Have you ever gone to the theater, plunked down eight bucks or more, plunked down another twenty for popcorn and soda and then sat down only to have a bunch of chatterboxes sit right behind you and ruin the entire experience?

According to CNN.com one man had had enough. Twenty-nine year-old James Joseph Cialella shot a chatterbox.

It happened during a showing of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” starring Brad Pitt. A family near Mr. Cialella began talking and apparently wouldn’t quiet down. He took action by first throwing popcorn at the son and then walked down the aisle and shot the father in the arm with a Kel-Tec .380-caliber handgun.

Thankfully the shooting wasn’t fatal and the father survived “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” movie rampage. He was taken to a nearby hospital to attend to his wounds. Mr. Cialella is under arrest for assault and weapons violations.

While we would never condone shooting another person, it’s hard not to sympathize with Mr. Cialella. We’ve all had the experience of settling into a theater chair, the previews are over, the movie has officially started and there’s someone still talking above your head for no reason. Some people cannot keep quiet because somehow they think they are part of the movie dialogue.

When I was in my early twenties and needed a job to get my first apartment in Downtown Seattle, I took a job at a local theater–and I can tell you how rude people can be. The worst offenders do tend to be families where the parents refuse to control their kids. College kids sneaking beer in are the second worst.

So when you go into the theater the next time with your buddies or your kids remember to turn off your cellphones–and shut the hell up! Otherwise, there could be copycat shooters who just aren’t going to put up with your chatter anymore.

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