Movie-going experience: What are your pet-peeves?

[Super Amputee Cat]

Going to the theater these days is not what it used to be: People talking in theater, unsupervised kids, cell phones, and commercials before previews are some of the more recent annoyances that are afflicting the serious moviegoer these days.

When you go to the theater, what is the thing that annoys you most. I've tried to put as many as I can think of in the poll, but I'm sure I forgot a few things. If so, please specify under others.

My peeve? Unsupervised kids

It seems that every movie we see these days, has a bunch of kids, anywhere from 6 to 14 or so, sitting in groups, the front seats, talking incessantly, constantly getting up from their seat, etc. No parents are ever in sight. Now I don't know if these brain-dead parents are in the back of the theater, at another showing, or if they just dropped off their kids and let them fend for themselves while they went to the bar or something. But it's starting to really get on my nerves. These kids are loud and hyperactive as hell, probably the result of sucking down Mountain Dews all day.

We saw Jurassic Park III a while back, sitting about four rows back. A rather overweight girl in front of us, perhaps 10 or 11 years of age, kept getting up from her seat to get refills of Pepsi. (This particular theater had 75 cent refills. I swear she must have gotten up for refills four or five times…that explains the weight.) This was on top of the annoying talking, gum-chewing, seat kicking, running up and down the aisles, etc. that her friends partook in.

I invite your comments and horror stories.

 

[Planderella]

Just about ALL of the above!!! (BTW, I added that option) A particular pet peeve of mine is seeing children at rated R movies after 10:00 p.m. My friends and I purposely go to the later shows to avoid "family fun hours" and whaddya know? The kids are still there. I really hate seeing babies, particularly infants, in the theaters after hours. I almost got into a fight with some guy and his woman about their baby. If you can't find a baby-sitter, then stay your ass at home!!!!!

 

[Chet]

No bar!

Just kidding. Not really.

A few years a ago (okay maybe 10) I went to see Crimes and Misdemeanors with 2 friends. We snuck an entire case of Miller High Life glass bottles in our coats. We sat near the back. Every few minutes you'd hear the "psssht" of the twist off caps. About 2/3 into the movie, I kicked over a few of the empty bottles. They rolled all the way to the front - but not quietly of course - roll roll roll *thunk* roll roll roll *thunk* roll roll roll *thunk*.... followed by three drunks giggling uncontrollably.

 

[Repo Man]

If we could just ban all teenagers from movies it would be great. I can't stand it when I find a nice seat then a gaggle of 8-10 teenagers come and sit right in front of me and proceed to talk througout the entire movie. Aaargghhh!

There are a few theatres here in Milwaukee that serve beer and cater to an adult audience. I like seeing movies at them, but one of these theatres only runs second run movies and the other only has two screens.

I find myslef waiting for a lot of movies to come out on DVD before seeing them. In most cases you can buy a dvd for the same price as admission for two.

 

[Habanero]

mostly all of the above-

I now like to go to the movie theaters that are theaters/restaurants so we can order a few pitchers of beer. That usually eliminates the unsupervised kids as they aren't allowed to go without parents typically.

I got asked for my id the other day at the movies- slightly awkward-

 

[kms]

Unsupervised kids, or maybe I mean unsupervised parents - the ones who bring toddlers to adult features, then allow their kids to toddle around the theater. This results in a parent toddling around to retrieve a child. Again, if you can't find a sitter, stay at home.

 

[PlannerGirl]

my main pet peeve is kids, babies on up to guys that have not grown up.

i just want to stand up and scream "SHUT YOUR BEEPING MOUTH"

i was actualy some where at some thing and i recall this hispanic kid would not hush and of course all the audiance is yelling at him in english-i yelled in spanish for him to shut his mouth and what, he turned around blushed and got quiet

YHEE!!!!!

 

[Jeff]

How can you pick just one?? I rarely go to the movies anymore. Just way too many annoying things going on there. I just wait for the DVD. I will go see 8 mile when it comes out though.

Eminem's my boy

 

[Downtown]

I voted all of the above, and here's the biggies, in order of annoyingness:

1. Unsupervised Kids/People Talking - this annoys me more than everything else put together. If you can afford $18 for two movie tickets, pony up the extra $$ and get a babysitter. If you and your girlfriend haven't seen each other in a month and want to catch up on old times, go to a damn restaurant.

