 3d, ticket prices rivaling that of the DVD in many places) do movie theatre franchises really need to give consumers another reason to stay at home and wait for the Redbox, Netflix, et al, to save the day?

Re:Uh...what?

[hypergreatthing]

Aren't there laws about bringing cameras into the theater? Do they leave out theater employees? If not, i smell a law suit! To the class action cave!

Re:Uh...what?

[Anonymous Coward]

I stopped going to movies. I rent DVDs online. I buy my music online from small companies for a reasonable price (ie, Magnatune).

Luckily, this all is not that important to me. If people harass me to much, I just will not watch TV or movies, or buy DRM-infested computer games that require me being online all the time (what do I own?!), or buy ebooks for the same price as a printed copy that I actually can lend to somebody else, or sell.

I wonder how far things have to come before people get finally pissed off enough to cause a noticable impact in sales.

Re:Uh...what?

[Sancho]

Honestly, I'd love it if theaters took people's phones before going in. I can't stand it when all of those tiny screens in front of me start lighting up.

Fourth wall

[guyminuslife]

The people watching the movie...are the movie. It's reality TV, taken to the next level. How many seats will the fat guy in Row 7 take? The tall guy in Row 4...will the 11-year-old in Row 5 be able to see over his head? What about the teenagers in the back...will they make it to second base? Is the projectionist smoking weed? It's a totally new, totally immersive film experience, connecting with the audience on an entirely new level. It's just like being there. Because, well, you are there.

Re:Fourth wall

[JustOK]

i'll wait for the book.

Re:Fourth wall

[guyminuslife]

It's a blank journal and you have to write it yourself.

Re:Fourth wall

[residieu]

There's nothing like going to the Twilight movies on opening night (hey, it keeps the girly happy). Just listen to all the Wooo! every time Jacob takes his shirt off, or Edward does anything at all.

Monitor which ads get the best reaction?

[amaiman]

From the article: "Within the cinema industry this tool will feed powerful marketing data that will inform film directors, cinema advertisers and cinemas with useful data about what audiences enjoy and what adverts capture the most attention"

Hint: We don't enjoy the adverts, especially after paying almost $12 for a ticket. Perhaps if the whole audience gives the camera the finger through all of the ads, they will get the message? :-)

Re:Monitor which ads get the best reaction?

[91degrees]

They don't care about your enjoyment that much. It would be bizarre if they did. All they care about is that you enjoy them sufficiently that they make more money than they lose through putting people off going to the cinema.

Re:Monitor which ads get the best reaction?

[Seumas]

More importantly, how exactly are they going to get away with this? Are they going to have every patron read and sign a release form when buying their ticket?

Re:Monitor which ads get the best reaction?

[cjnichol]

Hint: We don't enjoy the adverts, especially after paying almost $12 for a ticket. Perhaps if the whole audience gives the camera the finger through all of the ads, they will get the message? :-)

I object to this. I fully enjoy the occasional ad in the theatres. Heck, I even pay to go watch the Cannes Lions any year that I can (basically an hour and a half of the best commercials from around the world). The biggest problem I have is that there is generally a very limited pool that they use at any given time so if I see several movies over the course of a week or two then I see the same ads all the time.

What are they looking for?

[grahamm]

Are they looking for people dropping litter, those with large hats blocking the view from those behind them. Or maybe they are just voyeuristic and want to watch the activities of couples in the back row.

Re:What are they looking for?

[Anonymous Coward]

If you read the fucking article, they are infra red cameras looking for recording devices so they can catch bootleggers.

Re:What are they looking for?

[Oidhche]

They're going to show 2girls1cup and record viewers reactions, then make a new movie from that footage.

Re:What are they looking for?

[somersault]

The cinema is actually the only place that I'm happy to leave litter.. I know people are going to come and clean up the place anyway, so why not leave my empty bottle there? Just like I don't clean my own dishes from the table at a restaurant.

Considering the price of cinema tickets, they should also have sanitised adapters at every seat where you can relieve yourself so as to not miss anything. Maybe I should get two in one and just use my drinks receptacle next time.

Re:What are they looking for?

[Seumas]

If you read the fucking article, you would realize that they're actual cameras trained on the audience to gauge their reaction to the entire film presentation, to gather data for marketers and film producers. The service is offered by the same company that offers infra-red camera systems for monitoring for recording devices in the theater, but that service and purpose has absolutely nothing to do with the article.

Re:What are they looking for?

[vk2]

you should be hanged for just making that reference to 2g1c. I didn't knew what that was and now got to clean up the puke after watching just 10 seconds. Damn you - and those making that 2g1c clip!!

Re:What are they looking for?

[transfatfree]

there are usually free unlimited refills on large bags of popcorn up here. My buddy and I often sneak into a room right after a movie ends and snag a bag or two, dump it out and get a refill. Then after, leave it lying around near the entrance of our movie for anyone doing the same. Mngmt hasn't caught on yet.

When they charge upwards of 5 bucks (CDN) for a small popcorn with butter, there aren't a lot of options.

Re:What are they looking for?

[somersault]

When they charge upwards of 5 bucks (CDN) for a small popcorn with butter, there aren't a lot of options.

I choose to bring in my own drinks/snacks in my pockets :p

Re:What are they looking for?

[delinear]

Of course, once the cameras are in there it'd be foolish not to sell the feed to both markets. Whatever the true reason, it's almost certainly not going to be so they can tell the guy to remove his big hat, or the teen to stop texting. In their eyes that costs money, it doesn't make it (based on past experience, I doubt they see the connection between a positive cinema experience and return custom).

Re:What are they looking for?

[Taibhsear]

They're going to show 2girls1cup and record viewers reactions, then make a new movie from that footage.

And then show THAT footage to the 2 girls with the 1 cup and make a movie off of that, which is then shown to viewers, which is recorded for the girls... oh my gods I think I just solved our energy crisis.

Those bastards

[Drakkenmensch]

We'll send to JAIL those criminal masterminds who bring their own chocolate to the theater!!!

Re:Those bastards

[Anonymous Coward]

I live in South Korea, and I could bring a goddamned steak dinner into the theatre if I damn well felt like it. 'course, I'd have to pick a good seat, so I could have some elbow room while I ate - not a problem, 'cause seating is assigned, instead of standing in line for half an hour like a chump.

Matinees are four bucks. Even 3D features are thirteen bucks. A large popcorn and a drink is like five or seven bucks. Stay away from the nachos, though - I think they're not too popular here, 'cause they're usually stale.

Piracy is so widespread in the ROK that theatres are doing their best to court viewers. Can't help but feel that movies here are a little more civilized than the ones back home.

Re:Those bastards

[An ominous Cow art]

I used to smuggle food into the theater all the time - for Fellowship of the Ring, I had something like 6 bottles of water and soda, a couple of boxes of cookies and a bag of chips. It was cold outside, and I was a tall, skinny guy wearing a heavy jacket - that gave me lots of cargo space.

A couple of us also brought a full KFC dinner once. I think that was in spring time with light jackets.

Re:Those bastards

[transfatfree]

back in 2005, I drove 2 hours to get to a water park while visiting the states with some friends. we had a plastic bag with a couple water bottles and a pound or two of grapes. unaware that if we wanted some damn grapes we'd have to smuggle them in, we happily declared them... without saying a word, the bag checker dumped it all in a garbage bin and handed the plastic bag back to me...

my buddy tore the guy a couple new holes, and we ended up getting 10 bucks from the guy to go away.

AFTER we paid admission and got to stand around in a line for 10 minutes, some chubby security guards came and asked us to leave the park.. when we demanded a refund they regurgitated some shitty policy about not giving refunds to "unruly patrons"..

still having the stamps on our hands, we just went through a different entrance and got a couple hours out of the place before driving back.

Re:Those bastards

[edawstwin]

"By the way, you know, when you're telling these little stories... here's a good idea - have a point! It makes it so much more interesting for the listener!"

Just wrong

[symes]

This is a gross invasion of privacy - I would expect to be informed of any recording at the time I purchase the ticket, who was making the recording and to what purpose they were being used. I would also expect that I could opt out at that time and at any time in the future without penalty. If the only choice I have is to no longer visit cinemas, then so be it. Either that or I might have to find a certain mask to wear.

Re:Just wrong

[netsavior]

where do you buy your groceries? I haven't been in a grocery store without cameras for decades. Where do you buy your gas? Get your prescriptions filled?

Re:Just wrong

[ZenDragon]

Agreed, its a freaking movie theater not a top secret government building.

Re:Just wrong

[bmo]

There are typically signs that say that there are cameras. Indeed, in the Wallgreens down the road, there is a TV monitor facing the doors as you walk in just to say "Yes, if you shoplift, we've got tape"

This? This isn't about shoplifting. There are also no signs or any indication that this is going on.

That's the difference.

--
BMO

Re:Just wrong

[viking099]

Grocery stores and gas stations both have products that are easy to steal and difficult to catch without video proof.

What is there to steal at a movie theater? The seats? More than your share of the large soda and popcorn?

Sure, there is some risk of someone capturing a "screener" of the movie, but IMO that's not worth the loss of customer goodwill that is already strained with sub-par feature films, expensive ticket prices, even more expensive refreshments, and spotty disciplining of bad behaviour.

I can only hope I remember to remind my kids of this newest loss of privacy when they start dating in a few years.

Re:Just wrong

[bmo]

Indie theaters is where it's at.

Fresh baked goods. Good coffee. Couches. No fucking cameras.

--
BMO

Re:Just wrong

[Magada]

THE MOVIES THEMSELVES. Remember... copyright infringement is THEFT (or so the fuckwits in Hollywood would like everyone else to believe - nevermind that Hollywood itself was created expressly to carry out massive-scale copyright infringement).

Re:Just wrong

[mcgrew]

This is a gross invasion of privacy - I would expect to be informed of any recording at the time I purchase the ticket, who was making the recording and to what purpose they were being used.

That's the law in Illinois. Any theater owner who implimented this here would be committing a felony unless signs were posted.

Re:Just wrong

[Magada]

Oops. Sorry. Replying to myself so as to correct an error - it was patent infringement, not copyright infringement that spurred the birth of the Hollywood film industry.

Re:Just wrong

[Seumas]

And those security tapes are usually rotated rather than archived, sold, distributed, analyzed, etc.

