Important concern

[Tony Brown]

When will somebody invent the 'silent' paper bag for people who insist on stuffing their faces with rubbish during a cinema outing. :angry:

 

I went to see "The Motorcycle Diaries" yesterday and nearly chinned somebody because they couldn't refrain from chomping all the way through the 1st hour.

 

Excellent film by the way, maybe not a cinematography treat, but definately not to be missed.

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

I would agree with you, other than that Odeon do the best fizzy cola bottles in the world. I tend to tear the top 3/4 of the bag off so it's possible to eat in near-silence.

 

A weakness.

 

Phil

[Rob Belics]

There are still idiots out there that shake those popcorn buckets while eating. After all these years you would think they would know better.

[John Pytlak RIP]

Popcorn buckets cost theatres more than paper bags, but they are usually quieter.

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

While we're grotesquely overanalysing this, I think part of the problem is the preposterous size of the bags that the cinemas provide, requiring you to reach cracklingly down to the bottom to retrieve your confection of choice. You'd need a shovel to fill one to anything like capacity, and a party of twelve famished fat people to get to the bottom of it afterwards. Obviously, they're hoping you'll put more in the bag if the bag's larger, but once you've exhibited the cockroach level of intelligence required to get past that, it's all rather annoying and pointless.

 

Phil

[Adam Frisch FSF]

I used to work in a cinema. And they made so much money from popcorn, fizzy drinks and candy that showing movies was just an easy way to get suckers to buy the grossly overpriced concessions. Multiplexes are really big candy stores that happen to show film on the side.

[Wendell_Greene]

I remember watching "Ridicule" on IFC which was followed by an interview with French Director Patrice Le Conte. Le Conte went on to relate how appalled he was watching American moviegoers during one of his films-- chomping on popcorn and making so much noise that it completely disrupted the experience.

 

Of course popcorn munching-bag/box- rattling is on my list of annoying movie pet peeves right after ringing cellphones, people who answer ringing cell phones and actually have conversations; people who talk to the screen, talk to each other, the person who's seen the film and has to telegraph the next scene to his friend or date by going "watch this part!" and the #1: parents who bring screaming infants/toddlers to the movies.

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

My viewing of "The Village" was utterly destroyed by this. I actually had to get up (on literally the tenth incident) and tell a couple of particularly irritating kids to shut the f- up or get out. They did, surprisingly.

 

Phil

[J. Lamar King IMPOSTOR]

I wonder why they chose to put Goobers in a plastic bag inside of a cardboard box? The box has a cutout in it so you can see that it indeed has Goobers in it. But that neccesitates the plastic bag so the Goobers won't fall out of said hole. That plastic has to be the loudest plastic in history. Why can't they use a solid box like you get with Junior Mints?

[Carlos M. Icaza]

Oddly enough, I got so irritated by munching movie goers, cell phone talkers, crying babies and noisy teen agers that I cursed and swore never to go to a theater ever again.

 

You would think I enjoy watching DVD's at the comfort of my own home, with my 5.1 THX ultra sorround, and flat screen, but it is not the same !!

 

So, given that a film experience is best experienced at a movie theater, I have actually done the following tidbits and solved most of the noisy issues.

 

I avoid going to the movies on opening weekend, unless it is with a bunch of friends and I am gonna go to enjoy the company of my friends and is a movie that I particularly don't care about, if it happens to be a movie I enjoyed I usually return to see it wholly by myself.

 

I also try to go to the movies at the last hour on Sunday night. When kids and everyone else have to return to work or school the next day.(obviously doesn't really work on summer break or xmas ) but I also go at odd hours during the week. Monday's right after lunch is pretty much empty. I can find a seat anywhere I like and really enjoy it as if I were home.

 

Also, I go to the theaters that don't have hangouts around them. Most theater chains are anchors at strip malls and have all sorts of hangounts for young people. I avoid them. I go to the usual old joints and art houses. Most people that go to those theaters are the older crowd running away as I am from popcorn/cell/kids/crying/testosterone laden movie goers.

