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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask your views on noise in the cinema

147 replies

missbonita · 30/04/2018 15:39

I have been discussing this with friends today after DS was incredibly angry that 2 young children talked loudly throughout the Avengers last night.

There is also a story in some of the papers today about a woman with Aspergers being 'dragged' out of the cinema for laughing loudly during The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

On the one hand it seems discriminatory to restrict access to people with certain disabilities from the cinema, on the other the people who have paid should be able to enjoy the film.

WIBU the noisy person, even if it is beyond their control, or the intolerant person even if the noise is spoiling their viewing.

OP posts:
bimbobaggins · 01/05/2018 10:27

I was at the cinema yesterday with a friend and we were the only ones in, it was bliss!
Small amount of noise at children’s screening is acceptable but chatting through older films is not on .

Sparklesocks · 01/05/2018 10:34

I hate talkers/phone players at the cinema, honestly if you can't sit still/in silence for 2 hours without chatting/pulling out your phone that's really worrying..is your attention span so small?

I also don't understand it, why pay that much ££ for a ticket if you just want to talk? Why not just go to a pub/coffee shop instead?

It's obviously different for people with disabilities etc but I think most guilty parties are just very inconsiderate.

I now tend to splash out for 'posher' cinemas as the higher ticket price means people are less likely to chat etc...but it does also mean going to see a film is a rare treat which is sad.

Housewife2010 · 01/05/2018 10:41

I never understand how people cant last 2 hours in a cinema without eating. People eating crisps or smelly or noisy food is my biggest annoyance!

Original poster
missbonita · 01/05/2018 10:51

I think I’d like to have cheesy nachos and hotdogs as throwing options too - so the punishment fits the crime Grin

I don’t understand why people take young kids to see films that they won’t understand, it’s like people who buy a 4 year old and iPhone and think it’ll help development - utterly idiotic.

The screening we went to was s sold out performance so I pointed out to the manager that he had the name and contact details of the noisy bastards and could ban them if he chose to.

OP posts:
Original poster
missbonita · 01/05/2018 10:54

My grandma claims she was at the 11am showing of ‘dancer in the dark’ and someone are in and ate a family bucket of kfc, but she is prone to wild exaggeration so none of us took it as gospel.

OP posts:
FlamingoGo · 01/05/2018 11:01

It isn’t just the cinema!

Yes! Saw Hamilton in the West End recently. A middle aged, American couple behind us spoke loudly through most of it - oblivious to the tutting, shh-ing and evil glares directed at them from people around them. Astonishing!

PoxAlert · 01/05/2018 11:05

It's the rustling that drives me mad.

I guess I'm lucky that in adult films I've never really had a huge problem, and when we take DD to kids films I don't mind if children are being chatty as she'll normally ask a couple of questions too.

When we took DD to see Trolls when it came out there was a little girl of 7 or 8 across from us who was proper belly laughing at some parts and it added to my enjoyment of the film so much. So I do quite like a bit of noise in the cinema if it's in relation to the film.

But if it's just being disrespectful/rude then I think I'd complain/ssshh.

PanGalaticGargleBlaster · 01/05/2018 11:13

I started to pay a little bit extra and visit the private cinema near me where to put it bluntly there still seems to be an appreciation of basic cinema etiquette. The Odeon near me seems to be full of twats who are happy to take calls, text, slurp, chatter, take multiple toilet breaks and generally not give a shite about anyone else. The final straw was when I was threatened with violence when I woke up the man next to me who was snoring loudly. Too many selfish pricks out there.

BadLad · 01/05/2018 11:19

I never understand how people cant last 2 hours in a cinema without eating. People eating crisps or smelly or noisy food is my biggest annoyance!

They can last two hours, but they don't want to, obviously. They purchase food to make their cinema experience more enjoyable. If the cinema sells the food, then they're perfectly within their rights to bring it in, and it's tough shit if it bothers you.

MistressDeeCee · 01/05/2018 11:34

I only go to the cinema if it's a film I really feel warrants being seen on the big screen. & when I do go it's never late evening, only early afternoon as there are less people.

I cannot stand noisy, entitled behaviour. People who talk loudly, can't just shut up for 5 minutes, no attention span, can't turn off mobile phone and sometimes chat on it whilst film is on (!) I can and have confronted people about noise before, but I don't want to do that. I want to have a nice time watching a film in peace

I can't be bothered with it all so now only go to cinema once or twice a year. I'm amazed some cinemas are still open.

IwantedtobeEmmaPeel · 01/05/2018 11:58

I think the ideas of a sniper during the film and stocks after the film would be a very effective two pronged attack. I love films and used to go to to the cinema a lot, but I don't go often to my local Odeon fleapit now. However I am lucky to be within reasonable distance of a couple of independants and they seem to attract the more serious film lovers, who are able to sit quietly for a couple of hours & you know, actually watch the film. It is a shame a selfish minority spoil it for the majority. I too wonder if cinemas will end up closing as people stop going due to the behaviour described here.

