To want to never go to the cinema again?

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Every. Single. Time. I go to the cinema, there's at least one person who talks/texts/crunches through the film and generally does their best to ruin it for everyone. I usually feel too hesitant to say anything as they've already proven themselves lunatics who care not for others.

Last night it was LA LA Land. Absolutely brilliant, gorgeous film, ruined by some tosser who decided to loudly tap his foot throughout every musical number. He wasn't even in time.

I love watching films but AIBU to not spend any more money on going out to see them, because no one knows how to behave politely? We have Netflix, Google and Amazon video I suppose...

Gwen I actually agree, but weirdly, even though I go to the cinema heaps more than most people on this thread, this almost never happens, I can't think of a time when someone spoke so loudly and persistently through a whole entire film I couldn't hear a thing and it ruined it. For a start, films are in Dolby sound and are incredibly loud, it goes through your whole body, so to outstrip that would be really something. Second, Odeon and Vue have little trailers now telling everyone to shut up after the adverts and before the film begins, this seems to work. I'm not saying it never happens, I am saying that the risk people do things you don't like is quite high when you leave the house and mingle with others.

Some of the comments on this thread don't relate to talking, but to eating popcorn, the staple diet of cinema-goers, going to the loo too much (like anyone would do that for fun?) and people making involuntary noises (again, like that's a fun thing) and I found them ridiculous.

My way of avoiding these problems is wait until film has been out for at least two weeks and the buy the VIP seats so you don't get too close to others. They are about £1.60 a ticket more. But I only go to cinema about twice a year as it's too expensive and never buy food from there.

Reasonable point. There does always seem to be a lot of unnecessary noise during films. People whispering gets on my nerves. Not sure it's a modern phenomenon but I could do without it.

"They should only sell marshmallows in open boxes"

THIS

It's not ridiculous to compare the two, it's about social norms in these places, there was a thread recently about whether it's ok to have a mobile conversation on the bus, and the same comes up frequently about acceptable behaviour (eating take away, smelly food, painting nails) on trains. I think thinking about what is ok behaviour in a given social situation is extremely comparable, so cinema behaviour is different than theatre or classical music concerts, IMO (in which if you clap in the wrong place, all the oldies stare at you and your faux pas at not knowing since birth where to clap!)

Alright, to be explicit - I inferred from your post that you were indicating there should be expectations of similar behaviour in these places.

This is what I'm describing as ridiculous. I expect very different behaviour on public transport versus behaviour in the cinema.

I worked in a cinema all through university. Tell the staff, they will kick them out. We always did (quite happily)

If they just sold normal size popcorn like they used to (what is now children's size) and normal size drinks (can size rather the 2 litre bottle size) most people will have finished these within a few minutes

Buckets of popcorn and such huge drinks sees you grazing through the whole film but it's simply not necessary to eat all the time while watching a film

The constant rustling/munching is annoying and it's not necessary to chat while watching a film and many people simply don't care if they are bothering others

I think this behaviour is easy to spot and sadly we as a society on a whole are caring less how our actions impact others

Do we constantly overlook rude manners just in case it's not that no becuase most people can tell the difference and that is what the complaints are about others not giving a toss

Do we constantly overlook rude manners just in case it's not that no becuase most people can tell the difference and that is what the complaints are about others not giving a toss
So it's okay to humiliate someone just in case it's bad manners? It would seem from our experience (and that of many people with children, adult or otherwise, on the spectrum) that many, many people can't tell the difference.

It's rather depressing to see once again, learning disabilities/disabilities/special needs singled out with some of the comments on here.

I'll point out a few things. My children would dearly love to see more films at the cinema. We are limited to once a month, Sunday mornings at 11am. Why? Because that is when the autism friendly screening is. Do they get to choose which film, in a cinema where there are 10 different films showing? No, they can either go see what is showing at the one autism friendly screening per month or just not go. It's pretty much always a children's film (which is good for us, but probably frustrating for adults with autism that would like to see something else occasionally), although I note that one of our local cinemas has started doing an autism friendly showing of a non-children's film in the evening - again, once a month.

