Brian Shannon

I respectfully disagree.

greg9x

Yes, but this is the theaters main source of revenue, they don't make very much off the ticket prices, especially the first couple weeks.

I agree with going at off times so there are fewer people... of course this doesn't always work. Went to Narnia the other day at 1 p.m. on a weekday.. me and friend were first in and got our seats, in come a mom and her ~9 yr old son (why he wasn't in school I don't know) and out of the whole theater to choose to sit of course they sit directly behind us (WTF... theres 100 other seats available, at least move down a few)... the son had to give running commentary about all the stuff he remembered from the book throughout the movie..
Yes it sucks, but some movies have to be seen on the big screen... just have to hope for a semi-decent crowd.

Rockmjd23

Umm, yeah, it's called a joke. Look into it.

gotrice487

Yup, I swore off of movies a while back, in fact the last movie that I watched in the theatres was I, Robot. And going back even further than that, the last movie I saw in the theatres before that was maybe Sweet Home Alabama?

Puzznic

I just go to the matinees and i never have any of these problems anymore. Just make sure you go early on a school day at a nice theater and you should be alright. Friday and Saturday nights are a zoo and i never go during that time anymore.

RayChuang

If they had more theaters like this I'd go out way more often! I believe that the next trend will be theaters with top-notch projection and sound systems built in smaller rooms and design specifically for smaller audiences, all sitting in very comfortable seating. The quality of concessions will be very high, for starters. With the arrival of holographic video disc technology that can store one terabyte of data on a single DVD-sized disc by 2007 and the rapid drop in theater-quality digital projectors, I can see by 2010 small luxury screening rooms using a single 2160-line progressive scan digital projector connected to a HVD player via a special ultra high-speed connector, with the whole projector setup costing almost the same as today's film projection units.

dadaluholla

I've been to the movies about 18 times this year (almost all on saturdays around 7:00pm) with many packed crowded theaters and have had no problems at all. Hope to go more in 2006!

SINGLE104

Basically, the consumers are presently getting these same elements, and advantages, with the standard DVD specifications, but will vastly improve whenever HD-DVD, or BluRay software eventually arrive in the near future.

Josh H

Go to matinees and you'll avoid most of the problems you note. If you work and can't make weekday matinees, the Saturday morning showings are usually pretty empty as well.

That said, I can block stuff out pretty well and don't get distracted easily, so I rarely get annoyed at the theater unless somone with in a few seats of me is the noisemaker.

mmconhea

Nothing beats:
-Seeing a funny comedy in a crowded theater. Nothing beats a live laugh track.
-Seeing a special effects juggernaut in a DLP theater with THX
-IMAX
-Theater popcorn drenched in butter, hot nachos, a large coke and the ability to throw it all on the floor when the movie is over.
-Dork movie opening night… Star wars and any comic book movie… people dress up, wait in line for hours to sit in a loud crowded theater will no seats. I love to catch another flick on these opening nights just to see who shows up. For the SpiderMan flicks, some overweight guy dressed as Spidey showed up for the whole week to take photos with people and entertain. One week into the second showing, the management finally realized the studio did not send this guy. Last time I saw him he was painted orange and bending a silver painted pool noodle outside the theater for the premier of Fantastic 4


What I have learned to avoid:
-Friday and Saturday nights- especially opening weekend.
-Midnight movies – too much trash going to see these shows. Too many hoodlums and some outbreaks of violence. Last one I was at there was a knife fight.
-Seeing a family film within the first 2 weeks… too many kids talking. I saw Finding Nemo opening weekend on a Sunday afternoon.- I almost punched a baby.
-Seeing regular films in the IMAX—has better sound but smaller screen… if not adapter for IMAX. If it’s playing in the IMAX theater, that doesn’t mean it’s in IMAX format.
-Kung –fu films opening night… way too many hot headed douche bags.
-Fast and the Furious type movie opening nights. Every ricer and every yellow painted civic in town will be there and after the movie they will all be peeling out of the parking lot. Try getting out alive.


How I make the experience better:
-My brother works for the theater. So he gives me heads up on what movies are playing in the DLP or on what size screen or what sound system.
-I make it a day. I get with a group and we start at 11:30 and skip theaters until the night crowd comes in.
-Take a day off from work and see a flick… you’ll be the only one there.
-See only the ones worth seeing.- I don’t believe all films are better on the big screen. I tend to just limit theater trips for Action, Sci-fi, special effect-heavy movies… and Jessica Alba’s boobies.
-My girl has a large purse and we love to run by the BK next door and fill it with BK fires and chicken tender crisps and eat those in the theater- lunch and a movie.
-I use a credit card on all purchases (tickets and snacks) and earn rewards on it all.
-If my brother is on staff, he’ll be a good guy and run to the snack bar for us during the film. It pays to have theater connections.

