I am an absolute thinker and someone who is highly intolerant of audience members talking during movies. Unfortunately this has led to me thinking, “Since people can’t keep their fucking mouths shut, and I end up looking like a bitch, I guess I can’t go to the movies anymore”. I don’t want this to be the case; I rarely leave the house except to go to work and since I was a kid, the movies have been an important ritual for me and my father, with whom I now live.
I will definitely say something when it comes to cell phone use; that’s a dealbreaker. But I guess I realize I should be able to tolerate whispers if they are low enough that I can’t hear the words. I also realize that my attitude (yes, you may go to the movies with someone but it’s essentially you and the movie until it’s done, and then you discuss it) is not shared by everyone. And it depends on the seriousness of the movie to some extent.
So, has anyone found a way to become at peace with this? (Maybe if I give myself a pep talk before I go in, a mantra of some kind.) Or do I give up and wait for movies to come out on on-demand/Netflix/amazon?
My solution is Cinebarre. It’s a movie theater converted for dinner and alcohol service at the same time.
The first advantage is that you have to be 21+ to enter. No kids! No texting! This was especially nice when I wanted to watch the Harry Potter movies.
The second advantage is that they’ve removed half the rows of seats to make room for tables and wait staff. That means the annoying whisperer behind you is twice as far away.
You don’t have to order any food - though I like the food, and I’m now spoiled by the ability to have a Guinness with my movie - but someone like you might be distracted by some of the ordering and food delivery activity going on around you. On the other hand, there’s no giggling kids texting, so it doesn’t bother me.
Cinebarre itself is limited to the Pacific Northwest, so you might have to look around for something similar in your area.
I see people complaining about noise in the movie theater all the time, and I’m kind of perplexed. Maybe it’s because of the area I live in (people are generally polite around here) or because I don’t go to a ton of teen-friendly movies; but it’s very rare when I encounter talking or texting after the movie has started. Guess I’ve just been lucky.
Maybe start out by watching movies at home with somebody, and make a point to say something now and then. For some reason when I am home with my husband, I will actually speak up a handful of times to comment on a movie while it’s happening. Nothing long or involved (especially nothing that interrupts dialogue). Perhaps getting used to someone speaking during a movie will help be the first step to reintroducing movie theatres.
Also, I find going on matinee night (the theater around here has half-price tuesdays) at a later hour cuts out a lot of people. I haven’t had any trouble with noises, texting, etc during a show at these times. People whisper and giggle during the previews but they’ve all shut up when the lights go down entirely. Maybe our theatergoers are just nicer here.
I do think you may be missing out on the “theater experience” which to me is not merely a big screen and great surround, but feeling as one with the audience. I remember going to see Star Trek Into Darkness, and the entire theater would gasp at the same time, cheer at the same time, and laugh at the same time. To realize that everyone else was getting such enjoyment out of the movie heightened my enjoyment. I wouldn’t want them to be silent. However, it takes an engrossing movie with an invested audience to get this sort of reaction. Not all will pay off in such a way. If you do not like this sort of thing at all, then maybe theaters are not for you.
I hear that the Oculus Rift - a virtual reality headset - creates an amazing theater environment for you to watch movies in. Maybe when that comes out for consumer use you can buy one, pop on your favorite noise-canceling headphones, and watch a movie from the view of your own personal movie theater with nobody to interrupt.
Exactly. I typically attend weekend matinees, and I almost exclusively see movies that are dialogue-dependent, have no explosions, and could not reasonably described as “thrilling”. The only problems I ever experience with talking during the movie involve two little old ladies whispering to each other.
For the most part we are lucky too, and I know I am spoiled. OK, the little old couples will sometimes have to “whisper” to each other when they miss dialogue. It’s when there’s a constant conversation (even a very quiet one) – what are they talking about?! There isn’t even enough going on to comment on?! And what do they have to discuss afterward?!! OK, even I know that’s a level of obsession that’s unhealthy
Macca26, I totally don’t mind audible reactions, and I agree part of going to a movie is the shared experience in terms of reactions like laughter, scares, etc.
