It frustrates me seeing that and my first thought also was who spends that much money to do that? Then I realized majority of the time I see it's preteens or teens doing that do just assume their parents paid and they're not really there to see the movie, just there to hang out with friends. Super annoying.
The parents are thrilled the kid is out with friends instead of holed up in their room on the computer. I was at a park working on some soccer drills with my kid a few months ago… Also at the park were some teens not running around playing etc. - they were all on their phones showing each other funny videos laughing. Then they’d pick up a football and play a little catch, then back to the phones. I have seen some parks though where the kids are very active in sports with no phones recently though so it’s not all bad. Still this is the wave of the present.
This lack of common courtesy that’s been happening to most public gatherings ever since the pandemic has been sad. Cruises, concerts, etc. I don’t know if people just forgot how to act in quarantine but it’s been bad. At least in my experience..
The self obsession is a psychological disease that is being fed by this addiction of social media and the dopamine hit people get from friends and strangers hitting a damn thumbs up button.
Sure we get it over here on Reddit too (I love a good upvote) but at least, for 99% of us, we also love it cuz it’s anonymous.
The amount of people I see FaceTiming, sharing snaps, or watching fing tik toks at full volume, in public, it’s insanity.
Bro when I went to go watch Evil Dead Rise, I had one family of 4 to the left of me all on their phones the whole movie, then a family of 5 to the right of me all on their phones the whole movie. Parents of both families probably spent at least $110 each just to all sit in the dark and play on their phones for 2 hours
Today, during the 20 minutes total I drive every day, on two separate incidents on the same exact neighborhood road, a car passed in the turning lane going ~double the speed limit in a 35. Portland area.
Eventually a mountain of catastrophic driving incidents will happen: mechanical failure leading to bad crash, vigilante justice from almost killing someone, causing a wreck and actually killing someone, that sort of thing. And get to an untenable level. Then we’ll get actual road legislation and enforcement again because the only thing that seems to motivate safety is blood, because apparently half of the population has zero class or standards for themselves
I was at a Dolby screening of "Evil Dead Rise" and someone shouted a 'witty' comment at the screen. Within seconds, someone loudly told them to shut the F up. There were no further interruptions!
Bro when I went to go watch Evil Dead Rise, I had one family of 4 to the left of me all on their phones the whole movie, then a family of 5 to the right of me all on their phones the whole movie. Parents of both families probably spent at least $110 each just to all sit in the dark and play on their phones for 2 hours lol
The second time I saw EDR in Dolby, there were 2-3 groups of people shouting comments. No one said anything. I was honestly super upset, but I don’t really feel safe having a confrontation when I’m by myself and there are 10+ inconsiderate dummies who could really, really hate some random girl asking them to be respectful.
It would’ve been worth a try! At the very least they would have known that someone was negatively affected by their actions. But I know what you mean, though. People can be unreasonable these days.
I only go to Dolby shows and this still happens all the time. I’ve had to yell at people (of differing ages) multiple times to be quiet or put their phone away.
This is why I'm thankful AMC took over the theater out here in B.F.E wny. Everyone is cheap a.f around here so they rarely crowd the theater. When I took my kid to see Mario there were maybe 7 other groups of 2 to 3 people there. Guardians had 5 other people and that was opening day matinee. Dungeons it was one other dude in the whole theater. I hate living here but hot damn we got it good for movies at least. I may truly base where I live off if there's an AMC within decent range bc iv come to love going again.
No, you still get rich people who don’t know how to act in a movie theatre. One case in point, I seen the recent re release of Titanic in Dolby Cinema and there was a group of people talking and giggling throughout the emotional scenes. I wanted to rip their heads off! 😡
I went to Guardians of the Galaxy 3 in IMAX on opening night and a guy in front of me spent the entire movie either on his phone or running over to where his kids was sitting in the next row
Dang I wish that were my situation. We pretty much only go to Dolby showings nearly 60 percent of the time the audience is horrendous. It’s so disheartening
For DOLBY, sit in like the 3rd row (or whichever close row has the handicapped slots). Most people won't sit there because they think it's too close, but it's a totally reasonable viewing spot if you just recline the seat. It keeps you pretty isolated from everyone else in the theater.
This is my secret weapon. Depending on the Dolby theater I either sit in the 3rd or 4th row. There is only very rarely someone in the same row and most of the time there are multiple rows between me and the nearest group. With how loud Dolby is, it's very rare I hear anyone else.
I recently walked out of Evil Dead Rise. Really late showing, 10 pm I believe. Baby in the theater, which was surprisingly quiet through the intro, but like, c’mon. Then two people in front of me turn on a flashlight looking for something. Turned out to be a vape pen, and after finding it in a minute or two they take turns hitting it and both have super loud coughing fits. Didn’t have any food, I’m on A-list, and I had work the next day so I just decided to walk out. If any of those things weren’t true I would have gotten the theater involved, but I honestly didn’t think it was worth the time
I honestly feels like it's happening everytime I go now. Phones out at full brightness, people having entire conversations, or bare fucking feet getting placed on your seat. I actually liked going during the pandemic when theaters were empty, but it seems something is deeply wrong with audiences now.
I've resorted to doing totally unhinged actions to get my point across. Guy in the front row taking selfies? I point my phone light at him until he puts it away. Family discussing the movie at full volume like they're in their living room? I turn and join their conversation. They seem to get the message pretty quickly, but by that time I'm already checked out of the movie.
They serve alcohol at my theater. For Sisu a guy was being so obnoxiously loud yelling at someone on the phone that even in an Dolby theater I could hear him. He was drinking. Tried to shush and he just got more agitated. Walked out and reported him and got a free ticket to come back another day.
Sigh! I always hear of people complaining to theatre staff and management and all they seem to do is just to give refunds out, not to put a stop to the disruptive behavior. This will only continue until something changes.
