disrupted cinema going experiences (1 Viewer)

I have been going less and less to the cinema these days.

I have only been to "300", "Pirates of the Carribean", "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", "The Bourne Ultimatum", and now "The Invasion", so far this year.

Today, while going to "The Invasion", some rowdy rude talking (cell phone using) teenagers were disrupting the movie and my enjoyment of it. A gentlemen further in front of me (I always sit in the back row) asked the teenagers to quiet down, but they ignored him. No one complained to the cinema staff.

Granted, the movie was kinda of silly in a few parts and does attract teenagers looking for a thrill and sci-fi horror show.

During "The Bourne Ultimatum" a person next to me was coughing and disrupting the movie too, and someone spilled their drink and moved to a row in front of me blocking my view, so I had to move.

Oh yes, I did see "Live Free or Die Hard" too, making my total viewing this year to 6. During which a person with a cold started coughing and sneezing.

I gather (from a tv blurb segment on a tv news channel) says that the cinema going experience is not that entertaining anymore, and with the advent of the dvd revolution, more people are saving their money to watch and buy the movie on dvd (or renting it).

I think I will be waiting for the dvd release (a mere 4-6 months after the theatrical debut) more often these days, especially if you want to collect a movie on dvd that you really like and will most likely watch more than once over the next year or two to get your money's worth (and with the dvd prices up to 40% off, they are certainly affordable nowadays, unlike when VHS ruled the marketplace, and LaserDiscs were too expensive too).

Sometime in the early 80s my Dad wanted to bring me to see 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' but I was far more interested in seeing a re-release of 'The Empire Strikes Back' which was playing elsewhere. After trying to persuade me to go see 'Raiders' several times he finally gave in and brought me to 'Empire' ( which I had already seen a couple of times ). During the scene where Han & Chewie face off against the probe droid the movie broke down and it took about twenty minutes for the projectionist to get it going again.
After what seemed like an eternity of staring at a blank screen my Dad bellowed "I told you we should have went to see 'Raiders'!"
Not sure why, but that's stuck in my mind for years

We went to see 'Raiders' the following week.

I've been going to the theater for over 40 years now, and honestly I've had way more talking, interruptions, ringing phones, technical problems, weird sounds, rudeness, etc., when watching movies within my own home.

I guess I'm lucky since I go to the theaters fairly often (at least once a month) and I hardly ever have any complaints when it comes to other people being annoying, things breaking down, etc. Sure, it happens, but very rarely with me and it seems that it never happens when it's a really great movie that I've been sucked into. Nothing beats sitting in front of a giant screen with the smell of popcorn in the air watching a movie.

I've had a couple of crying baby incidents, but other than that, I haven't had any major problems until this year: at both Spider-Man 3 and Transformers, I sat in front of a group of teenagers who just had to talk the entire time and comment on every little thing (mostly in a derisive manner). It was awful.

I went to see Octopussy opening night in 1983. It got to the scene where Bond is hanging off the side of the train car....and the film broke. We waited for about 45 min, when they came in and offered us all free tickets to see the movie another time.

A week later I went back and the film broke in exactly the same spot. This time they got the film up and running with in 5 min. 10 min later the film broke again, and again it was 45 min and they offered us free tickets. To this day I still have never seen all of Octopussy.

Doug

I encountered a cool but strange thing a few weeks ago.

My friend and I went to see I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry and when I gave the girl my Regal card at the BO she asked me if I wanted to earn 20 extra points on it and I said sure why not.

She gave me this little slip of paper and I asked what it was, she said it was a voucher for a monitor. I asked what that was and she said when I get upstairs where the theaters are, give the voucher to the man sitting at the black desk and told me to say the phrase "the black cat sits on the fence at midnight". Okay, I made that last part up , but the guy upstairs told me to hold this little cell phone-like device throughout the film and if I encounter and disruptions I could press one of three buttons and he'll recieve the signal on a pager he was wearing and come in to investigate!

It was marked with the following choices...1. Picture 2. Sound 3. Disruptions.

I was thrilled! I always wanted the power over idiots who bring screaming kids to the theater and who talk and disrupt others and now I finally had them where I wanted them muwhaaaa!! Needless to say I think this idea is great and plan to ask for this option everytime I go to the movies now.

