Worst theater experience?
05-06-07, 07:06 PM
#26
Originally Posted by glassdragon
I'm sure there's no need to get offended.
Last edited by calhoun07; 05-06-07 at 09:57 PM.
05-06-07, 07:43 PM
#28
DVD Talk God
Originally Posted by calhoun07
And I noticed white people tend to bring babies and kids too young to comprehend the movie to theaters, even R rated movies. What's up with that? And there's nothing racist about that either!
05-06-07, 07:44 PM
#29
Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
About three years ago I was in our local cinema and a group of three mid-teen girls walked in, sat down about three rows behind our group and kept talking loudly throughout the trailers and advertisements.
Just as the film proper was starting the phone of one of the women rang. She immediately began talk-shouting into it and continued for around ten minutes. A loud action sequence came on and exasperated she screamed at the very top of her voice:-
"Why can't they play the film softer? I can't hear myself talk."
This prompted quite a few "Shhussh" noises from members of the smallish crowd, to which the young woman stood up and shouted:-
"Don't tell me to be quiet! You disrespecting my race, my people, you ****** ******'s!."
Her two friends also stood up at this point and accused the entire crowd of being racist in fairly vitriolic terms. This prompted several others to shout back at them and a few regretably used one of the more well known terms of racial abuse.
The three women left.
Five or so minutes later the film stopped, the lights came up and a woman we later found out was the theatre manager walked down the stairs and to the front of the screen. She announced that allegations had been made of racist abuse by members of the cinema audience, that the police had been summoned and that everybody was to remain in their seats.
This produced a few laughs, but it was obvious the manager was dead serious and a few minutes later security guards appeared at the exit doors. We waited about half an hour and a police officer arrived, came to the front and announced information would be taken from all present.
We all filed out slowly over the next twenty minutes or so whilst the officer and his colleague looked at all our I.D's, took down details and then told us we could go.
As we were leaving, we could see the three young woman talking to another officer who was taking down their statements. The loudest of the three was still screaming at the top of her voice:-
"They were disrepecting me because of my color. I want them charged. I want compensation from all those ***** ******'s. Can I sue them?"
Suffice it to say none of us ever heard anything further from the Police or lawyers representing the women but it became quite a talking point amongst friends. We also did not get to see the rest of the film and were too scared to ask for recompense because of the racism allegations hanging over us.
Undoubtedly my worst theatre experience.
Just as the film proper was starting the phone of one of the women rang. She immediately began talk-shouting into it and continued for around ten minutes. A loud action sequence came on and exasperated she screamed at the very top of her voice:-
"Why can't they play the film softer? I can't hear myself talk."
This prompted quite a few "Shhussh" noises from members of the smallish crowd, to which the young woman stood up and shouted:-
"Don't tell me to be quiet! You disrespecting my race, my people, you ****** ******'s!."
Her two friends also stood up at this point and accused the entire crowd of being racist in fairly vitriolic terms. This prompted several others to shout back at them and a few regretably used one of the more well known terms of racial abuse.
The three women left.
Five or so minutes later the film stopped, the lights came up and a woman we later found out was the theatre manager walked down the stairs and to the front of the screen. She announced that allegations had been made of racist abuse by members of the cinema audience, that the police had been summoned and that everybody was to remain in their seats.
This produced a few laughs, but it was obvious the manager was dead serious and a few minutes later security guards appeared at the exit doors. We waited about half an hour and a police officer arrived, came to the front and announced information would be taken from all present.
We all filed out slowly over the next twenty minutes or so whilst the officer and his colleague looked at all our I.D's, took down details and then told us we could go.
As we were leaving, we could see the three young woman talking to another officer who was taking down their statements. The loudest of the three was still screaming at the top of her voice:-
"They were disrepecting me because of my color. I want them charged. I want compensation from all those ***** ******'s. Can I sue them?"
Suffice it to say none of us ever heard anything further from the Police or lawyers representing the women but it became quite a talking point amongst friends. We also did not get to see the rest of the film and were too scared to ask for recompense because of the racism allegations hanging over us.
Undoubtedly my worst theatre experience.
