I'm sure nobody here ever does this but I would like to say this to all those casual movies goers in the world, SHUT UP!. Yesterday I took my youngest daughter to see Return of the King. I figured, correctly, that at the 10:30 am show on Super Bowl Sunday, there wouldn't be too many people. When we arrived a half hour early for the show we were the only people in the theatre. As usual we sat about 1/3 of the way up, in the center. By show time about 30 people had wandered in. One family, two "adults" and a couple of younger kids, maybe 12, sat directly behind us, even though there were PLENTY of other seats. The kids were fine, I did't hear a pear out of either of them. The "adults" though talked the entire movie. Not as loudly as some I've heard but enough to act as a distraction. To add insult to injury Mom had to take it upon herself to read aloud every time a character spoke Elvish or Orcish and there was subtitles. What, does she think her kids, or maybe her husband can't read? Why spend $20 bucks taking the family to the movies then talk to each other the whole time? Do I have to wait until the movie comes out on DVD to watch it uniterupted?

I'm sorry for my ranting but this is a pet peave of mine. I'm normally too shy, or polite, to tell such boors to shut up in person, so I'm doing it here.

its one of my pet hates too rodger, the first time i went to see return of the king, (being a huge fan), there was a very irritating woman in front of me who spent the first 3rd of the film moaning about how expensive the bloody popcorn was.

she seemed to get the message when i told her if she didnt shut up id drown her in her coke though! #:-)

cheers

joe

Heh heh - I'm with you! I hate going to my favorite Sci-Fi movies (Star Trek and Star Wars) because you invariably get surrounded by mega-geeks who feel their commentary is what you paid the admission for - not the dialogue on-screen.

What's really bad is they often have questionable grooming habits and never quite get any of their commentary right...

My wife and I have been known to kick or push chairs in front of us - or summon the Usher without delay - geeks be warned!

Gunnie

I heard or read somewhere that theaters are starting to have special showings for people with young children. The parents who wouldn't get to see the movie otherwise get to go out with their children, and everyone knows what to expect. Bunch of perents, and a bunch of young kids. I think that is great.
That said, the people over age 15 who start talking during the movie I paid $9.00 to see, (even talk on cell phones) will the the third group up against the wall when the "Great Keenan War of Retribution" starts.

Thanks for touching a nerve...

Shaun

Yeah - I hate the "cell phone" thing too! It's like - "HEY - I have a cell phone!" to show off. There's only 1000 other cell phones in a packed theatre.

I've noted in the past these offenders are usually teenie-boppers or mid-20 to mid-30 males who can't afford the hot cars to attract women...

Gunnie

(I can't believe how easily you all got me raving this morning!)

I went to see Gods And Generals when it first came out. There was a woman behind us that moaned everytime somebody was shot or killed. Needless to say it lasted the entire movie.

dont they have those adverts in US cinemas before the film about mobile phones?

if your phone rings you get kicked out here

cheers


joe

They do - but they get paid as much attention as Speed Limit signs in California receive...

Gunnie

Usher? You still have those? The closest we have here is the kid who passes the give to the charity or you'll look like a cheap bas....

the closest ticket taker at the local Showcase is, if you're lucky, about a hundred yards away.

Ushers - those markedly uninterested young people standing around in the theater looking like their only wish in life is to be somewhere other than where they are at that moment. They often get punished for having these thoughts of "liberation" - and sometimes are made to wear gaudy and loud-colored vests and matching pant colors to stand apart from other common moviegoer folks...

Gunnie

Yeah, being a movie theater usher has be one of those dream jobs until you actually get hired.
First thought, "Wow, I'll get to see all the movies for free."
Second thought, "Wow, I can hit on the babes that come to movie in packs without boyfriends."
Get hired...
First thought, "Man, I have to dress like a dufus and all the girls are snickering at me."
Second thought, "This movie really sucked the first time I saw it."
Last thought, "I quit."

Shaun

While we're ranting - how's about the dang sticky floors?!? Why can't people hold on to their drinks and then (gasp) throw them away when the movie ends? Is it asking too much?

Gunnie

Pray it's soda! #:-)

Ewwwwwww!

Gunnie :-)

Darn right! Believe me if I could carry out my trash, on the way to the restroom after seeing a 3 and a half hour movie after a medium sized soda and pop corn, anybody should be able to.





I am NOT going there.

I just thought of another - those with extra-large craniums and boffo hairdoos!

My wife is a squirt. Squirt = 5 feet and some millimeters (forgive me for mixing measurement systems ) tall and I love her. It always seems that you get a good seat in the theatre - only to lose the view at the last minute by someone with either "big hair" or a "huge nugget" on top of their shoulders. They even will look back at you before sitting down - perhaps to ensure they're blocking your view. She's a magnet for these types. We always play musical chairs when we go to the show.

I guess those cursed with super-skulls can't help it - but man - those with the "fros" need to tame those locks!

Gunnie

Gee, you guys must be getting old and cranky! I remember going to the matinee as a young kid (the days when you could be safely left-off to give your parents a few hours of peace) and running up and down the aisles, frequent bathroom trips, and throwing the odd piece of popcorn at the kid a few seats ahead.

But, now I do get annoyed when people behave as we did!

Worst place for noise in the theater; my last two trips to Israel I have gone to see a movie and the place was a zoo. Everyone got at least two calls on the cell phone, young people going nuts, and worst of all they always have an intermission no matter how long the movie. It usually happens during a dramatic or intense action scene. The lights come on, everyone goes for a smoke, and then at some random time the movie starts 'somewhere' near where it left off.

Oh, the assigned seats are great too. Love to see people argue over who is sitting in 'their' seat and what number is on their ticket.

Steve

Sometimes the adults are worse then the kids. Its almost shameful. I don't mean that in a mean way, its just that they should be the ones setting the example.

~Chip :-)

You all mentioned most of the very annoying offenses already but there's one more that gets me. Even worse, it gets the missus even worse...women (and why not men) who wear too much perfume. A little is ok but when they have poured a gallon over them it reeks so far that the people in the immediate vicinity begin to tear or lose their consciousness.

A screening of Fellowship of the Ring was totally ruined for us because my girlfriend got an allergic reaction due to a lady whose family probably doesn't have any sense of smell by now. That fume posse also liked to talk during the film. I swear that I'd rather go to the tear gas hut again for a moment than suffer from someone's obnoxious odours at a movie or in a crowded bus.

WOW...I so rarely go to movies that I had almost forgotten about all the crap. Today, I treated myself to 2 flics. Lucky for me they both had been out for a while and I caught matinees. One flic only had 10 people in theatre the other about 30 -45, so no major yakity yakers. The past couple of years whenever I've gone it's been with my sister who I describe as the "mean 'un" by God she'll tell you to shut the hell up if you rile her enough. me, I just causually spill my soda on really obnoxious folks