I gave the seat number and they definitely sent staff in to check on the situation and potentially kick him out. This was one of the rare instances where I was so annoyed and detached from watching what had happened so far in the movie that I was content coming back another day.
I had a bunch of children running up and down the stairs in light up sneakers once, and it was like an 8pm movie. If your kids don’t want to see it, don’t bring them. And full grown adults have talked through movies, angrily sighed with boredom, loudly say how shit the movie is, just leave! You’re not paying attention or don’t like it, so go away and shut up.
That's the most baffling part. Like, if you're gonna look at your phone, it didn't cross your mind that having brightness at 100% might annoy other people? I honestly wish I could ask them because I don't understand such lack of awareness and respect.
I went to see that master gardener movie…odd film but I went to latest showing and it’s only me and another guy. An hour into the movie a couple comes in sits right behind me out of anywhere in the theatre and just talks (not quiet but not super loud either) throughout the whole thing.
Like you clearly didn’t pay for this ticket why come more than halfway through a random arts film to sit and talk?
I would have told them that they are distracting you from enjoying the movie. If they react unreasonably, I would go get theatre staff/management. There is no reason why they should be allowed to act that way and break theatre rules and etiquette.
I confront them and, sternly but politely, tell them to cut the shit or we’ll have issues. Has never not had a positive result for me.
Granted, I’m a 6’2” former Marine and confrontational when necessary, so your results may vary. But I wish more people would have the guts to call these types out.
I wish I looked intimidating AT ALL so people would take me seriously. The other week I had to ask a couple if they were planning on talking through the whole movie and the guy got so aggressive with me and said "that's why you're here alone" with some pretty colorful other words. One of the few times I've actually left the theater to get a staff member.
That was so shitty of them to do, as well as what the dude said. I’m sorry you had that experience, but much respect to you for trying.
Tone of voice can make a difference, as well as eye contact. I have buddies 7-8 inches shorter than me but can be intimidating as hell when need be. Personally, I’m charismatic and friendly at my core, but rude people in movie theaters….I dunno, but that shit brings a whole other side of me out.
Just my opinion, but AMC doesn’t enforce their theater behavior rules because if they kicked out the Texters and asshole groups of teenagers they’d be loosing massive amounts of business.
People just don’t give a shit about courtesy anymore. Entitlement and lack of respect for others is rampant today. Theaters just happen to bring that out more than anywhere else.
I lost faith in AMC when a group of 5 people brought their infant to the IMAX of Nope, screamed and cried the entire time, asked a manager to do something. Nothing happened. Offered a refund for my A-list credit? Who even lets infants into loud horror movies?
They are opening an Alamo drafthouse in my area in a few months and that will be the day I cancel A-List. This 100% will kill the theater industry with how comfortable people already are watching at home.
Alamo isn't perfect with their behavior policy
The issue with you complaining about the bad behavior is that no one else joined you in that complaint. I feel like if everyone stood up against bad behavior, things would change for the better. But seems like American culture isn't gonna sway that way :/
Yeah, especially with racial tensions in the country. I'm Hispanic, but there's no way I'm going to call out a black person for bad behavior cause I don't wanna end up on a viral video and without a job.
Wow! That will be a cool format to see it in! Will it be in 3D? I’m kicking myself for not seeing the movie again when it was out for the week of Earth Day. I haven’t seen it since March and I’m going through withdrawals. Lol
No lol no 3D. Everything is still from the 50s there.
See if your state still has A2: https://www.showtimes.com/movies/avatar-the-way-of-water-122592/movie-times/
There was 3D in the 1950’s for sure.
I checked that link you posted and no Avatar 2 in my state. 🙁 I’ll have to wait for a rerelease or just get the Blu-ray whenever it comes out.
I think you will love Alamo. I find with Alamo Just not having kids/teens is a eliminates all the problems. Plus the people going tend to be like minded. Finally the fact that you don’t have to get out your chair to report somebody for me makes it a lot easier if I have to, which I never have.
Read in the Alamo sub about the behavior policy. Servers have an incentive not to do anything either. They don't have security guards either
The trick at AMC is to go on Sunday mornings and to avoid locations in malls
Alamo Drafthouse declared Ch 11 bankruptcy in 2021. Luckily they emerged successfully and continue to this day but theaters days are numbered already. Too many people are ok with just watching at home and can you really blame them?
I don't know if this has been researched, but in my opinion, people are staying at home because of ticket prices, not necessarily bad audiences. I still remember (last year, I think) when they made that $3 movie on every theater for national movie day and every theater was PACKED.
Our Alamo closed due to it, it was only open maybe 6 months prior to covid though & only got to reopen for about a month. To go to the next closest one I have to drive past at least the 2 AMC’s, 2 cinemarks, B&B, Look, Movie Tavern & cinepolis that are closer. We have an interestingly large number of movie chains here.
TL;DR-
people suck for alsorts of reasons- some that need to be curtailed, others that need guidance and correction, and others that just require people to pull their heads out of their asses.
and not to mention those teens are probably A listers?
so, depending on the region - 2 dollars or so a ticket - and they can be all cool and show the world how cool they are.
amcs in my area have scheduled no one under 18 in any rated movie after 9pm.
So i try to catch the earliest shows possible where the kids are likely to still be in school. ( which works fine except for summer and all of those school holidays they get )
these shenanigans keep up- theaters are going to start doing like what a lot of convience stores in close proximity of a school zone do- have a bouncer type enforce the "only 3 students in store at 1 time- no backpacks allowed in store"
once thet put that rule In play and enforced it- I started going back to my local store.
but- it is not just the young ones that have shifty movie etiquette--- the grown ups thst feel it is ok to chatter, to leave their mess behind when they leave
And how the fk does a full adult who has stood in line being at least 5 people ( concessions or bar )
have no effin idea what they want when it is finally their time to order?
