Idiots in the cinema...

[Tricky]

So I went to see "Dont be afraid of the dark" last night as per the horror section, but while in the cinema there was a big group of teenagers, mostly girls but a few lads, all talking loudly right the way through the film as well as playing with their phones & laughing loudly among themselves, I was very close to shouting "Will you lot shut the fuck up" across the cinema but managed to hold my tongue :mad: so has anyone else had a similar experience and did you do anything about it?

[Sammich]

The best thing to do is go out and demand to talk to the manager. You can probably get your money back and the inconsiderate idiots will either be told to shut up or be shown the door.

The current generation of "fashionale psychopaths", i.e. people who think it is cool to be rude, devoid of conscience and devoid of empathy is the reason why I find myself more and more staying away from crowds. The last movie I went to was a midnight opening, the main reason being is that those in attendance WANTED to see the movie and not use it as background noise like a tv at a party.

[Danny]

yep, during clerks 2. random chav. sighed. took the lid off my large coke. brushed off my shirt the popcorn they had been throwing and emptied it on the dicks head.

he followed me out going "O'WITE, O'WITE, SO YA WAANA GO DOES YOUNS?". i stopped, turned, very pissed off and just boomed. "FUCK. OFF. YOU LITTLE PRICK OR I WILL BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU" and he pretended to sneer and go "naw wot? ee aint worth it..." fucking 15 year olds get their first stolen moped and think they are king shit of arse mountain.

*i never before or since lost my shit, but i was a huge kevin smith fan at the time and really, really wanted to see that movie.

[bassman]

Wow....apparently audiences in the UK are much worse than the US. I've had some problems, but nothing that major.

My idea is to avoid evening or premiere showings. Never had a problem there. The teens are either in bed or in school.

Pick the right time to go and you should be alright. The most recent time I can remember seeing a premiere is midnight showing of The Dark Knight and that was awesome...

[JDFP]

did you do anything about it?

Netflix mostly and other (ahem) places on the net to 'find' films as well with a 50" inch plasma HD-TV. Hooked my desktop computer right into the back of the television just like a monitor and I'm good to go. I can't be bothered anyway to spend $12 for a movie ticket (and sneaking in a soda because I'll be damned if I spend $4 on a coke) even if there aren't any assholes in the theatre. I haven't been to a theater in probably over 18 months, and unless it's an extremely special occasion won't do it. I just don't see the point in spending that type of money when I can get the same thing except the comfort of my couch and no loud people here.

j.p.

[blind2d]

Leather jacket tomorrow.
No more theaters for me, unless Sarah wants to go.

[Danny]

Netflix mostly and other (ahem) places on the net to 'find' films as well with a 50" inch plasma HD-TV. Hooked my desktop computer right into the back of the television just like a monitor and I'm good to go. I can't be bothered anyway to spend $12 for a movie ticket (and sneaking in a soda because I'll be damned if I spend $4 on a coke) even if there aren't any assholes in the theatre. I haven't been to a theater in probably over 18 months, and unless it's an extremely special occasion won't do it. I just don't see the point in spending that type of money when I can get the same thing except the comfort of my couch and no loud people here.

j.p.

yeah, i suppose its a little ironic but after i got my film degree about a year or two years ago ive seen like 3 films in the cinema. last being jackass 3d. theres jsut not point when the modern home media connectivity means more convenience and absolute control suited to you y'know?

[Eyebiter]

These people know exactly what they are doing, and thrive on the fact that they ruin the movie watching experience for others. I've seen it with kids shining lasers on the screen during the movie, talking on cell phones, and of course people who talk through the entire movie.

Just get up walk out to the box office and get a cash refund. Not worth the hassle to confront someone, that only emboldens them. If this happens often enough the theater owners will wise up and start sending in an employee to check on the movie audience.

[ProfessorChaos]

morons like the ones we're discussing is the main reason i stay out of theaters these days, along with the ridiculous prices. was planning on seeing the thing prequel in theaters soon, but am torn over whether or not i care to deal with the dolts. perhaps i'll wait till it's been out a while longer and the crowds thin out.

[AcesandEights]

I don't go the movies that often anymore, but it's been a while since I've had an issue with a fellow film-goer. It'll happen from time to time, but more or less it's a rarity. I think some of this has to do with choice of venue and the rest blind luck.

[MikePizzoff]

I go to the theater once every 18-24 months. The reason being is almost every single time, I experience the types of people being mentioned in this thread.

