I love the experience of going to the movies and seeing stuff on the big screen but what in the hell is happening at the theaters nowadays? The friggin kids and teens who won't shut up nowadays with their flashing cell phones that look like pin ball machines on tilt. And then there's the commercials and junk. When the Minority Report came out two weeks ago or whatever I actually timed how long it took from the theater going dark to the movie actually starting and it came to THIRTY FIVE friggin minutes. Unbelievable! Yesterday we go to see MIB2 and it was a 27 minute wait for the movie to begin. This is becoming absurd! Okay I feel better...
when i went and saw Minority Report i was thinking "when the hell are the lights going to go out?" some people do make going to the movies to actually watch it suck. damn those people. damn me sometimes
I agree Timing. There were 7 commercials before MIB2 here in Austin. People whose cell phones go off in a movie should be immediately removed, if not worse. The worst movie theatre in the world in the AMC at Barton Creek Mall in Austin. Up to $6 for a matinee, and there's a grand total of 14 centimeters between rows.
Cell phone people are just plain inconsiderate. But the movies is one of the best places to get the kooch
Ever walk out of a theater to double check to make sure you're in the right one? I did at Metropolitan one time. The time listed was 10:35...movie didn't start until 11:05ish. I'm cool with with late starting movies but I'd like to know ahead of time so I don't show up 30 mins early.
It's better than early starting movies. I hate, absolutely hate missing the previews. I went to see Y Tu Mama Tambien yesterday, and it was supposed to start at 1:40, but it had already started when I got there at 1:35.
I haven't had too many problems with the previews, they usually take only 15 minutes and I don't mind 'em. I haven't really had to deal with too many cell phone people, and the one time there was this really noisy guy, everyone in the theater told him to "shut the f*** up", so it wasn't so bad
All I know is that I'm really looking forward to seeing Road to Perdition this friday and if I see one damn flashing cell phone I'm going to rip the arm off of my chair and go LAPD on someone.
I think they should be hung out front from the movie theatre sign, with signs on their bodies saying "Cell Phone use STRICTLY Prohibited" Is that too harsh you think?
I believe you're allowed as that falls under the "Stressful Situation" exemption of the Assault and Battery statutes. I haven't had that many problems with folks with cell phones in the theaters, but there have been a couple. I went to Men in Black II last week in Arkansas, though, and there was one of those screamin' babies. The mother didn't bother to take the petulent child outside, either. That was annoying. As for trailers before the movie, that's my favorite part of going to the movies. I don't mind waiting 20 to 30 minutes for the feature to begin so I can see some trailers.
It's gotten so bad at some places down here that they've had to bring out movie ushers before the movies and make an announcement about staying quiet and turning off all cell phones. Used to be simple - go into the movie, assume quiet, and enjoy the show. Not so anymore. MIB II had too many previews - the movie was supposed to start at 7:30, but didn't get underway until well after 8p. "Show the movie!" "This preview is hilarious (laughs), but I want them to show the movie!" "AAARGHHHHH! Show the movie!" -I think we should get Dad off the stage before he hurts someone... -I prefer to egg him on. Oh Dad, have they started the movie yet? -"AARGHHHHHHHHHH!" (takes shirt off) In come the ushers with giant KitKats and calm resumes...sorta.
the real problem rests in the rise of the multiplex... when i was a kid, they used to have security guards walk up and down the isle before the movie started, sometimes during the movie, too, telling you to take your feet off the seats, to stop talking, checking to see your ticket stub if you looked a little young for an r-rated movie, asking that you pull your pants back up.. wait, that's an entirely different movie going experience... anyway... these days, theaters have 35 screens at each location, so it's no longer realistic for theaters to employ enough guards on staff to patrol so many showings, and since theaters make their money not by showing movies but by selling popcorn, it's ten times more cost effective to have their staff of 16-year olds behind the concession counter and not in the theaters trying to prevent distracting behavior. plus, did i mention people were selfish and dumb? f-ing selfish and dumb? recently, i've greatly curtailed my visits to the theater. i mean, when people are bringing 4-year olds to see the excorcist, and the theater's not doing anything to stop it... it's a lost cause and we're all better off saving our $7's and using it to buy a kick-ass home system. f every single person who has ever done anything to ruin another person's moviegoing experience. may you be banished to an afterlife of having to watch TWISTER on a continuous loop.
During "Minority Report," some a-hole's cell phone went off. He had one of those phone rings that plays dippy music. AND THE WHOLE CRAPPY SONG PLAYED BEFORE HE FINALLY TURNED IT OFF. This was during a crucial part of the movie, too. What I can't stand is screaming babies/loud children at supposedly adult (R rated) films. Sure, when I went to see "Ice Age," I encountered hollering babies and squirmy, talkative children. I expected it since the intended target audience of the movie was young. However, if I'm watching something of a more mature nature, I don't want to hear a little girl say (loudly) something like: "Mommy, why is that man's insides coming out of his stomach?" If you're gonna see an R-rated movie, leave your friggin young'uns at home, for chrissake... I'm just glad I've sunk several thousands of dollars into my kickass home theater system (as Ric put it). Between the standard $10 Manhattan movie ticket, the incessant cell phones, the screaming children, the lack of good seats, the sold-out theaters (maybe it's just NYC), the $4 candy and the $5 soda, and the 3 hours of trailers for movies like "Speed 3," "Another Craptacular Teenage Slasher Ripoff Movie," and "Crocodile Hunter Goes to Afghanistan," I'm reaching the point where I'd just rather pay the $10 for the pirated bootleg off the street and watch the movie in the comfy confines of my home (with my kickass system).
I think that even if the theater were smaller, we'd probably not see "guards" patrolling the aisles. The movie theater I frequented in Fort Worth when I lived in Arlington had only three screens more than the movie theater I went to as a kid (9 vs. 6), but the Fort Worth theater didn't have any sort of ushers or guards roaming the individual theaters. It's probably just not cost effective to have your people doing that when they could be doing something else (or the theater can be getting by with fewer employees. For example, I don't think the Tinseltown in Plano has many more employees than that 9-screen UA theater in Fort Worth).
i dont own a cellphone i like previews more than the actual movie the majority of the time Y Tu Mama Tambien was a good movie i want to see road to perdition i want to see austin powers 3 despite alot of the people making appearences in it i want to find someone i enjoy going to the movies with who i can throw popcorn at i think i wouldnt mind not waking up tomarrow.
true conversation that was held at a recent movie i went to: Cell Phone: Ring Ring (to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel) Rude a-hole: "Hello." 2 second pause Rude a-hole: "I'm at the movies." 5 second pause Rude a-hole: (in a louder voice) "I'M AT THE MOVIES!" 5 second pause Rude a-hole: "It's ok, so what are you up to?" After that, everyone went crazy and one dude told her to shut the hell up or he'd kick her a$$!!! I seconded the motion and suddenly you hear rude a-hole: "I gotta go, bye!" sheesh, some people! this is why i am perceived as a mean guy, b/c i have to deal with idiots like this on a daily basis!
One of my good friends recently had the idea to create a device that she could sell to movie theaters that would send out signals throughout the theater that would automatically set all cell phones and pagers to the vibrate mode (assuming it has that mode, and most do these days). Posting signs around the theater indicating to the patrons what was happening would hopefully prevent people from having any legal grounds to sue (they probably would find a way, however). Still, I thought that was a great idea. Don't we pay money for our movie tickets so we won't HAVE to see commercials before a movie? I mean, if they are going to get bundles off of advertising before films, they sure as hell better start lowering the price of the tickets, rather than raising them.