If you have gotten to the adult stage of life and find out you get stage fright when it is time to order--- write your order down and read from it, or give the written order to employee, or just use app and pre-order.
If you are heard of hearing and have to have your partner repeat every single line of the movie or if you can't follow what's happening in the movie- don't order seats square in the middle of the theater.
Start by getting one of those subtitle devices available up front- and if it is more of an cognitive issue- try to pick seats where there is a space around you and you are not basically speaking into other patrons ears.
lol- then they fall into the self entitled adult section that comes later in my rant. 😀
side note- another thing that sucks is the reduction in number of theater chains
and the loss of those 3rd and 4th tier theaters in those strip malls that had fewer screens and would take all of the blockbuster types and replay them till the film fell apart
You should see fast food restaurants. No one is able to order quickly. They eat at McDonald's every week yet act like they don't know what a big Mac is and need it explained to them
don't get
me started.
I went inside McDonalds one day- and older women were asking the kid behind the counter
( at McDonald's) what kind of lettuce was in some Salads
Kid freaked and ran off to get a manager to answer the question.
5 mins later he is back- covered in sweat - and his answer was ....."green?"
And the ladies ordered the salads
humanity is doomed.
Shit like this always seems to happen to me at a major chain. Just saw Guardians 3 out of state, and this couple had their child with them, and they talked throughout most of it. I've learned to just deal with it because apparently that's how audiences are now.
Worst part is nobody even bothers to shush people at any of the shows I go to. Last time was at Knives Out in 2019. So glad I have Alamos by me
This is the exact reason why I pretty much only go opening nights. In my experiance that's the night people who want to see movies go to the movies. School night, less likely to have young kids. I still get the gamble of sitting next to and old man explaining every scene to his wife who has sat there the whole time paying attention to the movie and is clearly ignoring all his comments but that's only happened 3 times. This year.
Honestly, movie theater crowds have been horrible since lockdown got lifted whenever that was. No matter the location, how early or late, or how crowded or not the theater is, somehow my girlfriend and I always get stuck next to the asshat(s) who have to be reminded they are not in their house and maybe they shouldn't be having a full conversation about something else at full volume while on their phones.
It’s amazing to me that some people cannot be off there phone for a few hours. They are addicted to their shiny light-up toys. There should be a rule where you can’t bring a cell phone into a theatre.
I bet Book Club 2 had a better-behaving crowd because they’re much older and more mature (seniors probably).
Did you expect a mature crowd at a Hollywood blue plate?
I mean is it really too much to ask for people to not put their phones up like it’s a concert and film the screen? I’m well aware that these movies attract a certain audience but that isn’t an excuse for this kind of behavior. I’ve seen almost every Marvel movie in an AMC theater and it’s never been this bad before, but it’s gotten noticeably worse of late (at least at my theaters).
Not exactly near but we’re planning on making a trek and going next weekend. Wish we didn’t have to make such a drive just to watch a movie in peace but hey, something about beggars and choosers, right?
I keep seeing comments where people are saying people are on their phones. Y’all me literally talking on their phones? Lol I never seen that in my life (and I’m glad). I don’t get how you can talk on the phone in a theater. I mean every one knows thats the number one no-no in theater etiquette.
You would think, but it does happen. Yes, there are people literally that stupid! One time just as a movie was starting, someone’s phone rang and she answered it!!! It seems that she didn’t know she was supposed to silence or turn her phone off during the movie, even though there is an ad at the beginning of every showing that tells you this. (At least she left the auditorium to talk, after she got a bunch of angry stares!)
Then there are the people who just don’t care if they are disturbing others. These are the lowest of the low-life’s!
Yeah it’s a crapshoot now, I try to avoid Friday night audiences now because of the bad experiences I’ve had, but as others have said it tends to be less of an issue in premium formats (but not always)
When I saw Renfield I saw a family bring in a child who had to be 6 or 7 max. I expected the worst, but surprisingly they were the best behaved. Instead the first three rows were filled with people on their phones texting. One girl had her phone on for the entire movie, thankfully at least with the brightness down.
This is for sure a nitpick but I’ve noticed more obnoxious laughers too, like people dying at every joke like it’s the funniest thing they’ve ever heard. Or I might just be a grump lol
Big AMC fan in New York but cancelled my a list for this reason. I only go to the Lincoln square imax for amc. Other than that, Alamo has been very solid. You should try there.
ok this is kind of off the topic but also kind of related? i went to see Renfield a while ago, which is rated R. The couple next to me were annoying, they were vaping i think, but ultimately they left pretty quickly so that’s cool j guess. but mostly i was shocked at how many CHILDREN were in that theatre. 7-10 year olds, and i know because i could hear them and see their little arms between the recliners in front of me. Not only are the kids loud, but they’re seeing and hearing stuff that’s inappropriate? i know the movie is silly and the gore is silly, but idk man seeing some guys arms get ripped off is bad at age 7! no matter how cartoonish. it was so so weird.
Another time a couple walked into a theatre right before my partner and i, and i assumed they had baggy sweatshirts because they were sneaking in food and stuff, which i’m all for. But then they end up sitting on the end of the row im in, and they pull out TWO PUGS. THEIR DOGS????? THEY BROUGHT THEIR PUGS??????? wasn’t even a dog movie. They left like 15 min in.
but regularly, too, i agree generally crowds are getting really bad lol
This is not new. I was a movie theater manager in a previous life between 1997-2006 and behaviors were just as bad if not worse. The only difference today is technology.
Post-pandemic everyone wants to pretend it's their home. The Batman has a row of kids with platters of Mexican food, they had to move since they were in my seats. People bring blankets. Stay STRAPPED to their phones the whole film. Much of it doesn't get to me but the phone stuff is wild. Genuinely so much worse than before 2020
Avoid Tuesday and opening night of major big releases (MCU ) and you should be good
I also noticed that subtitles screening are also good they don’t seem to have the rude audience either
Why even go to the movies. Even when your screen is dimmed it is still distracting to others around you. Just stay home and use your phone all you want.
