Don’t Care, Twittering During A Film Is Wrong!
Much has been made of Alex Billington and company’s “brilliant” (using it loosely) idea of Twittering during Crank: High Voltage a week ago. Some are fine with the idea, provided it was controlled while others think Billington needs his nuts chopped off for doing it. Count me in on those who feel he needs to be lynched because a theater is supposed to distract one from everyday life, hence the reason it’s dark and the screen is glowing. You can make the argument “they weren’t bothering anybody” but that doesn’t make it any less disrespectful.
Now yes this “Professor of Film” was joined by a couple of comedians to them which I say is acceptable because that’s part of their shtick. Does it make it any less disrespectful? No, but some comedians are supposed to go and be disruptive in public for “experiments” or what have you. Evidenced by Mr. Billington’s comments, he clearly is missing the point that he is a film critic (supposedly) going into a film and being distracting. There’s been a number of films myself and some of my critic friends have wanted to text during and say “This is the worst contamination to humanity” or “THIS CURED CANCER” for good films (which I did think about doing for the film this act was committed against) but refrained from it out of respect for the others around us. Again, it does not matter that it was controlled and this isn’t about that. It’s about Billington’s lack of respect for film.
Which is really what kills me about the whole thing to begin with. Alex feels he’s done nothing wrong ‘because it was Crank 2.’ NEWSFLASH: It doesn’t matter if it’s Twilight 14, a film critic whipping out his cell phone for any purpose other than to shut it off is wrong. Roger Ebert (a critic who might know a little something about how to act during a film) called out an equally qualified douche reviewer with this piece that Billington should take a look at. The unfortunate thing about all of this is that somehow a good chunk of the human race follows him which makes me believe this “experiment” was nothing more than a Lesson in Assholeism that will inspire the misguided readers of his site to do the same.
So before I get some ‘you don’t know the whole situation’ bullshit response from him or one of his followers, let me say this:
Alex, this isn’t about some vendetta against you like you’re trying to make it. If the comedians do it then fine, but you’re a film critic and should act with more honor than you displayed. ‘It’s Crank 2‘ or ’such and such has something against me’ are terrible excuses to try to hide the fact you fucked up. Yes, I’ve read it from both sides and still find what you did disrespectful and classless. Furthermore, you failing to realize you’ve made a mistake as a film critic, along with some pretty favorable comments to crappy films, makes me wonder if your rival was right.
If Alex and Ben Lyons are of what’s to come for the future of critics, prepare to have I Am Legend on the AFI’s Top 100 along with classics like The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008). And no, Billington doesn’t speak for my generation of defining films like Home Alone and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
On another note, Billington claims “I believe in cinematic integrity” yet he pulls a stunt like this. No wonder many people can’t stand this self-worshiping douche.