My ex made me take her to see The Strangers and it was going fine until 15 minutes into the movie, a group of about 5 females showed up. They were all carrying keychains that must have made a janitor jealous. The sounds of their keychains coming into the theater sounded like a group of knights wearing chainmail. They promptly yelled about how "DAMN THIS THEATER PACKED!" and sat in the front. Immediately there was a nice distracting glow of cell phones coming from their group. Shortly followed by a phone call "WHAT UP? NAH, I'M IN THE MOVIES. THE MOVIES. THE MOVIES. YEAH."

After about a half hour of this, I was on the verge of screaming. Just as I was about to let out some sort of heated remark, a dude about my age, one row in front of me, beat me to it. He simply yelled "SHUTTHEFUCKUP!" Many people (including myself) applauded his demand and the girls stayed quiet from that point on. I think they actually may have even walked out of the theater before the movie ended.

[LouCipherr]

I go to the theater once every 18-24 months. The reason being is almost every single time, I experience the types of people being mentioned in this thread.

This is the main reason why I avoid the theater as much as possible. The last 3-4 times I've gone, I've had to put up with loud-mouthed idiots who ruin the entire experience.

While bass is right, if you pick the right time to go you can mostly avoid all the "problem people" - but we shouldn't have to do that. We pay a lot of money to see these movies, we shouldn't have to put up with this shit.

What I don't get is, the idiots who run these theaters - why not send an usher into each movie at least once or twice during the flicks? It's not that difficult, it doesn't take much man power. Just one idiot to walk in there for a minute or two, check out what's going on, and move to the next one. Why's that so hard?

[SymphonicX]

I'm on the side of tell them to shut the fuck up.
Last few movies I saw in the cinema, I resorted to doing this. Kids laughing during land of the dead (not that it was unjustified, i guess)...I turned around and spat spiders at the c**ts to shut the hell up. They gave me a bit of shit back, then piped the f**k down after that.

Same with the Dawn remake actually. This time a stupid couple whispering sweet nothings right next to me..."sorry, but could you keep it down if possible?" they were sweet, apologised, then watched the movie.

So I guess it depends on the people. During Return of the King some guy answered his phone to literally try piss off the whole cinema. the audience launched drinks and food at him.

I'm pretty much of the opinion that if you A) talk in the cinema B) play music through your phone in public C) set off alarms, fire extinguishers, or cause trains to emergency stop that you're deserving of nothing less than a good fucking kicking.

[Mike70]

crowds aside, modern technology renders it nearly idiotic to go to a public place, where you have to deal with other people's foolishness, when you can stay right at home and enjoy a flick in peace and quiet.

[Legion2213]

crowds aside, modern technology renders it nearly idiotic to go to a public place, where you have to deal with other people's foolishness, when you can stay right at home and enjoy a flick in peace and quiet.

This.

And also the fact that good manners and respect for our fellow human beings are some kind of arcane magic that escapes the grasp of most people these days.

Going to the movies used to be a treat, something I looked forward to, I haven't been to the pictures for around a decade now though, I'd rather wait for something I can watch at home on my own terms in peace and quiet.

[slickwilly13]

That is why I watched the first early showing of The Thing prequel. I figured most idoits would either be at school, home, eating lunch, or work. There was probably about 30 + adults and most seemed like older people. Gen X and Baby Boomers.

[rongravy]

*i never before or since lost my shit, but i was a huge kevin smith fan at the time and really, really wanted to see that movie.
Good to hear you lost all that weight.:p

I've had my share of assholes, and my share of telling people to shut the fuck up or else.
I'm starting to get to where being louder than the offender works as well. If they can't hear their phone call they go outside to finish the chat.
Lately we've been seeing some movies after they've been out awhile. We're usually the only ones there. Me likeys...

[MinionZombie]

Whenever I go to the cinema, I attend matinees - it's a bit cheaper (although it's all just bloody expensive these days), and you don't get any gloyts.

Bassman - it all depends, like anywhere I guess, what cinema you attend, where, and when - the one I often go to is in Wales, and in a part of Wales that is often joked about for being a bit rough, and yet it's incredibly rare for anyone to cause a modicum of grief in the theatre. Not to say it hasn't happened, but in my personal experience - for which I'm most certainly grateful as a film fan - I've never really had any bother with idiots.

At most there was one time, I think Pineapple Express, and there was this double date going on a few rows back, with the two lads on either side of the two girls - and the girls wouldn't shut the fuck up nattering and chuckling at anything and everything that wasn't funny from the first advert to the end credits ... fortunately, the speakers were so loud that I couldn't hear them for 95% of the movie.

What annoys me though, are the people who insist on getting a hotdog covered in onions and mustard and all that rank crap - it stinks out the entire theatre, and barely anyone buys a hotdog, so it's a special kind of idiot who buys one - at cinema prices - and offends the olifactory senses of everyone else.