2. Commercials before the movies - You've got to be f***ing kidding me. First the movie industry is charging me $9 to see this movie, then they are going to take money for insidious product placements and now they are going to subject me to the lamest ass Coke commercial. ever.

3. Cell phones. What? You missed the sign out side the theater? You missed the announcement made by the usher? You missed the 72 pt. letters flashing on the screen?

Grrr...... Rudeness at the movies is one of the few activities that I get very very riled over.

 

[el Guapo]

No Go.

I gave up on the movies 10 years ago. Make mine a DVD at home with my own couch, toilet, ice cream and a pause button. Home theater has just gotten too good to put up with the crap the public hands out. Besides, I like rewind and slo mo. Expecially in action flicks. The theater is also too loud for my tastes.

And I can wait until a movie I may want to see hits the rental market without a problem.

Bturk - Mine was 20 years ago and it was a bottle of Wild Tukey that rolled to the front and then made a spectacular crash against the stage halfway through A Boy and His Dog.

Now I hate people like me (back then).

In my youth I used to go to a Jammison's Movie House whose demographics were uniformly African American and I quite enjoyed the active conversation between the audience and the film. Some very funny and raunchy things were said. But I only did that with movies I didn't care about seeing much. If I wanted to actually watch the movie I went to another theater.

 

[Chet]

Re: No Go.

Now I hate people like me (back then).

Agreed!

 

[NHPlanner]

Re: No Go.

I gave up on the movies 10 years ago.

So does this mean you won't be first in line for Bowling for Columbine?

 

[el Guapo]

Me and Mr. Commie Pinko Bastard (AKA Michael Moore) do not see eye to eye on much.

 

[Chet]

Me and Mr. Commie Pinko Bastard (AKA Michael Moore) do not see eye to eye on much.

Yeah, I almost puked during his keynote at APA's national conference (I think it was San Diego in '96).

J*sus X-mas, get over it already. Your schtick has had its 15 minutes, now move over.

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

I guess my next most hated choice is cell-phones. But I hate people who talk on cell-phones in public in general, not just in theaters.

These are the a-holes that cut you off in traffic because they were blabbing on the phone while driving. Beethoven would roll over in his grave knowing some yuppiefied, SUV driving, latte sipping gasbag had a cellphone that played one of his scores.

I also hate people who talk on cell phones while they are pushing a shopping cart. I see it all the time, blabbing and shopping like were supposed to be impressed or something. Do these people have any idea what utter fools they look like?

Let's face it: If these cell-phone yapping idiots drive-shop-walk-eat, etc while they're chatting on the phone, then I guess it should be no surprise that they would take that annoying trait into the theater as well.

 

[Planderella]

Cell Phone Hijack

There's this idiot person in my office that likes to conduct her business on her cell phone. That's fine and dandy......it's on her company's dime, not mine, so I could care less. BUT, what gets my goat is that she walks up and down the hallway blabbering on the phone, while stopping in front of my office door for a few brief moments. It's taken all the power in me not to jump up and slap the p*ss out of her for annoying me for annoying me to no end.

 

[Dan]

I guess my next most hated choice is cell-phones. But I hate people who talk on cell-phones in public in general, not just in theaters.

Once again, I say it's far, far worse here in Orlando's western suburbs ... where every Bubba, Jim Bob and Beauregard works in the building trades, and they all have a Nextel dangling from their belts, 24-7.

Yuppers, we're talking Direct Connect at the West Oaks 12, and NOBODY CARES. Yeah, they get mad at yuppies with cell phones, but if it's Randy Bob talking about drywall, and you can clearly hear the other end of the conversation, nobody gives it a second thought. "BLEEEEEEP!!! Yeah, Jake ... I'm just at the West Oaks with the 'ol lady, watching Big Fat Greek Wedding. Get the bobcat from Sunbelt Rentals yet? BLEEEEEP!!!"

 

[nerudite]

Planderella... thanks for the all of the above option. I guess I'm too easily annoyed these days (must be the cold weather coming on)...