Wouldn't we love to be able to just rock up to the cinema when the mood to see a film takes us, choose whichever film we want, and go? Of course, but we can't. Not only can't my children cope with regular screenings, but the few times we did try to attend them (before we were aware of the autism friendly screenings), people were brutally nasty to them, even before the film started. They struggled with the noise, the dark, the smells, the previews, people too close to them. We've never made it past the first 10 minutes of a regular screening without incident, so we just don't make the attempt anymore.

I have the opportunity to take them to the autism friendly showing of the Lion King in London next summer, and I can't. Why? They're terrified. The thought of all those people/characters live in front of them dancing and singing scares them senseless.

So there you go - at least you can go to the theatre and know we won't spoil your precious evening. Hope you enjoy it.

The best cinema experience I ever had was a Star Wars movie that we waited in line for hours on the first day it was out when I was a teenager. Cinema was packed. People were shouting and cheering by the end. Definitely a social experience. Sadly, it's an experience my children will likely never experience.

who talked about humiliating anyone

Someone sitting behind me telling her friend about her issues with her boyfriend quite obviously has no care that other people are trying to watch a film. The food issue is unfortunately encouraged by cinemas to make more money

I thought LA LA Land was awesome.

I was the person that inexplicably went "GOT IT"" when I finally realised Emma Stone was the journalist in The Help

Do we constantly overlook rude manners just in case it's not that no becuase most people can tell the difference and that is what the complaints are about others not giving a toss

Bollocks. You can't always tell just by looking at someone's behaviour that they are just being rude, rather than having additional needs of some sort. If you could, what the fuck is the NHS paying paediatricians and CAMHS to do a diagnosis for, when they could just hire you and have done with it?

Foureyes I'm also a moderately regular cinema/theatre/concert goer, my experience is entirely with yours. I notice if people get up to go to the loo precisely because its really not very common.

I hate that the cinemas sell packets of sweets in rustling plastic bags. It's a sound I can't tune out - especially when they get near the end and you can hear their hand scrabbling away at the bottom of the bag for that one... and then that one... and then they find another one... It feels never ending!

I've stopped going really,I loathe the smell of hot dogs and hot pepper sauce etc.

So . . . everyone should all just ignore people ruining a (usually very expensive) film by talking or texting just in case they have a hidden disability?

The worst cinema behaviours I see (and we love the cinema, go at least once a month, as a family, a couple and sometimes on my own) are parents. Among the most ridiculous are:

The dad who fell asleep and snored so loudly that I couldn't hear the dialogue. I woke him up.

The woman who put her 3-4 year old on her lap, whereupon the child parked her Peppa Pig wellie-clad feet on top of my head! I just pushed them off and gave mum a death stare.

The mum who brought her still-in-nappies child who was clearly too young to sit in a darkened theatre for the duration of a movie and allowed him to stretch out on the floor across the full width of a step. Fortunately, only one person stepped on him in the dark . When he woke up, she walked around the front of the theatre with him and allowed him to explore... while the movie was still on. Her oblivious parenting was almost as entertaining as the movie!

I'm talking about the complaints on this thread

People carrying on with conversations the constant eating playing on their phones (which as I said is encouraged) many people are selfish surely that shouldn't be overlooked or excused

Of course I'm sorry that people are horrible when that isn't the issue but that isn't really what people are mainly talking about on this thread

I have to admit, I do get a perverse sort of enjoyment at asking people to stop talking in the cinema!

Sorry if it's been said but why on earth do cinemas sell popcorn? It stinks and it's probably the noisiest thing to eat. (That and rustling sweet wrappers which they also sell) I get the rage when people are eating it around me, which is why I also very rarely go to the cinema!

The eating I meant is encouraged

I can't do restaurants, they're either too busy and loud and I just feel overwhelmed and can't relax. Or they're too quiet and I feel like I have no privacy as the few people in there cna clearly make each others conversations out(not that they will, but they could!)

Yet I don't mind the noise of people at the cinema! Although like food, films are undoubtedly better at home, where there's a pause button!!

I have never heard anyone eating popcorn in my life! What sort of people do you lot live near?

They sell it because it's cheap and makes a profit

A lot of the behaviours can easily be attributed to SNs.

• talking during the film (struggling with social norms)
• eating throughout the film (my autistic dcs do this)
• wiggling
• tapping feet
• getting up a couple times to use the toilet
• rustling food wrappers (sensory stuff)
• obsessive phone checking (obviously mine don't do this as they don't have phones, but if they did, they would)