Moviegoing rant....AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!

[vi5]

O.K. I don't get out to the movies all that much anymore. With an 18 month old daughter I'm sure my wife and I get out more than the average parents but still not as much as we used to since we are/were both avid moviegoers. At this point we maybe actually go to the theater to see a movie under 10 times a year.

So anyway 2 weeks ago I went to see 28 days later. Some woman had her young son with her (he couldn't have been older than 7) who sat there and asked questions and talked the entire movie. And she would answer him in full volume voice. UUUUUUUGH......

Then yesterday I went to see Freddy vs. Jason and this one couple was there with a 1 year old kid. A 1 YEAR OLD KID!!!! At Freddy vs. Jason!!! The kid was marching up and down the aisle and yelling and crying.

I guess all the other attendees share some culpability for not saying anything about it or gettting more pissed.

Add into this the fact that a small fountain soda cost me $3.50 and then the fact that they now have more commercials at the beginning of an hour and a half movie than they do for an hour tv show it seems.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

It's no wonder I'm a hermit.

[Bunny]

1. I rarely go to the movies,

but I agree that public behavior in general is dreadful. I don't like the movies because they are so DAMN LOUD!!!! On the few occasions where I do go, I take earplugs for me and my kids. I just can't take the noise, and I don't know why they have to be so loud. Probably to drown out all the screaming one-year-olds!

[sujan]

2. I believe in piracy

So going and paying to watch movies is totally unacceptable to me. :D

[Skittles]

3. I'm with you

do people need to be taught a class on how to behave at the movies? Is it that hard to sit still and BE F***ING QUIET? I'm appalled at what goes on. People with cell phones, with screaming kids; a guy behind me at Seabiscuit was SNORING - LOUDLY. And people, if you buy any f***ing candy, OPEN IT UP BEFORE THE MOVIE STARTS. Don't sit there trying to open it "quitely" for FIFTEEN F***ING MINUTES.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

[Dookus]

4. I share your anger....

I can't believe the ages of children I've seen at movies recently. Parents BRING these young'uns to unbelievably inappropriate films. Of course, the children are either a) scared out of their minds or b) bored and confused to the point where they keep asking questions or running up and down the aisle.

I swear, I'm just waiting for some city (I hope it's Vegas) to outlaw children altogether so us grownups can live our lives.

[supernova]

5. Yes, I don't know what's with

the babies in the R-rated movies. :shrug: That's just stupid in my opinion. And therapy waiting to happen. I mean, why bother to have a ratings system if people are just going to ignore it?

I'd see there's only about 10% of movies that warrant the big screen to me anymore, and yes the loudness is an issue.

I go to the theatre if there's something about the movie that needs the big screen. I wanted to see Finding Nemo for the texture. God that water looks real! And POTC, well

Johnny Depp+Tall Ships= :loveya:

[TlalocW]

6. My pet peeve too...

I'm all for movie theaters banning children under 5 from everything except G-rated movies. Not only are the "parents" who bring these kids into movies like The Incredible Hulk, Scream 3, Freddy Vs. Jason (all of which had kids in them when I went to see them - normally late at night past acceptable bedtimes) being rude to other movie goers, but loud noises can permanently damage the hearing of the little buggers - their senses are still developing. What's the point of even taking kids younger than 5 to movies anyway? The noise will be too loud, and they probably will experience nothing but flickering lights. The first two movies I remember seeing in a theater were Star Wars and 1941 when I was 5-6.

I think so many people who have kids don't realize that their lifestyles are supposed to change after you have kids - not just so I don't have to deal with them, but so they don't harm the kid's health. You may have to wait until the latest blockbuster is out on DVD so you don't subject your baby to loud noises; you want to go have a drink with some friends at a smoky bar and can't find a babysitter? Instead of putting the kid in one of those baby-carriers and letting it breathe secondhand smoke and be kept awake past its bedtime, you don't go. Want to go to a fancy restaurant? Plan ahead and get a babysitter. If you can afford a fancy restaurant, you can afford a babysitter.

