"That doesn't help with your policy though."
July 21, 2011 9:48 AM   Subscribe

The Alamo Drafthouse cinema chain has a tradition of airing humorous celebrity "PSA" bumpers urging theatergoers not to talk during the movie. Will Ferrell. George A. Romero. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera. Danny DeVito. R. Lee Ermey. Governor Ann Richards. Recently, Drafthouse owner Tim League sat down for an interview with The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg and attempted to get him to record a "Don't Talk" PSA. It did not go as planned. (Previously.)
posted by eugenen (46 comments total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
I don't recall there being much talking during Social Network, but Adventureland? There was all kinds going on during that, and I was alone, watching it at home.
posted by philip-random at 9:52 AM on July 21, 2011 [5 favorites]


I'm just surprised there wasn't a publicist off-camera going "yo, Jesse! can we chat?"
posted by smackfu at 9:53 AM on July 21, 2011


Whose music was it playing in the background of the George Romero clip at the end?
posted by Fraxas at 9:54 AM on July 21, 2011


It's an RJD2 song. Going to take me a minute to dig up the name.
posted by penduluum at 9:56 AM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


It's Since We Last Spoke, off the album of the same name.
posted by penduluum at 9:57 AM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


Hrm. I've totally been confusing Michael Cera with Jesse Eisenberg.
posted by koeselitz at 9:57 AM on July 21, 2011 [10 favorites]


someone should tell him that Michael Cera called and wants his schtick back.
posted by jbelshaw at 10:00 AM on July 21, 2011 [3 favorites]


or what koeselitz just said...
posted by jbelshaw at 10:00 AM on July 21, 2011


Cera needs to upend his image by staring as a serial killer who targets manic pixie dream girls
posted by The Whelk at 10:01 AM on July 21, 2011 [15 favorites]


This movie sounds like Brian Wells: The Comedy. What a riot!
posted by zamboni at 10:03 AM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


Wow. I assumed that Eisenberg's extreme intensity in The Social Network was acting, but I guess he's like that in real life.
posted by Think_Long at 10:04 AM on July 21, 2011 [2 favorites]






I see Michael Cera and JE very differently. Michael Cera's as a comedian works in self-doubt and long pauses and general awkwardness. Jesse Eisenberg seems to be a true in-the-bones neurotic, and god bless him for it.
posted by timshel at 10:18 AM on July 21, 2011 [5 favorites]


Hrm. I've totally been confusing Michael Cera with Jesse Eisenberg.

This will help.
posted by hermitosis at 10:28 AM on July 21, 2011 [29 favorites]


That's actually kind of adorable...partly fucking with them, but not being dickish. Well done, Eisenberg.

but I would like my money back for The Squid and the Whale, please - appreciably neurotic has its limits
posted by psoas at 10:30 AM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


I don't recall there being much talking during Social Network, but Adventureland? There was all kinds going on during that, and I was alone, watching it at home.

Wait what? I thought Adventureland was excellent, and hate that it was marketed as a raunchy summer teen comedy when it wasn't at all.
posted by windbox at 10:30 AM on July 21, 2011


This will help.

My god...

That's perfect.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 10:32 AM on July 21, 2011


Peggy gives the best one, hands down. She doesn't shive a git.
posted by Chipmazing at 11:04 AM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


Jesse Eisenberg is a pretty neat guy. He is a cat foster parent and doesn't like rape jokes.
posted by rossination at 11:07 AM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


Tim's interview consisted of trying to get Jesse to do one of our infamous "Don't Talk" PSAs

Yeah, we're "infamous." How pompous.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 11:08 AM on July 21, 2011


"I don't sive a ghit" is now my favorite phrase!
posted by tomswift at 11:18 AM on July 21, 2011


I'm just surprised there wasn't a publicist off-camera going "yo, Jesse! can we chat?"

Frustrating expectations is a time-honored technique of seduction. This draws a lot more publicity, right before the launch of his new film, which is exactly the sort of thing that producers really, really appreciate. Not only does he give some quotable quotes that are sure to wind up on all the content-free entertainment shows, but he signals to every producer in Hollywood that he's not a prima donna or tempermental artiste, although he does require a good director. Of course Hollywood wants actors with talent, good looks, and charisma. But being a nice person that's easy to work with helps a lot.

Shrewd young man. Maybe I'll watch the Social Network after all.
posted by anigbrowl at 11:35 AM on July 21, 2011


This is still my favorite movie PSA: Cut You Up With A Linoleum Knife
posted by inthe80s at 11:36 AM on July 21, 2011 [11 favorites]


How is possible that the state that elected Ann Richards also brought Rick Perry and George W. Bush on to the national scene?
posted by Aizkolari at 11:46 AM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


Going to take me a minute to dig up the name.

And that's just how long it took!
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:11 PM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


Just the contrast between one awesome politician and two that I consider to be clowns.
posted by Aizkolari at 12:12 PM on July 21, 2011


Has Mr. Eisenberg ever been to an urban multiplex when showing either kung-fu or horror movies? The quality of the film has no bearing on the amount of mayhem taking place in the aisles.
posted by jsavimbi at 12:14 PM on July 21, 2011


Yeah, we're "infamous." How pompous.

