I saw State of Play last night here in Austin, and it's unfortunate that something other than the movie sticks out more prominently in my memory. In the middle of the film, Russell Crowe has a conversation with Robin Wright-Penn, the details of which I won't go into, but I mention as context for those who have or will see the film for what follows.
At this very moment in the film, a member of the press roughly in my age demographic (the Generation of Shame) pulled out his cell phone and did more than check the time. He didn't have a babysitter sending him an urgent text, or a "we've gotta launch the nukes, Mr. President" type call coming in. King Hipster von MuttonChops seated in front of me decided it was best to check his Facebook account during the movie. He didn't just check for a crucial email or message, no, it was as if he were reading the whole damn Facebook cover to virtual cover. If I hadn't intervened, he probably would have spent the next twenty minutes on Twitter, posting things like "OMG #StateofPlay is awesome but no boobs. yet. ne1 know if redhead gets naked??"
A tap on the back of his chair from my wife's foot wasn't good enough, and I'd had it with jerks like him ruining everything from press to full-on public screenings, so I leaned forward and told him, "put your fucking phone away." I was already angry, but his response amped me up to incensed.
"Uh, what? Excuse me? Calm the fuck down, man. What's your problem?"
More forcefully, I repeated, "you put your motherfucking phone away." "Geez man, calm down," he whimpered. Was the profanity deserved? I think I went easy on him.
You have a studio rope off and reserve seats for you at an advance screening of a movie and you whip out your smartphone to see who Poked you this hour? His companion from the same organization pulled out her phone within ten minutes of the end. It wasn't worth getting in to at that point. After the screening, at least he knew he'd fucked up to the point he wouldn't look me in the eye when he left. Needless to say, I've sent a message to the studio reps so they can do something about both of them. I should add that they weren't bloggers, but the oblivious audience member would look at their outward appearance and assume as much.
I've seen various "so you want to be a film critic" articles pop up, most recently from Devin at CHUD and Will Goss at Cinematical, and if I were to add my two cents, it'd be on this issue. I don't care who you are, you don't pull out a cell phone in the middle of a movie as if it were showing in your living room. Another member of the press a few rows down had to take a call (it didn't ring) at some point, so he quietly shuffled out to the lobby. Why is it so hard for people to disconnect from their little magic screens for 90 to 120 minutes on average?
Owning a cell phone does not include a license to use it in a darkened cinema whenever and for whatever you want. My problem, and that of many in the press community, is that inconsiderate "peers" are ruining the experience and no one is doing anything about it. I spoke to a couple friends after the show, relating what went on, and they concurred that we have to start actively policing this ridiculous behavior ourselves. Glares and gentle seat tapping need to be retired in favor of unapologetic reprimand. I'll censor myself from profanity until if and when I have to repeat myself, but if you backtalk me, I'll have it in for you. Complacency equals complicity.
With all that out of the way, the movie is excellent, and a full writeup is coming later today.