A funny one way back - seeing Doomsday - was this guy who commented something like "have you got it up loud enough?" when the film first began, because it was ridiculously fucking loud - I've never heard a film so loud in a theatre so small. Now, everyone laughed at that, but then the guy got cocky and thought he was a comedian, and he made two more comments along a similar line in quick succession, but nobody laughed and his ego was thus returned to its previous station ... which made me smile again. :p

...

However - I did recently experience a very annoying audience experience, but not at the cinema; in fact it was in Edinburgh during the Festival, and I'd gone to see one of the 'Best of the Fest' events (one hour, five different acts, and a compere). Now, in the row directly in front of us there was this group ... maybe a family, or maybe two couples ... anyway, throughout the entire show practically, they wouldn't shut the fuck up amongst themselves. Going to get a drink became a massive ordeal, they kept telling jokes mongst themselves (AS A FUCKING PROFESSIONAL COMEDIAN IS DOING HIS SET ON STAGE NOT 50ft AWAY) ... boy, was I getting pissed.

Everytime I was getting close to being decidedly un-British about the whole thing, they'd shut up, but then they'd get going again later and blimey - I was a nano-second away from leaning over the guy's shoulder to say "excuse me, but we all paid to listen to professionals, not a bunch of cunts, now shut the fuck up" - but the show ended. I was extremely close to telling them off, and I wish I had ... although I did make sure I said on the way out to who I was there with "the twats in front of us wouldn't shut the fuck up" or something like that, whilst said twats were behind us on the way out ... but I do wish I'd told them off now. In fact one of them looked remarkably like an American actor - although it wasn't the actual person - but the resemblance was quite striking from my viewpoint.

The show itself was surprisingly unruly though - and not in a good way where everyone is laughing together - rather, many people seemed more intent on getting their fourth drink and making a lot of noise doing so, rather than watching the actual fucking show. The line-up wasn't as good as the one in 2010 though, but that's not an excuse ... thankfully when we went to see Ed Byrne later on the crowd was great and respectful of each other (and there was alcohol served there too - but everyone was much more polite about everyone else having a good time too).

They were kind of young-middle-aged and seemingly upper-middle-class, so it wasn't about not wanting to get my head kicked in or anything, but I am a very polite sort of person day-to-day ... although if pushed far enough, I'll fucking explode ... it's only happened a couple of times, and I'm not proud of it. For instance, in first year uni living in res, two of my housemates came back drunk and one of them smashed my window trying to get my attention for some stupid reason - and I was in a foul mood anyway at the time - and I. FUCKING. BLEW. UP. I've not since felt a rush of adrenaline and fury like it. I shouted my head off until my voice literally just cut out, and - the part that really disturbed me and for which I was really sorry the following morning - all the girls in the hall (who naturally came out of their rooms to see what was going on) were genuinely scared. I was quite disturbed by that ... but then on the other hand, I did manage to stun the stone thrower (who's about a foot taller than me) so much that he thought he was going to get chucked out of halls. That part made me chuckle a bit ... however, unintentionally scaring four very concerned female friends of mine was something that shocked me and something that I've always regretted - indeed I never saw the reaction coming, but I was in a very foul mood that was quite persistent at the time that I'd been bottling up, so it just all came out that night.

Point being - if I'm pushed far enough, I'm liable to go absolutely fucking mental ... thankfully it's only happened a couple of times in my life.

Blimey ... got a bit deep there. :p

Where was I? Oh yeah, noisy twats in cinemas/theatres ... aye, they're twats, and deserve the collective wrath of the audience. I don't understand people who go to a cinema or theatre - PAY to go as well - and then do everything they can to ignore what they've paid for. :rolleyes: These people should not be allowed to breed. :evil:

[Mike70]

This.

And also the fact that good manners and respect for our fellow human beings are some kind of arcane magic that escapes the grasp of most people these days.

Going to the movies used to be a treat, something I looked forward to, I haven't been to the pictures for around a decade now though, I'd rather wait for something I can watch at home on my own terms in peace and quiet.

i am still lured out to the cinema from time to time. i saw "the thing" recently and took my 5 year old to see "cars2" over the summer.

what most folks are saying about time is spot on. if you go early in the day, you can almost guarantee peace and quiet. hell, when "land" came out, i went to a 2pm showing of it on a tues. afternoon and fuck, it was like having a private showing of the film. i remember that because i took the day off of work specifically to see "land" (first romero zombie flick in eons, etc.).