Here are the ones I really hate though:
People talking during movie
Cell phones
Unsupervised kids (mostly because they talk during movies or get up in groups and go to the washroom, snackbar, etc a dozen times during a flick)
People making loud chewing, slurping noises during movie
Ads before previews - e.g. Hollywood.com (although, I still find the Canadian Navy ads amusing... they have a navy???? )
Dirty seats, floors, etc.

And I'll add: Forgetting to close the main doors (happens a lot), and the projectionist not paying attention to the movie focus/vertical centering/etc... sometimes I think it would go the whole movie out of focus if I didn't get up and complain/whine/bitch.

 

[nerudite]

Re: No bar!

Just kidding. Not really.

A few years a ago (okay maybe 10) I went to see Crimes and Misdemeanors with 2 friends. We snuck an entire case of Miller High Life glass bottles in our coats. We sat near the back. Every few minutes you'd hear the "psssht" of the twist off caps. About 2/3 into the movie, I kicked over a few of the empty bottles. They rolled all the way to the front - but not quietly of course - roll roll roll *thunk* roll roll roll *thunk* roll roll roll *thunk*.... followed by three drunks giggling uncontrollably.

If you are ever in Portland, OR... go to the McMennamins theatres... the serve ales and pizza at their theatres. Yum!

 

[nerudite]

I also hate people who talk on cell phones while they are pushing a shopping cart. I see it all the time, blabbing and shopping like were supposed to be impressed or something. Do these people have any idea what utter fools they look like?

I do this a lot... in fact I use my cellphone in the market more than any other place. I've gone from a single person to instant family of five literally over the course of single weekend when I moved up here. Despite trying to do meal planning, I often end up coordinating at the market over the cellphone regarding what we are cooking for dinner. Shopping for food and being prepared for roadside emergencies are the only reasons I even carry a cellphone half the time. So at least I can understand the shopping cellphone need.

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

I do this a lot... in fact I use my cellphone in the market more than any other place. I've gone from a single person to instant family of five literally over the course of single weekend when I moved up here. Despite trying to do meal planning, I often end up coordinating at the market over the cellphone regarding what we are cooking for dinner. Shopping for food and being prepared for roadside emergencies are the only reasons I even carry a cellphone half the time. So at least I can understand the shopping cellphone need.

There's nothing wrong with bringing a cell phone to the grocery store in case you forgot something. I even bring my cell phone to call my wife if I forget something or am not sure of an exact product she wants.

However, there's a difference between discretely calling your spouse in a quiet corner of a shopping aisle versus some a-hole walking right down the center of the aisle, pushing a cart, and blabbing incessantly about some inane, bullsh$t topic. (Hey gotta use up those 3000 Anytime minutes somehow!). Those are the people that I'm talking about: The grating, scenery-chewing gasbags that deliberately draw attention to themselves by spouting off an endless stream of utterly vacuous gossip right in the center of the store. I certainly hope you don't fit into that catagory.

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

Once again, I say it's far, far worse here in Orlando's western suburbs ... where every Bubba, Jim Bob and Beauregard works in the building trades, and they all have a Nextel dangling from their belts, 24-7.

Yuppers, we're talking Direct Connect at the West Oaks 12, and NOBODY CARES. Yeah, they get mad at yuppies with cell phones, but if it's Randy Bob talking about drywall, and you can clearly hear the other end of the conversation, nobody gives it a second thought. "BLEEEEEEP!!! Yeah, Jake ... I'm just at the West Oaks with the 'ol lady, watching Big Fat Greek Wedding. Get the bobcat from Sunbelt Rentals yet? BLEEEEEP!!!"

Your right, Dan. No other device has gone from being such a symbol of snobbery and elitism to one of such W. T. in so short a time as has the cell phone.

 

[Terraplan]

I have two more, experienced on a recent business trip to one of the smaller "cities" of South Africa, I have never experienced this anywhere else: -

1. Broken Seats in a New Cinema - mostly sloping to one side or rocking from side to side. I am not sure why, but it could have something to do with the traditionally overweight population in that part of the country.
2. Everyone applauds when something good / funny / notable happens - meaning you miss the next three to four lines
   [/list=1]

 

[Wannaplan?]

Reverse Hijack!

