Theater chains are getting increasingly strict about parents bringing their kids to violent, sexually explicit movies, especially late at night. Regal is among the companies with new policies to keep kids under age 6 from viewing R-rated films.
While some theater chains only enforce the “ban kids” rule after 6 p.m. to stop crying babies and little children from potentially ruining the adult moviegoer’s experience, Regal has now applied the ban throughout the day. (Last year, they implemented a bag check policy following several high-profile theater shootings.)
CEO Amy Miles told The Hollywood Reporter, “At Regal, it’s our job to provide the best moviegoing experience for our patrons, and we want to make sure there are minimal interruptions during R-rated movies. We best achieve this through controlling the number of children in these films.”
Not surprisingly, this kid-censoring practice has origins in Texas. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was one of the first chains to support age restrictions after 6 p.m. Via THR:
Exhibitors say they enacted the policy based on a cascade of complaints from customers bothered by noisy and restless tots, or by the idea of seeing a kid watching violent or sexual content. In the latest twist, some circuits are enforcing the rule 24/7. That group includes Regal Entertainment, the largest U.S. chain. The two next-largest circuits, AMC Entertainment and Cinemark, are sticking to “No 6 After 6,” as the rule is known, for now.
Great for people who want to watch a movie in peace. Sucks for parents who can’t find evening sitters.
The Alamo’s founder Tim League says of the policy, “We tried to determine at what age a kid can behave themselves and not blurt out the first thing in their heads.”
Image screengrab via YouTube