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Could rules on teen behavior improve movie-going?

Extra police patrols and private security guards appear to have curtailed the rowdy behavior of teens congregating outside the Downtown movie theater.

During the summer, adult patrons often complained about large crowds of boisterous young people hanging out in front of Lodi Stadium 12 and a few teens were found drunk by police officers.

Lodi Police Sgt. Lance Hayden said the added enforcement from Lodi Police as well as the security staff at the theater has most likely been the reason for fewer problems.

However Hayden also said that the colder weather and the beginning of the school year played a role.

Tiffany Whitmer, 13, and Natalie Hernandez, 14, said their movie-going experience hasn't been the same since police started issuing citations to teens that loiter.

"You go to the movies to hang out," said Whitmer, who was at the theater Friday afternoon to see "Game Plan," starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

The threat of a ticket hasn't changed the way the duo makes plans, though. Whitmer said that if she saw an officer writing tickets to teens she would simply run away.

Lodi's theater is not alone in having to deal with the problem. And one theater company has taken a novel approach in dealing with the behavior of young people.

Kerasotes ShowPlace Theaters, an independent, Chicago-based theater company that plans to build a theater in Manteca has started offering late-night, "adult-friendly" showings at 11 locations across the United States.

Adult-friendly viewings of mainstream movies take place on Friday and Saturday nights after 9 p.m.

Under the policy, children between the ages of 7 and 16 are only able to attend adult-friendly shows if they are accompanied by a parent.

Children younger than 7 years old are not allowed at the showings, said Clair Malo, director of marketing at Kerasotes.

The concept, which is still in the testing stages, aims at offering a movie-going experience for adults sans the ringing cell phones, incessant whispering and popcorn throwing that often come with younger viewers.

In addition to their adult-friendly showings, select Kerasotes' theaters have also required teens to have a "code of conduct" card before attending night showings without a parent.

To obtain the card, teens must bring their parents to a 10-minute class in which theater staff review proper theater etiquette with them.

After purchasing a movie ticket, the teen must present the card. Should teens violate the theaters' rules, they will first be given a warning. The second time they cause trouble, they lose their card, making them unable to attend future night showings, according to Malo.

Whitmer said requiring teens to have a similar card would take what fun was left at Lodi Stadium 12.

"There would be no use in going because it would be boring and there would be too many rules," she said.

Adult-friendly showings are something that North American Cinemas, the company that owns Lodi Stadium 12, has considered but not implemented, according to Corey Tocchini, vice president of operations for North American Cinemas.

North American Cinemas currently only operates one theater that has any kind of age limit.

The theater, located in Healdsburg, serves beer and wine at its concession stand and features movies geared mainly to adults.

Because alcohol is served, patrons of the theater must be 21 or older.

The motion picture industry sets the standard for what age somebody has to be to purchase a movie ticket, Tocchini said.

Tocchini believes that people have wrongly associated teen misconduct with his theater.

"They keep associating the drinking with the theater and that just isn't the case," Tocchini said.

The problem, according to Tocchini, is that teens often tell their parents that they are going to the movies, but instead of going in, they loiter outside the theater.

Tocchini thinks those problems are for the parent to solve, not the theater.

Nevertheless, North American Cinemas has hired several security guards, which Tocchini said are to protect the theater's patrons as well as his company's investment.

Regardless of its reason, Woodbridge resident Debbie Gillespie, 54, said she's enjoyed going to the theater more since the extra enforcement was added.

Teens don't need to be at the movie theater to hang out, Gillespie noted.

Contact reporter Amanda Dyer at amandad@lodinews.com.