Cinema experience, what is wrong with people!

[Xanadu78]

I recently went to the cinema. I go to the cinema all the time but this was the most bonkers cinema experience of my life.

First of all the cinema was completely full. It was a very good film and you could tell that there were only one or two spaces scattered round throughout the theatre in the build up to the film.

Everyone was chatting absolutely fine, the film starting was literally about to start and three Girls turned up. They thought somebody was sitting in their seats. They started shouting and swearing at the people who were in their seats with lots of children in the theatre but this didn’t stop them using the F word and shouting and screaming. The manager came in didn’t remove them tried to sort it out then left then and came back again. The shouting lasted about 10 minutes.

They had to pause the movie because the movie intro had already started. They realised that they were meant to be on the other end of the aisle but somebody already sat in their seats so those people had to move then other people had to move from the seats.It caused chaos! When the movie started two women behind me chatted for the entire length of the movie. It was constant commentary. I asked them to be quiet and there was no response at all. They just stared at me. The woman next to me kept on dropping things on the floor and using her torch on her phone to find the items on the floor.

It was a 12 a movie and there was slightly difficult parts in the film that were quite grown-up, but they were very some very young children in the theatre and those bits are quite upsetting so that caused tears and crying and the parents didn’t take them out of the film to be honest. I wouldn’t have brought children that young to the movie because it wasn’t a children’s movie.

Is this just normal? Why on earth to people paid to go watch a film only to talk for the entire time that was the thing that upset me the most and the shouting.

We paid £20 for this carnage!

I go during the daytime on weekdays precisely because I can't tolerate this kind of thing

What movie was it?

This is why I’ve given up on the cinema/theatre. Other people are hell.

I have Odeon limitless so go to the cinema a LOT. Yes, this sort of behaviour is VERY common, unfortunately, and VERY annoying.

I tend to make a day of it maybe once a month, and I'll go to the Trafford Centre and watch 2 or 3 films in a day, I usually deliberately sit near the front of the screen as one of my biggest frustrations is people that get their phones out and everyone behind them can't help but notice it.

Going to a cinema like that where there's a lot of showings a day, I find the screen doesn't get as full. Or I'll wait a couple of weeks after a popular movie has come out!

I guess people feel that they have paid for the experience so they're entitled to behave however they like. Or they're only there because the film will distract their kids for an hour and a half and other people's enjoyment doesn't matter.

I have encountered this when watching films that appeal to all ages. But not when watching niche, international or higher age rating films. There you tend to find people who genuinely want to enjoy the experience.

If it's a family-friendly movie, definitely avoid going on Saturdays and the opening weeks.

I went to my local cinema last week. I'm painfully introverted and I was dreading it.

But it was honestly lovely. No drama, nobody was noisy, no rustling etc

Agree with not going in the opening few weeks. I deliberately wait a while before seeing family friendly movies as the chance of poor behaviour is less!

I’m sorry that it wasn’t as nice a time as you’d hoped OP. Always frustrating when people don’t care that they ruin things for others.

I think entitled people always existed but they were never tolerated. For some reason they are pandered to these days and we tip toe around for fear hurting feelings. Or staff are afraid to face difficult people, which is fair enough for a part timer or casual worker but there should be systems and procedures in place. The vast majority of people don't argue back too much, most would immediately be quiet if they were told be quiet or leave. Most would not play videos or make calls on phones in a cafe or bus if the policy was removal with refund. But a tiny few would cause trouble and we are so afraid of them that we let them do what they want, and other entitled or often just clueless people follow. It makes life unpleasant everywhere public and also ( i believe) loses business ultimately because people avoid the places that attract the unpleasant behaviour. I really wish businesses would consider what the average customer wants and needs and be more assertive in weeding out the difficul people.

