Ritz 16 in Vorhees---Incident on Saturday, April 25th

Well, despite our previous poor experience at the Ritz Vorhees 16 on April 18th, my wife and I ventured out there once again on April 25th---this time with the assurance from Mark Elson, City Manager for New Jersey and Pennsylvania, that there would be increased 'usher patrols' in place based on my email to him last week.

We went to a 9:35 showing of the Soloist. We got there early, stood in line, and were admitted to the theater (Theater #9 I believe) at approximately 9:00. We sat in the very last row of the theater, chatted a bit, and I ate my popcorn anxiously as the theater filled, anxiously awaiting the noisy, rude and inconsiderate patron who would undoubtedly sit right across from me.

At approximately 9;15, a man of about 25 and his girlfriend made their way a few rows to the right and down from us--he proceeded to serenade his girlfriend with some kind of romantic tune (I couldn't make it out), About 5 minutes later, 4 teenage boys made their way up to the last row, and somehow, I knew this would be the prize winning group.

I was right, as they chatted and texted before the lights went out, during the previews, and during the movies.

One of the young men, apparently not wishing to disturb the crooner and his girlfriend in front of him, decided to direct his cell phone to his left--thereby shining it into the eyes of a middle aged man on the aisle, who after a few minutes of this crap, suddenly snapped his fingers at the kid, and told him he was disturbing him and told him to shut it off. Amazingly, the kid did so--at least for the next hour.

Of course, no usher was ever seen in the theater, and I half expected one to come up and escort the man out, not the kids.

Once again, I implore the Ritz 16 to do something about this---an announcement prior to the movie that cell phone usage will not be tolerated would help. Having an usher come in once in a while (as promised by Mr. Elson) would also help.

As for me, I'm getting closer and closer to calling it quits.

My wife and I easily spend $1,500 at the Ritz each year ($18 per week x 52 weeks, plus $12 in snacks). A big screen TV with some theater chairs in our basement may be the next best thing for us.

Ritz 16 in Vorhees responds

I posted an email last week that I sent to the Ritz 16 management concerning rude talking and texting patrons in their theater. I received a very fast response, and I wanted to post it here.

Mr. Smiley,

I am in receipt of your e-mail and was disappointed to hear about your recent experience. I apologize of any inconvenience you may have experienced.

We do make usher patrols every show and every auditorium. Unfortunately many times, disruptive patrons discontinue their behavior while we are present and resume when we leave. If we are notified by a patron of a disturbance we are always happy to assist. I do understand your frustration and I will address with the staff to increase usher patrols.

Your reference to the “canned statement” was an announcement prior to the movie which was displayed by prior ownership and has not been on screen since May 2007.

In reference to your question about head phones, I am not sure if you are referring to our Assistive Listening Devices for the hearing impaired? These work on a special frequency and usually only work with our headsets.

It is our goal to provide the very best in the movie going experience. We always welcome comments from our patrons such as yourself which helps enable us to reach this goal.

Sincerely,

Mark L. Elson
City Manager
NJ-PA Region

A letter to the Ritz 16 in Voorhees New Jersey

I just emailed this to the Customer Service email address of National Amusements, owners of the Ritz 16 in Voorhees, New Jersey.

My wife and I go to your Voorhees New Jersey location every Saturday evening to see a movie, and at least half the time we are bothered by loud, inconsiderate patrons who either talk during the movie, narrate the entire movie, or talk or text on cell phones.

Prior to the previews, you display a canned statement indicating that we should make the manager aware of anything detracting from our movie going experience, but why should I interrupt my viewing of the movie to report someone who will most likely pick a fight with me for tattling on him.

In the old days, ushers patrolled movies to ensure that patrons were behaving properly.

I'm not sure you can do that easily with 16 theaters, but something needs to be done.
Perhaps you can have quiet shows, where it's understood that absolutely no talking will be tolerated.


Or quiet sections, 5 or 10 rows in the back reserved for people who can behave.

Or perhaps post a phone number where bothered patrons, like me, can text a message to management and tattle on an offending patron anonymously.


By the way, I would be glad to pick up one of those sets of earphones, but I would prefer to use a sanitary set of my own.

If I purchase a set of Bose speakers, would they work in the Ritz 16 in Voorhees?


John Smiley

People talking in movies---Part 3

Getting back to my point about people talking in movies.

Ritz 16 Voorhees, Saturday, April 18th.

Reasonably looking intelligent young couple, she wearing a Princeton athletic shirt of some kind, and what appears to be a Princeton baseball cap. Her boyfriend next to her.

Next to them what I would guess are her parents, with complementary '46' jackets (not sure of the significance of the number '46').

I guess they decided to sit in the back row of the Ritz in the belief that it's the 'talking' section--which is what the girl and her mother did for the entire movie (State of Play).

Several times during the movie, her father received either phone calls or text messages on his cell phone. Rather than disturb his wife with the accompanying bright light, he held the phone in the aisle so that it could shine in my wife's eyes.

Genius.

People really need to consider those around them.

Of course, the Ritz makes this big deal prior to showing previews that patrons should feel free to report anything that makes their movie experience less than ideal.

How about providing me a phone number that I can text during the movie to report the morons talking?

