Most annoying things about going to the movies... (1 Viewer)

[DanaA]

Don't know if this subject has been covered in the poll area, but, if it hasn't, it should. Afterall, this has to be one of the reasons some of us buy our home theaters. It can cover everything from prices to the people we have to sit near, to the conditions in the theaters themselves.

 

[Michael Reuben]

People who, despite all the warning, still refuse to turn off their cell phones.

M.

 

[JoelH]

Parents who bring their five-year old kids to movies like "How High".

----

Joel

 

[Jon_B]

I went to watch Lord of the Rings yesterday and had someone behind me answer there cell phone. However, they did not answer until it had a chance to ring several times.
Jon

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

TEENAGERS!! Why do they all act like such jackasses when they're around they're friends!
BABIES AND TODDLERS!! Nuff said.
CELL PHONES!! Turn em off!!
LASER POINTERS!! Hope they hit themselves in the eye!
THEATER NOT TURNING LIGHTS DOWN ALL THE WAY!! So some people trip, big deal, i'm trying to watch the movie!
CRAPPY PRESENTATIONS!! Scratched prints, lousy audio, UNBELIEVABLE!
EXIT SIGN!! Nothing like the warm, bright red glow of a sign RIGHT NEXT TO THE SCREEN!
SEAT KICKERS!! !
LATE COMERS!! Be on time, and keep your huge head out of my view!
YAPPERS!! Shut up, or your about to get it!
I'm sure their are others.

 

[Stephen Teffner]

Two words: "OTHER PEOPLE". That is one of the reasons I stopped going to movies in the first place. I love the movie experience in general. It's just that other people have to spoil it by behaving like jackasses.
ie: Went to a 10:00pm showing of LOTR, Saturday night. Right before the movie was about to start (1-2 minutes) someone started using a laser pointer on the screen. This went on for about 30 seconds until another patron stood up and informed them that if they didn't quit there would be about 300 people who would gladly kick their ass. Needless to say he got alot of applause. And from then on the movie was quite enjoyable.
Stephen Teffner

 

[Joe_C]

Most of my grievances have already been aired by other members. Psh, teenagers! Who needs 'em, eh? Oh, wait, is 18 still considered a "teenager"?

 

[Steve Christou]

Having to get off your ass put your coat on and actually leave the warmth and comfort of your own home.
Driving round in circles looking for a place to park.
Pouring coke over your crotch while looking for your seat in the dark.
Girlfriend tells you loudly to stop grabbing her legs at every cool cgi bit that comes up.
The guy in front is laughing like a hyena at sad moments of the movie.
Wanting to go to the loo after drinking that extra large coke before the film even started.
You want to listen to the end credit music and your girlfriend wants to leave as soon as the first credit appears, you start screaming and crying like a baby because you don't want to get up, she thumps you, you lose it and Evil Hand takes control, she barely makes it to the exit........

 

[Kristian]

- Dumb kids who've seen the movie before and recite lines from the movie right before they're about to be said.

- Inconsiderate people who talk about spoilers before the movie starts.

- When they play dozens of stupid ads, but no trailers. Or at least no good ones.

- Kids that yell out random nonsense and won't shut up.

- Heartless bastards who laugh during emotional/serious moments.

- Seat kickers.

- Crying babies.

- Cellphones.

 

[Cees Alons]

However, they did not answer until it had a chance to ring several times.

I suppose he actually thought he was the Lord of the Rings.
Cees

 

[Patrick McCart]

I love the theatrical experience (when done properly).
I have a home theater mainly because I can't go out to see movies like "It Happened One Night" or "Ben-Hur" at a whim. I could probably still see Shrek, but probably in a stereo-only budget theater.
The theater I work at gives the best presentation possible (We do get some bad prints with poor color timing and some scratches at reel changes...), but we keep the picture in focus, frame it right (Sadly, our screen is 2.1:1 so 2.35:1 movies lose a ribbon of picture on the sides, but this is only because the current owners bought the place from a guy who had it running as a porno theater.)
I rarely go to theaters because of the region I live in (There's 2 theaters in Fannin County), so DVD is my "best" way to see movies.
A lot of theaters don't care about presentation or patron satisfaction, but a lot do. I went to see Patch Adams and the print was perfect, the Dolby Digital 5.1 was great, and the theater had THX certification to boot. The trailers before only ran one reel which is good. A movie should have at least one reel of trailers to allow people to get drinks and food.
Check out www.film-tech.com to see how important quality control is to projectionists and managers who want to please instead of repulse.
The main problem is, I agree, other people. This is why, when I got to the movies, I bring my "Idiot Silencer Kit" by Acme. It contains a 100ft 1/4 in. diameter rope, duct tape, a dozen pairs of socks, and a blunt object (prefferably a leather bludgeoner).
You would be surprised how effective it is. In fact, this one fellow who decided that his narration was better than the film's got to test the kit. People are quiet when bound and gaged.