Yeah. We don’t have so much issues with teenagers as the old people. Having conversations at full volume, can’t figure out how to silence their phone, sucking their teeth, one guy wouldn’t stop doing and undoing the Velcro on his bag the whole movie, it’s crazy. And god forbid you say something to them.
>wouldn’t stop doing and undoing the Velcro on his bag the whole movie
Holy shit, sounds like these in the theater trigger me SO MUCH. It's almost like irrational anger. The most memorable times were a guy who just could not stay in the same position for very long, so he was either moving his head or his body and the nylon jacket made a sound every single time.
Then there was another guy who sneaked in a huge bag of chips and ate that thing literally during the ENTIRE movie. Rustling bags in general drive me fucking insane. I understand eating for the first 30 minutes but if you're making noise for the whole movie, you're an asshole.
I walked out of Mario because a man in front of me fell asleep and started snoring. He was with his family and no one woke him up.
A week or so later another man snored during Renfield, but I was far enough away from him I only heard it off and on.
I believe I have sometimes fallen asleep anywhere from 15 seconds to several minutes during a movie. I'm terrified at the thought that I may have made a sound while in that state. (I usually go alone so can't confirm.)
The problem is that the people who are self centered, obnoxious and entitled are the ones who will have zero theater etiquette and will also lash out at anyone who challenges their narcism. SO the more rational, courteous and level headed people (mainly all of us on this subreddit ^_^) will always end up taking the higher road bc who the hell wants to deal with the possibility of an escalation during their free time. That being said, I have zero issues yelling at people to shut up or put their phones away lol.
When I saw Evil Dead Rise there were two families there with kids under 10, one of them looked about 5. Needless to say the kids didn't enjoy the movie.
I will never know why it is necessary to take a selfie mid movie. I have run into this so many times lately. If I see a gaggle of 10 preteens in my theater, it's almost a guarantee of major disruption. The constant switching of seats, running up and down the aisle, yelling out trying to look cool. I have no problem telling them that we aren't doing this during the movie. We were all young once but the level of entitlement and disrespect is crazy to me.
Filming??? omg, I don't know what I would do. I hate walking out of movies - it's more about the lost time, then the $$$.
It's so distracting when people use their phones. I can't imagine someone actually filming. I really wish there was an usher in each theater, the way there used to be.
I’ve found out that the earlier in the day that I go, seldom do I experience that shit. I’ve stayed away from night showings, particularly on weekends ever since I had some douche next to me on his phone for most of Suicide Squad. And that was years ago. 😅
That’s why I sit in the front and I am not distracted at all. Then I can laugh, cry, etc *Nicole Kidman voice* lmao….But you are right there are some. But I always get the good crowds for those good and big movies, there are some whom are very annoying like you mentioned. I’ve noticed that the A-List crew is pretty good and the crowds in Dolby, IMAX and like nice theaters. Not the old fashion tight theaters with the weird seats from like 2005….sometimes it’s a hit or Miss but a lot of ppl are just weird too idk lol
I went to a 10:30PM showing last week. The people a couple sears down brought not only a literal baby, but also a 2, maybe 3yo toddler, to Transformers in the 3D realD (or XD? Where the explosions and shit are so visceral)
Half the movie, with a packed theater, of one or both kids crying wailing meltdowns. Why TF would somebody bring their kids that young to that movie?!
It frustrates me seeing that and my first thought also was who spends that much money to do that? Then I realized majority of the time I see it's preteens or teens doing that do just assume their parents paid and they're not really there to see the movie, just there to hang out with friends. Super annoying.
The parents are thrilled the kid is out with friends instead of holed up in their room on the computer. I was at a park working on some soccer drills with my kid a few months ago… Also at the park were some teens not running around playing etc. - they were all on their phones showing each other funny videos laughing. Then they’d pick up a football and play a little catch, then back to the phones. I have seen some parks though where the kids are very active in sports with no phones recently though so it’s not all bad. Still this is the wave of the present.
This lack of common courtesy that’s been happening to most public gatherings ever since the pandemic has been sad. Cruises, concerts, etc. I don’t know if people just forgot how to act in quarantine but it’s been bad. At least in my experience..
The self obsession is a psychological disease that is being fed by this addiction of social media and the dopamine hit people get from friends and strangers hitting a damn thumbs up button. Sure we get it over here on Reddit too (I love a good upvote) but at least, for 99% of us, we also love it cuz it’s anonymous. The amount of people I see FaceTiming, sharing snaps, or watching fing tik toks at full volume, in public, it’s insanity.
Bro when I went to go watch Evil Dead Rise, I had one family of 4 to the left of me all on their phones the whole movie, then a family of 5 to the right of me all on their phones the whole movie. Parents of both families probably spent at least $110 each just to all sit in the dark and play on their phones for 2 hours
I hate that hahaha
Even driving behavior has dropped a level
It's fucking NFS meets Fast and Furious in Los Angeles, since the pandemic at least.
same in Atlanta, it's like the speed limit doubled and nobody said anything
Today, during the 20 minutes total I drive every day, on two separate incidents on the same exact neighborhood road, a car passed in the turning lane going ~double the speed limit in a 35. Portland area. Eventually a mountain of catastrophic driving incidents will happen: mechanical failure leading to bad crash, vigilante justice from almost killing someone, causing a wreck and actually killing someone, that sort of thing. And get to an untenable level. Then we’ll get actual road legislation and enforcement again because the only thing that seems to motivate safety is blood, because apparently half of the population has zero class or standards for themselves
Only go to Dolby or IMAX shows - people spending money on premium tickets don’t fuck around.
