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!

This what I don't get. OK bratty teens were wrong, they got their numbers wrong. But when they went to their actual seats, why was someone sat there?

It's not the 90s. You don't just sit anywhere. You sit in the seat you chose when you booked!

Doesn’t surprise me that movie attracted the dregs of society

I brought my kids to see Wicked a few months back in the cinema. I was in an aisle seat and there was a kid about 12 or 13 opposite me and one down from me on her phone. Although I wasn't near her the light was in my peripheral vision and really distracting. I tolerated it until DS said he had trouble focusing. I asked her to stop it and in fairness she seemed embarrassed and turned the light way down. What troubled me was she took her phone out 9 or 10 times. None of it seemed to be notifications, she seemed to be scrolling on Tik tok or YouTube shorts, or maybe SM. I couldn't see exactly but she was scrolling and scrolling. She clearly couldn't focus on the film. I can only imagine how much life experience she has missed. I've used her as an example for why screen time has to be restricted with my kids. 'You'll end up like that girl in the cinema'. I honestly think people should be told to leave their phones behind or use a pouch that restricts it. For everyone's sake

They were better seats than the ones the people sitting in had been able to book.

With cinema subscriptions now people book seats they don't turn up for because it costs them nothing. Having said that I think this was a Vue which doesn't have subscriptions.

Puerile do make mistakes too, and I think people who are going to demand their actual seats should turn up before the film starts, preferably before the ads start and the lights go down.

Audiences at all sorts of performances are getting worse and worse, I posted last week about leaving a live music show because of people shouting conversations over the music.

People seem to have forgotten how to behave in public. There were always some obnoxious people but it's so much more prevalent now. Last cinema trip was luckily fine even with a full screen (Magic Faraway Tree) and the only noise was adults and children laughing together at the funny bits. Have had some appalling theatre trips though, people drunk, shouting/singing, standing up, discarding rubbish everywhere, talking loudly, answering phones! Theatre is so expensive, I'm amazed they are wasting their money.

Going shopping in town is often awful. People blocking aisles in groups chatting and glaring at you when you politely ask to get past. Barging. Cyclists on pavements seemingly finding it funny to ride full speed at people and make them jump out of the way. Group video calls at full volume with no ear phones.

I have a sub and go several times a week. Always during the day and I never book anything that is more then a quarter full....its not worth the hassle of dealing with other people!

I've never understood why people have to stuff their faces with popcorn, hot dogs etc just because they're watching a film.

At our local cinema staff stand at the exit with big black bags hoping people will put their rubbish in them. But most leave theirs lying on the floor by their seats.

Do they just drop their rubbish on the floor at home? Some people are just pigs.

I can confirm you do not always get a civilised audience at the Everyman, sadly. I’ve had a few unpleasant encounters with people there (and not at the same location).

We have Odeon Limitless passes so we go to the cinema a few times a month on average and it’s rare that we’ve seen poor/inconsiderate behaviour. Our local branch is a Luxe though so I do wonder if the higher ticket prices put off those who just go to mess around and deliberately be disruptive.

The one thing that riles me though is the state of the cinema once everyone gets up to leave - the amount of rubbish and popcorn strewn everywhere is disgusting - and it often looks deliberate. There are plenty of bins at this branch so there is no excuse to leave the cinema looking like a chimps tea party.

Don’t assume an arts cinema is safe! Worst we had was in the local arts cinema we went to watch the film Wild where Reese Witherspoon goes hiking. V good.

Behind us were a mixed group of early 60 somethings. I kid you not they talked really loudly through the whole film! Dh politely asked them to be quiet which they did for a few minutes then started up again! It was so weird. Just to counter balance people blaming kids / young people!

The worst experience I had with people talking was a couple sitting next to me who were probably in their 70s, commenting and chatting all the way through the Downton Abbey movie. Definitely old enough to know better!

This.

You can also order a drink or food from your seat, and they’ll bring it to you.

Ok Dear, but when I went to see the same film, people were behaving as they should, when being in the cinema. So make of that, what you want too.

I really despair about behaviour these days. Last couple of times I’ve been to the cinema there’s been people walking in and out through the whole thing. I completely understand small children needing to go to the loo but these were adults, and sometimes coming back in with drinks and snacks. Can grown adults really not wait 2h for the loo or to get a drink?!
Also when my DDs were small I always booked aisle seats so we could get out without disturbing people and always told them to whisper and walk quietly. Adults these days just talk at a normal volume and walk around with complete disregard

Covid and lockdowns have a lot to answer for, although I believe society has become a lot more selfish and inconsiderate.
Personally I only go to cinemas now very early morning, a few weeks after the film has come out to avoid the dross people or go to expensive cinemas as many don’t want to attend these.

shame as I LOVE the cinema.

Ooo mine is Apple watches constantly lighting up

I tried reserving seats for morning viewings - but found I just never wanted to sit still in the dark in the morning.😂

Similar happened to me once a few years ago. Woman with a babe in arms at a 15 film. The baby kept wailing but she wouldn't take it out. I went and asked the manager to sort it, he spoke to her and she yelled at him so he backed off.
Demanded a refund and left. This was Vue.
Staff won't intervene now and I understand why but honestly. Ruins everything.

Absolutely this! I literally go a few weeks after release, weekday so I don’t have to deal with this sort of shite. People. Not such a fan.

If there is something I want to see, I go on a weekday during the school term if I have a day off work. Or pay more for a fancy art house cinema. People have no manners any more, noticed it since Covid.

I saw The Choral today. It was during the day so not too many people in the cinema. I cannot for the life of me understand why one woman felt the urge to sing along to God Save the King during the film.

Perhaps she was trying to show that she knew the words? We were not in the UK (nor a Commonwealth country for that matter). I’m almost certain she wasn’t British.

’twas bizarre!

Never go to watch a 12 at the cinema and if you do go for the latest viewing on a week day

I never go to the cinema when it's full. Carnage. If it's a new film that's popular, I wait a couple of weeks to go and when I go I look at the available seats and if it's busy I tend to choose a different time.

I went the other day. It was reasonably busy but not full and there was a group of teenage girls shrieking, giggling and shouting. They did calm down after the film has started thank goodness but it went on throughout the trailors.

I completely agree, cinema and theatre, (anywhere you have to sit quietly for any length of time), carnage! Watching Mamma Mia last month, a group of drunk women sat in the two next to each other boxes, they were swapping seats (between the two boxes), moving seats, shouting, generally being disruptive. It looked like they were on a hen party (sashes and tiaras, etc), so I assume they’d had a drink. Because they were in the box, everyone in the circle and the grand circle could see them and they were distracting. I was really surprised no one from the theatre asked them to sit down and be quiet.

I would contact the cinema and ask for free tickets to another screening. The cinema also should not be allowing under age children in.