Breath Mint

For those of you who have given up any hope for civility when choosing to see a movie in a public space, there’s good news – the Chelsea Clearview seems to be making a stab at bringing it back. Ro and I went the other night and I was reminded of the cool new service that the theatre is providing at the start of each show.

For about the last year, just prior to the previews, a theatre employee will show up live and in person in front of the screen to welcome patrons to the show and to go over the basic rules (i.e reminding customers for like the millionth time to please turn off their cell phones).

Not every employee who gives this form of a curtain speech is suited to it – some are clearly more comfortable than others – but that they’re trying at all is a welcome relief (although the Chelsea Clearview is known for innovative programming such as Hedda Lettuce’s weekly show commenting on cult favorites and one night only showings of popular movies – such as WEST SIDE STORY on Valentine’s Day a couple years back).

It's great to have a human presence announce themselves.. it kind of makes me feel as though someone is watching over us - and in these post Aurora days, that's a good thing.

After decades of suffering grand theatres being cut up into tiny boxes, plastic multiplexes that should come with a compass and theatre employees who are making so little that they little that they couldn’t care less about customers, there's some light piercing the darkness.

I have to admit that I generally forget the employee intro as soon as the movie starts so I don’t know that I specifically have gone or would go to the Chelsea Clearview simply because of it, but I don’t think that one can underestimate the “breath mint” affect that such a programming choice has on it’s audience – i.e. the mint eventually dissolves but you’re still left with a crisp feeling. So, too with the Clearview, perhaps because of this, I’m more apt to feel good (and safe) there which, in turn, makes me want to see more movies there.

As the theatre has always been a great place to catch the latest flicks, they don’t have to add this service – no one is expecting it and no one would miss it if it were discontinued tomorrow. But it’s nice to know that in this world where businesses are trying to get away with doing less and charging more, that someone ‘gets it’ – that you don’t HAVE to do more, but it’s really impressive when you DO.

Now the movie going experience would be even better if patrons can just figure out that no one is so important that they can’t turn off their cells for a couple hours (unless, I suppose, your last name is Obama or Putin). A man can dream, right?

 

(Ro and I are simultaneously posting thoughts on this and his post follows)

Comments

[David Licata]

1.

Great post! I love when a theater employee does this. It brings a smile to my face and I always applaud and thank them.

One theater nicety that I haven't seen in a while: curtains being drawn to reveal the screen. I think the Zeigfeld might still do this. I seem to remember sitting in the Worldwide (that cheap theater in midtown that doesn't exist anymore) in the 90s and seeing previews on the screen. Then the curtain closing, then opening again and the feature playing. It was something of a treat.