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My night at the movies... (1 Viewer)

Brad_W

Screenwriter
Joined
Sep 18, 2001
Messages
1,358
Oh and just to add two more points.
One: When my wife and I saw Harry Potter there was this little girl behind us who was mostly quiet throughout the film. But during the end sequence the little girl whispered to herself, "Look behind you Harry!" That was damn cute.
Two: When I saw one of the Halloween films in the theater I walked out during the first 7 minutes and demanded my money back. The reason was because about 8 people came in and either were related and sat at different locations throughout the theater or just thought they should talk to each other because they could. They literally yelled to each other from across the theater and laughed and yelled. Think Scary Movie.
 

Kami

Screenwriter
Joined
Jan 2, 2001
Messages
1,490
I got a good one for you guys.
I was at the movies once and some annoying kid (well maybe mid-teens) was behind me and kicking my seat (why in god's name do people do this?!?!). I looked behind at him in the face and he looked back and I figured he got the picture. 30 seconds later he started again...this time I politely asked him to stop...about 10mins later it starts again.
So I get up out of my seat, walk to the row behind him, sit directly behind him, then start kicking his seat for about 3 minutes as I watch the movie. Then I rejoined my friends in my old seat and lo and behold, the kicking stopped :)
 

Janna S

Second Unit
Joined
Feb 17, 2001
Messages
287
My blood pressure goes up just reading this hread, because I too am frustrated and nearly-enraged when people act so rudely in theaters.

If the rude people don't respond to my request to be quiet, I figure the show is ruined for me anyway, so I just get up, find the manager, give the description of the people, and ask that they be approached.

Virtually every time i have done this someone (most often just a teenage employee) comes in and tries to shut the people up, asks them to control the child, etc. Sometimes it works - sometimes the people shut up, sometimes they leave.

Other times the people neither leave nor shut up, and I go back to the manager, renew my complaint, and ask for a comp ticket. I always get it. Sometimes I use it to see the film again, sometimes not.

When I am really PO'd, I ask for comps for my entire party ("the four of us") and I get them, even though I am never with anyone else.

All of this reinforces for the management that they'd better pay attention to the behavior of the audience. It shouldn't have to happen, but I haven't come up with a better solution . . .
 

Ken Seeber

Supporting Actor
Joined
Nov 5, 1999
Messages
787
A friend of mine --- a very tall woman in her mid-40s --- and I finally went to see Harry Potter last weekend. We went to the 9:30 p.m. showing, which was the latest possible, hoping to avoid a lot of children. We were mostly lucky: It looked like there was just going to be the two of us and an older Asian couple behind us. Then, right before the movie started, two 11-year-old boys showed up.

As the boys walked to the very front row, one of them started shining a laser pointer at thge screen (didn't that annoying fad die a year ago?). As I started to open my mounth, my friend said, "If you keep that up, I'll get the manager."

Sure enough, during the "Episode II" trailer, the kid started drawing circles off to the side of the screen. As soon as the trailer was over, I got up and headed for the lobby. Fortunately, the usher was a former co-worker of mine. He's a college student and weight lifter, not too bright but about the size of a house. He trudged down front and kneeled down in the row behind the two kids. He talked to them for about two minutes and we didn't have any other trouble out of them during the movie.

During the closing credits, as the kids left the theater, the one with the laser pointer shined it at my friend and I. As we left the theater, I said I'd like to get a look at the kind of parents who would leave two 11-year-olds to go to a movie alone that gets out well after midnight. My friend said she would too.

We found mom in her car in the parking lot. Apparently she had taken her 8-year-old daughter to see another movie at the same multiplex (you know, when I was 8 I never got to stay out until after midnight). My friend and I read her the riot act about leaving two unruly kids unsupervised in the theater so late at night, and with a damned laser pointer no less. She was very apologetic and the kids looked like they knew they were doomed. As mom drove away, you could hear her screaming at the kids all the way down the block.
 

Matthew Brown

Supporting Actor
Joined
Sep 19, 1999
Messages
781
I think my favorite theater story is back when my Dad took me to see NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN. These kids were running up and down the theater like maniacs. I could see he was looking for an usher or somebody to control these kids. When he saw nobody was around, he casually eased his foot into the aisle. When the next kid came running, he tripped and went flying head over heals. My father said, "That's what you get for running around the theater!"

In NJ, I have been going to a newer theater in Clifton because the ones in Secaucus just got unbearable. Now the one in Clifton is horrible. The sad part is that I mostly see movies after 10 pm and there are still kids in the theater!

Matt
 

Jay E

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 30, 2000
Messages
2,483
I need to let off a little steam also.
I'm really choosy on when I go see a film. Movies are $10 here in New York so I have to.
I went to see The Others on Saturady Night with 4 of my friends. It was a midnight show and the fact that it had been playing for months made me hopeful that the theater would be pretty empty.
Well, regretably, Black Knight(which was playing in the theater next door to ours), had just ended 10 minutes before our movie began. Many of these people snuck into our theater and made it their own personal living room. People talking, laughing, yelling out scary sounds & talking on their cell phones. 30 minutes into the film, a guy yells out "this movie sucks", a opinion that would have had more weight if he had actually paid to see it.
And my friends, knowing that I'm a film nut, wonder why I don't go see many films in the theater anymore.
 

John Knowles

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 17, 1999
Messages
174
Location
Twin Cities, MN
Real Name
John
Sadly enough, I can relate to all of this as well. I even know people who almost never go to movies for this reason. My wife and I have often thought that we'd pay a premium to see a film in a theater that doesn't admit kids, no matter what the rating (or selected showings at a regular theater that didn't allow kids). It wouldn't take care of all the problems, but it would help.
 

Derek Miner

Screenwriter
Joined
Feb 22, 1999
Messages
1,662
All of this reinforces for the management that they'd better pay attention to the behavior of the audience. It shouldn't have to happen, but I haven't come up with a better solution . . .
I have a great solution, unfortunately, I don't think many theaters would really take it to heart or find it very practical.
I would pay a premium of some sort to be able to attract the attention of an usher without leaving the theater. Perhaps some sort of call button. I know they would worry about such a thing being abused.
Incidentally, I now am positive I must not go to movies in the evening again (unless it's some boisterous comedy)...
Last night, I saw Vanilla Sky and had a chatting couple next to me. They were only occasionally so bothersome that I was annoyed. I was a bit more understanding because the movie turned out to not be what most people were expecting (all the better, in my opinion) and they were a little restless. I'll see it again sometime when hardly anyone would show up.
 

Ken Seeber

Supporting Actor
Joined
Nov 5, 1999
Messages
787
I would pay a premium of some sort to be able to attract the attention of an usher without leaving the theater. Perhaps some sort of call button. I know they would worry about such a thing being abused.
I think you've just hit upon the one permissible use of cell phones in a theater.
 

Kimmo Jaskari

Screenwriter
Joined
Feb 27, 2000
Messages
1,528
There is no excuse for using a cell phone in a theater... that makes you part of the problem rather than the solution.

They should just park an usher inside the theater to keep an eye on the situation and hopefully deal with it without prompting, IMHO.
 

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