AIBU - people snap chatting at cinema during entire Mama Mia film!

[Butterfly98]

Had a rare girls night out this evening, had a nice dinner in an Italian restaurant followed by Mama Mia which we were all looking forward to seeing.... got to cinema early to make sure we got good seats.... cinema started filling up pretty quickly with a group of 6 teenage girls sitting directly in front of us, this wasn't a problem until film started and 2 of the group started snap chatting with flashes going every 3 or 4 seconds literally from the very start! The other 4 girls were actually watching the film. 1 of my group asked them politely to stop as phones kept flashing in our faces to which they shrugged their shoulders and glared! It stopped for about 10 minutes then started again, other people were turning around looking and tutting but nobody said anything! Another 1 of my group told the cinema attendant who asked them to either put phones away or leave, they again stopped for 10 minutes, started again etc then they eventually left 15 minutes before film ended! By then we were all just pissed 😠 off... do people not have basic manners these days such as knowing how to behave in public and having consideration for others or have phones just turned some into zombies literally? Why would anyone waste money going to the cinema, not watch film and instead sit snap chatting? AIBU?

YANBU at all. A lot of people seem to behave as if they are in their own living room at all times, and don't give a fig about anyone else. These are probably the same people who just don't have the attention span to sit through a whole film. They should do everyone a favour and stay home

YANBU at all!! I feel like cinema etiquette is worse than ever. It’s distracting enough getting immersed in a film and then see a little square of light catch your eye..let alone full on snap chatting!! And the cinema isn’t cheap nowadays..

It’s so pathetic that people can’t sit still for 2 hours without whacking their phone out..very worrying if your attention span is that bad!

There is a cinema chain in the states called the Alamo drafthouse who have a zero tolerance policy for talking and phone use. The staff will happily boot you out for breaking it, i wish we had that here!

Yes SparkleSocks that US cinema zero tolerance approach sounds ideal. I think it's sad and pathetic that some people seem to deliberately have the attention span of a goldfish, they're so worried that they might miss some important news like what someone they don't know had for dinner!

This is why I avoid spoilers, conversations and online posts about a new film for a couple of weeks and then go late evening after the hype has died down. I haven’t been to see something where there was more than 6 or 7 other people there and never had any of these problems and quite surprised reading it. I’d be furious if anyone was taking photos and talking through a film. The most I have had was someone screaming at every little jump scare in a horror film which was annoying but if they were genuinely frightened they couldn’t help it.

Went to the Mancini yesterday, not that full, but we could hear the staff in the stairwell talking.

They may well of though we could not hear them as the film was a adventure/action, but we could. So got up and told them to shut up, they did but come on.....so its not just the paying customers who really dont give a dam and only care about themselves, I can understand your frustration.

How much is the pictures in the UK now?

(I am not in the UK BTW)

It's £10-£12 pp around here, and an expensive couple of hours for a family imo.

I'd have spoken to the attendant a second time in your situation op, but it annoys me that it's necessary because in the olden days an attendant would stay in throughout the movie and sort out any problems straight away, or at least pop in regularly.

If they don't sort it out properly after a second complaint I ask for a full refund.

I usually use out-of-town cinemas now as have found needing a car to get there means fewer teenagers and less noise.

I do think cinemas need to crack down on this if they want to survive. My pet hate is our local Odeon, where the lights only dim very slightly when the movie starts. It's not dark enough, no atmosphere, you can see everyone in there munching away, eye constantly drawn to movement or distraction.

This is one of the reasons I hate going to the cinema. The risk of people like this being in front of you, the smell and sound of everyone eating and drinking, the fact I can't pause it and go to the toilet if I want, all the adverts at the beginning, assigned seats so I can't chose to move if I want to, the expense!

I sound such a misery, but I can't understand why people love the cinema when you can curl up on your own sofa in peace to watch a film.

I’d of grabbed the phone of the girl in front of me and cracked it on the back of her skull. Or I’d of got a member of the cinema staff and reported potential piracy.

HTH.

Have no idea what a Manchini is!!!!

Should of said cinema!

Yes the attendants did shut up, they are usually very good. Cannot really complain at £1.20 for a brand new film.

Its our little weekly escape if there is a English speaking film on, dont care what it is, in the air con, good seats as a couple, and its clean!!!! and we go early morning when most are still in slumber so usually quite quiet.

££££££'s thats a lot of money for a family

This is another one of the reasons why I try to go on a weekday matinee. And quite often I’ve got the cinema to myself.
That would really piss me off and I would definitely have kept complaining.

Why didn’t you report it when it started again? It’s obvioudly crap behaviour but the cinema should have dealt with it better.

Can't you complain to the cinema, tell them you told the girls to.stop, that y didn't...you told an attendant and he told them to put their phones away or leave, they put them away for 10 mins and started again and the cinema didn't follow through on the ultimatum by getting them to leave...ask if you and friends to make up for this can have a refund or replacement tickets to see the movie again,

Kitty is awesome I want to go cinema with her

This is why DH and I go to the cinema on Monday at 10am after the film has been out for a month.

But apart from the annoyingness what a fab film! We went to see it last night, cinema wasn't even half full. It was brill.

Btw the film is good but I think the 1st one was better.... we didn't report to the attendant a 2nd time because after he warned them the 1st time when he passed our row on his way out he said 'this happens all the time'! So it all seemed a bit pointless really!

Used to like going to the cinema but I have not been for years .

Mainly due to people like the OP is describing. Plus the expense of it all.

Maybe I'm old fashioned but even though we have Netflix, Amazon etc at home it's still nice to see a new release on the big screen with the proper sound despite not being able to pause, rewind etc (unless of course you are lucky enough to have a home cinema then happy days) anyway I asked my teenage daughter this morning is she snaps at the cinema, she said no way would she or any of her group do that so I was relieved to hear I've at least done something right!! Out of interest has anyone here converted their attic/loft to a home cinema as hubby has mentioned doing this a few times or would it be just a standard attic conversion?

@KittyHawke80

I’m fucked if I’m having that ruined by thick little tarts superimposing dog snouts on their stupid fucking faces, or whatever. I go and speak to the manager immediately

What a disgusting post. Why do you feel the need to call teenaged girls about whom you know nothing 'tarts'. What makes you think they're thick or do you just apply these terms to all teenaged girls? It's misogyny like this that keeps women down. You sound charming btw.

No - just the ones who behave badly in cinemas and other public places, and ruin experiences for which other people have paid good money. I know that much about them, after all. They’re, er, not going to be intellectual heavyweights, are they? You sound asinine ‘btw’. Trot back off to eBay, do.

We had similar at a cinema recently. Everyone kept going in complaining to the management but nothing was done. Accordingly at the end as the children had been causing the trouble filed out everybody booed at them and then went and queued up and got their money back from the management. It was kicking off properly

We're quite picky about which cinemas and which time of screening we attend to avoid scenarios like this (and of course YADNBU).

Luckily we have a Picturehouse cinema we can access which attracts a more responsible and respectful audience, by and large.

Terrible behavior
Swiftly followed by horrid language by kittyhawk

Shocking, isn’t it? On the plus side, at least I haven’t given myself the ‘horrid’ handle ‘Ivorbig1’. The tragic death of Bernard Manning has possibly left an opening for someone of your talents - give it some thought.