People talking in movies---Part 2

I wanted to rant and rave about my movie experience at the Ritz on Saturday, April 18th--but before I do that, let me post this letter from David R. Ruffling that was printed in Saturday's Philadelphia Daily News---it expresses very well what I think of people who talk in movies...here's the letter

I really enjoy Solomon Jones's Saturday columns.

I especially related to them, as was the case with "Loudmouth Noise that Annoys."

But he forgot to mention one subset of loudmouths, perhaps the most notorious of them all---the ignoramuses who have conversations in movie theaters with their dates/husbands/wives while a movie is in progress, or the people who feel compelled to do their own running narration of the movie out loud. (Subject for a future column?)

Keep those fine articles coming.

David R. Ruffing, Phoenixville

Ritz 16 Voorhees---Saturday, February 7th

I could tell it was a full moon at the Ritz 16 Voorhees on Saturday night---unruly patrons picking fights with clumsy popcorn carriers, yakking ladies next to me in the movies, and the ultimate annoyance---the husband and wife who brought peanuts to the movies, and proceeded to crack and shell them throughout the performance.

Once again, with a full theater, and sitting in the back row, there's not a lot we could do---no place to move.

And after witnessing near fisticuffs in the foyer, I wasn't about to say anything.

I need to convince my wife to start going to matinees---with an emptier theater, you can just get up and move to get away from the annoying twits.

Why can't people be quiet at the movies?

I know it's a lot to ask for people to be quiet at the movies--especially in these days where it just doesn't seem to be a priority.

My wife and I went to the movies last night and were surrounded by a bunch of rude, noisy people who obviously don't know anyone else exists.

The man in front of us had some soft of nasal problem and 'sniffed' the entire movie,

The people to our left brought in a bunch of individually wrapped caramel candies and opened them (and played with the papers) the entire time.

The people behind us (sitting in a handicapped seat) banged by seat occasionally, then ate from and shook their popcorn bag the entire movie.

A girl in the front row carried on a running conversation for the last 20 minutes on her cell phone.

Perhaps they should have a 'quiet' section in the theater, or a noise free showing.

The Day The Earth Stood Still--Very Disappointing--Klaatu barada nikto!

The Day The Earth Stood Still---very disappointing.

Spoiler Alerts---don't ready any further if you don't want to read some spoilers.

OK, I'm a big fan of the original

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043456/

which I think is one of the greatest Science Fiction movies ever made.

I've been looking forward to this movie since I heard about it last March, although I really wondered how it could approach the original.

I was hoping for an update--but this rework was shoddy.

It lacked the true warmth of the original---Keanu Reeves is frosty.

So many lost opportunities---for instance, when Jacob asks Klaatu to resurrect his dead father, he doesn't. Nor does he offer any reason as to why not. Had too much time passed?

Klaatu resurrected the policeman he killed.

I think the movie missed a great opportunity to do something the original never did.

And really, if you are going to stick to some of the original plot (landing on a ball field in Central Park, befriend a single mother, get shot upon landing) be concise.

For instance, when Klaatu corrects Professor Barnhardt's blackboard formula, why leave out a crucial sequence in which Klaatu tells the Professor that the formula is good enough to allow him to travel from one solar system to another.

And why stop the earth at the very end---it was used in the original to lend credibility to Klaatu's claims.

And why no "Klaatu barada nikto!"

All in all, I think purists will be very disappointed in the remake.

Moviegoers who never saw the original may like it---it has lots of gore and special effects which appeal to young people these days, but no warmth and very little character study.

James Bond Movies

My wife and I saw Quantum of Silence last night at the Ritz. I enjoyed it.

It made me remember that I've seen about 20 James Bond movies at the theater in my lifetime.

I believe the first was From Russia with Love. I remember it pretty well. My brother Joe took me to see it (I'm guessing I was about 10 or 11 at the time), and I believe we drove in a very thick fog to a twin theater on Route 611 to see it.

Let me check to see how close I am here as I use Wikipedia to list the James Bond movies and their release dates...

Dr. No 1962
From Russia with Love 1963
Goldfinger 1964
Thunderball 1965
You Only Live Twice 1967
On Her Majesty's Secret Service 1969
Diamonds Are Forever 1971
Live and Let Die 1973
The Man with the Golden Gun 1974
The Spy Who Loved Me 1977
Moonraker 1979
For Your Eyes Only 1981
Octopussy 1983
A View to a Kill 1985
The Living Daylights 1987
Licence to Kill 1989
GoldenEye 1995
Tomorrow Never Dies 1997
The World Is Not Enough 1999
Die Another Day 2002
Casino Royale 2006
Quantum of Solace 2008

Hmmm...From Russia with Love was 1963, and I would have been 8, but there's no doubt I saw it with him, he was a big James Bond fan, and I saw remember that opening sniper scene.

Vorhees Ritz Last night---there's no recession there

My wife and I went to the Vorhees Ritz last night--there's no recession there, the place was packed. The ticket area was jammed, and many movies were sold out.

I had to park in the back of the lot--that's only happened to me a few time.

The new James Bond movie was sold out---and people were waiting down the hall to get into it.

I did chat with a fellow on the way in--I said there's no recession here.

He said he knew friends who were in business--one a car dealership, and another one who does work with Atlantic City Casino hotels, and he said there October business was horrible.

I told him my November business is horrible as well.