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I learned the hard way to never go to the revival theatre screenings here on Saturday morning, as that's when the joint turns into the senior center. I can't remember which one of you comes into discussions about age and starts getting furious, so spare us pls, there are plenty of elder viewers who are ideal and respectful, but everyone knows exactly what we're talking about here. I'll never forget Wild River was released in 1960, for instance, because this old couple loudly proclaimed during the opening credits, "Ah, 1960, that was a fine year!" just before some thirty-something nerd turned around and loudly told them to shut the fuck up

Old people are the only ones I can rely on to be quiet and respectful at the cinema. Teenagers are the ones who laugh and talk throughout, were as everyone else munches food and rustles bags. Elderly types just sit still and stay quiet, though I imagine a few fall asleep at some point, like my Dad regularly does.

Thanks so much for the E Street recommendation, guys. Gorgeous theater, even better location. And while we were running too late to partake, I'll never stop being tickled by the presence of beer at a movie theater. Stands up with eXcentris in Montreal and AFI Silver in Silver Spring, MD as one of the best theaters I've seen a movie in.

I used to always bring in a can of beer or two in my coat pocket or backpack. Or at least a bottle of water. I guess I still do, but I only get to a theater maybe once every year or two. I don't drink soda, and a beer goes nicely with a film. I guess if I went to a theater which sold beer, I'd actually buy something from the concession.

The theater in my hometown had a gas station/convenience store about 20 feet from it, and I always remember my dad going there beforehand to get us candy since the theater's prices were so much higher. I didn't think much of it at the time but now think that was quite clever.

That's a standard for me even now.

We went to see American Hustle last night, and a group of six people sat behind us and chattered throughout the first half hour of the movie. The problem was that my girlfriend's boss happened to be in that group, so we couldn't turn around and shush them.

Lemmy Caution wrote:600 People Involved in Movie Theater Brawl, 5 Arrested

the cinema was showing "Tyler Perry's A Medea Christmas," "47 Ronin," "Grudge Match," "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues"

I think I'd riot too...

Just back from the 9:45pm showing of American Hustle at the local casino theaters and there were maybe 5 other people in the theater. I timed walking in at 9:45pm to miss the stupid ads but still caught a couple. When the previews stared they were so loud I walked out and found the manager and asked them to turn it down, and I have hearing loss. The manager finally complied but said the feature would revert to the proper level, which could be different from what they just adjusted it to - but the feature sound level was just fine.

I would have brought 599 friends and started a riot.

That would have taught them to control their volume levels properly in the future ...

TV commercials are always louder than the shows. I thought they created a law or something about turning them down.

Mathew2468 wrote:TV commercials are always louder than the shows. I thought they created a law or something about turning them down.

The loudness continued into the previews, all 6 of them. Below the threshold of pain, with hearing loss probable with extended exposure imhe. When the film started it was a welcome relief.

Why do I feel like I'm browsing a Yahoo! News story comments section?

I'd agree except nobody has blamed all of these shitty experiences on Obamacare yet.

....and no one has told us that their mother made a six-figure salary working from her home computer.

Speaking of loudness, I finally broke down & paid $26 to see an an opera (Rigoletto by the NY Met) @ the local cineplex. There were about 30 people in the theater & we were sandwiched in between 2 theaters both playing Thor, where there were fewer than 10 in each screening. The noise and rumbling was so intrusive, I actually left the theater (can't remember the last time I've done this) to complain to management. The kids said "they'd see what they could do", but we had to endure it throughout the entire opera (a rebroadcast). I wrote a letter to the Metropolitan Opera's HD headquarters complaining that I'd love to see future operas, but given this experience, I will never shell out for another (and just hope it ends up on blu-ray). The quality of the broadcast also wasn't very good. A couple of times the data stream must have choked & the video quality was rather fuzzy.

The excellent Showroom cinema in Sheffield, where I was a student has provided a few experiences.

