cinema rage (1 Viewer)

[Jason_E]

I have on two different occasions, during a movie( not good ones xXx, and Maid in America) "accidentaly" spilled the large soda on a group of teens that sat in front me that would not be quiet after being asked a couple of times.

I figure, ruin my night with my wife, I will ruin yours.

 

[Dean Kousoulas]

I remember going to see LOTR: TTT on the 2nd day out. Of course it was still full of LOTR fanatics, who thought there was nothing better to do but discuss The Two Towers/Return Of The King spoilers among each other. (I did not read the novels, and I tried to keep myself spoiler free. Thanks guys! I hope you choke on your popcorn next time you go to the movies)

Also for some reason, EVERYBODY thought the scenes when Gollum was fighting with his alter-ego were hilarious. I was probably one of the only people not laughing.

Dean

 

[Chris Harvey]

I (along with about 100 other people) were the unfortunate witnesses to the most blatant and extreme "cinema rage" I've ever seen.
My wife and I were watching ADAPTATION (and loving it, btw)... it was a sold-out theatre, small, but packed, mainly with a slightly-older movie crowd: we, in our late twenties, were among the younger ones. The crowd was also acting decently -- scattered laughter during the funnier bits, quiet otherwise.
All of a sudden, about 2/3 of the way through the film, some dude in the back row shouted (and I mean, SHOUTED) "Why the f*** don't you leave the theatre then!" Heads turned all over the place. "Go on, leave!" he shouted again, and another man got up and left.
The first idiot then proclaimed "You assaulted me and I'm calling the cops." (!) As he got up, he pulled out his cellphone -- AND CALLED THE COPS AS HE SLOWLY WALKED OUT! His exact words -- "Hello, I'm in a movie theatre and I've been assaulted."
He left and it appeared that things were back to normal. Some minutes later, the guy comes back into the theatre WITH A COP, and proceeds to walk back to his seat, presumably to show the cop some evidence of something. While this couldn't wait until the film was over, I have no idea. I actually felt bad for the poor cop, who had to walk in, across the front of the theatre and up to the seat where this bozo sat.
Anyway, at least they were relatively quiet this time around and left after another minute or two.
But I couldn't believe the sheer asshole-ness of the guy... I don't care what happened... short of getting knifed, don't bother us and take your stupid argument outside.

 

[Brian W.]

Also for some reason, EVERYBODY thought the scenes when Gollum was fighting with his alter-ego were hilarious. I was probably one of the only people not laughing.

That ticked me off the first time I saw it, but on my two subsequent viewings I've realized that Peter Jackson either intended the scene to be slightly humorous or was fully aware that there would be some degree of laughter. Gollum is just so cute and innoccent and childlike, and has such a funny, adorable face. This is where the laughter comes from. People really are "laughing with him, not at him."

 

[Christopher P]

When I worked in a movie theater around 1993, I "ushered" (tore tickets) alot and on busy nights and weekends, didn't have alot of down time to walk through theaters. And since I was sort of the front man, I couldn't leave the front for any length of time anyway. The concessioners were way too busy slumming popcorn and stocking supplies. Not sure who would have been able to scan the theaters. Maybe part of it is manpower, but again this was a 16 year old experience 10 years ago.

Chris

 

[Seth Paxton]

Well, finally, I got to be on the other end of these problems this Xmas. I took my dad and his girlfriend to see TTT. I made him watch FOTR EE the night before, though toward the end he started messing with his computer. Still, he had seen the theatrical version already so I figured he's at least down with the basics now.
Well, at TTT within a few minutes I start getting hit with questions, rather loudly at that, about which hobbits are which, "I thought they were dead", and so on. I tried to give some basic explanations in a whisper just to placate them, but that just resulted in more LOUD questions. The poor couple in front of us started looking back even as I finally gave up and just started shushing them (dad and girlfriend).
I felt really bad for them (the couple in front of us).
To add to it, my dad has bad lungs thanks to smoking and hacked a couple of times during the film. Not bad by his normal standards, but I'm sure many people were pulling their hair out. Then his girlfriend starts sucking the bottom of the soda down to just ice in that annoying sound that has you saying "Just let it go already", followed by the rustling of the bottom of her popcorn to get the last crumbs that again had me thinking "Let it go or consider a free refill". And on top of that she then loudly FOLDS the popcorn bag up like Phil Hartman's Anal Rententive character. I was thinking "why the fuck can that not wait till later you inconsiderate freak".
Sheesh. To think that I brought these people with me. I didn't do it but I strongly considered catching the couple in front of us after the film and apologizing.
Anyway, there's an "insiders" view. BTW, dad is 65 and his g/f is in that same ballpark. Rudeness, as has been pointed out already, is not an exclusive domain of the rowdy youth.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

said: I agree completely (as I'm sure most will)...and as a result I always go to the first showing of the day if possible. It's usually at ~11:00, and generally there are about 2 other people in the theater. I find it a much more enjoyable experience.

In fact, half the time one of my local theaters first shows are around 10am (10:10, 10:20, etc.). I usually wait until at least the second weekend, never go on opening weekend, then catch the early show. This usually gives only a handful of other people and they usually are as interested in actually watching the movie as I am, since they bothered to get up and out early to see it.
The absolute worst is opening weekend, Friday and Saturday night, avoid these like the plague.

 

[David Lawson]

I don't have that many problems in the theaters here, but the couple behind me during a Sunday NARC showing felt the need to agree aloud with everything Busta Rhymes said, especially the part about "when you stick something to a black man, it stays stuck."

