By Katie Rife | January 3, 2020 | 12:15 PM
Movie-theater etiquette is an evolving concept. Before Psycho changed the game in 1960, it was perfectly acceptable to wander into a theater in the middle of a movie, for example, and the advent of smartphones has created a whole new set of questions for cinematic Miss Manners to contemplate. But there are also visionaries among us, people like Tim—sorry, Time—Robbins, the time-traveling activist on a mission to tell us future people to quit being jerks and put our dang phones away in the newest in the Alamo Drafthouse’s famous series of “Don’t Talk, Don’t Text” PSAs.
The PSA was produced in honor of Jack Henry Robbins’ debut feature VHYes, whose trailer premiered on this very website last month. Here’s how we described the film then:
Following in the footsteps of Robbins and [writer Nunzio] Randazzo’s shot-on-video parodies Painting With Joan and Hot Winter, VHYes strings together vignettes featuring appearances by Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney, Charlyne Yi, Mark Proksch, and John Gemberling. The film depicts the life of 12-year-old Ralph (Mason McNulty), as seen through the home movies and late-night cable junk he records on his personal camcorder. It’s a little bit found-footage and a little-bit sketch-comedy movie, with a through-line focusing on Ralph’s parents—appropriate, since the contents of VHYes are ostensibly being recorded on a tape that originally contained footage from their wedding day.
The PSA was also directed by Jack Henry Robbins, and features VHYes stars Mason McNulty and Rahm Braslaw (they’re the rude kids towards the end) alongside producer/co-star Robbins. And the alliance between the film’s creative team and the Alamo Drafthouse goes beyond this one video: VHYes screened at Fantastic Fest this past September, and Alamo theaters nationwide will host advance screenings of the film on Sunday, January 12th, prior to its nationwide theatrical opening on Friday, January 17th.
You can find the details on a screening near you at vhyes.fun.