Re:Just wrong

[PitaBred]

Do you see those little black bulbs on the ceiling that aren't terribly hidden? Everyone knows that they're cameras. It's common knowledge. An Infrared camera hidden in a theater is NOT common knowledge, and it's not apparent that it even exists. That's the difference.

Re:Just wrong

[Anonymous Coward]

Got news for you. This has been going on for a long, long time.

When I first graduated high school in '98 I went to work in a local movie theater before starting school. Theater was 5-7 years old at that point. During the first day they showed us the security setup, which featured multiple normal/infrared cameras in every theater that monitored everything, plus cameras in every hallway and room aside from the restrooms. They used them to monitor for disturbances. When we left the conference room for the walkthrough, some girl left her purse there for some dumb reason. A patron walked in, went through her purse, and grabbed the cash. They tracked him leaving his theater, going into the conference room, then walking to the restroom, and then back to his seat. Cops yanked him from his seat before the movie ended.

The theater I worked for was an AMC theater, but I doubt they're alone in this type of security setup.

Re:Just wrong

[Anonymous Coward]

I am gonna find me a Jason/hockey mask and paint my middle finger on it, so they will know what I am thinking ;op

Re:Just wrong

[Anonymous Coward]

And I haven't had a night where I haven't slept with your mom since 1962. That's okay though, because we're all used to it, hey?

...So, yeah, sorry for the crudeness, but the point needs to be made. Just because we're 'used to' disgusting societal trends, doesn't make them okay.

Re:Just wrong

[Anonymous Coward]

So I take it you never set foot in a convenience store, gas station, airport terminal, apartment hallway, ...

In all such places, you can find cameras that record you, and you are not informed of who is making the recording and for what purpose.

Re:Just wrong

[imakemusic]

I know they exist - I read about them on Slashdot about a year ago.

Re:Just wrong

[Chowderbags]

Oh they'll post signs... in a locked filing cabinet in a disused lavatory behind a door that says "Beware of the tiger".

Or they'll just micro-etch them onto your tickets in size .0000001 font. What, you didn't bring your electron microscope to the theater? Well, too bad, you agreed to the terms and conditions, paragraph 3, subsection 4, clause 2 which clearly states "The ticket purchaser (hereafter referred to as 'the loser') agrees to be bound to all terms and conditions on this ticket, including, but not limited to, turning over all worldly and otherworldly goods, services, souls, image rights, copy rights, human rights, cloning rights, and a pony to the management of this theater (hereafter referred to as 'your new god')."

Re:Just wrong

[rev_g33k_101]

To video record in Illinois you do not need to inform anybody, only audio requires consent.

Illinois's wiretapping law is a "two-party consent" law. Illinois makes it a crime to use an "eavesdropping device" to overhear or record a phone call or conversation without the consent of all parties to the conversation. The law defines an "eavesdropping device" as "any device capable of being used to hear or record oral conversation or intercept, retain, or transcribe electronic communication whether such conversation or electronic communication is conducted in person, by telephone, or by any other means." 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/14-1, -2. If you are operating in Illinois, you should always get the consent of all parties before recording an in-person conversation or telephone call. In addition to subjecting you to criminal prosecution, violating the Illinois wiretapping statute can expose you to a civil lawsuit for damages by an injured party. While you generally are permitted to photograph or record video of people without permission in most public places, it is illegal in Illinois to "videotape, photograph, or film" people without their consent in "a restroom, tanning bed, or tanning salon, locker room, changing room or hotel bedroom." 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/26-4(a) (scroll down).

http://www.citmedialaw.org/legal-guide/illinois-recording-law

Re:Just wrong

[maroual]

Well, the curent topic might actually be one of the reasons why they just made a law in France forbidding to hide your face in public areas.

No problem !

[aepervius]

I will then just stop going in movie theater. DVD comes anyway sooner and sooner after the theatrical show, and it is now much better with friends to be together at a home with a big screen for a movie evenning.

Nothing kney; In 1995...

[netsavior]

In 1995 I had a summer job as an employee of Buena Vista (the company that releases Disney's major animated pictures). My job? Auditing movie theaters by counting the people attending and comparing to the ticket sales, ensuring that during the screening, nobody was taking pictures or using other recording devices (if they were, we had an off duty police officer on site working security).

The buena vista hit squad (as we called ourselves) was nothing new when I joined up.

Fast forward to my weekend job as second shift manager of a movie theater while I was in college (1999) we had 2 "crowd cameras" at every screen, you could see the entire audience the whole time the movie was going, we used it to bust people who decided that the movie theater was an apropriate place to have sex (including some employees after hours *eyeroll*).

Re:Nothing kney; In 1995...

[Coward Anonymous]

There is a huge difference. You didn't digitally record the audience for all posterity. The information on those screenings is lost forever.The recordings from this company's product will be kept forever.

Re:Nothing kney; In 1995...

[TheGratefulNet]

laser pointer to ruin the spy camera sensor. FTW!

if everyone does it, they can't arrest us all.

Re:Nothing kney; In 1995...

[dmneoblade]

Not really. He never mentioned overwriting the tapes, nor destroying them after use. These tapes could have easily been stored, and digitized once that technology became cheap and common. Either way, its NOT ok for theaters to be doing this, and I bet it won't even make a dent in piracy.

Re:Nothing kney; In 1995...

[rickb928]

I used to check theaters back in the 80s, for an outfit that had contracts to verify audience numbers, etc. I had the rare privilege of checking the only room in North America that showed the opening night of Empire Strikes Back and did not sell out according to the sales they reported to the studio. This is fraud. Today, the ticketing systems are too regimented to be cheated on, and checkers are very very rare indeed.

I did not ever see recording equipment, but I did count those who jumped from one room to another, and those who entered after leaving another show. Rules were rules. It was fun, and I got to hang out and even learned to run projectors.

This leaves me with no patience for exhibitors that don't set or check focus, can't get the screen framed right, and hack up their tape with the worst splices possible. I think sometimes the workers compete to see who can insert subliminal messages to kill your children in the splices. Or is it just dragging it across your Alapca sweater? Retards. Try using something other than super glue as a cleaner, eh?

Re:Nothing kney; In 1995...

[Anonymous Coward]

The information on those screenings is lost forever.

Funny, I didn't see him say that.

Re:Nothing kney; In 1995...

[Anonymous Coward]

hmmmm, if the theater has cameras recording the actions of minors in the theater and most of movie goers are under 17, and on dates, doesn't that constitute CP? i.e. the filming of minors engaged in sexual activity? How ironic it would be to turn the MPAA's copyright weapon (anti child porn laws) against them and prosecute them under the laws they lobbied for.

who needs movie theaters with +42" TVs

[Anonymous Coward]

What's the point of being in a crowded room watching a movie, buying overpriced beer and popcorn and not having privacy to really make out.

Wear a Mask!

[Pigamagrundy]

Is it unethical to wear a mask to a horror film?

Re:Wear a Mask!

[stiggle]

Forget the mask - have a baseball cap covered in IR LEDs.
That should mask your face from their cameras

Re:Wear a Mask!

[TheGratefulNet]

OT, but technically, going out 'in disguise' is breaking a law!

you are not allowed to conceil your identity in public. stupid law! but look it up, its real.

costume events are an exception but if you are in a disguise and are caught by cops, you had better have a good 'halloween story' to give him. if he wants to make trouble with you, he can. the 'law' (quote and unquote) is on his side ;(

Re:Wear a Mask!

[rdwulfe]

As the wikipedians say, Citation needed.

Re:Wear a Mask!

[gfreeman]

Is this some kind of new universal law, or one only applicable where you live? Cos I don't live where you live.

Re:Wear a Mask!

[imakemusic]

That's interesting. Which law is this? American, I'm guessing? Federal? State? Any idea if this is the case in the UK?

That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[Stu101]

I know price has already been mentioned but my wife and I went to the cinema last week. Everywhere signs about the right of the cinema to search bags etc. That was bad enough, but once we had been vetted for snacks, we purchased some. By the time we had some snacks (Nachos, popcorn and 2 colas), and the cinema tickets, we had spent about $70.

I think in future, I will just stay home. Treated like crap and ripped off, and now VIDEOD like a common thief. No thanks. It's almost like they are trying to make me pirate stuff so they can sue me ;)

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[twoshortplanks]

I'm curious. If they put up a sign that says they have the right to search your bag, do they actually have that right?

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[Attila Dimedici]

I feel the same way. Except, Hollywood doesn't make anything worth the effort to pirate. The last movie I went to see in the theaters was LOTR: Return of the King. I may go to the theater for the Hobbit (but unless my wife makes a big deal about going to the theater, I will wait for it to come out on DVD)

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[AndrewNeo]

If you're buying all the extra snacks you have nobody to blame but yourself for the reason you spent so much to go to the theater! Have dinner before the movie, or something. Now it should cost (hopefully) only $20 at most for two people. Problem solved.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[gstoddart]

I'm curious. If they put up a sign that says they have the right to search your bag, do they actually have that right?

It's private property with an absurd EULA. In all likelihood, they do.

Welcome to a world where the rights of copyright holders place them on par with law enforcement. Did you miss the memo?

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[Whalou]

That's nothing! TSA now has the right to pat your bag (http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=10/10/31/0234232).

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[RMH101]

Not necessarily. I can put up a sign in my shop saying I have the right to punch you in the face, but I'd get arrested if I did it...

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[gstoddart]

Not necessarily. I can put up a sign in my shop saying I have the right to punch you in the face, but I'd get arrested if I did it...

No, but saying that if they continue to stay on the premises after they've read the sign and had an opportunity to ponder it means that they've accepted the terms of the contract. Then you punch them in the face. ;-)

According to them (and I really have no idea of what case law in most places says about this) if you choose to stay on the premises, you are subject to search. If you refuse search, they'll ask you to leave, likely with no refund.

You can't stay and refuse to be searched.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[DrgnDancer]

It depends on how you define "right". They cannot force you to hand over your bag, but they can (and will) tell you that *unless* you hand over your bag you cannot watch the movie. They also don't owe you a refund most likely, since they warned you ahead of time. It's like most stuff, The airport can't force you submit to a search either. They don't have a warrant. They can however tell you that you're not passing the checkpoint or getting on the plane till you submit. Since that is presumably the reason you came to the airport (Just as watching a movie is presumably the reason you went to the theater) , chances are high that you'll go along.

