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Topic: Moviegoer sprayed with Mace in dispute over cellphone

Frank Cox
Film God

Posts: 2234
From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada
Registered: Apr 2011

posted 11-11-2014 02:10 PM

Moviegoer sprayed with Mace in dispute over cellphone

quote:
A moviegoer got a face full of eye-burning Mace Monday night after asking a fellow patron to turn off her cellphone in California.

According to Variety, the incident happened during a screening of Mike Leigh's historical drama Mr. Turner at Hollywood’s historic TCL Chinese Theatre.

Witnesses said the man, who was seated behind the woman, repeatedly asked her to put her phone away after the film began. When his complaints were ignored, he tapped her on the shoulder and asked again.

That’s when the woman "flipped out," witnesses said.

"She stands up and starts cursing, saying, 'You hit me, you hit me, I'm going to call the police," a moviegoer told Mashable.

Despite the pleas of audience members asking the woman to settle down, she reached in her purse, uncapped a bottle of Mace and sprayed it directly into the man’s face.

He immediately left the theatre, but the woman returned to her seat and continued watching the movie.

Security came in about 15 minutes later to escort the woman out.

It's not clear if the man was hurt, but the Los Angeles Police Department told ABC News that no calls for service were received from the theatre.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 11-11-2014 02:33 PM

I think the woman should have been busted for aggravated assault.

Of course there is a possibility some critical details didn't make it into the news story, but it sounds like the man was not posing any legitimate threat to the cellphone using lady. That seems especially true since he and his girlfriend merely left the theater rather than retaliating with a reciprocal level of violence.

All I know is if I was in that poor guy's situation I wouldn't have reacted violently either. However, my girlfriend (who happens to be a fitness instructor) probably would have intervened. Mace lady would have found her phone, can of mace and my girlfriend's boot jammed deep in her ass.

It's just too bad there are turds out there like this mace lady bringing more bad headlines to the movie-going experience. It's all the more reason to have a very strict no cellphone use policy in theaters. Or build theater auditoriums in a manner where cellphone reception inside would be impossible.

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 11-11-2014 02:47 PM

I was working the Egyptian last night and the festival's technical director was at the Chinese when this happened. She told me that the victim (assuming that this was an unprovoked attack) simply left without making himself known to theater staff after the incident, hence nothing having been reported to the police. Unless he makes a complaint, I'm guessing that no action will be taken against the "shooter".

It happened when the house lights were down in the middle of a movie, which was not paused at any point. So it's pretty much impossible to know whether her claim of self-defense is in any way credible.

We're all crossing our fingers hoping that nothing like this happens tonight, with the premieres of Selma and American Sniper both taking place, one after the other. This place is going to be a complete madhouse: when I arrived for the tech runs at 6.45am this morning, a line was already forming for Selma, over 11 hours before showtime!

A contractor working here this morning commented that the mace spray incident is why he prefers to watch DVDs at home rather than go to the theater himself. I so hope that nothing else like this happens during the rest of the festival, because with every highly publicized incident like this, more and more people will probably start to feel the same way.

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Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-11-2014 03:42 PM

And it was a Mike Leigh movie for chrissakes. I know lot of people go to festival screenings just to be there, but it would seem Mike Leigh fans would know better than use a cellphone during the movie.

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Steve Matz
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 672
From: Billings, Montana, USA
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 11-11-2014 04:14 PM

In our wonderful Town;(same situation)That woman would be charged with misdemeanor assault. However if it had been the Man spraying the woman with Mace,he would be charged with felony assault with a weapon.If she goes before our 2 female District Judges and pleads no contest,she will receive a deferred Sentence and possibly a small fine. If it was the Male appearing before these same 2 judges,he might get anything from 6 months to 5yrs of incarceration depending on what side of the bed she woke up that Morning.

Females in General in our Jurisdiction get Wrist Slaps compared to extreme sentences for Males commiting the same offense. We get a good amount of Females that are charged with embezzlement;usually from their employer. I have never seen one sentenced to Jail time, even when the Money figure was in 6 figures. They are given probabtion or deferred Sentences and some don't even have to pay back the amount they embezzeled.A male doing the same Crime could receive as much as 15 yrs and he will pay every dime back with interest. Wonderful System we have here...Equal Justice for all [puke]

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Daniel Schulz
Master Film Handler

Posts: 387
From: Los Angeles, CA USA
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 11-11-2014 05:15 PM

I'm glad my cell phone incident went more smoothly. I was at the Egyptian Theatre last night for the AFI Fest screening of Cinema Paradiso (with director Giuseppe Tornatore in attendance no less!), and about 10 minutes into the film a young woman just in front of me and one seat to the right pulled out her cell phone. I thought perhaps she was worried she hadn't switched it off, but indeed she fired up Instagram and proceeded to take a couple of quick photos. I would have shrugged it off, but then she switched to Instagram video mode and started to record the image! I'm sure this was not a piracy thing, just a social media posting to record her attendance, but good grief. I gave her a tap on the shoulder and asked her to please turn off her phone. She did comply, but I got a very dirty look from both her and her boyfriend/husband. Maddening.