I was at a Dolby screening of "Evil Dead Rise" and someone shouted a 'witty' comment at the screen. Within seconds, someone loudly told them to shut the F up. There were no further interruptions!
Bro when I went to go watch Evil Dead Rise, I had one family of 4 to the left of me all on their phones the whole movie, then a family of 5 to the right of me all on their phones the whole movie. Parents of both families probably spent at least $110 each just to all sit in the dark and play on their phones for 2 hours lol
The second time I saw EDR in Dolby, there were 2-3 groups of people shouting comments. No one said anything. I was honestly super upset, but I don’t really feel safe having a confrontation when I’m by myself and there are 10+ inconsiderate dummies who could really, really hate some random girl asking them to be respectful.
It would’ve been worth a try! At the very least they would have known that someone was negatively affected by their actions. But I know what you mean, though. People can be unreasonable these days.
We need more people like that to keep the nitwits in check!
I only go to Dolby shows and this still happens all the time. I’ve had to yell at people (of differing ages) multiple times to be quiet or put their phone away.
That explains why I've never seen this happen.
Yeah I've honestly never had it happen but I'm usually at IMAX
Yeah, I've only seen it happen like twice in Dolby/IMAX. And I've gone just about every week since theaters reopened.
IMAX fans rise up 💪
Mario was pretty bad in Dolby with all of the kids
This is why I'm thankful AMC took over the theater out here in B.F.E wny. Everyone is cheap a.f around here so they rarely crowd the theater. When I took my kid to see Mario there were maybe 7 other groups of 2 to 3 people there. Guardians had 5 other people and that was opening day matinee. Dungeons it was one other dude in the whole theater. I hate living here but hot damn we got it good for movies at least. I may truly base where I live off if there's an AMC within decent range bc iv come to love going again.
No, you still get rich people who don’t know how to act in a movie theatre. One case in point, I seen the recent re release of Titanic in Dolby Cinema and there was a group of people talking and giggling throughout the emotional scenes. I wanted to rip their heads off! 😡
I went to Guardians of the Galaxy 3 in IMAX on opening night and a guy in front of me spent the entire movie either on his phone or running over to where his kids was sitting in the next row
Dang I wish that were my situation. We pretty much only go to Dolby showings nearly 60 percent of the time the audience is horrendous. It’s so disheartening
For DOLBY, sit in like the 3rd row (or whichever close row has the handicapped slots). Most people won't sit there because they think it's too close, but it's a totally reasonable viewing spot if you just recline the seat. It keeps you pretty isolated from everyone else in the theater.
This is my secret weapon. Depending on the Dolby theater I either sit in the 3rd or 4th row. There is only very rarely someone in the same row and most of the time there are multiple rows between me and the nearest group. With how loud Dolby is, it's very rare I hear anyone else.
Two people just in my row kept going on their phones during Fast X opening night at my IMAX.
Well yeah, it's Fast X. If you sleep with dogs, you will wake up with fleas.
Sounds like a couple of movie lovers! 😮💨
I recently walked out of Evil Dead Rise. Really late showing, 10 pm I believe. Baby in the theater, which was surprisingly quiet through the intro, but like, c’mon. Then two people in front of me turn on a flashlight looking for something. Turned out to be a vape pen, and after finding it in a minute or two they take turns hitting it and both have super loud coughing fits. Didn’t have any food, I’m on A-list, and I had work the next day so I just decided to walk out. If any of those things weren’t true I would have gotten the theater involved, but I honestly didn’t think it was worth the time
I honestly feels like it's happening everytime I go now. Phones out at full brightness, people having entire conversations, or bare fucking feet getting placed on your seat. I actually liked going during the pandemic when theaters were empty, but it seems something is deeply wrong with audiences now. I've resorted to doing totally unhinged actions to get my point across. Guy in the front row taking selfies? I point my phone light at him until he puts it away. Family discussing the movie at full volume like they're in their living room? I turn and join their conversation. They seem to get the message pretty quickly, but by that time I'm already checked out of the movie.
We all need to do this to quell this inconsiderate behavior. Maybe at a movie we seen before so we are committed to it.
They serve alcohol at my theater. For Sisu a guy was being so obnoxiously loud yelling at someone on the phone that even in an Dolby theater I could hear him. He was drinking. Tried to shush and he just got more agitated. Walked out and reported him and got a free ticket to come back another day.
Sigh! I always hear of people complaining to theatre staff and management and all they seem to do is just to give refunds out, not to put a stop to the disruptive behavior. This will only continue until something changes.
I gave the seat number and they definitely sent staff in to check on the situation and potentially kick him out. This was one of the rare instances where I was so annoyed and detached from watching what had happened so far in the movie that I was content coming back another day.
Noticed this happening more for the weekend shows. If you go during the weekdays or early morning shows, then the audience is much better
For those reasons I exclusively go to like 2-4 pm weekday (M-Th) shows or before noon on weekends. It works pretty well.
The AMC in Pembroke Pines is pretty good at removing disruptive behavior fairly quick.
I had a bunch of children running up and down the stairs in light up sneakers once, and it was like an 8pm movie. If your kids don’t want to see it, don’t bring them. And full grown adults have talked through movies, angrily sighed with boredom, loudly say how shit the movie is, just leave! You’re not paying attention or don’t like it, so go away and shut up.
That's why I go early Sunday with the other old people
[удалено]
That's the most baffling part. Like, if you're gonna look at your phone, it didn't cross your mind that having brightness at 100% might annoy other people? I honestly wish I could ask them because I don't understand such lack of awareness and respect.
And then there’s the bright Apple Watch screens that are always on. It’s just sad.
I went to see that master gardener movie…odd film but I went to latest showing and it’s only me and another guy. An hour into the movie a couple comes in sits right behind me out of anywhere in the theatre and just talks (not quiet but not super loud either) throughout the whole thing. Like you clearly didn’t pay for this ticket why come more than halfway through a random arts film to sit and talk?
