New policy at Movieland will ban children 17 and under from showtimes after 7:30

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - If you look forward to family movie nights with your children at the cinema, one location in Scott’s Addition may get in the way of that.

Movieland at Boulevard Square is rolling out a new curfew for kids under the age of 17. They won’t be admitted to any showtime after 7:30 in the evening.

The new policy called “17 after 7:30″ takes effect on Friday, March 3.

Those under the age of 17 won’t be able to buy tickets to any movie at or after 7:30, regardless of rating.

The owner of Bow Tie Management Joseph Masher says this is in response to feedback from customers who wanted a more mature movie-going experience.

Richmond is currently the only Bow Tie Cinemas location with this new policy.

“It will be a more enjoyable movie-going experience for adults so they can enjoy the show without having a family running around, kids running around, or getting up and down and all that kind of stuff so it’s just a more mature movie-going environment and we think our guests deserve it and they’ve asked for it.”

Masher oversees the theater operations and receives feedback from guests.

He says there were not any incidents that led to this decision.

“This is pretty wildly popular in cities all over the U.S.,” he said.

On the other hand, several neighbors say the new policy is too extreme.

“I think 7:30 is a little early. I think it’s unfortunate that a lot of high schoolers won’t be able to go to the movie theater with their friends on a Friday or Saturday night anymore,” Scott’s Addition resident Jack Conti said. “Pushing it back to 9:30 or 10 o’clock seems a little more reasonable.”

“I did think it was a little early,” Richmond resident O’Neill Hagen said. “To go on a hot date with your girl at 4:30 in the afternoon right after school might be a little challenging.”

Hagen says this new policy might put a damper on family movie nights.

“I think it is a little aggressive, if i was to take myself back to when i was 17 or younger going to the movie theater on a Friday night, it wasn’t before 7:30 or even at 7:30,” Hagen said. “That’s dinner time, and then you go to the movie after.”

Bow Tie Management says it will now schedule many family movies earlier on in the night to conform to the new policy.

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