Personally I think it would be great gun to carry a big man-purse into the theater, loaded down with all sorts of embarrassing (but perfectly legal and not against theater rules) things (sex toys, porn, maybe some bondage gear). Then make a big huge embarrassing deal about while the kid searched the bag. Sadly you'd just be torturing some poor kid doing his job, not really accomplishing anything.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[KarrdeSW]

Not inherently, but they certainly can refuse to let you in if you don't consent to one. That's roughly the same thing for your average moviegoer who doesn't want to hold up their friends in line.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[DrgnDancer]

Nice Internet tough guy. Had the kid been trained the proper response would have been, "You are correct sir, there is no law saying that you have to allow me to search your bag, there is however plenty of law allowing me to prevent from passing the gate unless you comply with theater rules. Feel free to go home, or stand here with your bag." i don't personally like these policies, but threatening some kid's life for doing his job, even in jest, is pure unadulterated asshole. I truly wish I'd been behind you when this happened. It would have amused me greatly to call 9-1-1 and explain that there was a police officer here carrying a concealed weapon in a public place (which I bet had signs telling you not to do this if you live in a state where such things are required), and threatening people with it.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[ElectricTurtle]

I hope you're lying about being a LEO. Threatening some minimum wage jackass just trying to do his job for the property owner with murder and a cover up as a legitimate use of deadly force is heinously irresponsible and in fact criminal.

You have no right to access private property on terms other than those of the property owner. If the property owner wants all bags searched, you comply or piss off. That's how trespass law works. It's not a right to search bags, it's a condition for entry. You don't want to meet that condition, the property owner has the right to deny you entry. The end.

I am not a lawyer and the previous should not be construed as legal advice.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[An ominous Cow art]

I believe that was the last movie I saw in a regular theater as well. For a couple of years, I continued seeing movies at a small local theater chain which served fairly good food and had very comfortable seats, until they started showing ads before movies, and that was it for me.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[kryliss]

Yeah, Small, Medium, Large popcorn... $3.75, $4.00, $4.50, Small Medium, Large soda. $2.75, $3.00, $3.50.... The money isn't made by the movie itself, it's the hugely over priced crap at the concession counter.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[TheGratefulNet]

they do not have a right to search you. you can just leave.

but if you insist on playing by their rules (attending their movie) then you have agreed to live under ALL their rules.

I don't plan to visit theaters, possibly, ever again. nothing there that appeals to me. having a home theater is infinitely better. the large screen in a pro theater is the only benefit and its outweighed by the noise of the patrons, the cost, the parking, the crime in the parking lots (don't forget about that! your car is guaranteed to sit there unattended for a good 2 hours. can you say 'theft target'? sure, I knew you could.)

let the theaters ruin their own business. fine with me! they are the modern buggywhip companies, soon to die.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[ElectricTurtle]

Quite frankly such behavior would have been so beyond parameters for the professional conduct of a LEO that I would have called 911 to report somebody is impersonating an officer and threatening to kill people. There'd be so many cruisers on code 3 you'd think it was a parade.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[Anonymous Coward]

I have no problem torturing "poor kids" doing a job that I don't want them to do. Hopefully they'll wise up and quit, and the theater will have to pay more money to recruit more poor bastards. Same with telemarketers, if you can make their lives an even worse hell, they'll quit and it will become slightly less profitable for their employers.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[PseudonymousBraveguy]

You may be correct for the US, but as you mentioned, the "EULA" for your property can not include everything. I sincerely doubt that you could enforce your "punch in the face rule" pretty much anywhere.

In Germany, you can not enforce bag searches without a really, really good reason. Example of "not good enough": A store detective is not allowed to open or search bags of customers he suspects of theft. He can politely ask the customer, but if the customer refuses the detective has to wait for the police. Given that precedent, the chances of movie theaters to find a "good enough" reason to be allowed to search your bag are pretty slim.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[Anonymous Coward]

Seventy bucks? Jebus! I got two half-price tickets to Million Dollar Quartet this summer and it was only $80... No ads before the show, and the 3-D was so lifelike!

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[gstoddart]

You may be correct for the US, but as you mentioned, the "EULA" for your property can not include everything. I sincerely doubt that you could enforce your "punch in the face rule" pretty much anywhere.

*laugh* I seriously hope not .. that was just flippantly using the GPs example. :-P Obviously, it's a contrived and absurd example of the kinds of arbitrary and stupid things people might try to put in contracts.

Given that precedent, the chances of movie theaters to find a "good enough" reason to be allowed to search your bag are pretty slim.

Again, can't speak for Germany (or most anyplace, really) ... but I get the impression that they can refuse to let you into the theater if you refuse the search.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[MozeeToby]

Find a budget theater for crying out loud. The one I go to has $5 tickets, $3 popcorn, and $2 drinks. That same trip would be under $20 there.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[karnal]

A police officer is not allowed (just like any other citizen) to threaten violence against another with a deadly weapon without valid reason to do so. I'd have to believe even verbally threatening this (as well as if you were actually NOT a police officer) would be extremely stupid for your career and your financial health.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[IndustrialComplex]

You may not be a laywer, but here is some legal, ethicical, and personal advice for the 'LEO'.

Quit your job. You can't handle it.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[Anonymous Coward]

Technically, no they don't, but what they do have is the right to refuse you service if you refuse to let them search your bags.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[misexistentialist]

You have no right to access private property on terms other than those of the property owner.

To a certain extent all property is government property, especially businesses which are are subject to additional regulations. If the government can tell owners how long grass can be, there is justification for demanding Constitutional protections on private property. I do agree that working to change licensing requirements and ordinances is more sensible than threatening minimum wage workers, but we all know the government does not give a shit about freedom, so doing your part to scare away workers and shut down theaters with repressive policies is not "heinous," though it may be illegal (like every independent action).

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[mcgrew]

Hmmm, I doubt if he's a law enforcement officer, and doubt even more that he's in low earth orbit. He's lucky the minimum wage guy didn't call the real cops and have him arrested for assault.

A real cop would have shown his badge, and threatened him with arrest, not mayhem.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[AndrewNeo]

Agreed, but where I live, one of the theaters I go to has a normal ticket price of $7, and with their "movie club" card I can get a large soda AND drink for like $3.95, not to mention every movie I see gives me points I can build up to get free concessions. I know this isn't an option for (most?) people, so I guess I'm just lucky.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[Anonymous Coward]

You have no right to access private property on terms other than those of the property owner.

I'm not commenting on what the GP said he did. However, I wish your misconception would die. Your constitutional rights do not disappear the minute you enter private property or else Jim Crow-ism would be alive and well. If you are otherwise expressly allowed to be in an establishment (i.e. it's open to the public) you are allowed to be in an establishment and do certain things (e.g. in most states breastfeed). Other patrons can dislike it, the manager and owner can dislike it, but they can't actually legally kick you out any more than they could kick out someone for being black.

So no, they most likely have NO right to search your bags. A very few states have a right called "shop owner's privelege". It is about preventing shoplifting and is usually terribly narrow in scope. This shop owner's privelege is exsplicitly granted in state law, they don't just get that right because they posted a sign.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[ElectricTurtle]

You're half right. Protected classes do have meaning to how a property owner may apply policy. So yeah, you can't have a 'no black people' policy, but you can have a dress code. Somebody can't walk into a swanky club wearing a tank top and cutoffs because that's not a protected class (so long as exceptions aren't being made for people based on a dimension associated with protected classes, such as waiving the dress code for whitey). So you are wrong about doing legal things on private property. A property owner can legally eject anybody for any reason not reasonably related to protected classes.

And as I said before, it's not a right to search bags. If a property owner (or agent thereof) says 'I want to search your bag' you can say 'no' and they can't search your bag, but they can then ask you to leave and that can and will be enforced by a responding law enforcement agency. The only way protected classes would be an intervening factor is if the request for search or the request to vacate were made in a clearly bigoted way.

(IA still NAL)

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[ElectricTurtle]

The Constitution protects people from the government, not other people (or their businesses), except in cases of discriminating against protected classes. A printing company has the right to refuse to print something, but that's not censorship or a violation of the First Amendment (unless it's done under color of law). Constitutional protections don't disappear on private property, they just aren't relevant to the property owner. (And the idea that the government is the effective owner of all property because they have legislative/regulatory power is one of the most retarded arguments I've ever heard.)

And yes, threatening people's lives is in almost every case heinous. That's why it's illegal. (And yes, I recognize the difference between and do not ever conflate mere legality with morality or ethical soundness.)

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[sjames]

There actually are limits to the rights of a property owner, particularly when that property is open to the public.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[mikestew]

They have the right to ask you to leave their private property for nearly any reason. (Obvious exceptions would be because of race or gender.) Don't want your bag searched? Turn around and leave, and no bag search takes place. But you don't get to just walk into their cinema with an unchecked bag full of Glocks (or, more likely, candy bars and popcorn) if they don't want you to.

They should pass a law against such invasions of privacy, right? Or maybe just quit going and cinemas will figure it out. Granted, your fellow sheep may continue to put up with it, and then nothing changes. That's free market for you.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[ElectricTurtle]

See my response to this AC.

But the general rule of thumb is that a property owner cannot force you to do anything except leave. The only exception is when the request is clearly motivated by discrimination against a protected class.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[Anonymous Coward]

I do, altough, have a S&W .38 police special in my bag and if I unzip my bag, I _will_ take it off and shoot you three times in the chest, and I'll write in my report that you tried to rob my gun; do you want to try?"

You're going to take the bag off and shoot him with it? Oh, you're going to 'take your gun off' and shoot him three times with that?

So I'm curious, did you make sense the first time you said it? Or were you just as belligerent then?

Next time you think a "punk" is "giving you attitude", just realize that's how everybody feels about you.

Fucking pig.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[mikelieman]

COOL! Admission to movie theaters in New York State is governed by NY Civil Rights Law, section 40b.

No person, agency, bureau, corporation or association, being the owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent or employee of any place of public entertainment and amusement as hereinafter defined shall refuse to admit to any public performance held at such place any person over the age of twenty-one years who presents a ticket of admission to the performance a reasonable time before the commencement thereof, or shall eject or demand the departure of any such person from such place during the course of the performance, whether or not accompanied by an offer to refund the purchase price or value of the ticket of admission presented by such person; but nothing in this section contained shall be construed
to prevent the refusal of admission to or the ejection of any person whose conduct or speech thereat or therein is abusive or offensive or of any person engaged in any activity which may tend to a breach of the peace.