05-06-07, 08:14 PM
#30
Suspended
Originally Posted by calhoun07
And I noticed white people tend to bring babies and kids too young to comprehend the movie to theaters, even R rated movies. What's up with that? And there's nothing racist about that either!
05-06-07, 08:25 PM
#31
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: maryland
Posts: 1,859
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
recently, my brother and i went to see alpha dog. there were probably 15 or 20 people in the theatre tops and in walks this grossly overweight guy and sits in the row in front of us to the right. after about 10 or 20 minutes into the movie, a black couple walks in and sits down at the top of the theatre in the two seats at the right at the top of the isle.
a little after that, the girl answers her phone and is talking on it for a couple minutes. so the guy in front of us throws his arms into the air and says, "watching a movie here!" and the guy responds, "my bad." so i thought she hung up after that, but my brother says she stayed on the phone. either way she was on the phone again and it pushes the guy in front of us over the top.
he gets up, walks up the steps and and smashes the guys fries and chicken fingers onto the floor. the guy and girl obviously flip out. they start to get into it. the black guy calls the big guy fat and stinky. he replies with "yeah i know, that's why i sat next to you." they continue the verbal insults and the girl says, "stop arguing, you are ruining my birfday." finally after more yelling and someone trying to get them to stop or leave, who they told to screw off, the couple leaves and the overweight guy celebrates by pouring snowcaps into his mouth from two feet above his head.
honestly, i thought there was going to be fist-a-cuffs and it resulted in my missing a decently part of the movie. at the end, some lady was leaving and thought all the arguing was from the movie, haha.
a little after that, the girl answers her phone and is talking on it for a couple minutes. so the guy in front of us throws his arms into the air and says, "watching a movie here!" and the guy responds, "my bad." so i thought she hung up after that, but my brother says she stayed on the phone. either way she was on the phone again and it pushes the guy in front of us over the top.
he gets up, walks up the steps and and smashes the guys fries and chicken fingers onto the floor. the guy and girl obviously flip out. they start to get into it. the black guy calls the big guy fat and stinky. he replies with "yeah i know, that's why i sat next to you." they continue the verbal insults and the girl says, "stop arguing, you are ruining my birfday." finally after more yelling and someone trying to get them to stop or leave, who they told to screw off, the couple leaves and the overweight guy celebrates by pouring snowcaps into his mouth from two feet above his head.
honestly, i thought there was going to be fist-a-cuffs and it resulted in my missing a decently part of the movie. at the end, some lady was leaving and thought all the arguing was from the movie, haha.
05-06-07, 09:56 PM
#32
Originally Posted by GizmoDVD
White people? I see more latino's bringing in 8 of there kids then any other group! Well, it IS California.
It seems people missed that when they compulsively hit "reply" on my previous post.
05-06-07, 10:26 PM
#33
DVD Talk Special Edition
Spiderman 2: a lady comes in with her 2 year old kid right as the movie starts, sits next to me and proceed to try to muffle her (scared shitless) yelling toddler with her hand. I told her "you know this movie is over 2 hour long, right?" She left soon after.
First Harry Potter: spanish lady translated the whole movie as it happened for her 2 kids who kept yelling "que pasa mama?" in my ears every 5 minutes.
First Harry Potter: spanish lady translated the whole movie as it happened for her 2 kids who kept yelling "que pasa mama?" in my ears every 5 minutes.
05-06-07, 10:53 PM
#34
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 1,811
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Pressplay
Spiderman 2: a lady comes in with her 2 year old kid right as the movie starts, sits next to me and proceed to try to muffle her (scared shitless) yelling toddler with her hand. I told her "you know this movie is over 2 hour long, right?" She left soon after.
05-06-07, 11:34 PM
#35
Senior Member
I had my first ultra-bad experience tonight. First of all, if you know you don't have the bladder to hold your fluids, don't sit in the middle of the row. And if you do, don't step on people's feet as you take your alcohol perfumed self to the john. Then we had Mr and Mrs Inconsiderate. Taking a 3 year-old to a 7:30 Spider-man 3 showing isn't using a whole lot of common sense. Damn kid kicking my chair while sitting on her mom's lap making all kinds of noise. Then the kid's "papi" (as she kept refering to him throughout the movie) takes a cell call. (After having seen the trailer screen freeze for 2 minutes on the "silence your phone" ad before the movie even started.) I usually get past one of those things happening....but tonight where the parents had about as much common sense as the kid...
