I like your solution regarding who your with at a movie. For me, I just say "phone off before we go in." Beyond that; If you have the luxury to do so, never go to a movie on weekends or too close to new movie release date. Makes it much easier to move to a quieter seat.
Jesus H. You guys are watching the wrong ****ing movies. Are you watching Filipino soap operas? I would be on my phone also. Give me two choices, either let me use my phone or just kill me. When the Hulk is about to deliver a load of whoop-@ss, I can't hear anything going on around me. When the boobies come out, I'm not paying any attention to cell phones. You guys need a better movie selection. If I'm bitching about the person next to me, the movie sucks. And anyways, it's better than the bitching and nagging I have to listen to while watching a movie at home.
Okay, I have to admit that I'm guilty here. I take my girlfriend to the theater for the sole purpose that someone else will tell her to shut the **** up and put your cell phone away. She doesn't listen to me. I figure if I can get like three other people to tell her this then she might actually start thinking that I'm on to something. That's wishful thinking.