Fortunately I've found if you give someone the hairy eyeball for 15 seconds - or on the rare occasion when that doesn't work say something - they'll take the squalling brat out or turn off their cell phone, etc. Of course, I've been bigger than the people I've done that too most of the time. When I'm not, I go get a manager. :)

TlalocW

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. I took both my boys to movies when they were under five...

but I was careful to select movies that were age-appropriate and that they'd most likely be interested in. If either got fidgety, I'd take them out of the theater before a whine-fest began. Usually, though not always, I've found the surrounding adults and teens more disruptive than any of the young kids.

[qb]

7. I admire my wife's guts

She once saw a woman with young children at a violent R-rated movie. My wife told her to take her children out of there or she'd call the police. The woman left.

[mrbill]

8. oh noooo, the movie police........

[CanuckAmok]

23. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I tripped a kid at the movies!

It was a group of five or six younger teens (13-15), and it was during Sling Blade (I figured the kids were being forced to go for some reason--they obviously had NO interest in the movie).

They were blabbing on cellphones and they kept getting up, and walking up the aisle into the lobby, and then back. So on one occasion, I hooked one of the annoying little pisher's leg with my foot, And BAMM! Down he went, to laughter an applause from the surrounding audience.

They all sat pretty much silently after that. }(

That was the best thing I've ever done.

[Dookus]

9. Good for your wife....

I saw 5-year olds at Far From Heaven, 4-year olds at Matrix Reloaded, and an infant at XXX.

I wish I had your wife's courage. These people are committing child abuse.

[CBHagman]

10. Somebody brought a small child to "Breaking the Waves" when I saw it.

Anyone who's familiar with that movie will know why no sane parent would bring a child to see that.

In addition, people act as though they are at home on their own couches. They take cell phone calls, converse during the film, get up and down from their seats, and so forth.

Fortunately, not everyone is that bad at the cinema, but there are enough of them to annoy the rest of us.

[LynneSin]

11. Ugh, I had talkers next to me when I saw "Seabiscuit" last night

It was an older couple who for some reason had not master the art of WHISPERING or the fact that we shouldn't speak during a movie.

There is no reason for anyone to talk during a movie unless you're announcing there is a fire (a real one), you're having a heart attack or there are brain eating zombies entering the theater.

Other than that:

SHUSH!!!

[kmla]

12. Gosh, I thought from the title of your post...

That you had paid full admission price to see "Gigli"!

:evilgrin:

[wellstone_democrat]

13. Fight Club and American X

Both were movies that were notable for the fact that there were loads of children with parents! I'm no prude but come on, there are films that require a bit of maturity to process.

In the showing of Fight Club, the manager came in asked a couple with an approximately 7 year old boy to leave because of his crying. he was obviously scared. His father scolding him for "being like a girl" all the way up the aisle.

It makes me very leery of going to the movies lately---I'm simplly amazed at the number of children in some of the rougher R rated films.

[sujan]

15. I had a friend

whose father had forced him to watch 'Faces of Death' when he was 10.

[Alenne]

14. Well I am beginning to think most people suck

I went to 4 movies last week. I didn't have a problem in only one. The first movie was SWAT. A group of old people didn't like how loud the movie was. So they complained the whole time. One even decided to yell at a guy who worked there while the movie was playing.

The second movie was 28 days later. Brittany, Christina and Jessica were in the audience. They thought it was so funny that their cell phone keep going off. After the fifth time people started yelling at them. They ended up leaving but not before they giggled and talked through half the movie.


The last movie was Freddy vs. Jason. Someone decided they should smoke during the whole movie. I would rather have obnoxious teens and unruly toddlers than have to breath cigarette smoke for 2 hours.

A lot of people are rude assholes.

[FlaGranny]

17. The last time I went to a movie

I noticed that we weren't the only ones who brought ear plugs because the movies are so loud. I haven't run into much trouble with kids running around or screaming or too much talking either. Just lucky I guess. I WOULD like to point out that one time we had to move because we got next to someone who smelled like a garlic patch, and another time when someone had had too many beans. We might have to take earplugs AND a respirator next time.