The places of public entertainment and amusement within the meaning of this section shall be legitimate theatres, burlesque theatres, music halls, opera houses, concert halls and circuses.

I don't see "Or is holding undeclared snackfoods in the Law, do you?"

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[CCarrot]

I'm curious. If they put up a sign that says they have the right to search your bag, do they actually have that right?

I would imagine they don't actually have the right to search you or your belongings, however they do have the right to refuse admittance to anyone who doesn't 'voluntarily' submit to such a search...

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[ElectricTurtle]

The whole of section 40 is about non-discrimination, about judging persons based on intrinsics or intangibles vs. behaviors. Outside of obvious discrimination against protected classes a lot of room is left in vague terms like 'abusive conduct' for a good lawyer (one could say the person was 'abusing the code of conduct of the theater' and still have leverage so long as that policy wasn't clearly discriminatory toward protected classes).

Also most states don't have laws like this.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[MokuMokuRyoushi]

I definitely should have sneaked food in with me to that one. I didn't eat dinner, and came out at 10pm. Great movie though.

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[Anonymous Coward]

In Germany, you can not enforce bag searches without a really, really good reason. Example of "not good enough": A store detective is not allowed to open or search bags of customers he suspects of theft. He can politely ask the customer, but if the customer refuses the detective has to wait for the police. Given that precedent, the chances of movie theaters to find a "good enough" reason to be allowed to search your bag are pretty slim.

In the US, that wouldn't be good enough. By law, it's not stealing until you've left the property. Won't stop the store from trying to do it anyway. Cops do this all the time to get around what they legally can and cannot do. They won't demand, they will try to intimidate you and 'ask' you to do it (like "May I search your *car/house/ect...") If you agree then your legally screwed if they want to screw around since you let them. Thats why when the nice officer asks you to do something, refuse unless they have a warrent/real legal reason (no, "i have reason to believe that I need to but have no reason why that I'm willing to say" isn't good enough) and always listen to how they ask it. They can ask you anything you want but can only force you to do very little (and if they are at their car, always stay in front of it, thats where the camera is and speak up so you have a better chance of the camera hearing you. If they make the film 'disappear' you can try to use that against them for destroying evidence.)

Re:That AND the cost. I'll stay at home thanks

[Anonymous Coward]

Not necessarily. I can put up a sign in my shop saying I have the right to punch you in the face, but I'd get arrested if I did it...

that reminds me of the beware of dog sign I put up at my house despite no longer having a dog.

That won't be on the evaluation form.

[crovira]

Marketing surveys suffer from remarkably selective attention; sort of like asking "When did you stop beating your wife?" reveals a certain prejudice.

Instead of noticing that we loathe any and all of the ads, they are going to ask: "Which one did you enjoy the most?"

This assumes that we enjoyed any of the ads.

We don't, but that's not what they're measuring is it...

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[quacking duck]

Instead of noticing that we loathe any and all of the ads, they are going to ask: "Which one did you enjoy the most?"

This assumes that we enjoyed any of the ads.

We don't, but that's not what they're measuring is it...

Elections usually run on the same principle. Why should marketing surveys be any different?

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[L4t3r4lu5]

"When did you stop beating your wife?"
I have never beaten my wife.

"Which of these adverts did you enjoy the most?"
I did not enjoy any of the adverts.

Whoa, really had me on the ropes with that one!

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[Anonymous Coward]

Movie-goer Denies Beating Wife, Enjoying Adverts
Confesses to Being "On the Ropes"

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[PseudonymousBraveguy]

"Which of these adverts did you enjoy the most?"
I did not enjoy any of the adverts.
 

"I'm sorry, I can't enter that into my survey, please select one of the valid options"

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[L4t3r4lu5]

Wow. You should really stop reading the tabloid press.

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[TheVelvetFlamebait]

I would think enjoyment is beside the point. They want to see which ad jumps into your mind first. The ad is not supposed to entertain, it's supposed to steer your mind in the direction of the advertised brand. The best way to give a negative answer would be to say, "I don't remember any good ones".

But this is all speculation. IANAMarketingDroid.

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[Anne_Nonymous]

>> They want to see which ad jumps into your mind first.

I most clearly remember the one where the skinheads give the marketing exec a blanket party. I really liked that one.

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[WWWWolf]

Instead of noticing that we loathe any and all of the ads, they are going to ask: "Which one did you enjoy the most?"

This assumes that we enjoyed any of the ads.

We don't, but that's not what they're measuring is it...

The funny thing is, I enjoy ads... as a supplement to the product, and as a form of art of their own. But not for their intended purpose. I noticed I tend to enjoy ads of products I've already decided to buy or already own and like. So if it's clever, interesting or a funny ad of something I care about, then yes, it's thumbs up from me.

But that still leaves out a crucial detail that the advertisers actually want to know: Was the advertisement interesting and did it influence my decision to buy a product? Usually no. Seeing a product live can possibly make me buy a product if I already considered it, but reviews and word-of-mouth are usually the things that do the selling these days.

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[maxwell demon]

"When did you stop beating your wife?"
I have never beaten my wife.

Actually the question is: "Are you still beating your wife?"
And of course you may only answer with yes or no.

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[mounthood]

Marketing surveys suffer from remarkably selective attention; sort of like asking "When did you stop beating your wife?" reveals a certain prejudice.

Instead of noticing that we loathe any and all of the ads, they are going to ask: "Which one did you enjoy the most?"

This assumes that we enjoyed any of the ads.

We don't, but that's not what they're measuring is it...

That's also why there's a "Like" button but no "Dislike" button; negative response's don't sell/promote/engage.

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[delinear]

No, no, you're doing it wrong. If you tell them that, their instinct will be, "gee, we must not be making these adverts loud, flashy and annoying enough". Instead, each time pick the least offensive ad, go for the one with the slightly less annoying music/visuals/actors and maybe, over several hundred iterations, we can get to the point where all ads are just the name of the product displayed in soft grey on a plain black background for 5 seconds (at which point we tell them our favourite was the one that got cut off early by the projectionist after only 3 seconds...)

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[Jahws]

Marketing surveys suffer from remarkably selective attention; sort of like asking "When did you stop beating your wife?" reveals a certain prejudice.

Instead of noticing that we loathe any and all of the ads, they are going to ask: "Which one did you enjoy the most?"

Well, of course. Marketing companies don't want to be unmarketable themselves. Being selective about their questions allows marketers to make their customers think they're really liked, instead of disappointing them with the truth.

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[nu1x]

Be careful of what you wish for - this would naturally lead to a 25th frame.. OF ADS ! :P

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[nu1x]

Be careful of what you wish for - this would naturally lead to a 25th frame.... OF ADS ! :P

Re:That won't be on the evaluation form.

[nu1x]

Be careful of what you wish for - this would naturally lead to a 25th frame.... OF ADS !

can't keep making excuses for poor sales

[Dan667]

the executives trying to use crap like this as an excuse as to why there are poor sales are some day going to have to come to terms with the fact that their product sucks. Want to improve sales? Here is a guaranteed money maker, "End movie ads before the movie". The movie theater I go to did and now that is the only one I go to. Improve your product and quit making excuses.

Re:can't keep making excuses for poor sales

[residieu]

Movie ads before the movie are fine, I like to know what else is coming out soon. What bugs me are the ***LOUD*** ads for everything else they play before the trailers. It's just amazing how much they YELL at you about the newest mobile phone that you need. I miss the days when they'd just have the slideshow and quiet music before the trailers.

Meanwhile...

[Osgeld]

The biggest bomb will be on screen

don't get it

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't understand why theatres would waste so much money on such things? A few security cameras, sure, but otherwise what good does it do, and who friggin' cares? Theatre: "We saw you on camera taking too long to decide what kind of overpriced candy to buy, what are you up to?" Me: "Kiss my ass."

Re:Who pays 11+ USD to go to a cinema?

[Anonymous Coward]

The same people that post useless, pseudo-offtopic posts on slashdot to whine about tweens and Facebook and to drop in the word 'sheeple' to make themselves feel superior.

Yawn

[Mephistophocles]

Yes, yes, it's a gross invasion of privacy, an outrage, etc etc. I haven't been to a theatre in 10 years. Let's see - $12 to see a shitty excuse of a film with plotline/effects that I've seen 300 times already, acting so bad that it defies belief, an endless bombardment of mind-numbing, insulting advertising, and snacks and concessions marked up over 1000% - not my idea of a good time. I'd rather be slowly tortured to death, actually. And what's the point, really? Assuming I even want to see the film (legally), blue-ray on a high-def surround system (in my own house, where I assure you the cameras monitor only what I want them to monitor) is just as good. Seriously, folks - screw these assholes. If you're going to see a movie in a theatre, you're bending over, spreading them, and begging for it. Don't whine when the bastards take advantage of the situation.

Re:Yawn

[Anonymous Coward]

That is a very accurate assessment of the state of popular film.

But the fact that movies and movie theaters remain popular only indicates the level of culture advancement. We are essentially a nation of thumb-sucking dreamers who value fantasy over reality.

Don't waste time with packaged fantasies (i.e. movies). Stay home and talk to each other, play with each other, and even fight with each other. Get your hands dirty with that nasty stuff called reality.

Great Way To Kill Movie Theaters

[assertation]

Poor quality movies, high ticket prices, home theaters and television commercials shown in the theater have been killing movie theaters. Now they want to spy on you too. Another nail in the coffin.

They need to ask themselves, if they were a patron, what would be their motivation to go to a movie versus staying home.

Re:Great Way To Kill Movie Theaters

[alcourt]

You forgot the theater's refusal to ever set the volume to an appropriate level. Proper sound levels doesn't have a screen whisper so loud that I'm wincing because it is above my comfortable threshold for volume. I gave up on theaters years ago. I don't have a huge screen, but I have a more comfortable chair, I have a sound system that I can set to the right volume, and I can pause if someone needs to get up for any reason.

There are more important things to me than a screen that is so large I can't see completely.

Re:Great Way To Kill Movie Theaters

[assertation]

Word.

I might go to a mainstream theater once a year for a super special movie like an Avatar or some other huge movie event.

Otherwise it is alternative movie theaters or DVDs at home for me.

Re:Great Way To Kill Movie Theaters

[O('_')O_Bush]

Inception was brutal on my ears. I almost left a few times because I was in such pain. Louder doesn't mean more immersive, louder just means louder.