[rongravy]

I just saw 30 Minutes or Less again at the $2.50 theater...
ALL BY MYSELF!!!
Well, my kid was with me.
Sorry, even if I had all that fancy schmancy equipment to watch movies at home, I'd still go. I like the experience. You just gotta know when and where to go. Friday nights are the big hangout night for the tweeners around here. When I go on Fridays, I either see a rated R movie so they can't get in, or suck it up and get baked enough that I don't even notice them.
My wife likes to shush them. This only starts a chorus echo of shushing that ends in giggles and my wife further pissed. Kind of funny, actually.

[Sammich]

The midnight premiere I went to was Tron Legacy and many of those attending, like me, had been waiting a good 20+ years for this sequel to come out. Any rowdy morons disrupting the movie would have probably experienced a real life derezzing by 50-100 angry users.

[MinionZombie]

The midnight premiere I went to was Tron Legacy and many of those attending, like me, had been waiting a good 20+ years for this sequel to come out. Any rowdy morons disrupting the movie would have probably experienced a real life derezzing by 50-100 angry users.

*high five*

Incidentally, did you see it in 2D or 3D? I went to see it in 3D, however the effect was minimal at best - I loved the movie - but the 3D was rubbish.

[shootemindehead]

Never had a single ounce of trouble in a cinema. That said, Irish cinema audiences are usually rather quiet. People rarely even walk out!

Honestly, I don't get out to the flicks much these days though, as the quality of the product is generally bloody awful. Might go along an see 'The Thing'. It's not out here til December though! I may have interwebbed by then.

[Sammich]

*high five*

Incidentally, did you see it in 2D or 3D? I went to see it in 3D, however the effect was minimal at best - I loved the movie - but the 3D was rubbish.

Since I only go to movies that I really want to see, it happens only maybe once every 2 years. Up until this point I had only experienced the old red/blue glasses type 3d, so I splurged $17 and went to the real 3d screening. It just gave increased depth to the picture in some scenes and I didn't feel any of the much touted immersion that movies filmed with this technique are supposed to have.

As for the plot, I was very disappointed that Tron had very little to do with the story. I really wished it would have covered the time period after the first movie up until Flynn disappeared. A retro 80's atmosphere would have been fun to see again.

[SymphonicX]

*high five*

Incidentally, did you see it in 2D or 3D? I went to see it in 3D, however the effect was minimal at best - I loved the movie - but the 3D was rubbish.

I own the movie in 3D (a side by side 3D...need to get the blu-ray for Dual Stream 3D...). I don't know the cinema version personally, but I found the 3D in the home side by side version to be pretty good. It certainly beat out Alice's 3D (the 40% which was shot natively in 3D of course) which was horrid.

I thought it was quite effective, bearing in mind that the world we were seeing was inside another world....whereas something like Avatar was an outside world...so the paralaxing thing was far more reserved, and I believe, in keeping with the idealogy of the movie. Personally I thought it was reall effective.

Never seen a 3D film at cinema though. Last film I saw at cinema was Bruno.....I hate the cinema, too expensive, and too many idiots like the ones mentioned here...and it's too loud.

[MissJacksonCA]

The movie theater is the bane of my existence because of modern technology. You can't go to a movie today and not notice that at least several people are texting throughout the film (like it can't wait? In my day we had to wait to get home to call someone about the freakin movie and its still my day and i still effin wait) and then there's the teenagers that act like jackasses screaming at the seemingly scary parts that aren't and gabbing and maybe the couple is in there cooing each other... euuw...

Worst times in theater:

Avatar... I was sitting on the aisle seat and there was barely a seat to be had in the joint... this lady shows up and the movies starting and her family is all standing there like fools and she just audibly says 'well if these freaking people would just all move over' ... and then her husband took a call on his cell phone... I wasn't seeing Avatar because I'm a fan of the genre really so I just sat there and 'people watched' but yeah that lady ticked me off...

I was watching I don't remember what movie but it was getting towards the end and I remember this intense buildup towards finding out all the details and stuff and maybe there was like fifteen minutes to go when in walks two of the ushers waiting to clean the theater and they stood at the bottom texting and bitching about the ending and totally gave away the ending... well yeah I got up and curtly told them to stfu and whatever but I mean come on... what kind of jackass works at a theater and does that?

And of course there's just multiple random times when I've been at the theater and someone takes a call or whatever that just irks me but whatever... be the change you want to see in the world seems to be a notion of the past... where the hell did manners and courtesies go?

[rongravy]

Never had a single ounce of trouble in a cinema. That said, Irish cinema audiences are usually rather quiet. People rarely even walk out!

They're probably all passed out...
Kidding...