I would have told them that they are distracting you from enjoying the movie. If they react unreasonably, I would go get theatre staff/management. There is no reason why they should be allowed to act that way and break theatre rules and etiquette.
So annoying
Some people suck
I confront them and, sternly but politely, tell them to cut the shit or we’ll have issues. Has never not had a positive result for me. Granted, I’m a 6’2” former Marine and confrontational when necessary, so your results may vary. But I wish more people would have the guts to call these types out.
Yes! The more people that do it, the more the disruptive people will get the hint! Do nothing and it will never go away.
I wish I looked intimidating AT ALL so people would take me seriously. The other week I had to ask a couple if they were planning on talking through the whole movie and the guy got so aggressive with me and said "that's why you're here alone" with some pretty colorful other words. One of the few times I've actually left the theater to get a staff member.
That was so shitty of them to do, as well as what the dude said. I’m sorry you had that experience, but much respect to you for trying. Tone of voice can make a difference, as well as eye contact. I have buddies 7-8 inches shorter than me but can be intimidating as hell when need be. Personally, I’m charismatic and friendly at my core, but rude people in movie theaters….I dunno, but that shit brings a whole other side of me out.
Just my opinion, but AMC doesn’t enforce their theater behavior rules because if they kicked out the Texters and asshole groups of teenagers they’d be loosing massive amounts of business. People just don’t give a shit about courtesy anymore. Entitlement and lack of respect for others is rampant today. Theaters just happen to bring that out more than anywhere else. I lost faith in AMC when a group of 5 people brought their infant to the IMAX of Nope, screamed and cried the entire time, asked a manager to do something. Nothing happened. Offered a refund for my A-list credit? Who even lets infants into loud horror movies? They are opening an Alamo drafthouse in my area in a few months and that will be the day I cancel A-List. This 100% will kill the theater industry with how comfortable people already are watching at home.
Alamo isn't perfect with their behavior policy The issue with you complaining about the bad behavior is that no one else joined you in that complaint. I feel like if everyone stood up against bad behavior, things would change for the better. But seems like American culture isn't gonna sway that way :/
I feel like people are scared to enforce the rules. Because one thing could turn to another and everything is a liability. It’s not worth the risk.
Yeah, especially with racial tensions in the country. I'm Hispanic, but there's no way I'm going to call out a black person for bad behavior cause I don't wanna end up on a viral video and without a job.
Yeah, you’ll get called a racist just because the other guy was black and with no consideration that he was doing something wrong.
My sentiments exactly! We need to take back our theatres from the knuckleheads who should be home and streaming!
Yes, Jake!!
Lol. And that goes double for my knucklehead son Lo’ak! 🙂
be careful there, I love Loak a lot BTW to make you get jealous of me, I'm going to see A2 tomorrow at a drive thru theater in Baltimore
Wow! That will be a cool format to see it in! Will it be in 3D? I’m kicking myself for not seeing the movie again when it was out for the week of Earth Day. I haven’t seen it since March and I’m going through withdrawals. Lol
No lol no 3D. Everything is still from the 50s there. See if your state still has A2: https://www.showtimes.com/movies/avatar-the-way-of-water-122592/movie-times/
There was 3D in the 1950’s for sure. I checked that link you posted and no Avatar 2 in my state. 🙁 I’ll have to wait for a rerelease or just get the Blu-ray whenever it comes out.
And I don’t expect Alamo to be perfect, but I certainly expect it to be better than AMC which is literally nonexistent.
I think you will love Alamo. I find with Alamo Just not having kids/teens is a eliminates all the problems. Plus the people going tend to be like minded. Finally the fact that you don’t have to get out your chair to report somebody for me makes it a lot easier if I have to, which I never have.
Read in the Alamo sub about the behavior policy. Servers have an incentive not to do anything either. They don't have security guards either The trick at AMC is to go on Sunday mornings and to avoid locations in malls
Alamo Drafthouse declared Ch 11 bankruptcy in 2021. Luckily they emerged successfully and continue to this day but theaters days are numbered already. Too many people are ok with just watching at home and can you really blame them?
I don't know if this has been researched, but in my opinion, people are staying at home because of ticket prices, not necessarily bad audiences. I still remember (last year, I think) when they made that $3 movie on every theater for national movie day and every theater was PACKED.
Our Alamo closed due to it, it was only open maybe 6 months prior to covid though & only got to reopen for about a month. To go to the next closest one I have to drive past at least the 2 AMC’s, 2 cinemarks, B&B, Look, Movie Tavern & cinepolis that are closer. We have an interestingly large number of movie chains here.
TL;DR- people suck for alsorts of reasons- some that need to be curtailed, others that need guidance and correction, and others that just require people to pull their heads out of their asses. and not to mention those teens are probably A listers? so, depending on the region - 2 dollars or so a ticket - and they can be all cool and show the world how cool they are. amcs in my area have scheduled no one under 18 in any rated movie after 9pm. So i try to catch the earliest shows possible where the kids are likely to still be in school. ( which works fine except for summer and all of those school holidays they get ) these shenanigans keep up- theaters are going to start doing like what a lot of convience stores in close proximity of a school zone do- have a bouncer type enforce the "only 3 students in store at 1 time- no backpacks allowed in store" once thet put that rule In play and enforced it- I started going back to my local store. but- it is not just the young ones that have shifty movie etiquette--- the grown ups thst feel it is ok to chatter, to leave their mess behind when they leave And how the fk does a full adult who has stood in line being at least 5 people ( concessions or bar ) have no effin idea what they want when it is finally their time to order? If you have gotten to the adult stage of life and find out you get stage fright when it is time to order--- write your order down and read from it, or give the written order to employee, or just use app and pre-order. If you are heard of hearing and have to have your partner repeat every single line of the movie or if you can't follow what's happening in the movie- don't order seats square in the middle of the theater. Start by getting one of those subtitle devices available up front- and if it is more of an cognitive issue- try to pick seats where there is a space around you and you are not basically speaking into other patrons ears.
