All Over Albany

Texting during movies?! OMG, no!

Perhaps it's just an artifact of our rapidly impending old age, but this seems like an annoyingly bad idea: the head of Regal Entertainment -- which owns six movie theaters in the Capital Region, including the megaplexes at Crossgates and Colonie Center -- recently floated the idea that her chain could start allowing the use of mobile phones during some screenings in an attempt to attract "today's savvy moviegoer" (read: teens and young adults). "You're trying to figure out if there's something you can offer in the theater that I would not find appealing but my 18-year-old son [might]," she said at an industry panel discussion last week. [LA Times] [Deadline]

Watching a movie in a big theater is already borderline miserable. They run commercials for random crap before the movies. The kid behind you won't stop kicking your seat. And the guy next to you apparently thinks he's recording the DVD commentary for the film. Yes, please add officially sanctioned texting to this mix.

The only reason to go see a movie in a big theater these days is to watch a film on a huge screen in a somewhat immersive environment. Otherwise, you can be just as as happy (if not happier) watching at home with your comfy couch, flat screen TV, and popcorn at non-extortionist prices. Hearing the clack of tiny keys and catching the tiny white glow of a mobile while the person next you text her friends every time Chris Hemsworth flashes his pecs does not help cultivate the immersive experience. (Here's a counter argument.) [Slackerwood]

Remind us to hug the Spectrum the next time we're there.

By the way: The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin has a strict no-texting policy -- get caught texting, get thrown out.