Original poster
missbonita · 01/05/2018 12:09

I was recommended the Showcase deluxe on MN and I find that the best cinema for reduced noise as the reclining seats mean you are further away from other people!

OP posts:
Deemarow · 01/05/2018 12:20

People should be quiet in the cinema, but it is ridiculous to expect minimum wage cinema staff to start laying the law down and kick people out if they are being loud.

DianaPrincessOfThemyscira · 01/05/2018 12:25

I actually really hate going to the cinema because of the other people. If it’s not talking, it’s phones out shining in my eyes.

I don’t mind the odd bit of talk - I’ve been known on the odd occasion to point out to DH that that’s so and so, or DS3 (in particular) will say something quite loudly (maybe once, and I always quiet him down. It’s excitment on his part).

I don’t mind food either coz I always take stuff in!

Years ago I was sitting behind a rough as fuck couple, she was on her phone and he was smoking. This was around 2007. No one challenged them because the man squared up to a couple of people beforehand.

popcornpaws · 01/05/2018 12:26

I’ve not been to the cinema after a group of young people a few rows in front were talking, laughing, on their phones etc, people around were tutting but no one said anything until i finally shouted SHUT UP! They were quiet after my outburst but i’m not proud of it.

Testarossa1 · 01/05/2018 12:34

I actually got a ripple of applause once for asking two women to shut up. They were 2 rows behind us, not watching the film at all, and busy talking about what they were doing at the weekend. After about half an hour I got so annoyed that I turned round and said some people would like to watch the film, and we can't enjoy it with you 2 discussing your plans, there's a Starbucks downstairs if you want to chat, if not please shut up! As I sat back down, a polite ripple of applause broke it! They were quiet from there on.

ILikeMyChickenFried · 01/05/2018 12:41

The ripple of applause would've irritated me too.

CreativeMumma · 01/05/2018 12:50

I went to see a film last week, the only other ppl in the screening seemed like they were going to have a chat all the way through... I had to ask them twice to stop. They were O.A.P’s I hate talkers, it’s just rude.

PanGalaticGargleBlaster · 01/05/2018 12:57

They were quiet after my outburst but i’m not proud of it.

Well done you, and quite frankly fuck them for being inconsiderate shits.

I told two women sitting behind me to shut the fuck up who were just chatting away at normal volume through the first several minutes of Dunkirk. It was an IMAX screening so everyone had paid bit more to enjoy the film. I asked them politely at first to stop talking and I got some filthy cats bum look from the pair of them before they just carried on nattering away. They had a moan at me afterwards about how rude I was and I tried to calmly explain that they were genuinely spoiling the film for everyone around them and that perhaps if they wanted to chat they should wait for it to come out on DVD. They honestly thought they had done nothing wrong and carried out trying to portray me as the villain. Some people just have zero awareness.

Member · 01/05/2018 13:02

I was at a seated concert in what was formerly known as the Hammersmith Apollo recently. A woman in the section of seats behind me was loudly conversing on her phone and either had it on speaker or the person on the other end was exceedingly loud as we could hear what they were saying. The people immediately surrounding the woman seemed content to let it continue Shock.

The (apparently drunk) woman was eventually ejected after me and the stranger next to me got an usher’s attention.

Dh wants to see that Quiet Place film, I just know that there will be some ignorant bastards who will detract from the “need to be quiet” atmosphere of the film.

BarryTheKestrel · 01/05/2018 13:13

We are off to see avengers on Saturday evening and now I'm not looking forward to it at all! DH went to the midnight showing so has already seen it with the serious 'want to watch this' people , but feels it needs a second watch so has agreed to a cinema date night.

If there are talkers or phone users around me they will feel my wrath!

AbsentmindedWoman · 01/05/2018 13:17

I too, don't understand people coming in to talk through the film. What's the point? What a waste of your own money, surely?

I've generally been really lucky. Went to see A Quiet Place last week and there were two women chatting and giggling loudly sitting right next to me all the way through the 20 mins of adverts so I was slightly worried, but to be fair - they shut up when the film came on.

Hygge · 01/05/2018 13:33

I have a hearing problem so even low-level noise background noise like whispering can drown out the thing I'm actually trying to listen to.

I rarely go to the cinema as a result, but when I do I hate it when people are noisy or otherwise selfish through the film, with phone screens lit up and such.

If you really can't stop your conversation or stay off your phone for a couple of hours you should probably stay home and wait for the DVD.

alibongo5 · 01/05/2018 13:41

I'm lucky enough to have a small independent cinema locally. It is no more expensive than Cineworld but is much more civilised. No smelly popcorn or other food but sells wine, coffee etc to take in and I have never been disturbed by others. On the downside, it obviously has a far smaller range of films but enough for me to go with my friends every couple of weeks.

HunterofStars · 01/05/2018 13:45

I'm autistic and rarely go to the cinema these days. I prefer to go to the screening rooms, which is a bit more expensive but people generally tend to appreciate it more, although when I went to see the Last Jedi, there was a woman who brought in a packet of sweets and was rustling them madly until someone hushed them.

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