Re:Great Way To Kill Movie Theaters

[gstoddart]

Louder doesn't mean more immersive, louder just means louder.

Yeah, but this one goes all the way to 11. :-P

Miscategorized

[Anonymous Coward]

Your Rights Offline

Re:Who pays 11+ USD to go to a cinema?

[cindyann]

Who goes to a cinema anymore?

My wife and I do.

The last time we went was three weeks ago -- tickets were $8 each. The theater we went to serves beer, and they had a special on one of them -- I guess they were trying to finish off the keg -- $2 for a beer.

Went again two weeks ago, no special on the beer, so that was $5 this time, but tickets were still $8.

Yeah, we could wait for the DVD, but by the time it's out on DVD I've probably already forgotten about it. Getting out of the house can be a good thing -- it's definitely an impulse thing.

all this to stop "The Hussleman"

[Enrique1218]

You know those post-recorded movies with the camera really suck. It does not replace sitting in a theater or or renting the DVD three months later. I think the cinemas problems is not the Hussleman video taping in the theater but the shitty movies Hollywood gives you to present. They may not want to discourage moviegoers any more than Hollywood has.

Re:all this to stop "The Hussleman"

[RazorSharp]

I think the cinemas problems is not the Hussleman video taping in the theater but the shitty movies Hollywood gives you to present. They may not want to discourage moviegoers any more than Hollywood has.

Okay, this is like the tenth post I've read complaining about the quality of movies Hollywood puts out. I'm going to let you in on a little secret: Hollywood puts out great movies every year and there are even more great independent films put out every year. There is no shortage of great movies. The fact that the best selling movies happen to be the worst quality have more to do with the audience than Hollywood. Good movies have a tendency to lose money, but fortunately there are enough moviemakers with the prestige and financial backing to get quality films released year after year.

If you're tired of watching shitty movies then stop using advertisements to decide which movie to go see. Pay attention to who wrote/directed works that you really enjoyed and follow their work. Discover a critic who you shares your views. I hate shitty movies too, but it doesn't take a genius to avoid the really bad ones. Shitty movies are popular because most Americans are too stupid to understand good movies, too immature to appreciate them, and too uncultured to appreciate their value.

Re:all this to stop "The Hussleman"

[Anonymous Coward]

Or maybe it's just one man's shitty movie is another man's best movie ever. And vice versa. As an example, my wife and I just watched Hot Tub Time Machine via Netflix last night. She thought it was rather silly and stupid, with few redeeming qualities. I thought it was rather silly as well, but I enjoyed enough of the crude humor and positions that the characters ended up in that I enjoyed the experience. You may think it's a horrible movie and a waste of time to watch, but that doesn't invalidate my enjoyment of it.

Feel free to blame it all on Americans however. Let me guess, they are all Republicans too, because clearly no self respecting Democrat (the only American worth speaking to after all) would ever watch a 'bad' movie.

Who cares?

[realmolo]

Literally NONE of my friends go to the movies anymore. They all have Netflix accounts and Blu-Ray players and big screens.

Movie theaters will essentially disappear within 10 years. I would say it's their own damn fault, but really, they simply had no chance once home theater technology got good enough and cheap enough.

Re:Who cares?

[Anonymous Coward]

Same here. We went to see Avatar in the theater because we wanted to experience the 3D. We did and while a fun gimmick, none of us thinks it adds enough to overcome the disadvantages of going to the movies.

Some of us have Netflix, some buy Blue-Rays or DVD's, some just download the stuff. We get together, make our own popcorn, have a couple of sixpacks and we have a way, way better time at home.

Re:Who cares?

[slim]

Literally NONE of my friends go to the movies anymore. They all have Netflix accounts and Blu-Ray players and big screens.

I very seldom go any more, but I do miss the cinema. It's great to be part of a crowd that's laughing/sighing/cheering in the right places.

Sadly, the last few times I've been, it's been more likely that other people in the crowd have a loud conversation, ruining the film for everyone else.

Re:Who cares?

[PitaBred]

They have a chance. But it's not by treating their customers like criminals. I like going to the local theater that has nice tables and serves beer and food and such. Even with my full surround sound 61" home theater setup, it's nice to go out.

Re:Who cares?

[TheGratefulNet]

none of my friends go to theaters anymore, either.

but to address one of your points, only ONE of my friends has a bd player. not even sure he uses it much, either.

I hang with an older crowd (post 40's) and I'm not convinced that we need 'extra pixels' on our screens to enjoy or not enjoy a movie. movies are already good enough in dvd format (upscaled) so that the tech issues do not stand in the way of the story or the entertainment. I've not once finished a dvd movie and though 'hmm, I'd have enjoyed it a lot more if it had extra pixels in the display and higher resolution'. the storylines are just way more dominating than the media that its sent thru. audio is already 'good enough' and so is video. the sony cash-grab (yes, that's all it was; a refresh of the dvd format with extra sony DRM for their profit padding) just did not impress most of us. BD is a flop and has not gotton enough acceptance to really matter. and soon, you KNOW that the next video drm-enriched format is on its way. going to re-re-rebuy your movies again?

Re:Who cares?

[AdamThor]

See Also: Video Arcade

Re:Who cares?

[mlts]

I'm just waiting for that myself. New 3D format? Better make sure your stuff is HDCP2012 compliant. Oh, you have a HDCP2011 device? Better hope the maker has a flash update (which they almost guaranteed will not have), or buy yourself a compliant TV that does. Too late. The HDCP2013 spec is out, so enjoy your movies from 2012 or earlier, since the new releases will require new hardware.

For what I do, I'll just stick with DVDs. At least I know future releases will play on existing equipment.

Re:Who cares?

[antdude]

What about new releases? I don't watch many in theaters either, but some new releases are worth it.

Re:Who cares?

[ukyoCE]

Movie theaters are like Wal-mart. I must be a bit forgetful, so once or twice a year I'll say "Hm, haven't been there for a while!" And every time I'm severely disappointed.

With movie theaters it's the ticket price, the snack prices, 30 minutes of ads, then people talking on cell phones or bringing in infants.

Forget the hipster protest stuff with Wal-mart -- every time I go I can not find what I'm looking for. A cooler, an electric griddle, a video game their website said they had in stock at that particular store, they're always out of stock. Sometimes you can find another section in the store that has the same item in stock, but usually all 2-3 places are empty. The parking lot and store layout (or mislayout as it may be) are just icing on the cake.

Re:Who cares?

[HappyEngineer]

This.

My wife and I have watched netflix movies exclusively for at least 2 years. I very nearly went to see Avatar to see it in 3D, but instead I chose to just wait a few years until I can see it in 3D at home.

Theaters are simply not a pleasant place to watch movies.

Re:Who cares?

[CCarrot]

movies are already good enough in dvd format (upscaled) so that the tech issues do not stand in the way of the story or the entertainment

Hear hear.

Look at it this way: switching from VHS to DVD made sense because:
1) smaller form factor
2) simpler navigation (at least, as long as the menu designers weren't morons)
3) 'special' features
4) significantly enhanced video and sound quality compared to VHS, even over 'older' equipment
5) language and caption selection
6) no more rewinding!

Benefits of switching from DVD to BD:
1) significantly 'sharper' picture over DVD, as long as you have the hardware to display it
2) somewhat 'enhanced' sound over DVD, again, as long as you have the equipment to play it
3) ability to see the menu while watching the main feature (instead of having to stop the film to change the captions or something...don't think I've ever even used this 'feature')
4) some enhanced networking capabilities...again, as long as you have the equipment to support it, and it doesn't violate the labyrinthine DRM hardware traps
5) more room on the disc for 'special' features (IMHO, it seems like they just put on more adverts instead and make them unskippable, which drives me crazy)

(not a fan of BD, obviously, so apologies if there are other 'benefits' that I missed)

The cost vs benefit between the two format changes should be clear: there was a great usability and enjoyment benefit for switching your old VHS movies to DVD. The increase in usability and enjoyment for switching from DVD to BD is basically negligible, except to HD fanbois and audiophiles...

my $0.02

Re:Who cares?

[MokuMokuRyoushi]

No, they won't. There's something that an at home movie doesn't have that a theater does. The experience. It's mainly an enticement for the socially attracted - either simply to go out with friends, or see that movie with your girl, or to play jokes on people there(as I am wont to do from time to time). Which explains why everyone commenting here is of the opinion that theaters should die ;). But don't try to say that they actually will. In spite of yours and 99% of /.er's opinions, some(read: way more than you think) people enjoy going out to a movie. Even, gasp! In 3D!

Let the flames begin?

What, you mean Microsoft Kinect?

[bareman]

I mean, how long can it take before clippy lets us know that we might be in the market for a new couch, or in need of a pizza?

This killer meme brought to you by the rally to restore FEAR.

Re:Just wrong, wear a mask?

[scharkalvin]

Well if the movie was "Rocky Horror" then the audience wearing masks would be expected!

child porn?

[Anonymous Coward]

So once an underage couple gets filmed having sex in a movie, exactly who gets charged for child pornography?

So what?

[LordKronos]

So what? Pretty much every business establishment that you go into is going to be monitoring you with cameras. They own the place, and they can do as they please. I really don't care why they watch, whether it be for security, loss prevention, marketing, or simply to get off on watching hot chicks (though I hope the latter group would get fired for not doing their job). As long as they keep the cameras out of the bathrooms and dressing rooms (which are probably the only places you should have any expectation of privacy in a business establishment) I really don't see what the problem is.

Re:So what?

[ubercam]

You'd think so, but...

I was in The George (Wetherspoon pub) on George St in Croydon a couple of weekends ago for breakfast, and in the men's washroom there were cameras with signs underneath explaining that they were there to prevent people using drugs in the washroom. It certainly took me by surprise. They seemed to be pointing at the sinks and the door. Some of the cameras were visible from the urinals so presumably one could be seen on camera using them. It was difficult to tell where they were pointing exactly since they were all the black dome type cameras.

I remember thinking at the time that if anyone wanted to snort some coke or whatever that badly, they could easily take a seat in one of the stalls and do whatever they wanted off camera.

in Soviet Russia

[Anonymous Coward]

the movie watches you!

Watching yourself

[robow]

I hope they have a theater where you can watch other theaters, or your own.

Maybe if we stopped giving them our money...

