Discuss: Dude Gets Shot for Talking During 'Ben Button'
Filed under: Drama, Exhibition, Newsstand
And I thought I was harsh for asking a guy to turn off his cell phone. A man was shot because he was talking with his son during a screening of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on Christmas Day, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Reportedly, 29-year-old James Joseph Cialella told the unidentified victim's family to be quiet and threw popcorn at the man's son. After exchanging words, Cialella allegedly got up to confront them, the victim stood up, and Cialella shot him in the arm with a .380 caliber gun. As other theatergoers ran for safety, Cialella sat back down to watch the movie. (Think about that for a second.) Police arrested Cialella and charged him with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and weapons violations.
Coincidentally, at a Christmas late morning screening of the same movie (albeit in Dallas and not in Philadelphia), I got upset at a guy in the row in front of me for checking his cell phone -- with a big bright screen -- during the opening scenes of the movie and promptly asked him (nicely) to turn it off. He did. But what if one of us was packing a gun? Not to minimize the seriousness of the situation, but wouldn't it be better if everyone got some freakin' manners?! Sheesh.
The incident took place at the UA Riverview Plaza Stadium 17; police were called about 9:30 pm, which means the 8:40 Button screening was barely a half hour into its 2 hour, 47 minute running time (allowing for the usual 15 minutes of ads and trailers). One web site claims that "the crowds are often noisy in the auditoriums during the movies. Many Philadelphians attend movies earlier in the day to avoid the noisy crowds, or avoid the Riverview altogether."
As I was finishing up the post, I asked Philadelphia resident -- and one of my very cool bosses -- Scott Weinberg to take a look at the story to get his typically savvy input. He suggested adding the Top Disrespectful Reactions, and provided all but the last, for which I'll take blame:
1. Who brings a kid to a three-hour drama?
2. Who brings a gun to a Cate Blanchett movie?
3. Did the guy actually think a bullet wound would shut the other guy up?
4. Why doesn't the Riverview have metal detectors already?
5. Maybe now people will shut the hell up in the movies.
6. Hey, they don't call it "The City of Brotherly STFU or I'll Shoot You" for nothin'.
7. What would Rocky Balboa do?
Meanwhile, I wondered what the father and son were talking about so early in the movie. What scene provoked discussion? What warm intimacies were being shared?
1. "No, son, I said you were wrinkly at birth, but not like that!"
2. "Hey Dad, are you really my Dad?"
3. "Will I grow up to look like Brad Pitt?"
4. "Was I raised by a poor black family?"
5. "But I wanted to see Marley and Me!"
Feel free to share your thoughts on the story, serious or otherwise.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-27-2008 @ 9:58PM
William Goss said...
"2. Who brings a gun to a Cate Blanchett movie?" - Heh, my personal favorite of the bunch.
Reply
12-27-2008 @ 10:47PM
Scott Weinberg said...
Please allow me to add:
I mean no disrespect to the victim, and I hope he makes a complete and full recovery. it's just a weird story.
Reply
12-28-2008 @ 2:14PM
DylanG said...
While I can't stand people talking during movies, shooting them is going a little to far. Dumping a soda on the fathers head would have been perfectly fine though. People need to learn manners for theatres. I've noticed that so many people - friends, family, other theatre-goers etc. - have no movie theatre etiquette. It completely ruins the movie sometimes and is one of my biggest pet peeves.
A lot of the time people don't even realize they're ruining the movies for others. This is why more people need to point it out when someones being disruptive; so that they realize what they're doing is just as rude as cutting in line or sneezing without covering your mouth. Of course if disruptive people were shot at, half my friends and several of my family members would all be dead, so I don't want that. But this behavior has to stop nonetheless.
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12-28-2008 @ 9:44AM
kristoffe said...
I went the night after, not knowing about this incident, and I was happily surprised at how quiet everyone was. This film has the ingredients to make the audience, black and white, hoot and holler because of the fun it uses to mix the love of races in humility. This, of course would make many of the normal viewers that are black there go nuts and really make the film unwatchable, but something the film required was respect, I thought. It's a cultural thing, like a yawn, or more directly, a speech pattern, social hiccup. For some reason, the black audiences that are in those theatres and actually all across America seem to think time to be heard is at the movies. Which is juvenile and screams attention glutton. It really is annoying when people take their own personal issues into a movie so they can ruin it for you, all because they hate their jobs, or mom and dad never listened to them.
Its the same situation when a woman in the city walks down the street and really clumsy ignorant guys yell and holler at them. They don't think it will work, it is punishment for those around them. These people do this because they know nobody wants to be around a slob, so instead of clean up mentally and physically, stay depressed and treat people poorly. In the movies, this is more than that, it calls out to some racial cry to be different and heard. I've heard enough, and I yell "STFU" and there's a giggle, but people generally hush. But, a gun, I think is the act of a man who was looking to go into the theatre and shoot someone. There are long standing racial issues in all of Philadelphia in all directions, and this is although not totally motivated by race, smells foul of it.
Can't we all just get along and shut up in the movies to watch a movie specifically about racial understanding? The ultimate irony is this situation during a film about homogeneity. Then again, maybe that was the point of this ordeal and national coverage of the incident. Hidden comentary is a sneaky rouse.
