Masked singer Screaming fight at The Rise of Skywalker screening breaks out over cell phone use

A screaming fight broke out at a Vancouver screening of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with part of the raucous confrontation captured on video. One man was even allegedly punched in the face.

No, it wasn’t a debate over Rey’s parentage or the practicalities of lightspeed skipping. But a moviegoer who was using their cell phone during the highly anticipated film.

The video below captured the aftermath of the fight, where an unidentified man can be seen screaming: “I am a real Star Wars fan! … I waited a goddamned year for this and some a–hole turned his phone on next to me …Use your f–king heads … you’re f–king losers with your phones!”

According to local media reports, the film had only been screening a few minutes when a fight broke out and the film was halted.

The cell phone user, Joe Bond, was interviewed by CTV News and gave more details. Bond explained he and his wife had left their young kids with a babysitter so they could watch the movie. They were texting with the babysitter right up to the point when the film started, and then he “briefly pulled his phone out” a few minutes after the movie started. At the point, Bond’s neighbor became rather upset.

“He lost it at me,” Bond said. “I told him to calm down and if he doesn’t calm down then I was going to get somebody – and then he hit me in the face …  Star Wars fans are very serious but I think this guy was on the next level.”

In addition, Bond noted, the couple in front of them recorded the movie’s opening crawl with their cell phone, which further seemed to irritate their neighbor. You can watch Bond’s interview here:

It seems like both men could use some advice from Master Yoda.

To anyone who checks their phone during a movie: “Control, control, you must learn control!” (Or at least, to go to the lobby if you have to use your phone).

And to anybody who flips out at a fellow moviegoer: “Anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering—” and then hate leads to the whole movie being stopped.

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