 

My $.02.

 

C.-

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

I generally try to make time on a midweek afternoon. Haven't been able to do this much recently due to work committments (which is good) and because it's been the kiddies' school holidays.

 

Who'd want kids!

 

Phil

[Felipe Perez-Burchard]

Along the same path, but a bigger concern...

 

So with a) loud people (which as it has been pointed out can be avoided), B) dirty cinemas, c) scratched prints with old bulbs in the projectors and d)less than satisfactory sound reproduction (weather the surrounds are off or a speaker is blown or the level is too loud)...

 

do you guys think there has to be a new event to happen in cinema that will make audiences go to the screens rather than the cool, clean, at your own time, scratch free big widescreen tv, surround sound dvd home theatre environment?

 

As cinematographers, we know the value of watching the image projected, but most of my friends "don't" see the difference, and prefer the home.

 

However, looking at history, with the change to sound films and color films being done relitively quick, I don't think the digital theatre is as big a change (sound and color very much affect the end result, digital is just a different means of achieving the -relitively speaking- same thing).

 

Any thoughts?

 

-felipe.

[Alvin Pingol]

Straws and their accompanying tops that snap onto soda cups really make me angry. More than once I've accidentally pulled up (or pushed down) on the straw, only for it to create that ear-shattering "dying seal" noise that I, or anyone else, cannot stand.

 

Well, that and the fact that my local theatres charge 4 dollars for the same box of candy that I can purchase from the megamart for 99 cents...

 

Ugh!

[Brad Grimmett]

I was suprised recently to find that a theater I go to a lot (The Grove, Los Angeles) will allow you to bring a drink in if you want. I haven't tried to bring in my own popcorn yet, but I'll let you know how that works out. ;)

I'm one of THOSE PEOPLE who likes to have a drink and popcorn when I watch a movie. I'm not sure why, but maybe it's because the only place I ever eat popcorn is at the movies, and I love popcorn. Of course I'm VERY conscious to not make noise with the popcorn bag or the drink. I'm just as pissed off as anyone else when someone is making noise during a movie, so I'm very careful to not be "that noisy guy". Of course, on the other hand, if I have a call to answer, I answer it! I'm not going to let a stupid movie disrupt my social life! And I'm certainly NOT going to leave the theater and miss the movie! That's just silly! :lol:

[Bob Hayes]

I think the studios show add a feature to your DVD that lets you listen to popcorn eating, cell phone ringing, and talking at home. Maybe someone could even stand up and block the screen at key moments. :-)

[Ryan Puckett]

I heard they offer those DVDs at the fleamarket, 3 for $20... all the newest titles...

Don't think the studio has anything to do with it though :D

[Matt Pacini]

I don't think the popcorn bags are the problem, it's the attitude of the people!

I think it's the advent of the VCR/DVD that's ruined the theater experience.

 

I sat through about 15-20 minutes of a film once, with this guy behind me and over a couple seats literally speaking in full regular voice to his wife about what was going on in the film, and I turned around and said "you realize you're in a public place with people who have paid to watch this movie right? I mean, you know you're not at home on your couch watching a video, right?"

 

A few chuckles from some in the audience, but the guy did shut up.

I always feel like I'm on the verge of getting in a fight at times like this, because I get so pissed off I'm fantisizing about tossing my drink in someone's face.

 

A roomate of mine was watching a film, with two guys behind him talking almost non-stop, so he stood up and stayed there.

One of the guys said "hey, what the hell?" and he turned and said "if I don't get to hear the movie, then you don't get to see the movie".

The two guys got up and moved to the other side of the theater.

 

Sometimes I wish I had the fuzzy spheres to do that...

... But I don't, so I just never, ever go on opening weekends, and I try to go either to matinee's, or on Super Bowl or some other sporting even day (I hate sports!).

 

Matt Pacini

[DanStewart]

What works well is bottling up all that rage and then, after 10 or 20 years of ruined films, preferably with your wife and kids at a matinee, totally lose it, start screaming, and beat someone to a pulp.

