What's the worst part about the modern day in-theater viewing experience? If you said "the fact that people can't take out their phones and send text messages about whatever they're thinking to be displayed on the screen for everyone to see" and you live in a major city in China, you're in luck!

According to the Hollywood Reporter, some theaters in China have started experimenting with "bullet screens," which allow theater goers to send their comments about the film to be projected on the screen, for a more interactive viewing experience. From the Hollywood Reporter:

The inspiration behind the idea appears to be that it mimics that of watching a movie on mobile media, which is how most Chinese people watch films, with people sending messages about what they like or dislike about the movie.

In a censored environment like China, precautions are taken to remove sensitive or forbidden words.

There are several Chinese movie websites, based on a Japanese idea of bullet screens, where viewers can spend their whole time making remarks on the film via SMS.

The Hollywood Reporter spoke to the manager of a theater in Shandong Province that tried out the system on 3D movie The Legend of Qin:

"People like it right now, as it's a new thing. In the long term, it might affect people's concentration. We are trying to continue with some bullet screen activities and play some films that young people like. Time will tell."

IS THIS THE FUTURE OF CINEMA? Text your thoughts on whether or not this is the future of cinema to the screen and we'll all read it together while we're trying to watch a movie we carved out two hours in our schedules for and paid like $13 to see.

[image via Shutterstock]