Alamo Drafthouse Has No M3GAN Chatbot On Premises
In the realm of movie theaters, Alamo Drafthouse stands out as a beacon for fans of the communal movie-going ritual who prefer a phone-free experience. Yet, the Austin-based cinema chain is not immune to the influence of technology, as evidenced by its recent foray into a "second screen" experience for select screenings.
The latest film to be graced with this innovative approach is M3GAN, a Blumhouse production that has been given a unique twist. In collaboration with Meta, the company behind Facebook, a "Halfway to Halloween" screening of M3GAN featured a "second screen" experience. However, it's essential to note that Alamo Drafthouse maintains a strict policy against allowing Meta to follow users with advertisements during movie screenings.
This "second screen" experience, dubbed the "Movie Mate" chatbot, encourages audience members to use their phones to interact with the movie as it's playing. Yet, Alamo Drafthouse does not allow access to this chatbot during screenings, adhering to its long-standing policy of "No Talking/No Texting" to maintain a distraction-free environment.
The introduction of this "second screen" experience has sparked a debate about the etiquette of the movie theater experience. While some may welcome the interactive element, others may find it disruptive, potentially changing the traditional movie-going experience. It remains unclear whether these changes will help or harm the movie theater experience overall.
Interestingly, the "M3GAN" gimmick is the only instance where phone use is permitted during screenings at Alamo Drafthouse. Any other form of phone use, such as pop-up trivia, could result in being booted from the theater.
It's worth mentioning that the "Halfway to Halloween" revival series by Blumhouse also includes Annabelle and Ma, neither of which come with a chatbot add-on. This suggests that the "second screen" experience may be a temporary addition, or it could be a test for future screenings.
As of now, there is no information available about the future of "second screen" experiences at Alamo Drafthouse or other movie theaters. One thing is certain, though - Alamo Drafthouse continues to walk the line between tradition and technology, offering a unique movie-going experience that caters to both tech-savvy and traditional audiences.
- The future of movie-going experiences could see a blend of technology and tradition, as demonstrated by Alamo Drafthouse's "second screen" experiment with movies like M3GAN.
- Gizmodo and io9 have been discussing the impact of this technology on the movie theater experience, questioning whether the interactive add-ons like the "Movie Mate" chatbot will enhance or disrupt the traditional viewing.
- In a statement against Meta's usual advertising practices, Alamo Drafthouse has maintained a strict policy during these "second screen" screenings, ensuring that users are not followed with ads while enjoying their movies.