05-07-07, 01:21 AM
#36
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Posts: 2,456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Hu Phan
About three years ago I was in our local cinema and a group of three mid-teen girls walked in, sat down about three rows behind our group and kept talking loudly throughout the trailers and advertisements.
05-07-07, 01:59 AM
#37
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Hu Phan
About three years ago I was in our local cinema and a group of three mid-teen girls walked in, sat down about three rows behind our group and kept talking loudly throughout the trailers and advertisements.
Just as the film proper was starting the phone of one of the women rang. She immediately began talk-shouting into it and continued for around ten minutes. A loud action sequence came on and exasperated she screamed at the very top of her voice:-
"Why can't they play the film softer? I can't hear myself talk."
This prompted quite a few "Shhussh" noises from members of the smallish crowd, to which the young woman stood up and shouted:-
"Don't tell me to be quiet! You disrespecting my race, my people, you ****** ******'s!."
Her two friends also stood up at this point and accused the entire crowd of being racist in fairly vitriolic terms. This prompted several others to shout back at them and a few regretably used one of the more well known terms of racial abuse.
The three women left.
Five or so minutes later the film stopped, the lights came up and a woman we later found out was the theatre manager walked down the stairs and to the front of the screen. She announced that allegations had been made of racist abuse by members of the cinema audience, that the police had been summoned and that everybody was to remain in their seats.
This produced a few laughs, but it was obvious the manager was dead serious and a few minutes later security guards appeared at the exit doors. We waited about half an hour and a police officer arrived, came to the front and announced information would be taken from all present.
We all filed out slowly over the next twenty minutes or so whilst the officer and his colleague looked at all our I.D's, took down details and then told us we could go.
As we were leaving, we could see the three young woman talking to another officer who was taking down their statements. The loudest of the three was still screaming at the top of her voice:-
"They were disrepecting me because of my color. I want them charged. I want compensation from all those ***** ******'s. Can I sue them?"
Suffice it to say none of us ever heard anything further from the Police or lawyers representing the women but it became quite a talking point amongst friends. We also did not get to see the rest of the film and were too scared to ask for recompense because of the racism allegations hanging over us.
Undoubtedly my worst theatre experience.
Just as the film proper was starting the phone of one of the women rang. She immediately began talk-shouting into it and continued for around ten minutes. A loud action sequence came on and exasperated she screamed at the very top of her voice:-
"Why can't they play the film softer? I can't hear myself talk."
This prompted quite a few "Shhussh" noises from members of the smallish crowd, to which the young woman stood up and shouted:-
"Don't tell me to be quiet! You disrespecting my race, my people, you ****** ******'s!."
Her two friends also stood up at this point and accused the entire crowd of being racist in fairly vitriolic terms. This prompted several others to shout back at them and a few regretably used one of the more well known terms of racial abuse.
The three women left.
Five or so minutes later the film stopped, the lights came up and a woman we later found out was the theatre manager walked down the stairs and to the front of the screen. She announced that allegations had been made of racist abuse by members of the cinema audience, that the police had been summoned and that everybody was to remain in their seats.
This produced a few laughs, but it was obvious the manager was dead serious and a few minutes later security guards appeared at the exit doors. We waited about half an hour and a police officer arrived, came to the front and announced information would be taken from all present.
We all filed out slowly over the next twenty minutes or so whilst the officer and his colleague looked at all our I.D's, took down details and then told us we could go.
As we were leaving, we could see the three young woman talking to another officer who was taking down their statements. The loudest of the three was still screaming at the top of her voice:-
"They were disrepecting me because of my color. I want them charged. I want compensation from all those ***** ******'s. Can I sue them?"
Suffice it to say none of us ever heard anything further from the Police or lawyers representing the women but it became quite a talking point amongst friends. We also did not get to see the rest of the film and were too scared to ask for recompense because of the racism allegations hanging over us.
