To complain about this family at the cinema?

[LyonRoar]

Me, DH and DBIL(15) went to see Batman vs Superman today. A family sat behind us (looked liked grandma, mum and 5 kids) and the kids ranged form about 4-10. They were making noise throughout the entire film - this was just about bearable as I do accept that there will be some noise.

However, in the last half an hour they just didn't stop, and in complete ruined the end of the film as it was difficult to concentrate - and in some parts it was difficult to hear over them!. They were sitting on the plastic booster seats and would not sit still and just kept banging on these seats. They were shouting out about the film, making eww nosies at all the kissing scenes and one of them kept loudly repeating can we go home over and over for about 10 minuets. The mum initially made some attempt to keep them quiet but resorted to shout out them to 'shut the fuck up' numerous times.

DH did ask the Grandma if she could have a word but she ignored him. We also spoke to a member of staff who apologised, but that is not really good enough.

It is not really about the money, more about the fact that they should not have been allowed in (IMO). I don't mind noise normally, and appreciate that there will be some. I go to the cinema a lot and have never complained but the film was obviously widely unsuitable for the youngest one at least (it is 2 and a half hours and can be quite dry/confusing in places).

Wibu to send an email to the cinema outlining my complaint? I am willing to be told I am being ridiculous!

I would complain to the manager there. Try to get a voicher to go to a later showing.

I'm not sure how the cinema can help after the fact (other than maybe chucking you some free tickets). Did you speak to the member of staff during the film, or after? I think if you spoke to them during, they should have stepped in and helped/told that family that they'd need to leave if they continued being noisy.

Sorry OP. I hate it when this kind of thing happens.

In that situation next time I would insist the manager got involved. The mum should not be swearing in a family film and they could have asked her to leave.

Definitely complain. As a member of staff was told and did nothing, they should refund you or give you free tickets.

Why should they not have been allowed in - what is the age category of the film?

Having a movie ruined by noisy cinema-goers is very annoying, and it really was up to the member of staff you spoke to to have done something more than apologize.

You can certainly email the cinema - but what are you hoping will be the outcome?

The staff could've done more as surely you weren't the only people bothered by these rude people.

It's a 12A , they should have asked them to leave. They took the decision that their DC could sit through it but obviously they were wrong

Was anyone else pi**ed off by them?

Thanks everyone, the film is a 12A but that doesn't make it suitable for four year olds. I don't, in my opinion, feel that kids that age should be watching the film. They were obviously bored which is why they were playing up.

I went out and had a word with a member of staff near the end of the film as this is when it started to get unbearable (you could tell it was near the end as after the fight scene). They said someone would come in and have a word, but no one did. When DH spoke to them after they said they did not bother to send anyone in as it was near the end.

I don't know if anyone else complained.

Hmmm as you said what were the younger kids ding in there I thought it was 12A? How frustrating for you, I would complain although I guess there isn't much they can do. It wasn't in CE?

I also went to the cinema today to see a film that was geared up for very young children, I booked four seats but DH had to go to work, so I put our coats on the spare seat, after all I had paid for it. Another family sitting a few seats away allowed their DC to sit on our coats and eat chocolate, rice cakes etc on them. The dad kept giving me daggers. If they had asked I would have moved our coats, but I had paid for the seat, I felt it was super rude.

Definitely write to complain,or speak to the manager at the time it happens. Me and my DP have had several cinema trips completely ruined by other peoples' selfish behaviour,e.g. texting on their phones during the film so that the lit-up phone screen is a distraction,chattering constantly right behind you,throwing popcorn at us,repeatedly kicking the backs of our seats and the best one,teenagers upending a cup of drink over us,thanks to their mucking about. We complained a couple of times to the manager and both times had our tickets refunded.

This is why I've stopped going to the picture house. I don't expect funeral-like reverence, but it has swung the other way so far, too many families see a visit to watch a film like a meal at McDonalds. There is no point in asking people to be quiet as they will tell you they have paid to be there and can behave as they like.

Wait, and watch the DVD is my only advice. Maybe, just maybe if enough people stop going the owners will realise it is hitting their bottom line and will intervene.

I would complain, so no yanbu. I'm afraid its very very common in cinemas where children are present. I take my dds to the morning showings which are cheap and cheerful, so ive nearly become bomb proof but it still irks me that people can be so rude! Last week a grandparent with a child fell asleep and shored so loudly YOU COULD HEAR THE SNORING OVER THE FILM

Yes, complain definitely. The member of staff should have done something. I am pretty tolerant at the cinema but they would have really irritated me.

Going to the cinema is an expensive outing these days and I am always amazed at people who pay through the nose for the experience, yet apparently don't actually want to watch the film!

IMO this is the reason why so many people don't go to the cinema anymore.

And this is why I don't go to mainstream cinema. I viwed this afternoon sitting next to this bloody family who ate, Facebooked, sent the kids out for beer, swore a lot, talled crap loudly throughout, complained loudly when kids came back without beer and (the adults) kicked the backs of the seats of the people in front who dared to shush them. After they left it looked like a herd if goats had been there. And it cost a fortune!

The last film we went to see (a re-released 1940s classic, Leicester square) it was me, dh, a lady at the front and a man in the back row. Bliss.

Bit garbled there - last mainstream we went to (not end of run) was about 2 years ago (with goat family).

A four year old was allowed into Batman vs Spider-Man?

I don't think you'd get anywhere saying they shouldn't have been allowed in, but the management should exercise some supervision of what is going on during the screening and should have done something about it much earlier - and they should certainly have acted on your complaint.

My most recent trip to the cinema was ruined by three teenagers who were absolutely vile to a couple of other people in the cinema. The other people left but complained on the way out. A member of staff came and spoke to the teenagers, then sat beside them for the remainder of the film ( only about 10 minutes). When the credits started, three security personnel came in and escorted them to the managers office. Have since learned that the cinema operates an immediate lifetime ban for anyone who deliberately disrupts a movie.
Sounds like a sensible approach.

YANBU. The manager should have come and thrown them out.

was an usher in the room for the whole film?

I know it's annoying but I think that given they were technically okay to see the film - 12A means they can, have I got that right? - then sadly the onus was on you to go outside and find someone unless someone was already sitting in.

to that end, I would ask for a refund, because it's not fair to you to have trek out and find someone.

or if there was someone in there and they did nothing then that's not on either.

i'd ask for a refund but don't say "they shouldn't have been let in" because that doesn't make sense.

My local cinema does over 18 showings of films that are technically kids' films which is brilliant. I have told off noisy cinema goers many times. In general I don't go unless it's free - which it can be with my gym membership - or unless it's something I really really want to see and I can go at a quiet time.

Last year DH and I went to see Terminator Genisys at the cinema. It was an 8pm showing and there was a boy with his parents who could have been no older than 5. He kept crying at the scary bits. I don't know what possesses the parents to allow them to watch these films

I had the same problem a few weeks ago. I took my children to a Kids am showing and we had the back of our chairs kicked for the entire performance! The mum told them off but they continued. Even my three year old complained. I should have done more so I completely understand.