Latecomers to screenings and other cinema nuisances

[Beate]

Why do people put their feet up on the seat in front and proceed to talk through the entire film, even when shushed repeatedly? Why do people have a phone conversation during a film? Why does no one have any manners anymore? It's getting to the stage where I don't even want to go to a big cinema anymore, as people just do NOT know how to behave at all anymore. It's shocking and disgraceful.

[McG]

Why do people put their feet up on the seat in front and proceed to talk through the entire film, even when shushed repeatedly? Why do people have a phone conversation during a film? Why does no one have any manners anymore? It's getting to the stage where I don't even want to go to a big cinema anymore, as people just do NOT know how to behave at all anymore. It's shocking and disgraceful.

Totally agree, Beate!
I have taken to telling people how to behave . . . if I am in a row where folk have their feet up over the seats in front, i ask them to take them down. To date, no-one has refused though if looks could kill, I'd be dead!
If phones are on anywhere I can see, I use my best stage whisper and tell them to put them off. Again, no-one has refused to do so.
Maybe we just all have to start being assertive and not just sit fizzing mad in our seats!
Particularly if they are young(ish) I always think that maybe no-one has actually told them what is unacceptable as they seem to act as though the world revolves round them . . . so I will "teach them!"

[ejwrank]

Well we had a woman come in just as the film (I'm So Excited) was starting last night. She finds her friend (in front of us) and instead of whispering a couple of words and then being quiet, they proceed to have a long conversation. When I asked them to please stop talking, I was told "It's only the pictures--we can talk if we want." Now really what is the point of that? Why not go for a drink or dinner out if you want to talk. Who goes to the cinema to chat with a friend? Well I guess a lot of people do and they go to talk on their phones and text and put their feet up on the seats in front and to stuff their faces with enormous amounts of rubbish. Silly, stupid me -- I go to the cinema to watch a film.

[Beate]

How can one not love Helen Mirren?
http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/06/helen-mir ... n-3713903/

Long live the Queen!

[SocialFlutterBy]

How can one not love Helen Mirren?
http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/06/helen-mir ... n-3713903/

Long live the Queen!

Quite right too

[stuartboy]

Farting! Need I say more?

Absolutely stinking bad-breath, with which I had to put up yesterday in a packed screening of Lincoln. This was so bad that certainly for the first 30 minutes or so I actually confused with the above, before realising that it was coming at very regular intervals, from behind me and cleared almost instantly, so if I timed my breathing right I could almost miss a gust. I was nearly about at the stage of vomiting it was so bad. What can one do? You can't complain, can't request someone to desist and can't for that matter accurately identify the culprit easily. (Much like point 1 above!)

[steve9872]

I just came across this, don't read if you're eating.
http://notalwaysright.com/the-day-just- ... appy/41190

[Joelang92]

The past couple screenings I've been to, some people have decided that the quiet parts in the film are for either a loud recap of what has happened or to just have a general chat. And not quietly either.

[vw182]

It's the phone light that irritates me the most, and people constantly texting! That bright light of death literally kills any ambience the film is trying to portray. It's normally less than 2 hours for a film, and you can't leave your phone for that long?! Theres something wrong here! Okay rant over thanks!

[ClareBarr]

I'm posting this as a warning to people who ask others in the cinema to stop talking. Yes it is very annoying, but sometimes not worth saying anything. Here goes...

Saw a film at Vue tonight with my boyfriend & 2 of our friends. Literally everyone in the cinema was talking (& there weren't even that many people in there). Yes it was annoying, but we were able to hear the film despite this so it wasn't too annoying.

Then about half hour into the film, 3 people came in late. Phone lights on to find seats, & once they found their seats they proceeded to talk really loudly, constantly, & check phone messages etc. We could hear their whole conversation, across the aisle to us, & couldn't hear the film. It was obvious they were not going to stop talking, & they seemed to have no interest in watching the film.

My boyfriend politely asked them to stop talking - he got sworn at, & the talking carried on. Annoyed that they'd been so rude to my boyfriend, I left the screen & found a member of staff & complained to him, who said he'd be in shortly to talk to the group. When I returned to the screen a few minutes later, my boyfriend stood up & told me he'd had enough & was going home (the abuse towards him had continued while I'd gone).

The member of staff came in & talked to the 3 girls. They refused to leave, raised their voices & threatened me - among other things, saying they were going to beat me up when I left the cinema. I won't repeat to you some of the other things they said to me.

Another member of staff came in - the group still refused to leave & continued shouting abuse at me, as they knew it was me who had made the complaint.

At this point, shaking, I turned to my friends & said I'm going to leave, as I'm being threatened. They came with me.

Rather than leaving the building, I thought I'd be safer staying inside (with CCTV / members of staff around!). We went to the popcorn / tickets counter, to be around other people. A few seconds after, the other 2 members of staff had managed to get the 3 girls to leave the screen. I could hear their voices behind me - more verbal abuse. I ignored them & kept my back to them. I told a member of staff there that we'd walked out of a film, are being threatened, & don't feel safe to leave the building.

Another staff member asked me & my friends to follow her up the escalator to the next floor up - to get us away from the situation & to safety. I didn't turn around but I heard the 3 girls' voices - they were on the escalator, following us up. I didn't see what happened next (I just kept walking)-but apparently another staff member quickly joined us all on the escalator & managed to stop the girls. All the staff who'd dealt with this group were also getting shouted at & abuse throughout.

Once my friends & I were feeling safer, in a locked staff room, cinema staff called police who came & took our statements. 

The cinema staff were brilliant throughout. Then they called us a cab, & the 2 cops walked us to our cab outside.

I'm posting this in the hope it may help someone else. I realise that, by & large, people are good, & I know that this is thankfully a rare occurrence. But I just wanted to warn people of the worse case scenario.

Clare x