I don't mind going to the theater (we are lucky to have some nice ones around Rochester). Tickets cost $6 matinee and $7.50 regular
Popcorn and soda will run $13 for both large… not bad. One theater even has a full snack bar, with fries, chicken tenders, pizza- very good pricing. A large fries will run 2.95.

I don’t mind commercials- from what I hear it’s keeping theaters in business. Most of them are interesting on the first run. They do provide an extra buffer in there to get people seated and shut them up before the show. A lot of people complain, but I really don’t care. I’m usually digging into my BK at the time.

SINGLE104

You know what I would have done? reported the incident to management, who maintain the authority to call, and inform the law enforement of any illegal activities being perpetrated on their premises, and to take that idiot into custody. With this action taken place, it will drastically prevent him to disrupt, and the use of drugs in a movie theater, or any other public establishment ever again.

Then afterwards, requested a free admission for another showing of Kill Bill or a credit on the next movie of your choice as a compliment from management, for your inconvenience .

jeffkjoe

I'd say the rowdiest crowd that I ever sat in a movie with had to be

ROCKY II

and that actually made the film experience more enjoyable. Everyone cheered like crazy for Rocky, booed and yelled at Apollo Creed, and everyone went ballistic when you-know-who won the title.

I think the most bizarre experience that I had was seeing a mother bring her 2 or 3-year old daughter to

FRIDAY THE 13TH, PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD

and forcing her to sit through the movie.

Giles

the rowdiest crowd of this year I just loathed was for a screening of 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' - cell phones, talking, constant getting up and down. It was so bad I complained to the management who really didn't do anything but shrugged - I told him I will most likely never come back to this theatre (AMC COLUMBIA MALL) and you know what, I haven't been back since.

SINGLE104

This sounds like a case of an unfit mother, to allow her child to view an R-rated horror movie!

awmurray

On a related note, the funniest thing I saw in a theater was a guy who had two boys with him (about 5-6 years old). It was in Meet the Fockers. They were directly behind me.

Anyway, one of the kids kept asking hilarious questions. When one of them asked, "Daddy, what's foreskin?" I thought I was going to die laughing. The kid kept asking the question (loudly, too). Finally the dad said something like, "Ask your mom". A few minutes later, mom shows up with another kid (they had been watching Finding Nemo) and the boy says, "Mommy, what's foreskin?". They all packed up an left the movie. Funny stuff.

jeffkjoe

And I almost forgot:

When they rereleased The Exorcist a couple years ago as

THE EXORCIST: THE VERSION YOU'VE NEVER SEEN,

I remember seeing some little kids in the screening room as well.


Can you believe? A movie that caused women to pass out and faint in 1973, and here are little kids forced to watch this psychological thriller?

Holysmoker

I went with my family (a group of 10) to see King Kong this past Saturday at the 2:45pm showing. I had to give the people behind me the "SHHHHH" and when that failed I pulled out the big "Shut Up!". That one worked. I didn't hear from them for the last 11 hours of the movie. We all sat in one row. It was funny when my family at the other end of the row was asking "Did you hear that guy tell those people to shut up?"

UncleGramps

I guess you saw the Director's Cut?

I went to Kong on Saturday around 3:00 PM, and my wife and I had to move seats after the first two minutes because of the loudmouth kids right behind us who wouldn't shut up. Then, once we were at our new seats, a guy and his young son sat near us. The kid was asking questions here and there throughout the movie, but he wasn't too loud or obnoxious so it wasn't a big deal. Right near the end, the woman behind us had her cell phone ring. She answered and said "I'm in a movie" and hung up pretty soon after that. So I guess it was a mixed bag overall, but it reminded me why I avoid that theater whenever possible. The only reason we went there was because our favorite theater wasn't taking the Kong "movie cash" certificate.

BravesMG

I think part of my issue is the rating of the film. Anything rated G or PG, I don't get too bothered with anything most of the kids or parents are doing (aside from screaming babies, that's just beyond arrogance by the parents). I feel like I know what I'm getting into and I can let most things slide. Plus, I think it helps that I know that the kids aren't being malicious or rude themselves. It's the parent's responsibility to make sure they are well-behaved enough not to bother other patrons.

