I truly don't understand why people are compelled to look at their cell phones while watching a film in a theater. Isn't the point of going to the movies to remove yourself from the real world for two hours while you get caught up in a dark drama, hilarious comedy or kick-ass action movie? What's more, how can people be so inconsiderate, knowing that the brightness of their screen is distracting others from the entertainment that they paid to see? And do you really want to be responsible for Spider-Man killing James Franco's father?
The Alamo Drafthouse has a long history of great anti-cell phone ads, and this one is just the latest. Remember this amazing one starring Patton Oswalt that came out a couple years ago?
Personally, my favorite Alamo Drafthouse ad as to be the one without celebrities. Instead, it simply features the voicemail of a seemingly drunk patron of the movie theater who had been kicked out because she wouldn't stop checking her phone once the lights went down. This one is a bit NSFW language-wise, so I might recommend turning down your speakers a bit or throwing in a pair of ear buds.
Why don't more theaters create as strict or even stricter policies about cell phone use than the Alamo Drafthouse? I can't imagine a majority of audiences would actually prefer to have everyone texting or calling their friends while in the middle of a movie, so what's the harm in making harsher penalties? You use your phone, you get kicked out - it doesn't have to be and shouldn't be more complicated than that.
