In the past couple of years, I have watched a number of films twice for the simple reason that on the first viewing, the audience was too loutish and distracting. But more and more, I've come to see how much an exercise in futility that is. It has become quite apparent that the moviegoing experience will reliably include audience members who have no sense of respect for those around them and who will act like the movie theater is their own personal venue for carnival barking and/or prattling.

While I don't really see this as a plus, I now realize that the moviegoing experience will not change for the better in the foreseeable future. Too few people go to the theaters nowadays and as a result, the cinema business cannot do anything about it or else they would lose business at an even more accelerated pace. Those of us who love watching movies in the theaters in peace have no choice but to accept it as a reality that will not change. Lowering the standard for what passes for a decent theater experience is the only recourse.

Forget piracy, it's audience behavior (or lack thereof) which will be the death of cinema.

I think that the last first run film I saw IN a theater was Titanic

People amazingly actually laughed as the ship was going down and bodies crashed into the ship's funnels.

Now I watch at home (the screen is nearly as big as at the Multi-Plexes) and I only have to contend with "the others" in the house who CAN safely be shushed ... and I can always watch alone or again... plus the seats are more comfy, the popcorn is fresher and cheaper and the floors aren't nearly as dirty !

Maybe you should move to a really BIG city, or, if you already live in one, change your venue. When I was in London I saw Life at a joint so classy that the stair steps were made of glass and the ticket alone cost me 18 pounds, which translates as 27 dollars. Expensive scotch was available for consumption while viewing the art. The screening room itself was small and sat less than 15 people. My front row seat was no more than ten feet from the projected film. And, most importantly, the attending audience members were studious in their learned silence. It was really nice, so nice I remember noting the fact to myself, thinking, these people are as quiet as I want them to be.

That seems like a lot of respect for an Eddie Murphy/Martin Lawrence vehicle.

I go to films in the theater weeks and weeks after they've been released, early daytime screenings, and I have no audience problems as you describe since there is hardly any other audience to speak of. Works great for me. Do you mostly see films on opening weekend or otherwise early in their theatrical run?

I've thought about taking that approach, but I'm not sure even that would do the trick. I live in New York where no theater is a sure thing, unless it's a film that is truly not on anyone's radar. You live in the suburbs of Philly, right?

Oh, OK. I suppose it's tougher to avoid any sizeable audiences in a huge city like that. Yes, I'm in a more suburban area (still quite densely populated, but obviously not NYC).

and when it IS a small audience, you have to watch out for the cretinous seat kicker, talk to their friends-er or the perv who insists in sitting near you in a nearly empty room ... ugh !