I practically DARED someone to bring a crying baby into that theater lol, I would have press the button so fast the tyke would have been out of there faster than you could say gaga.

But, there were no problems...I was almost disappointed.

I watched a free preview of Arctic Tale a few weeks ago and this little kid and her mother sat next to me. During the movie, the kid took off his sandals and poisoned me with his stinky feet.

When I watched Stardust, the theater's air conditioner broke down so it was really hot in a packed theater. Fortunately I enjoyed the movie plus the theater manager apologized and gave free passes which I used to watch Rush Hour 3.

Even though I sometimes experience these in the theater, it is rare and I would never replace a movie theater experience for even the best home theater. Watching the movies the way they were meant to be seen is why I still watch movies at the theaters.

I love going to the theater too, but, watching movies in my home is far more enjoyable. It's just me and the film. I think films are a one on one media, meaning, watching them by ones self can have a better impact on the viewer. Most notably, horror movies, they definately work better one on one. No unnessisary comments, laughing, talking to other people on or off phones. Also, when I watch an epic like LOTR I can pause it and take a piss without missing anything. The theater can't do that for you, at least, not anymore.

I love going to the movies and sitting in a theater. It is rare that I have a truly bad experience. I have been to 100 movies theatrically so far this year with only a hand full of bad experiences.

I have been asking my Regal if they are getting those remotes, but no word yet. They are going through a massive upgrade, so maybe when that is compelted.

I remember some loud talking teen girls at The Scorpion King years ago. They were shut up by an angry twenty-something woman, in the style of George from that "everything opposite" episode of Seinfeld. They remained mute after.

Take off work early and watch the movie of your choice in the afternoon. The only people there will be old folks and you. Works every time.

I very rarely encounter anything bad. Mostly because I go to afternoon shows.

Spider-Man 2 - Sound gave up at two points in the film - as Peter confesses about what happened on Uncle Ben's death and during the climax, as Peter confronts Doc Ock on the arms. The first time the audience just made up stuff he was saying, which was quite funny. The second time, there was a literal cry of "oooh!" I got a refund and paid to see it at the same cinema a week later, which must have had a blip, since usually they're good at these sorts of things.

The Recruit - Chatty girls during the trailers wouldn't shut up. As the film started, my brother cried across the auditorium "SHUT THE F*** UP!" They were quieter but kept on chatting and started leaving every 10 minutes. Eventually they left 20 minutes towards the end.

The Simpsons Movie - Bunch of girls again, laughing and stomping like a herd of elephants during Marge's videotape. I think my eyes might have rocketed into my skull.

Bewitched - A rare trip to the cinema across town. A woman decides to stick her smelly feet right between the chairs near me. Ugh.

King Arthur - A trip to a cinema out of town. I spotted a cinema with wonderful old-style architexture in the lobby. It won me over and made me want to see a film. Mistake. I paid double I normally do to see a film on a screen the size of my living room TV in an auditorium smaller than my living room. And is if that wasn't bad enough, the first 10 minutes of the film were shown vertically streched because obviously no one twigged the film was 2.35:1.

Hellboy - Same cinema as Bewitched. The first 6 minutes or so were shown horizontally streched like it was 2.35:1. It was fixed sooner than King Arthur, mind, and it didn't spoil too much.

But, usually the experience is pretty good. Even the kids are good at mine. I thought they were going to be a nightmare during Star Wars: Episode III when the front row started having a battle with toy lightsabers, but they were as good as gold when the lights dimmed.

I go in the mornings, or the mid-day showings, and seldom get subjected to inconsiderate movie-goers. I like seeing the scary/horror and comedy flicks with a crowd because it's just more fun that way.

Been going to the movies 3 or 4 times a month for nearly 30 years, and never have I experienced such poor experiences in the theater as in the last few years. Some problems are caused by the theater -- mostly bad sound. Theaters seem to sometimes think that audiences just want to feel the rumble of the sound effects, so the bass is turned way up while the treble is almost a whisper. I've gotten my money back more than once by telling the manager that I couldn't hear the damn movie.

