Do the Movies Really Need Assigned Seating?

Dept. of Pet Peeves: Movie Theater Seating.

Have you taken a break from Amazon and Netflix to go to the movies lately? While there's still something special about the big screen and sharing the experience, many movie theaters have started adopting a new seating policy that we really don't like: Assigned seating.

Normally, that's a good thing when attending an event, like a concert or a Broadway play. But when you go to a weekday matinee and you and maybe two other couples are the only ones in the theater ... it seems pretty silly.

Not only that, but also:

• It holds up the ticket line. The poor ticket sellers have to take the time to explain the seating chart, while the movie-goers suddenly have to make a decision on where to sit, leading to the "We're going to be here a while" face on the people behind them.
• If the people beside you do something  obnoxious, like crunch their ice, prop their feet up (sans shoes), talk loudly through the movie or check their cell phones (despite the multiple, 30 minutes of warnings prior to the movie starting), where you gonna go? You could change seats, and run the risk of taking someone else's seat.
• Sometimes you don't know where you want to sit until you enter the theater and survey the crowd. After years of movie-going as a "free agent," it feels weird to be a "captive audience."

And what exactly is the point? Maybe so advance ticket buyers can secure their seat ahead of time? I guess.

With all the advances made, from super wide screens to Barcalounger seats, there is still something to be said for the drive-in movie, where your choice of seats was "front" or "back."