In the screening of Godard's Film Socialism I attended, there were just four other people, until about 5 minutes before when a couple, by the looks of it on a first date, came in - the man at some pain to share his knowledge of Godard's oeuvre, a knowledge that encompassed little more than the first 5 or 6 years of Godard's feature film career. I'm pretty sure he had no idea what he had brought his date to. They left after about 20 minutes. By the end I was the only person left.

During Drive some one popped to the loo just before the motel shoot out and came back shortly after. At which point his friend loudly proclaimed that he had "missed the best bit", to which the whole cinema erupted into laughter, killing the tension.

As the title censor card for The Artist came up a woman shouted "Oh Christ Jeremy, we're in the wrong cinema".

At last year's LFF at the NFT during the screening of Heli during the 'balls of fire' scene a man stood and as he was hurriedly leaving just went "no... no absolutely not".

At a recent AMC matinee showing of "The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" in HFR IMAX 3D the picture started about 20 min. late and, as soon as characters started speaking, the lip-synch was out of whack by at least a second or two. Some people left to complain but "Smaug" went on for 20 or so minutes. Then they stopped it and an employee said they'd fix the problem but (a) it would take about 20 min. and (b) the movie would have to start from the very beginning. So, my 11:20AM matinee actually started an hour late and we were not given any tickets or freebies for our troubles.

At another AMC theater (a) the trailers before the 3D showing of "Frozen" were dark while the sound was full-on blasting and (b) the theater was brightly-lit . When the movie started everything was fine, but an hour into the movie the lights came on. After 5 min. I couldn't take it and went looking for an employee to shut them off, which they did 5 min. later. And at yet another AMC theater (see a trend?) the theater had all the lights on (even the fluorescent ones) just as I arrived for the very start of "Grudge Match." You couldn't even see the picture because of how bright it was. Naturally, when both "Frozen" and "Grudge Match" were over, the theater was completely dark because manually turning the lights off threw the timed light system off whack. Guess because it's cheaper and early in the morning I should expect these hiccups, but it's annoying.

The joys of digital cinema.

I sometimes think all cinema staff are enemy agents sent out by TV and Blu-ray manufacturers to sabotage the proceedings and drive everyone to home cinema.

I had a less painful experience before the screening of Wolf Of Wall Street I went to. It was advertised as a noon showing, but it started a little late. And without any picture. There were a few commercials, no trailers and went straight into the movie for about 30 seconds like this until it all started over again.

RossyG wrote:I sometimes think all cinema staff are enemy agents sent out by The Pirate Bay to sabotage the proceedings and drive everyone to torrent.

Fixed.

Man Killed During Argument Over Texting at Movie Theater. Apparently, he was asked to stop repeatedly but "The man using the phone explained to the irritated man that he was simply texting his 3-year-old daughter." Ah, okay, that excuses his douchey rudeness: Three-year-olds are impatient and can't wait for the film to end for a response to their texts! Not that he deserved to be shot exactly, but, still, jury nullification anyone?

warren oates wrote:Man Killed During Argument Over Texting at Movie Theater.

Discussion continued here.

While I was watching Catching Fire (which is really good by the way), somebody took a crying baby and it had gotten to a point where somebody shouted, "You ne to take your kid outside!" And the baby still kept crying.

Who brings a baby to a film like Catching Fire?

Movie-Brat wrote:While I was watching Catching Fire (which is really good by the way), somebody took a crying baby and it had gotten to a point where somebody shouted, "You ne to take your kid outside!" And the baby still kept crying.

Who brings a baby to a film like Catching Fire?

I attended a screening of The Purge where someone brought their toddler daughter. It was a rather late show, too. Thoroughly appalling (but enough about the movie - ha!)

My father took me to Beverly Hills Cop II when I was ten, having not caught on to the fact that there would be nudity and other hard R elements in it. I was pretty much oblivious, but I realized later that he was greatly humiliated after some of the looks he got from other people in the theater!