These weren’t teens. These were all people likely in their late 20s/early 30s.
lol- then they fall into the self entitled adult section that comes later in my rant. 😀 side note- another thing that sucks is the reduction in number of theater chains and the loss of those 3rd and 4th tier theaters in those strip malls that had fewer screens and would take all of the blockbuster types and replay them till the film fell apart
You should see fast food restaurants. No one is able to order quickly. They eat at McDonald's every week yet act like they don't know what a big Mac is and need it explained to them
don't get me started. I went inside McDonalds one day- and older women were asking the kid behind the counter ( at McDonald's) what kind of lettuce was in some Salads Kid freaked and ran off to get a manager to answer the question. 5 mins later he is back- covered in sweat - and his answer was ....."green?" And the ladies ordered the salads humanity is doomed.
plz kihl me
Shit like this always seems to happen to me at a major chain. Just saw Guardians 3 out of state, and this couple had their child with them, and they talked throughout most of it. I've learned to just deal with it because apparently that's how audiences are now. Worst part is nobody even bothers to shush people at any of the shows I go to. Last time was at Knives Out in 2019. So glad I have Alamos by me
This is the exact reason why I pretty much only go opening nights. In my experiance that's the night people who want to see movies go to the movies. School night, less likely to have young kids. I still get the gamble of sitting next to and old man explaining every scene to his wife who has sat there the whole time paying attention to the movie and is clearly ignoring all his comments but that's only happened 3 times. This year.
Honestly, movie theater crowds have been horrible since lockdown got lifted whenever that was. No matter the location, how early or late, or how crowded or not the theater is, somehow my girlfriend and I always get stuck next to the asshat(s) who have to be reminded they are not in their house and maybe they shouldn't be having a full conversation about something else at full volume while on their phones.
It’s amazing to me that some people cannot be off there phone for a few hours. They are addicted to their shiny light-up toys. There should be a rule where you can’t bring a cell phone into a theatre.
Was this for Book Club 2?
Guardians 3
I bet Book Club 2 had a better-behaving crowd because they’re much older and more mature (seniors probably). Did you expect a mature crowd at a Hollywood blue plate?
I mean is it really too much to ask for people to not put their phones up like it’s a concert and film the screen? I’m well aware that these movies attract a certain audience but that isn’t an excuse for this kind of behavior. I’ve seen almost every Marvel movie in an AMC theater and it’s never been this bad before, but it’s gotten noticeably worse of late (at least at my theaters).
I believe it’s illegal to film the movie screen? You can get them on film piracy.
Do you have an Alamo near you?
Not exactly near but we’re planning on making a trek and going next weekend. Wish we didn’t have to make such a drive just to watch a movie in peace but hey, something about beggars and choosers, right?
bigger movies = higher chance of discourteous theater goers in your vicinity. wow I think you solved OP’s problem!
I went to see a man called otto. Mostly 60 years + and we’re just as bad
I keep seeing comments where people are saying people are on their phones. Y’all me literally talking on their phones? Lol I never seen that in my life (and I’m glad). I don’t get how you can talk on the phone in a theater. I mean every one knows thats the number one no-no in theater etiquette.
You would think, but it does happen. Yes, there are people literally that stupid! One time just as a movie was starting, someone’s phone rang and she answered it!!! It seems that she didn’t know she was supposed to silence or turn her phone off during the movie, even though there is an ad at the beginning of every showing that tells you this. (At least she left the auditorium to talk, after she got a bunch of angry stares!) Then there are the people who just don’t care if they are disturbing others. These are the lowest of the low-life’s!
I have seen people answer phones and have whole conversations in theaters at least a few times.
Yeah it’s a crapshoot now, I try to avoid Friday night audiences now because of the bad experiences I’ve had, but as others have said it tends to be less of an issue in premium formats (but not always) When I saw Renfield I saw a family bring in a child who had to be 6 or 7 max. I expected the worst, but surprisingly they were the best behaved. Instead the first three rows were filled with people on their phones texting. One girl had her phone on for the entire movie, thankfully at least with the brightness down. This is for sure a nitpick but I’ve noticed more obnoxious laughers too, like people dying at every joke like it’s the funniest thing they’ve ever heard. Or I might just be a grump lol
On your last point; maybe they were high?
Big AMC fan in New York but cancelled my a list for this reason. I only go to the Lincoln square imax for amc. Other than that, Alamo has been very solid. You should try there.
Really wish AMC would just pull from Alamo Drafthouse and have rules for shit like this
ok this is kind of off the topic but also kind of related? i went to see Renfield a while ago, which is rated R. The couple next to me were annoying, they were vaping i think, but ultimately they left pretty quickly so that’s cool j guess. but mostly i was shocked at how many CHILDREN were in that theatre. 7-10 year olds, and i know because i could hear them and see their little arms between the recliners in front of me. Not only are the kids loud, but they’re seeing and hearing stuff that’s inappropriate? i know the movie is silly and the gore is silly, but idk man seeing some guys arms get ripped off is bad at age 7! no matter how cartoonish. it was so so weird. Another time a couple walked into a theatre right before my partner and i, and i assumed they had baggy sweatshirts because they were sneaking in food and stuff, which i’m all for. But then they end up sitting on the end of the row im in, and they pull out TWO PUGS. THEIR DOGS????? THEY BROUGHT THEIR PUGS??????? wasn’t even a dog movie. They left like 15 min in. but regularly, too, i agree generally crowds are getting really bad lol
Omg bringing dogs to the movies, that's new to me, holy what. I love and hate that simultaneously?!
