Guylian
Junior Movie Mark
It's sleepy out here
Posts: 46
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Post by Guylian on Apr 21, 2006 5:53:51 GMT -5
Friday, April 14, 2006 at 2:54 PM
Movies
Wendee Goles is a Villa Park artist and mother frustrated by parents who tote their toddlers to movies filled with killing, copulating and other R-rated amusements she thinks should be reserved for adult eyes only.
One night recently, Kristen Montgomery went to see "The Hills Have Eyes." Like Goles, she is 35, a mother, a college graduate, more liberal than not, and, like Goles, she is convinced that taking a child to a gory or sexually raw movie is child abuse as surely as kicking a kid in the grocery store.
She'd gone to the film that night expecting to be grossed out. But she didn't expect the thing that really disgusted her--kids of 4, 5, and 6 watching blood, guts and guns light up the screen in the dark theater.
"Mommy, can we leave yet?" wailed the boy behind her, to a mother who kept telling him to shush. "Mommy, I don't like this movie."
Theater owners are hearing more and more such complaints, he said. Some have created child-care centers, but many can't afford to. Some have barred young kids from R-rated movies, but many are reluctant to do so because parents have sued for discrimination when their kids are kept out.
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Post by The Movie Mark on Apr 21, 2006 10:15:49 GMT -5
Theater owners are hearing more and more such complaints, he said. Some have created child-care centers, but many can't afford to. Some have barred young kids from R-rated movies, but many are reluctant to do so because parents have sued for discrimination when their kids are kept out. Thanks for the article, Guylian. Further proof that the world is simply full of stupid people. I'm all for barring pre-teens from certain R-rated movies. Any parent who'd take a 5-year-old to see The Hills Have Eyes should be slapped in the first place. But then forcing the child to keep watching it despite being scared out of his mind? I say have someone from social services on hand to deal with it. Not only are you ignoring the best interests of the child, but you're ruining my theater experience. How am I supposed to enjoy a brutal horror film when a little kid is crying in fear close by? Reminds me of Laslo's horror story about watching Aliens on Imax with young kids around. Let the audience file a class action lawsuit against these parents if they attempt to sue for discrimination. Or perhaps they need to be sued for their LACK OF discrimination when choosing what they take their kids to see. Idiots. |
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Post by Laslo Hollyfeld on Apr 21, 2006 10:36:45 GMT -5
I was just gonig to remind Guylian of my Alien experience, but JB has beaten me to it.
It's bad enough when young kids accidentially discover something scary (like when I was nine and stumbled across The Shining...that freaked me out pretty good...), but it's another thing to intentionally subject your kids to something scary.
Y'know, when I'm running the world, it'll be so much simpler: you hurt a kid, you get the chair.
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Post by MsCali on Apr 21, 2006 13:09:59 GMT -5
Um, the same way you'd enjoy it if I were watching it with you (crying in fear)? LOL:)
There's a theater around the corner from my shop that doesn't allow kids at all after a certain time (5 pm?). No teens either. It's 21 and over at night! More theaters need to do that.
My mom was taking my niece (4) and nephew (6) to the movies the other day. The only movie playing at the theater where they had passes that was suitable for kids was The Wild, which my nephew had already seen. He told her he wanted to see Slither instead. He really really wanted to see that movie about worms!
He saw The Wild again. LOL:)
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Post by The Movie Mark on Apr 26, 2006 0:17:33 GMT -5
Um, the same way you'd enjoy it if I were watching it with you (crying in fear)? LOL:) Ah, but see, I could laugh at you and make fun of you for being so scared. I'd feel too guilty to do that to a little kid. Maybe. |
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Post by MsCali on Apr 26, 2006 19:20:58 GMT -5
Heh...good point!