[plastick]

So we have the entertainment industry suing little girls and grandmothers over 'piracy', they are lobbying the government to take away our rights, Hollywood has done little except ruin the culture and ethical boundaries with their version of "reality", most people these days do not have the ability to have healthy relationships because they have been brainwashed with fantasy, they throw patent and copyright wars draining our court systems with our own tax money, and now they want to stalk you when you watch a movie where you paid $20 for some popcorn and a drink.

They sure seem to be the wealthiest chain of corporations and organizations in the world. Perhaps that's because the majority of the population has about the shittiest priorities one could imagine. While people are entertaining themselves to death, they know little about education, their government, or the myriads of issues facing humanity.

There is not a lot of difference between doing nothing and joining along. When people get their priorities straight and stop giving these multinational-corporation pieces of human garbage their money, then we'll see this kind of nonsense stop.

not if you pay in cash!

[Joe The Dragon]

not if you pay in cash!

Re:not if you pay in cash!

[macson_g]

Which may be impossible in near future. Some countries already considering dumping cash completely (sorry, can't remember which one was it).

Don't you usually get paid for market research?

[Anonymous Coward]

Theaters better be willing to knock half or more off the price of admission if they want to benefit in terms of market research from my eyeballs. Either that, or they need to be forced to publish the results of this research, which would open up a HUGE can of worms - it would turn this market research into Human Subject research requiring IRB approval.

Re:Don't you usually get paid for market research?

[mlts]

Or the research can be released (or perhaps sold) offshore in a manner similar to Wikileaks, and there would be absolutely nothing anyone could be able to do about it.

Same with footage. I'm sure a montage of scenes of people making out would make something that would sell to some people.

Awesome!

[jonathancarter]

Someone's going to get paid to watch me fiddle with my crotch while I watch a movie!? This is the best news I've heard all week!

use the cameras to identify the A-HOLES

[newdsfornerds]

Have the cameras identify the a-holes who can't stop talking during the movie and deliver a painful jolt of electricity to their seat until they stfu.

Re:use the cameras to identify the A-HOLES

[Anonymous Coward]

Exactly what I was thinking. I'd add to that list people let their phones ring (borderline lethal jolt) and people who txt on distractingly bright screens (repeated mildly painful jolts to simulate the irritation of attempting to ignore bright flashing distractions while trying to concentrate on the movie).

Or better yet just have chairs that drop through the floor. All a-holes will then drop on to a slide that deposits them in the nearest dumpster (preferably one filled with smelly stuff that doesn't get emptied very often).

Re:use the cameras to identify the A-HOLES

[Anonymous Coward]

Meanwhile, they're getting shocked and screaming about the pain, and then other people tell them to shut up.

Of course the sensors recognize THOSE unauthorized noise sources, and also induce a high voltage shock there too, resulting in more screaming.

Heaven forbid if we're supposed to laugh at a funny line, and we get a jolt....

or worse.. we get a jolt when we're supposed to laugh.... and we don't.

Easily dealt with.

[Gandalf1957]

Nothing a 1watt 830nm laser diode from ebay and an old flashlight case can't fix ;)

Re:Easily dealt with.

[IndustrialComplex]

It will probably fix the sensors on the projector as well smart guy.

Re:Easily dealt with.

[Gandalf1957]

It'll burn the crap out of anything sensitive in the infra red range including the aforementioned 'scanning system' and if it can see you then you can see it. Which also explains why it won't be on the projector - next time you're in a cinema projection booth put your head alongside the projector and see how much of the audience you can see through the projection window. Some multiplex's actually have seating that's rearward of the projection booth ! If that isn't enough the heat generated/reflected in the projection window glass by the beam, along with the heat generated by the projector if the sensor were anywhere close to it would white it out. I have yet to come across one of these scanning systems but my guess is the sensors are placed where the cameras are currently placed - front of house facing back and therefore good target practice. Regardless - sure they'll trip the alarm but by then you've killed an expensive camera(s) without breaking a single law (it's not a recording device) and how often do you suppose the management are going to replace them from the pittance that those who must be obeyed allow them ? To make life easier many cinemas now have the output from the cameras clearly visible to the public as they enter as a deterrent making locating the cameras easy. Which is why this is all just another snake oil seller taking advantage of corporate paranoia. sg.

Re:Easily dealt with.

[IndustrialComplex]

Regardless - sure they'll trip the alarm but by then you've killed an expensive camera(s) without breaking a single law (it's not a recording device)

I don't see how you can possibly claim that intentionally damaging or destroying someone else's property is not breaking a single law.

It also strikes me as one which people would easily be caught.

Camera operator: Looks like camera five got burnt out again.
Manager: Who did it.
Camera operator: *rewinds recorded video* Looks like you can see the guy sitting right in seat L14. Yup, increasing brightness and then a big bright flash coming from his right hand just before the sensor is burned out.
Manager: I'll go get officer Steve. Good thing the police keep a guy here on weekends due to all the teenagers.

One Word

[blunte]

Netflix.

Ok another word...

Streaming.

Re:One Word

[mcgrew]

How about a letter to Sony-BMI (or whoever produced it)

Dear Mr.[name of theiving sociopathic CEO here]:

I was going to watch [name of latest blockbuster trash] but ten bucks for a ticket, another ten for soda and popcorn, dweebs texting abd babies crying through the movie (which was projected out of focus) and now you want to film me watching a film?

Fuck you, you goddamned peeping tom stalker. This is the last straw. I'll just get it from the Pirate Bay. You people pissed me off.

Sincerely,
Jolly Roger

Unsustainable

[Itchyeyes]

As disconcerting as the story is, I don't think it's all that much of a concern that this will become the norm across the US. It's just simply unsustainable. Going to a theater is a leisure activity, and it's subject to strict competition. Not just from other leisure activities that audiences can opt for, but also from option of watching the very same movies at home. Theaters owners, of all people, should be well aware of this, as they've seen their audiences decline significantly as home theater systems have improved and grown cheaper over the past decade or so.

Even now, I regularly opt to wait for a film to be released on DVD rather than take the chance of having to deal with a bad audience in a theater. While strict security measures may stave off lawsuits from the MPAA, it's only going to push audiences away from the theaters that choose to implement such policies in the long run.

Blow Job

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe I should stop having my girlfriend give me a blow job at the movie theater now that I know things are being recorded.

That's what...

[surveyork]

"there are cameras strategically positioned that record your every move"

That's what Vendetta masks, hats and cloaks are for. Other masks, hats and ponchos work too, but a theater full of people dressed in Guy Fawkes costumes would be awesome.

Re:That's what...

[gknoy]

Especially if you're going to see a screening of Battlefield Earth.

Re:That's what...

[Creepy Crawler]

What're you talkin about?

Do it for V For Vendetta :D

Countermeasures

[c0d3g33k]

This can't be fixed by passing laws, or complaining, or invoking 'rights' or anything like that. Technology has progressed to the point where this WILL happen, regardless of laws, social norms or other futile measures to limit the 'invasion of privacy'. If the venue isn't watching you via an officially sanctioned surveillance system, the person sitting next to you might be, using cleverly concealed personal tech. As much as I hate to admit it, privacy in public places is gone. So ...

I think it's time to start thinking about effective countermeasures. Thwarting the surveillance tech entirely is unlikely, so maybe just making it very difficult to personally identify individuals might be a start. I have no idea what would work, but it seems like some simple approaches would be possible. A bunch of tiny (practically invisible) reflective strips in a baseball cap to reflect scattered light back into the camera lens to obscure the wearer? A barely visible veil that can be suspended from the bill of the cap that allows the user to see out, but makes it difficult to see in? Electronic camo gear of some sort?

I think we're entering an era where personal privacy can only be ensured by taking personal measures to thwart or interfere with surveillance tech.

Forget DRM. How about PRM (Personal Rights Management)? I'd pay for that ...

Re:Countermeasures

[swilver]

It's already been invented. It's called a Burka. It's popularity should shoot up once western society sees the benefits.

Re:Countermeasures

[101percent]

It's called a flashlight.

Kinect, PS3 Move, etc.

[Anonymous Coward]

So this differs in what way than Kinect or PS3 move? Or any webcam that can be remotely activated for that matter? only a matter of time before the movie watches you at home too. Sad

I watch maybe one movie a year.

[seeker_1us]

If this becomes commonplace, it might become less.

Thanks Movie theaters!

[Lumpy]

I needed another excuse to not go to your business and spend money.

Honestly, They figure they cant make movies to attract people, so they figure they need to work on the voyeurism crowd?

hack teh gibson! fight the powah!

[Thud457]

I predict these to be the latest in anarcho-geek fasc-ion.

maybe it'll make movies better?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'll be glad that they know I fell asleep during their shitty movie, maybe the next one will have more aliens in.

Re:Who pays 11+ USD to go to a cinema?

[mcgrew]

Um, the people who have already given up their privacy on facebook is pretty much everybody but you and me.

Reactions.

[Anonymous Coward]

There are survey companies that already check for this, it is the cinema equivalent of a mystery shopper (only there's no mystery and no shopping). Cameras will allow them to do it more often but it is already done a small scale. I did it as a part time job years ago. Maybe once a month on an opening Friday or Saturday I would be asked to go to a local cinema and (with the knowledge of the cinema manager) and watch the trailers, and advertisements before the film and record audience reaction, and if the film started when it was supposed to start. If the film was showing in 5 screens the surveyer would have to watch the start of at least one showing in each screen.

There are many people who don't get out much and are in a good mood before they get to the cinema and will laugh hysterically at all the advertisements before "Bridget Jones Diary" or other dross. Most people are bored waiting and appreciate the distraction and chuckle at some of the less dumb advertisements. I always hoped someone would groan or complain (or shout like a pirate) when the the anti-copying advertisements were shown. I think the film makers slowly realise it is better not to insult their paying customers in such an obvious way.

Also the studios want to know for sure the projectionists have not omitted any trailers or advertisements. The projectionists can and do leave out trailers if the rating has not been delivered on time, and if an advertisement is annoying enough they might not show it either.

Frankly if having cameras in the theatre meant people using phones could be thrown out more easily (and no I don't care if you are "only sending a message" not talking out-loud, get out or turn it off) then I'd be all for it.

Learn a lesson from the Music Industry.

[Anonymous Coward]

The music industry tried this crap and it didn't work too well. As bandwidth increases the movie folks will be in the same boat. How about when you attend the movie, you get a coupon for the DVD? Maybe then I wouldn't torrent all the movies out there just to avoid the loud ass jerks I have to share the theater with. My laptop with headphones give a better movie experience than the huge theater sans the grazing and crunching sounds around me and the little kids crying ans the chic on her cell and ......