I know my hearing is not what it was when I was 20, but I can hear movies perfectly clearly while wearing earplugs that are sufficient for the pistol target range. Why do they make them so loud? Are all the youngsters deaf from listening to ear-shattering music?

[LynneSin]

18. I've had a smoker removed from the theater

The movie sucked anyways so I went out and got the theater manager. He even gave me free tickets for the inconvience of leaving to get him.

[Bossy Monkey]

19. Avid movie fan? 18-month daughter? Join Netflix

My girlfriend is very happy with it. Many DUers are, too. Sounds like a good fit to me.

[Heddi]

20. When the Exorcist was re-released a few years ago

my husband and I went to see it.

Like you, we RARELY go to movies. Between kids at inappropriate movies, groups of teens chatting (loudly) through movies, and just plain rude people talking on their cellphones, IN ADDITION to having to shell out $10 PLUS $250 for popcorn and a drink..... :oi vey:

So anyways---we went to see The Exorcist. It was a late-night showing on like a tuesday or something---we wanted there to be AS FEW PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE---which there weren't that many people there---

BUT---there was a woman there, with her child that was under 7, a child that was under 5, and an infant child.

So, of course, the Exorcist isn't *really* a movie that a child would understand or should see in a movie theater---but obviously that didn't bother her.

See, during the whole movie her kids screamed and cried. They were hellatious. Got the manager, who said "what can we do? She paid for the ticket just like you did".....

These kids were TERRIFIED...howling---I don't blame them......

So of course, 10 minutes before the ending, she got up and left---people CLAPPED when she walked out of the theater.

---

When I was younger, there was a Nightmare on Elm St 2 or 3 & Texas Chainsaw Massacre double feature playing at the theater. I was about 15 or so, and I went with my mom, and her friend went with us. Also, the friends 6 year old daughter was in tow (we didn't know she was coming until we got there and she was there).

This poor kid was SHITTING herself she was so scared. She was beyond crying. She was fucking SCARRED FOR LIFE. And the mom thought it was SO FUNNY.

After the movie, she couldn't even walk she was shaking so badly. Was unable to sleep by herself for MONTHS. Her mom kept telling her 'oh you know all that's make believe'.

I feel in both instances, the parents were subjecting their children to child abuse. No child should be forced to view such violence and gore if they don't want to, and no parent should be allowed to bring young children to movies like that, even if the parents are there with them.

There are some things that are NOT child-appropriate.

[TrogL]

21. Most people have given up on movie theatres

That's why people are buying home theatre systems - so they don't have to put up with the idiocy in theatres.

The only movies I go to are really loud ones like Matrix II, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings because I live in a 4th floor apartment and if I turn my theatre system up to performance volume, I'll probably break something like the roof or the foundation.

In my old house, I blew the seal on the front window watching Blue Thunder.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

22. Here's how I handle it

First and foremost, I don't go to see any movie that has been heavily advertised on TV, that has product tie-ins, that has a Roman numeral after it, that is a remake of a classic movie, or that is based on an old TV show. I also don't go to any movie that consists mainly of explosions and car chases. Going to such crappy movies only encourages brain-dead producers to finance more of them.

Somehow, Americans have developed a compulsion to see heavily advertised movies on the opening weekend. Don't do this. Wait and ask your friends if the movie is any good.

You avoid not only the crappy movies but also the idiots who feel that they are worthless as human beings if they don't see the blockbuster with tie-ins at McDonald's on the first weekend.

Second, I choose my movies carefully. Not all independent films are worthwhile. Way too many are about boring lowlifes who sit around chain-smoking and saying "fuck" a lot. But some of them are gems. Read the reviews.

Concentrate on foreign films. "The Whale Rider" and "Rabbit Proof Fence" are two recent examples of foreign films that have heart, soul, and stories that you've never seen before. Once again, some foreign films are crap, too, but the ones that make it here are usually at least watchable.

You'll find that the more intelligent the movie is, the less likely you are to have cell phone chattering high school students or whining grade school kids in the audience.