True confession.

I can't see scary movies anymore. I saw Signs, Red Dragon, and The Ring all in the past two months. All very entertaining, though not high-brow by any means, but worth the $8.00 ticket price. My reactions to those movies were not similar to the ones of my fellow movie-goers in the audience.

It turned out that I, unintentionally, was the annoying one!

During Signs, when we first see the sillhoutte of the alien on top of the farm barn, I busted out laughing hysterically. I couldn't stop! Everyone looked at me and shushed me. My girlfriend was mortified. The dang thing looked like a drunk & out-of-shape Spider-Man in a black lycra body suit! In Red Dragon, an early scene has Hannibal serving dinner to his house guests. It was a meat dish. I knew exactly what he was doing, and I started to laugh. I was the only one laughing! And in The Ring, there are so many cliche "scary movie" bits that are regurgitated from older movies, that things ended up being so ridiculous and not scary at all. Near the end, when Samara walks out of the TV, I again busted out laughing. The scene, as it played out, was so damn predictable, so obvious, that I could not help but laugh.

 

[Dan]

[*]Broken Seats in a New Cinema - mostly sloping to one side or rocking from side to side. I am not sure why, but it could have something to do with the traditionally overweight population in that part of the country.

Even in the collectively overweight US, I've never encountered broken seats at the movies ... whether it's a new suburban 30-plex or a delicate chair at a dine-in art theater.

I will say that the movie-going experience in the United States has., over the past ten years, gotten both better and worse.

What's gotten better?

Stadium seating
Large comfortable seats, including love seats in some theaters
Audiophile sound systems
"No taking" announcements, both on film and live
Distribution of independent and foreign films
Insulation between screens in multiplexes

Worse?

Concession prices
Cell phones
Commercials
That audiophile sound system is TOO DAMN LOUD!!!
Previews for movies that 1) won't premier for another year, or 2) give away the whole plot, including the ending

 

[kms]

I still go to the theater I went to when I was a kid. Small screen, small seats - some have been reupholstered, some need it. The same two guys still work there, twenty-five years later. Honestly, I don't know why the place hasn't been condemned. The building is about 100 years old; someone wrote an editorial about the condition, complaining that the rain fell into her lap while she was watching the movie! Never happened to me. They paint over the stained ceiling tiles instead of replacing them.

Why do I go? It's an independent theater, and they don't always show first run movies. But, the seat price is $3 and they show films that aren't popular enough for the chain theaters. They showed White Christmas during Christmas time a couple of years ago. Sadly, only 7 people were at the show I attended, so they won't get it again.

The floor there is so sticky; I think it's the Coke I spilled there in 1974! Lately, I've seen people there eating McDonald's food; they don't mind if you don't buy their concessions.

 

[nerudite]

There's nothing wrong with bringing a cell phone to the grocery store in case you forgot something. I even bring my cell phone to call my wife if I forget something or am not sure of an exact product she wants.

However, there's a difference between discretely calling your spouse in a quiet corner of a shopping aisle versus some a-hole walking right down the center of the aisle, pushing a cart, and blabbing incessantly about some inane, bullsh$t topic. (Hey gotta use up those 3000 Anytime minutes somehow!). Those are the people that I'm talking about: The grating, scenery-chewing gasbags that deliberately draw attention to themselves by spouting off an endless stream of utterly vacuous gossip right in the center of the store. I certainly hope you don't fit into that catagory.

Holy... the way you describe, I hope I don't fall into that category either. (Actually, I'm pretty sure I don't.)

 

[Downtown]

OT (sorry)
Last year my husband's rich uncle took us all to Atlantic City for New Years. I was running on the treadmill in the gym of our swanky hotel and this woman is walking next to me, in her designer running suit, diamonds on her ears, throat and wrist, talking loudly on her cell phone to her daughter in Hawaii about all the money they've won and lost. Finally the connection was dropped and she clicked the phone shut, turns to me and says "Not bad - 40 minutes and we were only disconnected once, from Hawaii". grrr.

 

[Habanero]

did you then unclip her safety belt and turn up her speed?



At the gym the other day- a woman had her cd player on, was reading a magazine, kept picking up her ringing cell phone, and then freaked when I changed the channel.