Re:Learn a lesson from the Music Industry.

[mlts]

The movie folks are smarter though. They also own the bandwidth (cable companies) while the music industry doesn't. This is why bandwidth is shrinking in most parts of the US, and existing bandwidth is getting tiered with additional fees tacked on. Cable companies want people using their broadcast mode, and not the Internet to watch movies, and unless prodded by government regulators, this will not change anytime soon.

So, the only real progress you will see with movies is more new formats with more new DRM.

Options

[DaMattster]

The movie theatre isn't some government organization - vote with your wallet. Simply boycott the theatres that want to engage in this kind of activity. There are other activities that you can do such as reading, outdoor activities, building up your home theatre, etc. If you don't like this additional surveillance, the best way to make it fail is to simply stop going to the movies altogether. However, most Americans will continue to go despite this. I live in a dessert so I may go to a movie on only the hottest days during the summer. Save for that, there are all kinds of other forms of entertainment to engage in that, cost about the same, yet provide hours of entertainment versus a short film. Additionally, what happens if this system mistakenly identifies a person as having and using recording gear. The first major lawsuit and this surveillance crap will get returned to the manufacturer with refunds demanded.

Re:Options

[Anonymous Coward]

You live in a dessert eh ? I hope custard is involved - in large quantities.

Re:Options

[Anonymous Coward]

I live in a dessert ...

Delicious!

Re:Options

[Anonymous Coward]

I live in a dessert so I may go to a movie on only the hottest days during the summer.

Assuming your dessert is something like ice-cream, I would think that you would want to stay in on those days.

Re:Options

[CCarrot]

I live in a dessert so I may go to a movie on only the hottest days during the summer.

Hmmm...you should consider relocating to a sherbet, then, or maybe a nice Baked Alaska.

Sorry, couldn't resist ;)

Re:Options

[Anonymous Coward]

I would *love* to live in a dessert. In summer, I would simply switch from hot apple pie to ice cream. Problem solved.

Re:Just wrong, wear a mask?

[NekSnappa]

How about a ring of infrared LEDs around your face, pulsing in a random pattern? I wonder what their analytics would do with that?

Oh my god, cameras on private property!

[Kaz Kylheku]

What's next? If we keep sliding down this slippery slope, we will eventually be watched in convenience stores, gas stations, train stations, airport terminals, apartment hallways and elevators, ..

Thank you for this breaking piece of news.

How reliable is that figure of $70?

[Zontar_Thing_From_Ve]

Are we talking US dollars here? Because I am just not seeing how this supposed "about $70" is even possible.

Tickets at IMAX near my house are $17.50 each. You don't say what you saw, but let's just use that price. Two ticket at $17.50 is $35 in total. So we are supposed to believe that you spent about $35 on 2 cokes, nachos and popcorn? No way Jose.

Re:How reliable is that figure of $70?

[david@ecsd.com]

Dinner + a movie easily comes to $70 - $80. Plus the cost of the babysitter ... yeah, fuck it, we're staying home and we'll wait until it comes out on Amazon or Netflix.

In Soviet

[Compaqt]

USSR^H^HA , movie watch you!

A movie what? Is that a website?

[xate]

We still have movie theaters?

One surefire way to end this

[Anonymous Coward]

Have some teenagers go in and "imitate" peewee herman, or send a couple in for a little third base.

News Headline: Theater Owners busted for making child porn.

I recall

[undecim]

I recall some instructions on creating "anti-paparazzi" glasses that blind cameras with infrared light.

Next time I got to a movie theater, I'm going to be wearing a shirt with more infrared LEDs than there are seats in the theater.

This is unacceptable

[Anonymous Coward]

Ok... so a few years ago the only ads that you would be exposed to before a movie would be for up and coming movies... now you get exposed to ads for 3 or 4 different commercial products and the cost of a ticket has gone up $10. Now they want to monitor our every move with a camera while raping us with the cost of a ticket. The cost of taking a family of 4 (with kids over the age of 10 or 14 whatever the limit is to no longer be considered a child) to see a movie is approximately $70.00. This is ludicrous and we have the power to change it, if we as consumers are apathetic we have only ourselves to blame. If they implement this level of invasive monitoring I will cease going to the theater and I think everyone else should follow suit until they realize that the consumer dictates what is acceptable.

re: drive-ins

[King_TJ]

Sure, the drive-in theaters are cool -- but at least where I live, they've all but died off. We've got only one left, in a neighboring state. While it's only a relatively short drive across the border to go (and many people do!), they're adjacent to some bad neighborhoods you have to drive through to get there, and I'm sure that hurts their business. Additionally, they broadcast the movie's sound over a certain radio frequency you're supposed to tune in to, to listen. Ends up sucking for a lot of people because they can't hear their stereo that well outside the vehicle (where they usually *really* want to be while watching the film). If you don't bring along a portable radio or have an upgraded, loud car stereo, you're out of luck.

So you mean...

[t1oracle]

You mean to say that when I go in the back with my gf thinking that no one is paying attention, there's really someone in a booth somewhere watching us? Pervs!

re: none of my friends go to the movies anymore

[King_TJ]

I have a few friends who still go to the movies, but the conditions are predictable. Either A), they have a kid or kids and they're going to see a "family movie" for the sake of said kids, or B), they're single and have plenty of disposable income + free time. With "A", they often go to discount priced shows during the middle of the day, too.

The theaters are definitely hurting, but just like the recording industry, they're not really imaginative/innovative enough to re-invent themselves into something that will dramatically boost their customer-base/profits, so they're resorting to legal tactics (searching bags for drinks and snacks to confiscate, etc.).

One of the big theaters by me is hawking more expensive "rumble seats" so you can "feel the explosions" and so on while watching. I'm thinking that's hardly going to go over well though, when people already had to shell out $20 to get a couple small popcorns and sodas.

Honestly? I think what *might* work for them is going for quantity of sales vs. bigger profit margins. Even Netflix or a cable subscription costs people money, so it's not like most people just started refusing to spend anything on seeing movies. Rather, they want some VALUE for their entertainment dollar. If the theaters could offer NEW releases you can't yet see elsewhere, priced at $2 per ticket or so, and attractively priced food/drinks (still marked up, but not excessively)? I think you MIGHT just be able to start filling all your seats at all your showings and do pretty well. But then, I'm not an accountant and don't have access to their stats. Maybe I'm way off base?

Ha ha...

[X86Daddy]

Joke's on the MPAA et al... a lot of us stopped giving you any of our money through that channel (if not completely) quite some time ago. Also, have they seen how well the TSA nonsense has benefited the airlines' incomes? Guess what? People have less need/desire to watch their movies than to travel. I applaud this measure of aiming squarely and carefully at their own feet and firing.

They're going to record you anyway ...

[Anonymous Coward]

... but no one says you have to provide truthful information to them. Okay, there may be regulations on government surveys (how would they check?), but the other surveys you can fill out with whatever information you like, and make whatever facial expressions you like for the cameras.

If you'd like to reply to me directly, please respond to 'mickey.mouse@disney.com' Thank you.

Super Tuesday mentality

[Sta7ic]

Disclaimer, I'm in the USA, and they're still counting the votes in my state for some of the races.

I'm oddly okay with movie theatres doing this. It's their private property, and it's probably legal so long as they have signs up or add it in the fine print n the ticket. I'm not going to investigate as much.

I will vote with my dollars and skip the movie theatres, though. I'm quite happy to stay at home with my Netflix account, air-popper, 12-pack of soda, and 'movie theatre candy box' from WinCo. They can keep their cameras and blockbuster releases, so long as Hollywood keeps employing actors and Netflix keeps streaming movies.

If they put cameras on my television or XBox, on the other hand...

Simple and obvious reaction

[cdrguru]

Today when you walk into a retail store you can pretty much be assured that if there are 20 other people in the store that one of them is there to steal something. Large stores try for 3% shrinkage and some achieve it - others are experiencing as much as 5%. That is 5% of total inventory. You might guess that a $20 DVD is easier to steal than a $2000 big-screen TV.

So stores employ security guards and put in surveillance systems to try to stop people from stealing. It doesn't work all that well and people are offended by being treated as if they are there to steal. But as many as 10% of the customers walking in the store are there to steal.

Do some searching and you will discover that when a movie is released there are "cam" versions of it available for download the very first day. In multiple languages. This means that the first day the movie came out there were multiple people taping the movie. It is now a fact of life that this happens. The theaters are pretty much on the verge of realizing they are utterly obsolete and like drive-in movie theaters of the past, the land is worth more than the theater is.

While a "cam" is certainly the worst possible way to watch a movie, it is the alternative of choice because it is first - you can't download the DVD for months after the release in the theater. Theaters are participating in their own destruction with every "cam" release on the Internet and they understand this. Like the store security guards, cameras and security systems this is an ineffectual attempt at staying in business. Stores cannot exist with a 5% shrinkage rate - or more bluntly if 5% of the store's inventory value is stolen the store will simply close.

Amazon probably doesn't have 5% shrinkage. Best Buy is trying for 3% and achieving it in a lot of stores.

I rarely go to movies with more than 20 people in the whole theater. Theaters can't continue to exist like that and will absolutely be closing. I think I would be surprised if there is a single one left in the US in 10 years.

Re:Simple and obvious reaction

[Beerdood]

You bring up a good point - basically there will always be a pirated version (even if it is just a crappy cam version) on the internet within hours of the release. This additionally security at the theaters is a complete waste of time, as the ultimate goal (preventing anyone from recording the movie) will never happen. Even if you could place security in every movie theater (and account for smaller and smaller recording devices that may not get noticed), what's to stop an unscrupulous movie theater employee from recording it himself?

The real solution for the movie theaters is providing a better and worthwhile experience to moviegoers. Watching the movie in a theater is still a superior experience when compared to watching a crappy cam version on your PC, so they need to make it financially worthwhile. If you and your spouse need to spend $40 or $50 for your tickets and some snacks then that may drive away a lot of potential customers. Cheaper ticket prices, more "couples only" seats where there's some more privacy between you and the other people, allow alcohol purchase and consumption (no movie theaters in my city serve booze) - whatever it does to entice people to come. Additional security will only drive up the cost of the tickets and make people feel more violated, all while doing nothing to stop recorded copies from leaking on the internet.