How is that pompous?
posted by jayder at 12:34 PM on July 21, 2011


How is that pompous?

I think it has something to do with fulfilling the trifecta:

A. Individual/organization courts attention with attention-getty action

B. Individual/organization receives a wealth of attention

C. Individual/organization publicly revels in the attention they've gotten

It's a sort of etiquette issue. See, you're not ever supposed to do all three. If you do both A and B, then you're not supposed to do C. If B occurs unintentionally, skipping step A entirely, then you can totally get away with C for a while. If you do A, but B winds up not following, you can invert C in a self-deprecating way (which may jump-start B after all).
posted by hermitosis at 12:48 PM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


This is still my favorite movie PSA: Cut You Up With A Linoleum Knife

I just love Angry Nacho Drummer.
posted by benito.strauss at 1:06 PM on July 21, 2011


If you do A, but B winds up not following, you can invert C in a self-deprecating way (which may jump-start B after all).

But isn't that what's happening here? I'd never heard of these ads before this post.
posted by roll truck roll at 1:17 PM on July 21, 2011


I agree with Jesse that if you don't like the movie you should get up and ask for your money back. It's still a jerk move to talk on the way out the door. Not everyone has your refined tastes.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:18 PM on July 21, 2011


But isn't that what's happening here? I'd never heard of these ads before this post.

Yeah, but I suspect it's the people who are already familiar with the hype about DHA's policy are the ones who might think it's "pompous" or whatever.
posted by hermitosis at 2:04 PM on July 21, 2011


So sick of hearing about Alamo Drafthouse.

Having never been there, I guess I cannot appreciate first hand what they have to offer. (Which is probably my loss.) But from what I keep reading about over and over again: they don't like talking/texting/farting/coughing/knitting/juggling/etc during their movies and aren't they so awesome for reminding everyone NOT sitting in their theater of that fact, over and over again. Message received.

Kudos to Eisenberg for not going along with their "infamous" PSA cornering.
posted by jca at 2:09 PM on July 21, 2011 [3 favorites]


Having never been there, I guess I cannot appreciate first hand what they have to offer. (Which is probably my loss.) But from what I keep reading about over and over again: they don't like talking/texting/farting/coughing/knitting/juggling/etc during their movies and aren't they so awesome for reminding everyone NOT sitting in their theater of that fact, over and over again. Message received.

To be fair, that's just one manifestation of the fact that they really care about the moviegoing experience -- which includes projection, sound, programming, and not bombarding you with stupid car commercials as well as enforcing some rules regarding audience behavior. Compare that with your local AMC megaplex where half the time the lights don't go down when the movie starts, the picture is out of frame, and getting a manager to give a shit about assholes carrying on a conversation is impossible if you can even find one.
posted by eugenen at 2:30 PM on July 21, 2011 [4 favorites]


I once held the door open for Ann Richards after a screening at the Alamo on South Lamar. She didn't thank me. So I pushed her off the curb.
posted by theperfectcrime at 3:13 PM on July 21, 2011 [2 favorites]


Wow hey. I don't know jack about celebrities, but I clicked rossination's link about Jesse Eisenberg and think that he said something really stupendous:

LMD: When a comedy [like 30 Minutes or Less, Eisenberg's new film] is this raunchy, is there such a thing as going too far?

JE: There is stuff in this movie that I'm uncomfortable with. I don't like to use the "R" word, for example. Rape, for example. I'm very uncomfortable with that word, personally, because I do work with domestic violence organizations and I'm very aware of the alarming statistics of women who are abused. So I'm very uncomfortable with that. I'm not uncomfortable with the sexual jokes. Sometimes I think they're less funny than others, I don't care about that, because it doesn't harm anybody. I'm uncomfortable with saying "rape," I don't like saying that, I never say it in my life. If somebody says it, I cringe. I don't like it when people make jokes about that word.


Thanks for that, Jesse. If you could go ahead and clean all the r words out of the videogame culture while you are at it, that'd just be swell.
posted by lazaruslong at 3:25 PM on July 21, 2011 [4 favorites]


Eisenberg leapfrogged Cera long ago. He's great in this—got just enough of the crazy in his eyes to make me think he might end up a seriously great actor.
posted by wemayfreeze at 3:43 PM on July 21, 2011


Also, it's better in many ways if you refer to him as Jesse Isengard.
posted by wemayfreeze at 3:44 PM on July 21, 2011



To be fair, that's just one manifestation of the fact that they really care about the moviegoing experience -- which includes projection, sound..............


they have seats as well, which i'm sure you won't find in your usual plebian megaplex.
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:17 PM on July 21, 2011


One-note hipster actor wants you to talk during his movies. Why the hell not, he did it all the way through The Social Network.
posted by scrowdid at 1:19 AM on July 22, 2011


John Waters reminds you that there's no smoking in this theater.
posted by griphus at 1:06 PM on July 21 [4 favorites +] [!]


always one of my favorites
posted by caddis at 4:17 AM on July 22, 2011




Lighten up, Francis.
posted by stevil at 5:35 PM on July 22, 2011


So sick of hearing about Alamo Drafthouse.

I've never heard of this theatre, and thought these were kinda fun. Shrug.
posted by antifuse at 8:22 AM on July 25, 2011


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