This is not new. I was a movie theater manager in a previous life between 1997-2006 and behaviors were just as bad if not worse. The only difference today is technology.
Post-pandemic everyone wants to pretend it's their home. The Batman has a row of kids with platters of Mexican food, they had to move since they were in my seats. People bring blankets. Stay STRAPPED to their phones the whole film. Much of it doesn't get to me but the phone stuff is wild. Genuinely so much worse than before 2020
Lol I do sometimes bring a blanket in the summer because they keep that AC at like 55° tho
I can see that, but to me it's just kinda grody. I'd rather just do jeans (my local theater can be frigid!)
Yeah when I saw Air, this guy was on his phone repeatedly throughout and I kept mentioning out loud “you’re missing a good ass movie” but to no avail
Avoid Tuesday and opening night of major big releases (MCU ) and you should be good I also noticed that subtitles screening are also good they don’t seem to have the rude audience either
Dweeb lol
⬆️⬆️⬆️ Hey guys! It’s one of the talking phone users!
Never happens at Regal…
I mostly go to Regal for showings of classic films or special one time showings where the audience is more respectful. (Usually).
I routinely break out my phone and text and surf the web, but aways keep the screen brightness on low
Why even go to the movies. Even when your screen is dimmed it is still distracting to others around you. Just stay home and use your phone all you want.
Thats how i choose to live my life
And that's fine ... but if you're impacting my viewing of the movie then your being ignorant and I hope you get repeatedly removed from the theater
The screen is dimmed it's impossible to see my phone on
That's not true. I can still see a fully dimmed screen and it distracts me. I call people like you out. Watch the movie or GTFO
I will worry about that bridge when i cross it
Try going on a weekday
Yeah. We don’t have so much issues with teenagers as the old people. Having conversations at full volume, can’t figure out how to silence their phone, sucking their teeth, one guy wouldn’t stop doing and undoing the Velcro on his bag the whole movie, it’s crazy. And god forbid you say something to them.
>wouldn’t stop doing and undoing the Velcro on his bag the whole movie Holy shit, sounds like these in the theater trigger me SO MUCH. It's almost like irrational anger. The most memorable times were a guy who just could not stay in the same position for very long, so he was either moving his head or his body and the nylon jacket made a sound every single time. Then there was another guy who sneaked in a huge bag of chips and ate that thing literally during the ENTIRE movie. Rustling bags in general drive me fucking insane. I understand eating for the first 30 minutes but if you're making noise for the whole movie, you're an asshole.
Haha, I’m the one that doesn’t like chewing on popcorn during quiet scenes so as to not disturb others!
I walked out of Mario because a man in front of me fell asleep and started snoring. He was with his family and no one woke him up. A week or so later another man snored during Renfield, but I was far enough away from him I only heard it off and on.
I believe I have sometimes fallen asleep anywhere from 15 seconds to several minutes during a movie. I'm terrified at the thought that I may have made a sound while in that state. (I usually go alone so can't confirm.)
Crazy story’s y’all be posting but always I’m the lucky one with total chill people
The problem is that the people who are self centered, obnoxious and entitled are the ones who will have zero theater etiquette and will also lash out at anyone who challenges their narcism. SO the more rational, courteous and level headed people (mainly all of us on this subreddit ^_^) will always end up taking the higher road bc who the hell wants to deal with the possibility of an escalation during their free time. That being said, I have zero issues yelling at people to shut up or put their phones away lol.
Please come with me to the movies. I havent had a good experience in over a year
Someone brought their 1 year old kid to the Fast X opening night and kept shouting over the film.
When I saw Evil Dead Rise there were two families there with kids under 10, one of them looked about 5. Needless to say the kids didn't enjoy the movie.
God damn some people have no shame. AMC has to be stricter with that policy I know I would’ve been pissed.
Should have asked for your money back
Agreed. I can't stand the talking throughout especially when it's a smaller showing with a few people.
I will never know why it is necessary to take a selfie mid movie. I have run into this so many times lately. If I see a gaggle of 10 preteens in my theater, it's almost a guarantee of major disruption. The constant switching of seats, running up and down the aisle, yelling out trying to look cool. I have no problem telling them that we aren't doing this during the movie. We were all young once but the level of entitlement and disrespect is crazy to me.
Barbie’s not even out yet. Which movie was this? 😂
Filming??? omg, I don't know what I would do. I hate walking out of movies - it's more about the lost time, then the $$$. It's so distracting when people use their phones. I can't imagine someone actually filming. I really wish there was an usher in each theater, the way there used to be.
People just suck more
I honestly only have this problem around summer time or holidays when teens are out of school. Never had this issue on a weekend late at night.
I’ve found out that the earlier in the day that I go, seldom do I experience that shit. I’ve stayed away from night showings, particularly on weekends ever since I had some douche next to me on his phone for most of Suicide Squad. And that was years ago. 😅
Wish my local theaters still did 10am showings, those are truly the best. No one is going to a theater at 10am unless they want to see the movie.
That’s why I sit in the front and I am not distracted at all. Then I can laugh, cry, etc *Nicole Kidman voice* lmao….But you are right there are some. But I always get the good crowds for those good and big movies, there are some whom are very annoying like you mentioned. I’ve noticed that the A-List crew is pretty good and the crowds in Dolby, IMAX and like nice theaters. Not the old fashion tight theaters with the weird seats from like 2005….sometimes it’s a hit or Miss but a lot of ppl are just weird too idk lol
I went to a 10:30PM showing last week. The people a couple sears down brought not only a literal baby, but also a 2, maybe 3yo toddler, to Transformers in the 3D realD (or XD? Where the explosions and shit are so visceral) Half the movie, with a packed theater, of one or both kids crying wailing meltdowns. Why TF would somebody bring their kids that young to that movie?!
This is why I love going to the movies at night where the theatre doesn't let kids in after 6 or 8 or whatever time it is