Be Quiet ... Or Else

According to Philly.com, a guy in Philadelphia shot another man yesterday when he wouldn't stop talking during a screening of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The movie's not so good, so I'll bet this made it a lot more exciting.

But seriously, folks, I think this kind of thing is pretty sad. Yes, talking during a movie — or sending text messages, or failing to turn off your cell phone, etc. — is a pretty big offense, but if it was me (and I don't have any tolerance for this kind of thing), and it was that unbearable, I'd probably have walked out or something to get an usher, so the talker would be removed. (Actually, probably not. I would have stayed in my seat, not enjoyed the movie, and then gone home to passive-aggressively blog about it.)

I mean, I went to see Marley & Me this afternoon in Chestnut Hill and the audience there was pretty annoying, with folks getting up to go to the bathroom seemingly every five minutes. But it's not like I stood up in the middle of the theater and yelled out, "HOLD IT IN, PEOPLE!! I'M TRYING TO WATCH A MOVIE HERE!!" (I was tempted — ha ha ha — but I didn't do it.) Sometimes I guess you just have to know how much you can stand. You don't get out a gun and shoot someone, though. Sigh.

(Thanks to Jeffrey Wells for the tip on this story.)