Re:Simple and obvious reaction

[n dot l]

But as many as 10% of the customers walking in the store are there to steal.

In my experience the customers are nowhere near that bad. The employees, on the other hand... In just a few years I've seen two receivers, three managers, four department leads, two members of the stock crew, and eight or so (I'm starting to forget) sales reps get fired because entire pallets of very expensive merchandise vanished on their watch. That's just the ones that got fired, mind you, there were about a half dozen more that got away with it for years and even got promoted.

That sort of thing probably varies a lot by region, though.

Re:Simple and obvious reaction

[Fnord666]

Best Buy is trying for 3% and achieving it in a lot of stores.

Yeah, there's a great example. They practically call you a thief to your face while they mug you at the door on the way out. Once their default position was to start treating me like a criminal, I quit shopping there. Best Buy may be down to 3% shrinkage, but has that reduction made up for the lost sales?

What is it?

[Anonymous Coward]

What is this "the Hussleman" ?

you know what would be nice?

[Coraon]

I would like a law that stated if someone is operating a recording device to capture your image, you have the right to do the same. Personally I would love to see how the movie execs and police reacted to that. I think if that was law you would see a lot less recording devices, and a lot more people thinking before they act.

infrared laser pointer time

[bemenaker]

Start bringing infra red laser pointers to blind the cameras.

Theaters Suck

[AvenNYC]

I've essentially stopped going to see movies... you have to sit upright in those terrible dirty seats, listen to idiots yell through the movie, can't pause it to go to the bathroom, pay way too much for food, and now they're watching you on cameras so HJ's are out of the question. Did I mention you have to pay a metric ton for the privilage? I bought a nice projector for my house, and now everything is 10' wide. The ONLY catch is you have to wait for blu-ray on netflix - something I've grown accustomed to. It also prevents you from being suckered into paying over $50 for a night out where you see a really crappy movie that only looks good in previews. HJ's all around.

So?

[Syberz]

This is the same thing as being filmed by security as you're sitting in a waiting room, walking through a building or picking your nose while waiting in line at the ATM. The only difference is that some of the cost of implementation and maintaining will be recouped by selling the footage.

Perhaps advertisers will finally realize that most people play with their smartphones while the adverts run and only pay attention to the occasional trivia. This is a good thing.

R.I.P. Movie Theatres

[kheldan]

Theatres are already having a tough time competing with what you can put in your living room, and they're going to willingly do something to drive people away? I'll only speak for myself: If I find my local theatres are doing this, then that's the last time I go to the movies. Whatever it is, I'll just wait until I can get it on DVD and watch it at home.

There's a viable alternative

[Digital Vomit]

You know where you can watch movies without *being* watched? At home on your entertainment system with the latest torrent.

Elections run the same way...

[crovira]

Hold your nose and pull the lever.

Just what the theaters needed...

[roc97007]

Yet another reason not to go.

Watch at home

[kimvette]

This just presents yet another reason to just wait for Blu-Ray or DVD and watch at home. Watching at home is often a superior experience anyhow, and here's why:

First off, ever notice that the projector for the pre-movie ads are always in perfect focus, while the movie itself is out of focus? I don't care whether the movie was recorded on film or a 4K camera, your 1080p television at home is going to deliver a better picture.

You usually have far superior seating at home.

My television is large enough such that if I want the same "immersive" experience I get at the theater (in my favorite seating location) I can move a chair up to 4-6' from the set and it will appear as large as the silver screen, plus since my television is never out of focus I won't get eyestrain.

24fps - can you say migraine-inducing FLICKER? It drives me nuts. At the theater movies look like stop action claymation to me. For me the 120Hz frame interpolation is a godsend. I have it enabled for all sources except gaming and PC.

Snacks: I have better food at my house. At the theater I never buy the snacks - allergen-filled fat-inducing addictive crap, vs. at home where I have almost no processed foods.

Adverts: Even on restrictive Blu-Ray, on most players there are ways to skip the ads. I'll sit through ads on television (it pays for the content, which I agree is a fair exchange for the "free" programming) but I'll not do so for a movie I purchased and legally own, or have legally rented.

I do go to the theater on occasion, but for the social aspect - to see movies with friends away from home. It's still a superior experience to watch the flicks at home.

Drawback: I no longer have my AV receiver hooked up, and I threw out my old speakers (I'm going to design new enclosures after I figure out which drivers to use, and have the enclosure built). So, by comparison to my current setup, the sound at the theater is vastly superior. I have to give them that. :)

Movie Theater?

[Anonymous Coward]

Movie Theater? What's that? I haven't been in once since the 1980's. Why bother. They are unpleasant places where you can't control the flow of the film. You can't pause, rewind or fast forward. Theaters went out with the dark ages.

expectation of privacy?

[MasaMuneCyrus]

Are we legally allowed an expectation of privacy if we're in public walking around a movie theater?

Sales are down martial law time

[drunken-yeti]

If the industry spent half the money they spend on harrassing its customers on content they wouldn't have an issue. I do not see how threatening customers, throwing them in jail, sueing them and putting them under survilence is going to make them money or win them any fans. This hits close to home because my friend and I saw Watchman out of town and the theatre was really ghetto so he filmed the movie theatre and made some comments before the movie or even the previews started then put away his camera and before we knew it we were being escorted by police officers out of the theatre and threatened with Felony charges WTF....

No preparation for me

[Mysteray]

I'm not going to "Prepare To Be Watched While You Watch a Movie".

A few years back, theaters started forcing me to sit through several minutes of advertisements, some of it really loud and obnoxious. Then the RIAA and MPAA came along and made their industries enemy #1 and 2 of all the kids.

The last few times I've watched general-audience films, they've had so many prominent product placements that I literally felt ripped-off for having paid to watch essentially a long commercial.

Note to directors: if several people sit down to have a conversation, the brand label on the coffee doesn't all face the same way (toward the viewer).

Note to movie stars: any script that requires you to repeat the product brand name and a marketing slogan multiple times is going to diminish your own value.

So this honestly doesn't surprise me.

My family and I used to like going to movies. But we've quit going and it didn't take much effort. We don't buy or rent them very much either. Someone might fantasize that we're "pirating" the stuff instead, but although I have the technical means, in reality it's just appealing enough to bother with it. My kids are far more interested in Nintendo, YouTube, and anime than anything out of Hollywood.

Yeah, right. More like...

[bornagainpenguin]

The movie theatre isn't some government organization - vote with your wallet. Simply boycott the theatres that want to engage in this kind of activity.

This just in--The MPAA is announcing record losses and the shuttering of nearly half of all movie theaters in the next fiscal quarter. In a completely unrelated note, Piracy levels have been estimated to be nearly double the previous accepted estimates and the heads of the major movie studios are enroute to Washington D.C. to meet with Congress to see what can be done about this perplexing problem....

Somehow I think there is a flaw in your cunning plan. Can't quite put my finger on what it is though...

I knew it

[Anonymous Coward]

Not only do you watch Big Brother, Big Brother is watching you as well.

Cheap and easy way to stop pirates

[Anonymous Coward]

Just shine infared lights at the audience. People won't see it but the cameras will. Hence degrading the image quality for the cameras. If you think the youtube videos of comic con previews looked bad. Wait til you see what a few hundred Infared lights do... The lights could even be placed inside the screen.

Opportunity for some maybe.

[Maritz]

If there are two cinemas available to me, and one definitely doesn't have a load of cameras watching you, then I'll go for that one. Judging by the comments I'm not alone on this. For me this is taking things way too far. Surveillance for security I'm quite comfortable with, but watching the expression on your face? Creepy. So if there's a choice, I'll be at the cinema that isn't doing this. If there isn't, then I'll not be in the cinema at all. Bad move for the data miners either way to be honest.

IR blinkers

[AJWM]

Seems like the perfect venue for a handful of blinking infrared LEDs. Won't bother the patrons, but odds are it'll drive the cameras crazy.

...But don't blame me if the management decides to throw you out.

The most diabolically clever...

[prometx42]

...and super-genius plan ever by the movie theater industry to grow the use of Newsgroups and Bittorent, and raise them to Olympian Heights, ever devised. Seriously, ever...

HTPC Theater

[Anonymous Coward]

My HTPC is basically Blockbuster in a box. I don't have a huge screen or anything like that, just a modest old 4:3 tv and cheap stereo, but to me it's the best thing in the world.

I don't have some 14 year old throwing an empty cup of ice randomly into the dark theater which lands all over me (true story). There are more reasons to stay home and watch movies with NO caveats. I also don't watch TV for the whoring out of products every 5 minutes. For every 30 minutes of programming there's usually 10 minutes of commercials. That's 1/3 and most commercials are an abhorrent assault on my mind. I'll just watch my HTPC and content the way I want to, without interruption, and/or dealing with rude people.

I did go see Avatar in 3D which was the only movie I've seen at a theater in about 5 years. I loved it and glad I paid money for it. Movies like Avatar are the only thing that will get me into a theater. I wouldn't even go see Iron Man in theater. It's got to be something extra special to make me go through all the public hassle. Adding all the camera's to a theater gives me another in a very long list of reasons not to spend money there.

Pick the shortest one and REMEMBER the product

[crovira]

Tell them that you remember the [ad] because it was the shortest and didn't bore you like all the other ones for whatever-the-heck they were advertising.

Do that a few times and you'll be subjected to endless repetitions of [ad].

Hulu did that for a while when they were starting up.

Now they claim that when you "click on yes or no" they're going to use your feedback to make the ads more "relevant" to you.

I call BS on that crap. If they were paying any attention to me at all, I'd tell them and make the ads more "relevant" to myself. (Like "Don't waste your client's money if he's a poof processor cause I can't digest any of it.") A pass/fail about an ad is a waste of time downstream when some ad agency peon tries to make any sense of this "feedback."

I no longer care. I just mute the fuckers, pause the ad if I want to go for a crap, and ignore it.

Just don't load up too many ads or I'll turn you off, just like I threw away my TV set, years before the digital switch-over.

that's great as long as...

[Anonymous Coward]

that's great as long as nobody pulls a drive-by at your drive-in.

Your limited democracy

[luk3Z]

It calls "your limited democracy"

Well, they've lost my patronage

[Batman of Earth-2]

This is exactly why I recently purchased a digital projector and screen. I'm tired of dealing with ridiculous measures ranging from straight up advertising, $8 movie tickets and $4 candy to security ideas like this that are designed to "protect the industry."