I should've offered her a piece of gum to see if that would throw her off balance-

 

[kms]

I saw a man riding a loud amusement park ride with his son, talking on the phone the whole time, and as they exited the ride. If the man is that important, maybe he should stay at work.

 

[Mastiff]

Grocery Stores

I have the best one yet...

I was in the grocery (this was when I was single... no live-in), trying to get the Saturday chores done in time to play with the kids and actually enjoy part of the day. Get to check-out, and it's jam packed. Wait in line for what seemed like eternity, and end up behind this woman with a cart full... and her phone rings.

No biggie. She's talking as the items are rung up... Then the cashier gives her the price, and she gets the "just a sec" finger in the air, and continues to talk.

Ten seconds. I begin to become irritated.

Thirty seconds. My turn. "Excuse me, but you're holding up the line, lady..." Again, the "one sec" finger, and continues to babble on about NOTHING. I mean, this lady wasn't EVEN winding down the conversation!

Sixty seconds. I take action. I grabbed the phone from her hand, said "she'll have to call you back" in to reciever, hung it up, and handed it back. You'd have though I slapped her in the face... She got in my face about her "important phone call" and yadda yadd, then I said, loudly, "Lady, YOU need to take a lesson in COMMON courtesy. The people BEHIND you have things to do today!" Aside from a few dirty looks, that was it from her.

Once she was out the door, everyone in ear shot started howling with laughter, with a few "way to go"s... And I swear a few of my groceries didn't get scanned...

 

[kms]

Another amusement park... I followed a lady talking on her phone into the ladies' room. I wound up in the stall beside her, while she still talked on the phone, repeating this important message, 3 or 4 times "And I got the chips and dip." all the while p**ing and f***ting. I was tempted to climb onto the toilet and look at her to let her know that if I could hear her "business" the person on the other end of the phone call most likely could, too.

Mastiff - Way to go!

 

[PlannerGirl]

GOLD STAR!!

damn i wish i had seen that!

 

[Downtown]

I saw a man riding a loud amusement park ride with his son, talking on the phone the whole time, and as they exited the ride. If the man is that important, maybe he should stay at work.

Similar vein - when we were visiting disney land last year, i couldn't believe how many kids were playing their game boys while they were walking around. Not even waiting in line, just walking through the park, totally ignoring their family. WTF!

 

[Mastiff]

GOLD STAR!!

damn i wish i had seen that!

Of course, someday... someone... is going to shoot me for pulling crap like that. I ever tell you guys the litterbug story?

 

[el Guapo]

I ever tell you guys the litterbug story?

No, but I'll bet it is Grand! Please share....

Has anyone seen these LED sparkle cell phones that look like a fist full of Disco Lights. Just when I thought the cell phone couldn't get any more intrusive. Next thing you know NexTel phones will trip you as you walk past the asshole using it.

 

[Mastiff]

No, but I'll bet it is Grand! Please share....

You see, I'm one of those people who simply cannot stand people littering. Call it a pet-peeve if you will, but I'm liable to say something to anyone I see dropping wrappers or cigarette butts, or whaterver... so... set the scene in Fayetteville, Ar. It's a pretty college town, and they do keep it nice and clean.

Well, I pull up behind this Lexus or BMW or some other "I'm bald but please screw me anyway" car at a light that had just changed. The guy has his window down, and just nonchalantly drops out a Burger King bag... Right on the street! So... being the good citizen I am, I slap the car into park, get out, grab the bag and fling it back into the open window. *PIFF* That nasty, greasy, ketchup stained trash went all OVER that car. That's when I noticed the guy was rather large and muscular.

Intimidated? Not me... (well, yes I was, but I wasn't going to show it.) I scream at him, "Keep you ***damned bag of **** in your 50 thousand dollar ****ing car until you find a trash can, ***hole! This street ain't your ****ing dumpster!

I got lucky and the light changed... I REALLY thought he was going to get out and pound me. Instead, he hurled back an invective or two and sped off. Like I said, someday my propensity for doing crap like that is going to get me hurt...

Next thing you know NexTel phones will trip you as you walk past the asshole using it.

No... I bet they make them so they fart when there's a crowd around.