I don’t know, maybe it’s “these kids today” and having to immediately communicate everything that goes through one’s head? Only it’s not just kids. /grumpy old woman
I don’t feel so weird now - when I saw the videos of an Oculus Rift virtual theater I was like “wow, that’s great! But there’s no audience. I wonder if they could add one in so I could get that rush when an audience reacts to a movie”
Then I realized I was actually thinking of adding in a laugh track to my movie watching experience. Laugh tracks, the thing people make fun of for being in Scooby Doo and Home Improvement.
Perhaps you could try earplugs. They make all kinds now, and some block out different types of noises. It could be worth a try, as obviously they are not expensive.
Ok, I know I’ve suggested these before, but dammit, fire-flies are Annoying. On-Call means “no movie for you” and if you don’t trust your babysitter, then wait til it comes out on cable.
My wife and I see movies in the theater all the time. I mean all the time. Multiple times a week. And we rarely have a problem. And it’s not as if we live in some place where the people are exceptionally polite - we live in Chicago!
No, it’s a matter of timing.
We rarely see big, popular films on the weekend. We see those on weeknights. The weekend is for art films. That choice means that all the texters and chatterers are not around. Even then, we’ll wait to see the big films until the second or third week. On the other hand, if it is a big film, something huge like a Harry Potter film, we’ll endeavor to see it at a midnight showing with all the biggest fans. These people will take care of the people ruining their special night.
Also, on the rare occasions when someone was being a jerk, I can usually intimidate them. The absolute worst was a pair of suburban women who decided the movie theater was the perfect place to catch up on old times. The ignored all the people attempting to shush them until I got out of my seat and stood right in front of them, staring at them, and said in a loud voice “SHUT UP!”
I was applauded by the other audience members, and they stayed quiet for the rest of the film. I was helped by the fact that my wife, who loves me, describes me to people as “scary looking”. I’m sure these entitled bitches were in fear of their worthless lives.
It’s usually adults, not kids, who are the problem IME. There always seems to be one woman who thinks she knows what is going to happen next and needs to let the people around her hear just how perceptive she is. And she is almost always exactly wrong. It takes you right out of the movie. The best thing to do, if whoever it is won’t quiet down, is to go find a theater employee and demand that they speak to the person.
We usually go Fridays, early screening. Granted, few people have time to go then, but that is why it is pleasant to be there. Even the big new films rarely have a huge crowd at that time of day - at least here in Las Vegas.
I can’t imagine putting up with a Friday or Saturday night crowd - especially for some blockbuster.
The other option is just wait until it has been in the theater a few weeks - and while everyone else is running to the blockbuster du jour in theater 1, you are sauntering down to the film in theater 8 that has only been out for three weeks, but only 12 people are in the theater.
I agree with those that recommend going at off times / waiting for a film to have been out several weeks.
There is no way I will ever learn to tolerate bad behavior at the movies(I’ll likely land myself in jail before that)nor do I suspect will you. How does one learn to tolerate people robbing them of something they expect and pay to enjoy?
Yep, I’m with the above. I typically wait at least a week after the debut and go to a day-time matinee; my other trick is I leave Chicago proper and hit a theater in the suburbs. If it’s not a kids film, attendance will be low and the audience quiet.
Surprisingly, a huge percentage of our movie watching happens at AMC’s River East 21, a short walk from from Navy Pier. Should be hellish, right? Nope! The yammering bitches I mentioned in the earlier post? Cinemark’s Century 21 in Evanston.
You know, I can believe that. River East 21 seems to have one of the better-behaved Chicago audiences, perhaps because they get a lot of tourist traffic. I avoid Evanston at all cost - college kids. Old Orchard’s Garden Cinemas are good (and there’s a Cheesecake Factory out there), or Skokie’s Crown 18 - almost no one uses the 2nd floor parking garage, so my motorcycle is both covered and left alone (I’m not down with the rising trend of strangers sitting on people’s motorcycles!).
Heh. I went to the U of C and the theater in town there - whoa, with the talking to the movie! If it was a movie I really cared about, I’d take a bus downtown* where it was quieter.
*I’m forgetting the references – I mean to the Loop and surrounding area.