I will never go see a horror movie with you, but if for some reason I do end up at one and you are there, I give you permission to laugh and make fun of me for being so scared. Mr. Cali already does it! LOL:)
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Post by tigerjeb on Apr 29, 2006 22:18:52 GMT -5
which is why my wife and I patronize the muvico in peabody place. the drive in to downtown memphis from germantown is worth it BECAUSE of their incredibly fine on-site daycare center. we buy tickets for what we want to see, another 2 tickets to park the kids and they give us a beeper in case we are needed. the kids have fun, we get to watch the movie in peace, and we dont bother the other paying customers around us with our kids. win win win. i just wish more theaters had this service - it HAS to be a money maker
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Post by FieryMaid on May 22, 2006 11:26:44 GMT -5
Yep, I agree, it's a travesty. However, I think the only answer is forced birth control  . No, in all seriousness, it shouldn't have to be completely the business' responsibility or that of the government as social services is already booked enough. The theater I work at, AMC, enforces a policy that if you aren't 17, you don't get in an R rated movie unless someone 21 or older takes you. We have it clearly posted, and you won't BELIEVE the crap we have to take because of it: Example 1 I had a woman scream at me for telling her what she could do regarding her own kid. "You can't tell me what to do, he's my kid." "I'm sorry, that film is R rated. He's not at least 17 and he's not accompanied by someone 21 or older, so he's not getting in." "I'm his mother, if I say he can go, he can go." "Sure, if you or someone 21 or older goes with him." "You can't tell me what to do!" "He is NOT going into that movie by himself." She didn't even want to see some R rated movie that she was trying to get her kid into. This battle of wills went so far that she bought the ticket anyway, walked her son to the theater, and was sent back out where she immediately got back in line, demanded her money back like I was stealing from her, and left all in a huff still yelling about how she was the kid's mother. Whatever. Example 2 People took kids ages 2-8 to Hostel. I was disgusted and almost sick to the point of losing my lunch. Some of my co-workers who loved Saw were sickened Hostel, and here these helpless kids were being dragged to it. I was further angered that these parents made a show about pretending to be good parents, "Is this good for kids?" "Uh, it's R rated?" (They give me a puzzled expression) "That would be a STRONG and LOUD NO." (Surprised look on their faces) "Oh, well, give me tickets anyway." Example 3 I had another parent (the Dad) ask if some R rated movie was good for kids. "No, I wouldn't take my kid to see it and I wouldn't see it myself." The Dad hesitates, while the other parent (the Mom) looks me over with scorn, turns to the Dad and tells him HE'S the parent and it's HIS decision. "Yes, it's your decision, but you asked me a question and I answered it." "Yeah, uh, give me the tickets." Example 4 I was working in the snack bar. A Dad and son (about 6) walked up. As I was getting their order, I asked what movie they were seeing -- Ice Age 2? The Wild? "V for Vendetta." (seeing the shocked look on my face that I covered up a bit too slowly) "Yeah, I don't approve of it either, but that's what he wanted to see." I couldn't say this and keep my job, but I wanted to scream "WHO IS THE PARENT HERE?!?! The kid is 6!!!!!! I could understand if he was 17, but he's 6!!! If you don't approve, say NO!" Forced birth control. It's drastic, but I'm beginning to think it's the only answer ;D |
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Post by FieryMaid on May 22, 2006 11:30:07 GMT -5
I see the day care center idea, but, is it honestly to hard to get a baby sitter? Having a child care center gets into more laws, restrictions, and I can't see it being that cost effective.
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Post by MsCali on May 30, 2006 12:14:45 GMT -5
It really is hard to get a baby sitter in a lot of places. Some parents won't just hire any teenager to watch their kids, and others don't have a social network that includes them. My friend actually go through baby sitting services to make sure they get qualified, monitored sitters for their kids.
Of course, the type of parents who will hire just anyone to watch their kids are also probably the ones who will bring their kids to the horror movies
*and just a sidenote to say that I'm not trying to say that teens are never good babysitters. I sat quite a bit as a teen, and plenty of my friends did as well. We were all responsible, qualified sitters. But when you don't have those types of people in your social circle, and you don't want to impose on friends to watch your kids all the time, you don't have many choices. But in that case, you stay home, or go to a movie your kids CAN see.
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Post by FieryMaid on Jun 1, 2006 21:50:20 GMT -5
Exactly. My point is there are SOOOOOOOO many solutions:
1. Take a day off work and go see the movie while the kids are at school.
2. Wait for it on DVD.
3. Some parents I know at the theater buy the kid (around 8 or so) a ticket to The Wild while they go see The Hills Have Eyes.
4. Swap with other parents. I've heard of parents making deals with other parents -- they take turns watching all the kids while one set of parents goes out (dinner, movie, mini golf, you get the idea).
5. Wait until one of the kids gets old enough to babysit.
Whatever. People are stupid.
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Post by MsCali on Jun 1, 2006 23:00:20 GMT -5
Oh, I agree. My friends' kids are 2 & 4 - definitely too young to be sent to a movie by themselves. Their other social circle (the one made up of other parents) isn't one where you really pass your kids off to the other parents for some reason. So, unless they get a babysitter, they don't go out. They have a regular sitter on Friday nights, but she comes from the Westside (in LA that might as well be the other side of the world. I have a friend who I saw more when she lived in Tucson than I do now that she lives on the Westside). There have been many Friday nights where we've had to cancel our plans at the last minute because the traffic is so bad she just won't get to their house.
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Post by FieryMaid on Jun 2, 2006 0:15:38 GMT -5
Yes, 2 and 4 are way too young. But at least your friends understand the concept. Most parents don't seem to. It's SAD.
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. No, in all seriousness, it shouldn't have to be completely the business' responsibility or that of the government as social services is already booked enough.