Farewell, Moviefone: What Today's Teens Will Never Know

Source: NBC

With Moviefone shutting down its call-in service next month to focus on its more 2014-appropriate app, those of us who once called 777-FILM on Friday nights are left feeling more than a little nostalgic. Remember using the touchtone keypad to select the first three letters of the movie title? And, really, who could forget that Mr. Moviefone voice? The voice that said, "Hello, and welcome to Moviefone" was that of Russ Leatherman, a founder who left the company this past November, and his robotic voice was so engrained in everyday culture that it made its way onto Seinfeld with Kramer's impersonation. Alas, that's now a scene today's teens will struggle to understand as they turn to one of their apps for movie showtimes. As we say good-bye to Mr. Moviefone, let's relive the glory days of what it was like to call 777-FILM.

You'd just be hanging out with friends, doing makeovers and making up dances.
Disney

You'd just be hanging out with friends, doing makeovers and making up dances.

Maybe you'd squeeze in a few video games.

Maybe you'd squeeze in a few video games.

Source: Nickelodeon

Eventually, you'd get bored and decide to check movie times.

Eventually, you'd get bored and decide to check movie times.

Source: Nickelodeon

Out came the landline phone.

Out came the landline phone.

Or maybe you were at a pay phone.
NBC

Or maybe you were at a pay phone.

Either way, when you heard Mr. Moviefone's voice, it felt like a friend on the line.
Columbia Pictures

Either way, when you heard Mr. Moviefone's voice, it felt like a friend on the line.

He asked you to press one, then use your touchtone keypad to enter the movie title.

He asked you to press one, then use your touchtone keypad to enter the movie title.

Source: Fox

FYI: A "touchtone keypad" means the letters as they appear on the phone's number keys. As in, the numbers you used to type things out back in the T9 texting days.

Inevitably, you typed the wrong number.
20th Century Studios

Inevitably, you typed the wrong number.

Or the wrong theater came up first.
Paramount Pictures

Or the wrong theater came up first.

Mr. Moviefone kept asking question after question to help you find your showtime.

Mr. Moviefone kept asking question after question to help you find your showtime.

Source: PBS

You kept typing the wrong thing, and he kept asking you to press more buttons.
CBS

You kept typing the wrong thing, and he kept asking you to press more buttons.

Sometimes, the process seemed to take forever.
NBC

Sometimes, the process seemed to take forever.

But then — an answer! Mr. Moviefone was always right in the end.
Columbia Pictures

But then — an answer! Mr. Moviefone was always right in the end.

And so next week, you'd call again — you had 777-FILM on speed dial.
NBC

And so next week, you'd call again — you had 777-FILM on speed dial.

And now that Mr. Moviefone's leaving, you're feeling weirdly emotional about.

And now that Mr. Moviefone's leaving, you're feeling weirdly emotional about.

Source: Nickelodeon

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It's the end of an era.