But ANYTHING PG-13 or R, any baby or small child IMHO should not be allowed in. There should be some kind of age restriction, I have no idea how it would be enforced, but children under the age of 6 or so shouldn't be allowed in.

I don't know why it's not possible, especially for multi-screen blockbusters, to have a children's / non-children's showtimes. Just something like anyone with children under the age of 13 has one time and adults only for the next showing. Or even just one showing a night, or even week, for adults only. I know King Kong is running close to 20 times a day at my local multiplex, it seems like there are enough screens to break it up a little.

The cell phone morons and overbearing adults, I just can't handle it. I think the most insulting part is that the theater owners/managers couldn't care less. It's tough because of how much I love going to the theater, but I almost dread knowing that it's left up to luck if the experience will be ruined. I personally don't see this getting any better with time, because I think discerning theater patrons are becoming the minority.

matrixrok9

Just watched Syriana last night and two males in their late teens made for an interesting viewing.

Spoilers ahead...



Usually I go on Sunday nights to watch movies because it's pretty much peaceful. Barely any kids or teens at all. Confronting rude guests isn't worth the energy because you might get into a physical altercation.

TimeandTide

I'm pretty sure he was joking.

Anyway, Kong (on opening night) was the first movie I saw in a theater in over a year. Just got fed up with the kicked chairs and cell phones. And the 42" plasma made movie-watching at home far more enjoyable than it used to be, but at Kong, I realized why I enjoyed sitting in a packed house in the first place. A few hundred people in the joint, but all were silent during the MANY lingering close-ups of Naomi Watts' face. All laughed when they were supposed to and there was even some applause at the end. Just can't get that on-the-same-page feeling at home unless you have a mighty big room and a couple hundred friends.

Ventured to the Laemmle in Pasadena last night and caught Brokeback Mountain. Packed house and not a single distraction. Applause at the end and many a teary eye. Those are the experiences we miss out on when we barricade ourselves in our family rooms.

BUT, not enough to get me to the theater on a regular basis. The time I got stuck in a front row seat sandwiched between a very talkative pair of gang members in Santa Monica wasn't pleasant. Nor was the screaming baby...in a late, LATE showing of Dawn of the Dead (the movie ended at 2 A.M.). And the beacon-like cell-phones. And the crazy-expensive food. And the ocassional kicked chair which totally pulls you out of that fantasy for a split second.

Head scratchers:

*People that show up a half hour late for the show...or more. And stay.
*Entire families that inexplicably leave during the middle of a movie.
*People that take bathroom or snack breaks during what's obviously the film's climax.

Miyazaki

The solution to all of your problems:

Move to Austin, and go to any one of the five or so Alamo Drafthouses around town.

Thank me later.

RayChuang

See my response to Lamphorn above.

I've heard the Alamo Drafthouse theaters are great because not only to they actually bother to maintain their projection and sound quality at high levels, but also offer flat-out great food to eat during the movie! How come we don't see more of these type of theaters across the USA?

M2theAX

OK so while watching a film, the Da Vinci code on my birthday (May 24) at a nice theater in white plains NY, at a preferred theater, with leather seats and assigned seating (very nice) a young mother walks into the movie about 20 minutes in with her boyfriend/husband/baby's daddy, AND her 6 year old!!! I was having a great quiet birthday, my girlfriend took me out to a nice place to eat, then we went to see this movie. The kid would not shut up! Several old people in the audience were telling them to "shhhhhhh." The mother would escort the kid out and back in the theater several times causing a distraction. The kid was clapping his/her hands for about 20 minutes of the movie, and the constant whinning crying and questions also added to the frustration. I think the mothers cell phone even rang during the film! Besides being incredibly rude, why would ANYONE bring a 6 year old to this movie!?!?!? get a babysitter, go see a disney movie! this movie has partial nudity, blood, and violence. I nearly lost it in the theater, I am not a outspoken person at all, and I nearly lost it. There really should be an age limit to bring kids into theaters if its not a childrens movie. I also wanted to coplain to the theater itself, We spent $24 to listen to a kid be obnoxious for 2 1/2 hours! I really wanted to throw a condom at this bitch, and educate her about birthcontrol since she is obviously not fit to be a parent, and has no respect or etiquette. ARG some people really jsut piss me off!

CKMorpheus

Should've asked for your money back or went to an usher and complained. Several upscale theaters I know would have ejected them from the theater forthwith. But as you may well know, people are just no vessel for common sense and decency.