 

If this happened more often people would think twice before answering that phone call.

[Rob Belics]

You'll like this.

[Andy O'Neil]

Rob, that article is something else.

 

i hate it when...

 

people chew their cinema treats like cud. They swirl the food around every cubic centimeter of their tongue with their mouth open. The saliva build up during this process intensifies the taste, i'm sure.

 

people provide their own commentary. For example, during "Batman" Michael Keaton says, "I'm Batman," then an audience member responds, "Oh, he's Batman." :blink:

 

people whisper, thinking no one can hear them.

 

someone i know is being obnoxious. that's a tough spot.

 

someone has a ridiculously long and annoying laugh. this can spoil the funniest of scenes.

 

the ushers check the exits during the movie.

 

an usher comes in mid movie to watch their favorite scene.

 

people arrive during the credits. it takes them about 67 seconds to settle down and be quiet.

 

when people think that if there is no dialogue that nothing is happening, making it acceptable for them to talk

 

a rat scurries across my feet.

 

i can hear the reverberating sounds from adjacent theaters or thunderstorm outside.

 

cell phones ring or clocks beep indicating a new hour.

 

some poor soul has a cold and sneezes, coughs, clears throat, sniffs, etc throughout entire movie.

 

children are crying, talking, or are simply there.

 

people applaud.

 

after the previews, the film is getting ready to start, and the curtains expand slightly and the audience perceives this as an accident as if the curtains had been neglected during the trailers.

 

and finally, i hate it when i have to go to the bathroom during the movie.

[Michael Nash]

Oh, you forgot the best one...

 

The guy behind you had a Chimichanga for dinner and wafts a big, stinky Mexican food belch past your head every 15 minutes! Happened to me during "Judge Dred" some years back.

[DanStewart]

Are you sure that wasn't just the movie?

(Apologies to Danny Cannon, but CSI is doing just fine so he can take it I'm sure)

[J. Lamar King IMPOSTOR]

The flip side to all this is a few times I've heard people yell out things that were very funny. I went to see "Coming to America" with a friend who usually isn't prone to any sort of outburst, when the Paramount logo came up he suddenly yelled very loudly, "Anybody ever notice that mountain keeps on a lookin' better and a better?" Of course that's the movie that they flew over the logo and that is where Eddie Murphy's character lived. It got a huge laugh from the audience. I thought he was going to get pelted with Milk Duds.

 

The funniest thing I've ever seen in a theatre though was a packed house for the opening night of some flick. The lights went down and a trailer started that had some spooky music, the camera was panning to reveal something awful and the sound effects were building up tension to a crescendo, the audience caught in high nail biting suspense and then....nothing. The projector stopped suddenly along with the sound and the house lights flicked on full brightness. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop and a guy in the front row stood up turned around and said in a very good Vincent Price voice, "Well, I guess you're all wondering why I've asked you here this evening." It was so funny, everyone was laughing then of course some theatre workers came in and wondered why we were laughing instead of exiting the theater because actually the fire alarm had been tripped.

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

> when people think that if there is no dialogue that nothing is happening, making

> it acceptable for them to talk

 

Or, worse, it's an action movie, or a thriller, and when there is dialogue, all the fourteen-year-olds' chocolate-and-cola fuelled goldfishlike attention spans immediately cause them to get bored, and start talking. This even happened during "The Village." I mean, what? "The Village." It's not going to be an action movie, kids.

 

But between this and the no-dialogue chatter, you might as well buy a portable DVD player and go watch on the concourse of a busy railway station.

 

Phil

[Carlos M. Icaza]

Phil,

 

HA !!! Even then, I was on a flight to Florida and I took couple of movies to watch on my laptop. I picked Minority Report because the in flight movie was (as usual) horrible. I think it was The Wedding Planner with JLo. Regardless, the person next to me was ogling over my shoulders and kept making comments about the movie, and even while I had my headphones, proceeded to ask me if such a part had already passed. Jeeez.

 

C.-