But the larger problem is the audience, just rude fucking people. A woman sitting behind me in Spiderman 3 talked throughout the movie (when Harry fell in the alleyway she shouted "That's right! The garbage! That's where you belong!") and was genuinely surprised when I asked her to be quiet. In another audience, teenagers were tossing ice at each other, across the rows, which led to soda being flung and getting everyone wet. And countless infants and toddlers brought to movies, whether they are PG, PG13 or R.

I love the theater experience. I really do treasure it. But the last few years have made it easier to understand why people choose to stay home and watch DVDs.

And that's my Plan B on the rare times that it's needed.

Interesting to hear HTF's experiences on this matter.

I have to say that, yes, I wait to see the movie the mid-week after its Friday release, and in the afternoon. Yet, I still have problems and this year especially seems negative. I have been going to movies since the 70's as a kid (and saw Star Wars around 10 times). I used to see movies I really liked two or three times in the cinema (including James Bond, Star Wars, Fifth Element, Contact, and a few others).

I guess I enjoy watching alone in my studio apartment (where I don't have interuptions from wife, kids, phone or other, I am never married and no kids), its not lonely for me, as I am a true loner, and now that I have had a widescreen 42inch plasma for a month or so, its even more fun watching a larger picture.

I think I will start skipping the cinema and saving that $8 from a matinee ticket for the dvd release (if its a movie from my favorite genres or interesting).

Similar stories as the rest though honestly at a pretty low level. It used to happen when my kids were younger since you'd have to go to the Disney with a bunch of kids of course. The only time I pulled the Mean Old Man trick was with a group of 5 or 6 kids around 7 or 8yo behind me at one of the SW remastered rereleases in the 90's. One of the kids was kicking the back of my seat and making some noise (chatting, giggling, basically picking on the kid next to him, getting up to change seats a couple times) -- after giving him a few minutes minutes to settle down on his own (or hoping the pseudo adult with him would intervene) I finally turned around stared him directly in the face and basically shushed him. I think his 'adult' chaperone was astonished in addition to oblivious, but the kid(s) did settle down and I never heard another peep except of the appropriate movie moments. At least that was a 7yo and sort of a rowdy type movie.

I had a far more irritating moment this weekend at the "Lion King" Broadway ( or National Touring Company at least) when a twenty/thirty something woman behind me kept chatting for about the first 10 minutes of the second act -- not loud but just enough that everyone around could hear. Finally she shut up after I glared at her, but an adult at a live Theater show and $85/seat just floored me that she would continue yapping. The kids in the audience were on their best behavior for the most part other than a few typical amusing outbursts from a couple 4yo's. Not a single cell phone though which is a new record for a live play in the last 2 years.

When I was a kid, "in a galaxy long long ago" I remember the movie theaters has a couple "stormtrooper" attendants with "light sabers" that if we got loud, rude or noisy the "stormtrooper" would shine their 'lightsabers" at us to quiet down the noise makers. And if we didn't quiet down we could be thrown out of the theater.

Through the years, the movie theater "stormtroopers" became extinct most likely due to budget cuts or some other reason.

The times have changed and figures of authority are no longer respected. If Movie Attendants were brought back to stay in the movie during the showing with their flashlights and the power to throw out rude people I am sure the object as an infringment on their free speach or some other stupid PC excuse.

This is why when a "special" movie (that I don't want to be distracted at) I go to Friday afternoon shows when the kids are at school and there is very few in the theater. I will NEVER go in the evening when it's crowded and noisey.

I purchased the 1080p 65" screen to avoid movie theaters. It's probably been years since I have seen a movie outside of home. Just can't see spending $12 or more a ticket to be packed in a room with folks who want to keep on chatting.

A few years ago I was in Vegas and got tickets to Blue Man Group. Halfway through the show a lady a few seats down got a call on her cell phone. Not only did she answer, she then says, in a loud voice "oh, I'm watching Blue Man right now!" and continues to chat. This hot chick, in what I think was a Russian accent, tells her if she doesn't hang up her phone this minute, she'll take care of it for her. She did hang up, but I was hoping for a little cat fight.