"Don't let a mobile ruin your movie..."

Carrie Fisher. Roy Scheider. Spike Lee.

What do these three have in common? They are collectively the bane of my cinematic life.

At my favourite cinema, every showing is preceded by one of these three pitching a movie to Orange in an ‘amusing’ skit that plugs the telco whilst cajoling you into switching off your mobile.

I have no objection to advertising at the cinema - it’s a commercial enterprise after all, and I tend to to turn up slightly late for the programme, anyway, so usually miss most of the spots. But sitting through one of these three at every showing is starting to wear a bit thin, particularly when they replaced the really quite funny Jaws mini-skit, and even more particularly when they are followed by the theatre’s own in-house “please switch off.”

Why should such a little thing set my teeth on edge so?