I'll only tend to go to mostly empty big screens (eg, after the film's been out a while) or to our lovely local theatre/cinema in our small town, which is run by volunteers and often packed out with SILENT and appreciative punters. Mostly elderly. Once there was a pissed woman and her boyfriend at the back, commenting and chatting, and I'm proud to say I was one of several regulars who got them chucked out!

I always tell people to stop talking and they always do, but the experience is marred anyway by that point. And it's hard to tell someone four rows in front to stop playing on their phone and flashing the light constantly without disrupting the show for everyone else.

You'd need a full time staff member in each screen and that would probably quadruple ticket prices.

I have paid £20ish a ticket, think places like The Flower bowl and still had problems though it could be me, anyone looking at phones, talking or teens not being able to sit through a film annoy me.

Why didn’t you say to her at the time turn the bloody phone off you’re causing a scene and stopping people’s enjoyment of the show?!!!

You should have gone to the staff/mamager after the film and listed all these things and asked for a refund or replacement tickets as these people at the start shouldn’t have been allowed to stay after behaving like that’

She wasn't causing a scene. She was annoying me and I didn't want an argument/discussion in front of a large group of acquaintances.

That sounds horrible, but am not wholly surprised as the behaviour in cinemas can be dire. If you go to a film that is geared towards younger adults it’s def worse than a more older adult-themed film.
Talking, loud eating, phones on etc.
Annoying as I love going and it’s not too pricey either!

I was once at a beautiful lighting up of a cathedral with music type of event and before it started, one of the organisers told everyone to not use their mobile phones as it would spoil the experience for others. A girl (about 13/14) next to me filmed the whole thing, light right in my eye-line. I asked her to stop. She just laughed at me and continued. At the end I raised my voice at her and thanked her for ruining the whole evening for me and those around us. Low and behold, her mother backed up her daughter and had a go at me! The apple didn't fall far from the tree there the ignorant pair of low-lives.

Likewise. I’m lucky that work means I can go on a Friday afternoon, I saw Devil Wears Prada 2 last Friday (do not recommend by the way!) and there were 5 of us in the 2.30pm showing.

I remember saving up to take dd and her siblings to the cinema for her 7th birthday (I was a skint single mum at the time)

We ended up going to see smurfs 2 and sat almost at the back (it was almost empty)

I'd warned the kids that they had to stay still and watch the movie or we'd leave (and to be fair,they did)

A group of women came in just behind us with about 8 kids (aged about 4-8) between them and sat right at the front

They allowed these kids to run up and down,throw popcorn/sweets at each other,spray drinks all over the place and scream/laugh at the top of their lungs while we where trying to watch the movie

I went out (leaving them with their big sister) and asked to see a manager who then told me there was nothing he could do and he walked off

We managed to get to the end of the movie and left (i would have walked out but it was dds birthday and she wanted to stay)

Never went back-waste of £60 and dd was so upset that her birthday treat had been ruined

The cinema closed down not long after and was taken over by someone else but I refuse to go back

Odeon york-blossom street,that manager was a tosser

Going to the cinema has become one of my favourite activities in the last 5 or so years. I don’t go every month, but I go fairly often. I have thankfully never witnessed anything like that, even on the days the screening was full. I reckon you must have been unlucky, though based on what people say online, it has become more common.

I do love our Everyman! I think I will stick with it!

Michael

I saw a musical this weekend- £50 a ticket and the woman in front of me spent most of the time doing life admin on her phone. As for the rustling and chewing sounds! Such a shame.

Perfect! One time it was just me and a very quiet couple, heaven.

I recommend everyone see Project Hail Mary on the big screen by the way. Well worth it and it's been out several weeks so shouldn't be busy.

People talking is annoying but nobody should sit in a seat they didn’t pay for - pisses me off massively.

From what I've read on here by some, it's old-fashioned, primitive, silly to adhere to previous generations societal norms like not swearing in public, speaking at decibel levels appropriate to the environment and considering others feelings.

So, as long as we continue to foster this nonsense as "freedom" and "progression" we're going to have these problems.