I was tempted to stick my foot in their asses to see if it would stay stuck. Unbelievable.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

I used to be big into going the first showing on a weekday- like 11am Wednesday-- but the Cinemark chain has started an early bird pricing policy- so the first showing is like $3. As a result, my favorite theater is overrun by buses full of senior citizens clamoring for the early-bird special. I went to see CATCH ME IF YOU CAN this week, and there was even a line OUT THE DOOR at 11am. Thankfully most of the people were going to see Greek Wedding, but it was a bit of a shock when I used to roll in to these noon-ish showings and have the run of the entire building.

I've recently started going to the last showing (10 or 11pm) on a Tuesday or Thursday night. I've been in several showings with less than 5 people in the theater-- perfect!

-Vince

 

[Chris Harvey]

but if he really was assulted, then, yes, he should have called the police right then, and they should have come into the movie. I mean, come on, if somebody's actually committed a crime you can't expect them to wait till the movie's over.

Well yes, I suppose so, but in this case it would've been an extremely quiet assault, since there was not a peep or noise (not even loud popcorn eating) coming from either of them, and they weren't that far away from me (mebbe ten rows back in a small theatre).

 

[Win Joy Jr]

I've recently started going to the last showing (10 or 11pm) on a Tuesday or Thursday night. I've been in several showings with less than 5 people in the theater-- perfect!

When I worked at a 6-plex back in 81 - 82, Thursdays were always a quiet night, with films closing that night. The last time I hit a Thursday night movie was the last week for Philladelphia (SP?). My wife and I, and one other couple. Looked like the staff was miffed that they even had to start the film. I bet the projectionist wanted to start the tear down of the print early that night...

 

[David Rogers]

After 10pm has been mildly better for audiences for me. Afternoons are the worst; NEVER go to the movies during weekend daylight, ever. Unless you like kids and bored mundanes who smack popcorn, slurp drinks and ice loudly, talk, take phone calls, and generally forget everything their mothers never said about "being aware of others".

Sneak previews and midnight screenings are the *best*, because the audience is always fellow enthusiasts. They generally keep their effin' mouths SHUT, and the audiences rock.

 

[Malcolm R]

My father has a habit of eating/chewing his ice cubes after he's finished his drink. In the theater, he'll finish his soda, then repeatedly pop the plastic top off and back on, rattle the cup to loosen the ice, then dump a few cubes into his mouth and chew. Repeat until ice is gone. Needless to say, I don't take him to the theater often; and when I do, it's to a showing I know will be nearly empty. :b

 

[Deborah*T]

Well,it isn't just me then! I didn't think this thread would get so many responses.

I actually work front of house in theatre and most of the time the audiences know when to shoosh but more and more we are finding that there are people with rustling sweety wrappers that don't realise that the actors can actually hear them and aren't on a screen!

Perhaps - dare I say it - society as a whole are just a lot more unwittingly rude and selfish than they ever used to be. In other words, that couple that are slurping the soda and discussing where they are going for dinner after the movie don't realise they are disturbing anyone else. Perhaps it doesn't occur to them that anyone would need to concentrate on a film and don't want to hear their conversation? Just a thought.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Seems like it.

 

[Jason_Els]

It used to be that people cared what other people thought of them. It mattered to have the lawn neat, proper clothes at all times, to be respectable. There was a great stigma in not upholding social standards. American society has become much less formal in that regard. It seems to me that we mistake individuality and increased social freedoms for not giving a damn about other people. As we become increasingly insular behind our fenced back yards and soundproof high rises it occurs to me that isolated activities have replaced the community social activities we enjoyed in days past.

In my town there are a few streets of authentic, gloriously elephantine Queen Anne houses and they all have huge front porches. Go to the new developments and all the houses have no front porch but large back yards with walls or fencing around them. In traffic we flip other people off without thought, we don't yield to pedestrians unless there's enforcement, and in the most classic case, "Don't yell for help, shout 'Fire!' instead."

It would seem all this new-found individuality has given us an excuse to exclude our neighbors and community-in-general from our lives. Now everything has to be tailored to how WE want it, how we think it should be. Apologies aren't good enough, now we need to sue if someone dumps a soda on us.

I fear that our new social freedoms have only served to isolate and, ironically, make us less considerate of others. Would I like to live in the socially stratified and rigid world of the past? No. But I do think we need to revisit our concept of individuality versus social expectation.

 

[ThomasC]

Fabulously written, Jason.

 

[Damin J Toell]

Perhaps - dare I say it - society as a whole are just a lot more unwittingly rude and selfish than they ever used to be.

Has there ever been a time in history when social commentators weren't saying this?

DJ

 

[Niko Nykanen]

Jason E:
I have on two different occasions, during a movie( not good ones xXx, and Maid in America) "accidentaly" spilled the large soda on a group of teens that sat in front me that would not be quiet after being asked a couple of times.

Gotta remember that the next time I go to the movies. I´ve only hit one punk on his upper arm for not shutting up even though I asked him nicely. Since then I keep myself out of the auditoriums due to the fact I´ve realised i´m a ticking bomb.

 

[Deborah*T]

DJ Said: Has there ever been a time in history when social commentators weren't saying this?

No I suppose not but it is the only viable explanation I can come up with. I suppose it is our turn as a generation to say:

"Things aren't what they used to be"
"In my day...."
"Young people have no manners!"
"It's the parents you know..."

I just dunno. Like I said, the only thing I can think of is that people just don't know how igonorant or selfish they are being by talking through a movie. It just doesn't occur to them that something like that would matter.
Perhaps the social commentators are right if that is what they say. Each new generation is ruder than the last.
I blame MacDonalds.
No reason. Just cause!