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12-28-2008 @ 9:51AM
kristoffe said...
I want to clarify that in my writing I was assuming the bad apples in the black audiences were the annoying social factor, not every or most members due simply to their racial background. Sometimes it is far too easy to make statements without enough verbose detail, allowing the reader to misunderstand the intended point. There are plenty of viewers who are black who groan and wince when an idiot who says "oooh, yeah, get that girl", "sho' nuff! knock him the f out!", or the endless loud laughter is also being attention starved and black. So, to those readers who are or know a plethora of black viewers who are also in the same boat, being movie lovers who are quiet and know the magic of film, I make that note.
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1-01-2009 @ 1:43AM
Jimmy said...
Regardless of how nice you say it. If you need to clarify something then probably what said was wrong. From the beginning you have already stereotyped Black people by quoting them as saying sho nuff. Like they all speak that way. You are more of the same problem.
Maybe I should bring the fact about white people who sleep with or marry their family members. It is a small percentage but it is still the truth. Next time I meet a couple and I say you have beautiful wife. Is that your cousin or sister? Is that OK? It is polite.
12-28-2008 @ 10:47AM
paul said...
Watching movies with/for "black folks" is something akin to a communal experience. And with the right movie I think it makes it kinda fun.
Reply
12-28-2008 @ 11:39AM
Travis Tidmore said...
I agree I saw Scary Movie a couple of blocks from Harlem and was one of about 4 white people in a sold out theater. Although I didn't really enjoy the movie I loved the audiences reactions to everything. One time when the audience was more fun than the movie.
12-28-2008 @ 11:05AM
Peter Hall said...
Wait a second. You're telling me it wasn't Weinberg who shot a man for talking during a movie?
I'm disappointed.
Reply
12-28-2008 @ 11:42AM
Travis Tidmore said...
Personally I hope this story makes people think before talking. I mean if people can't just have the common courtesy to shut the hell up in a movie maybe being afraid of being shot will keep them quiet.
But I do have to say it takes balls to just sit back down and continue to watch the movie after shooting someone. But I agree with Harry Knowles take on this: the guy made a bigger scene than the person talking.
First he made a big scene out of the talking, then he shot the guy which had to be much louder than the guy talking, and he then of course sent everyone else screaming from the theater. So in the end he was a bigger pain in the ass than the guy talking.
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12-30-2008 @ 12:16PM
Kevin said...
Can you think of a situation where the guy shooting people isn't the biggest pain in the ass in the room?
12-30-2008 @ 12:56PM
Travis Tidmore said...
Easy, Gilbert Gottfried and Bobcat Goldwaithe are in a theater talking.
Hands down I take the guy shooting people.
12-28-2008 @ 12:11PM
Premaximum said...
I sat about three seats down from a kid and his 'date' for the night, and by the end of the movie I was ready to kick the kid's ass, regardless of his age.
At one point, he actually asked if Cate Blanchett and the infant Brad Pitt were going to "do it".
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12-28-2008 @ 2:01PM
Dan said...
If this had happened anywhere other than Philly, I might be surprised, but that sounds about right...that's how it is up here. I think # 6 is my favorite, lol.
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12-28-2008 @ 2:48PM
The Regula said...
@kristoffe
Why is it your comments are biased towards BLACK audiences, it seems you have some personal issues you need dealing with, because Ive been to the movies thousands of times and have seen and heard all kinds of obnoxious people in the theater (white, spanish, and black...). So no its not just black people, shoot you can see that from this article, And I read both of your post and your 2nd still doesnt justify it.
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2-06-2009 @ 10:44AM
kristoffe said...
Its the way it is in the Columbus Blvd theatre. I clearly stated its not a black thing nationwide, but a specific social trend in that theatre very pinpointed to an ignorant portion of black audiences. Let;s go to ireland and then say that white protestants are audience monsters. This is a large portion of the problem in the area of that theatre, that;s not racist or bias, infact it is to even pretend it is not. Revtisionists love to pretend things are misguided and or block the truth of poor social actions by the shield of creating bigotry where it isn't present.
So if youre inflamed by the truth that black audiences have a small but very annoying portion of loud mouths that need attention for wahtever social reason, then you should tell those pockets of people to shut up to, instead of whining as if someone is commenting as if it was a stereotype. Its a fact, deal with it by changing it or just shut up.
12-28-2008 @ 3:43PM
AJ Wiley said...
I feel bad for finding this all utterly hilarious.
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12-28-2008 @ 5:30PM
Eric D. Snider said...
I'm not even going to pretend to feel bad for the guy who got shot.
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12-29-2008 @ 7:05PM
Tom said...
Just recently, I was watching "Seven Pounds" and I started coughing in the middle of the movie. I could not stop and I forgot my cough drops. I knew that I would be ruining the movie for the rest of the people, so I left. People have to be more considerate in the first place and be more tolerant if that doesn't happen.
There is nothing like watching a movie on the Silver Screen.
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12-30-2008 @ 12:59PM
Travis Tidmore said...
Tom,
I wasn't at that screening but for all of those people who were there I say Thank You.
I wish more people were as polite and courteous as you were.