Screen Time: What screen's worth going out for?

For Screen Time this week, Tom and Stephanie will discuss their favorite movie theaters, what they like about them, and what they dislike about other theaters. They'll also discuss the problems with theater etiquette that keep people away.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MOVIE THEATER BEHAVIOR

• 8 simple rules for not being a jerk at the movies
As someone who's spent much of my professional career in movie theaters — first as a pimply usher at a local movie theater in high school, and, much later, as someone who writes about movies — I'd love to live in the magical dream utopia where everyone agrees to focus only on the movie they just dropped 12-plus dollars to see. (Scott Meslow, The Week)

• Americans Say They're Going to the Movies Less Often
When questioned about the best and worst things about going to the movies, there are a couple of clear frontrunners for each side of things (Harris Poll):

When asked to select the one or two best things about going to the movies, nearly six in ten Americans selected the sound and picture quality of a movie on the big screen (58%), while nearly half (45%) cited the experience being a short escape from everyday life.

Of course, if one counts high prices or rude people among the stresses of everyday life, then a night at the movies may not be quite the escape it's cracked up to be: concession prices (62%) and rude moviegoers (56%) are the top selections — by a wide margin — as the worst things about going to the movies.