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Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 11-11-2014 05:45 PM

I've seen an interesting trend lately. We all know it sometimes seems hard for younger folks to keep away from Facebook, Twitter and other social happenings alike during the full length of a movie. Although this is already sufficiently annoying, they at least seem to get the notion that's not acceptable to actually take or even make phone calls during a movie.

So, now switch to the shows that usually attract a more "senior" public. Although the twittering and facebooking is nowhere near present, those folks often don't seem to get the idea of turning off the sound of your cellphone during a presentation. Furthermore, I've even regularly seen (and heard) those people actually take phone calls during the show, seemingly totally oblivious to the actual situation.

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 11-11-2014 06:10 PM

Dan - sorry about that. When it's an AmCin show, our staff and volunteers are usually pretty vigilant about pouncing on cellphone jerks. However, AFI are renting the theater for this gig and thus it's their call as to how proactive they're going to be about picking them off. Added to which, if the "perp" is in the middle of a row, nowhere near the aisle, it's very difficult to get to him/her without disturbing half a dozen other customers. Last night was a completely full house. Were you in the balcony or the main floor? I was keeping an eye on the balcony from the booth and didn't notice any cellphone glows.

I'm going to be taking a close interest in American Sniper tonight, in case the movie offers any helpful suggestions: at the Aero, in particular, we have a clear line of sight from the booth ports to take out the little gits, wherever they're sitting!

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Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 11-11-2014 06:26 PM

If you're showing a DCP and you're in need of removing a particularly nasty case from somewhere in the middle of your auditorium, the best thing you can do is pause the show, raise the house lights, do your thing, excuse for the inconvenience and rewind about 30 seconds. The alternative of leaving stuff unchecked will eventually be a bigger disturbance than the short interruption.

If you're showing film, the rewinding part will be a lot more challenging a.k.a. almost impossible and people will blame you for the part they missed...

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Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-11-2014 06:28 PM

quote: Marcel Birgelen
So, now switch to the shows that usually attract a more "senior" public.

I've said it elsewhere, the old broads are just as bad as the teenagers. And they REALLY take offense if you tell them not to use the phone. Kids just treat you like a cranky old guy, old broads treat you like the town child molestor.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-11-2014 10:05 PM

Yup, happens everywhere. Older people DO NOT like to be corrected, especially by somebody younger!

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-12-2014 08:44 AM

That tears it! When I build my movie theater all the auditoriums are going to have built-in Faraday Cages.

Problems like this won't happen if cell phones just don't work inside the theater.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 11-12-2014 09:15 AM

I agree with the Faraday Cage proposal. Heck, a company selling soundproofing material to go in theater walls could embed the mesh in the "carpet" stuff.

If needed, signs could be posted along the lines of "mobile phone use inside the auditorium is prohibited. Wireless reception is blocked inside the auditorium. If you need to use your portable device you will have to leave the auditorium in order to do so."

Anyone "on call" or whatever probably shouldn't be inside a movie theater or any other social event where mobile phone use is flat out stupidly rude.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-12-2014 10:30 AM

If I'm not mistaken, they already make soundproofing panels that look like sheets of Homasote with metal screens embedded inside. If you use steel screws to mount them on metal Quick-Studs, they automatically make a Faraday Cage.

However, I'd go the extra mile and put metal builder's cloth right into the block walls, the foundation and the ceiling when the rooms are built. I want a radio-free dead zone.

I wouldn't put up signs, though. I'd just do this very quietly and not say anything. If anybody complained, I'd just say, "I don't know..." and if anybody pointed out the fact that the walls are lined with metal grid, I'd lie my ass off and simply say that it was done to prevent interference... which it is, technically doing. I just didn't specify what KIND of interference I'm preventing. [Wink]

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Terry Monohan
Master Film Handler

Posts: 379
From: San Francisco CA USA
Registered: May 2014

posted 11-12-2014 11:20 AM

There may be a time in the future were each cinema will have to have a police type person with a gun in each auditorium to keep the calm. Dress them up to the theme of the movie like a cowboy for a western movie ect. So many people think they are at home and turn on their cell phones during a dark theatre these days. Or each theatre will need to check ladies purses or any bags brought into the theatre to check for hazard type things. This will add a big cost to your admission ticket, people will feel safe but in a jail type atmosphere. When I go to a movie If cell phones are on near me I just move to another seat and not deal with some of the crazed people out there. Some of the movie chains will go cheap and just hire one police person or dime store police, they will be very busy.

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