 

[Jon_B]

I suppose he actually thought he was the Lord of the Rings.

Thanks, I needed that.
Jon

 

[NathanP]

Heartless bastards who laugh during emotional/serious moments.

Damn, thats me..

 

[Jack Briggs]

All the above--but mostly the people who talk incessently. Luckily, a more respectful crowd was on hand at The Egyptian this weekend when I twice saw the 70mm print of 2001 (bringing my commercial-theater count for 2001 up to sixty screenings).

Otherwise, I am content with the home theater. A six-pack or twelve-pack of Tecate beer costs less in the home than a compliment of concession-stand garbage. My theater sounds better than all but a handful of Los Angeles commercial cinemas, and the visual presentation beats a helluva few commercial theaters too.

 

[Chuck C]

people delivering babies right in front of me...I mean, how rude

 

[Neil Joseph]

I am pretty tolerant of most people so for me, the most annoying thing about watching movies in the cinema is when they don't get it right (the video and particularly the audio).

 

[TyC]

I just saw Ocean's 11 today. I went to the theater and pay the ticket price and buy some M&Ms. I get the theater and find the floor requisitely sticky and covered with popcorn. When I have some M&Ms, they are old and taste awful. I also find that the only available seats are in the first four rows. I slouch down and prepare to watch the film. As I sit through the commercials (the trailers aren't on yet, and I thought commercials were only supposed to be on television) a group of loud people manage to find seats right behind me. They of course feel it necessary to comment on everything that happens onscreen. They also express their views on other films. (They said Traffic was weird and they didn't like Gladiator.) Then the movie begins. As the opening credits roll, I notice the film is cropped! I came to the theater to see the film in its Original Aspect Ratio!

The people behind me continue to talk throughout the film. Then one of them has to go to the bathroom. The way the theater is set up, they have to walk right in front of me. When they return, the other people must explain what they missed. Finally, the movie ends.

The purpose of Home Theater is to recreate the theater experience, but that experience I do not want to recreate! I am waiting for the DVD so that I can properly enjoy this movie.

 

[Carl Johnson]

$$$

 

[Jason Whyte]

Oh how can I narrow this down:
-Every form of disruptive behavior (exception of the "getting up" and "cell phone" fiascos, see below), that is talking, laser pointers, constant twitching and moving around in the seat, loud breathing, eating popcorn or nacho chips with mouth open, slurping drinks, slouching over to whisper something in your companion's ear (hello, I don't care how quiet you are, I CAN SEE YOU DO IT!), farting, unnecessary breathing noises (my personal favorite: the I'm bored/restless sigh) and incessant coughing (I understand some can't help it, but others just do it for the sake of doing it; drink some bloody water!)
-People who constantly get up during the film to go to the bathroom or to the concessions. I don't care who you are, it's RUDE and DISTRACTING! Every time someone does it, my attention gets skwered to the moving sillouhette, and I didn't pay to see you do this.
-Cell Phones. Many have them (I just got one), but put your life on hold for two hours, please! The only exception to this rule are doctors/on call workers, but invest in the vibration feature please!
- Projectors on timer automation. I don't mind the manual starting of the projector with the cues handled well, but some theaters are led to believe that simply threading up the projector, walking away from it with a timer set is the answer to everything. No. Instead, we get misframed, misfocused pictures with bad sound, and in terrible cases, cross automation cues and unclear splicing tape (my favorite, the bright yellow tape which causes a nice one frame black splotch on the changeovers) which show up on the screen, some even causing audio to jump.
-Theater checkers that have to walk down to the front of the theater, mark a check sheet and check the theater. Now, sometimes this is done well (like my experiences at the Granville in Vancouver), but some checkers shine a big flashlight on the paper shining the light all over the walls, some stand at the front of the theater for a few minutes watching the film (hello, I can see you! Distracting!), some have loud keys dangling on their pants, some forget to turn off their walkie talkies, etc. Please, put the check sheets in the back of the theater and have the checker stand at the rear.
Jay

 

[NickSo]

Damn, thats me..

I can imagine