Here's a picture of a guy walking in front of the screen during the "kill the cat" scene at the beginning of the recent movie "The Book of Eli". Perhaps this is a pretty good time to have someone walk in front of the screen?The Traverse City, MI State Theatre has a stated policy: "anyone who pulls out a cell phone or blackberry is banned for life". But the other theatres I've been to tell you this, and don't seem to enforce it. Never mind the 3-D wonders of "Avatar": when I went to see it, there was some important (self-important?) businessman jawing away on his blackberry during part of the movie.
Other annoyances are obvious. My local commercial chain shows bits and pieces of music videos before the movies, hosted by some grinning guy who looks like Lee Harvey from the "Drew Carey Show". I don't mind commercials at the beginning so much if they are something special and never shown on TV. And if they show them, why show them sometimes 5 times in a row? The trailers for other movies aren't a problem for me: I usually enjoy those.
One problem of the past is the blurred movie. A lot of people yelling FOCUS, and after a while, one or two guys leave to find a manager. Must be someone asleep in the projector booth. This isn't so bad now that all of the theatres are digital. But still remaining is the bad theatre in the multiplex. As in, "I hope the movie isn't on screen #6. The sound is always bad there."
So, what are your big theatre annoyances?
Click here for someone else's list.
14 comments:
I hate it when there are lots of empty seats and yet someone tall elects to sit directly in front of me, blocking my view. If I do have to sit right in front of someone, I make sure I'm not ruining their view of the screen.
And also people who talk or eat loudly during the movie.
I hate the generic look and feel to the multiplexes. But here in our town of Silverton we have The Palace Theater, with sheer drapes that still close over the last ad/preview and then open to the main feature like ta-Da!. The most interesting thing about The Palace, however, is owner Stu Rasmussen, the first transgender mayor in the U.S. We always wonder how he will be dressed (frequently according to the film showing) when he takes tickets at the door!
I've probably said this before, but I used to work in several movie theaters, and it used to be my job to walk the theater and make people either behave or leave. And it just really bothers me when people aren't doing what they are supposed to do, both the annoying people in the theater, and the people who work there who aren't walking the theater and dealing with the problems.
Last week there were people putting their feet up on the seats in front of them, and that was where we ended up sitting. So they moved their feet. And then someone joined them, and he put his feet up on the seat next to me.
Okay, you are supposed to act like adults, and you should know that you are not allowed to put your feet up on the seat, even if there isn't anyone setting in the seat, even if you are the only customer and have the whole theater to yourself. The seat in front of you is not for your feet.
SOUND TOO LOUD!!!!! I don't know when this started, but it seems to be a feature of every movie theatre I've visited in the past decade or more, along with every (not many, admittedly) live music event. At my age, I should be complaining that the sound isn't loud ENOUGH, not that it hurts my ears so much I have to hold my hands over them. Do you have any insight into this, dmarks? Are theatre owners trying to drive audiences out? At home we can control the volume, thank you very much!
I have noticed the sound being much to loud during tests and private screenings, during which the theater is almost empty, but then the showings following that aren't as bad.
I think that the sound is fixed expecting a certain amount of people, and it just sounds louder when the theater is empty.
Secret: I guess the tall person probably liked the security of having you "At their back". !
Lydia: As long as he does not wear the drapes.
Laughing: The feet thing is a big no-no. I don't see that very often. It is probably worse up here in Ice Planet Hoth, where the feet will drip cold water and slush.
PJ: I generally don't find the movie theatres too loud, but I find almost all live music events to be way too loud.
I'm not over the whole "kill the cat" thing. What is up with that?
I'm annoyed to hear that this asshat decided to get up at the "kill the cat scene", but then I'm not too happy about the whole "kill the cat scene" in the first place. I am torn.
All I know is that the "kill the cat" venture was successful, because the hero later in the movie is extolling the virtues of cat-oil as a replacement for Chapstick.
Never fails at the local multiplex: sound, usually explosions and sirens, from the action movie next door drone out the spoken dialogue.
Post: You are so right. So many times I've been been watching the movie during a quiet moment, and it sounds like Pershing tank battles in WW2 coming from one or both of the side walls of the theatre.
I'm thinking, "Gee, what planet are they blowing up on THAT screen?"
And when you leave the movie and look at what's on the other screens, and it's "The Notebook" or the latest Sandra Bullock movie, you wonder what was going on.
I tend to have a pretty high tolernance for noise and distractions and I partly go to the theater for that experience of hearing other people's reactions and feeling that energy around me.
However, yeah, some people are just rude. There is a difference between enjoying the movie with a few comments and getting on your phone and jawing away for everyone to hear.
I hate it when people bring young kids or babies into movies that are WAY too mature for them. Then they just stay in their seats while their kid is either crying or making annoying noises because they're bored. That's why they have DVD's - so you cna stay home with your kid and watch a movie.
I cant stand when people talk through movies. I wear hearing aids, so it makes it worse!
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