Undoubtedly my worst theatre experience.
I was honestly going to start a thread today called I am never going to the movie theater again . But I figure I’ll just slip it in here, unnoticed.
I haven’t had a good movie experience in years. People are getting ruder and ruder. It transcends race, age, and gender. Before Spiderman 3 my last trip to the theater had me purple faced and screaming at the guy next to me who started talking on his cell phone. I could have ended up in jail for loudly threatening to murder him.
Yesterday I went to a packed matinee for Spiderman 3 and resigned myself before hand to the type of crowd I expected. It was worse than I could have imagined. Numerous babies, at no point was there a time when at least one wasn’t crying. Phones were ringing; people were having complete conversations all around me. About half way through the movie the three year old behind me began to chant, “This is boring, I wanna go home. This is boring, I wanna go home.” Repeatedly for about 20 or 30 minutes. His parents made no attempt to quiet him.
Add to that (at least here) theaters are getting smaller and smaller. As I sat there watching the movie on that tiny screen I said to myself, “There is absolutely no reason to go to the theater anymore.” I didn’t blow up; I didn’t yell at people, I didn’t lose my cool in any way. I had accepted it the way a condemned man finally accepts death. I walked out into the afternoon sun and know I will not be back for a long, long time. Perhaps never.
05-07-07, 02:05 AM
#38
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Im somewhere where I dont know where I am.
Posts: 2,074
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is why I just dont go anymore, or extremly rarely.
In fact, why go at all?? Its $9.00 for one person. And $5.00 for popcorn, and $5.00 for a drink. if its a date for 2, your looking at $30 + . . .
You can just buy the DVD in 2 months for half that, and enjoy it at home in peace and quiet.
The only reason so many go to the movies anymore is because its an easy date experience. no planning, everyone does it, and . . . you dont have to talk during it.
In fact, why go at all?? Its $9.00 for one person. And $5.00 for popcorn, and $5.00 for a drink. if its a date for 2, your looking at $30 + . . .
You can just buy the DVD in 2 months for half that, and enjoy it at home in peace and quiet.
The only reason so many go to the movies anymore is because its an easy date experience. no planning, everyone does it, and . . . you dont have to talk during it.
05-07-07, 10:09 AM
#39
Moderator
'The Exorcism of Emily Ross' - over at AMC's Columbia 14 (Columbia Maryland) - on a Friday night, to a near sold out crowd, those fucking teenagers with their goddamn cellphones and talking left and right... some people got really angry at them and told them to 'shut the fuck up' which didn't help at all... I even complained to the management. I haven't been there back to those theatres
05-07-07, 10:40 AM
#41
DVD Talk Legend
Gone in 60 Seconds. A few minutes in the fire alarm went off. Went outside, false alarm. Film starts up, alarm on again, and repeat. Back inside the manager says the alarm is broken, there’s no fire, but they can’t stop it. So every other minute, the alarm would come on for about 30 seconds. We got use to it after a while, and received a free pass afterwards.
Revenge of the Sith. Ohhh Boy. Sold out midnight showing. There’s 5 screens playing, and on mine the film breaks! It froze at one point, and about 30 mins in, boom. Lights come up and the manager says the projector is broken, and that’s it. No one can go into another screen because they are sold out also. Those who were willing to stay till 3am could see the film on another screen. Otherwise we had to leave. OMG I was kind of scared on that one, with so many pissed off fanboys swinging their light sabers in the air. But we all received 3 free passes on the way out. Whew they ate some cost that night. 2 of my friends stayed, and were on the 6am news
I actually had a pleasant experience on Spidey Friday, but it was a 1:40 PM showing. I tend to go to early matinees on odd days, so I guess that helps.
Revenge of the Sith. Ohhh Boy. Sold out midnight showing. There’s 5 screens playing, and on mine the film breaks! It froze at one point, and about 30 mins in, boom. Lights come up and the manager says the projector is broken, and that’s it. No one can go into another screen because they are sold out also. Those who were willing to stay till 3am could see the film on another screen. Otherwise we had to leave. OMG I was kind of scared on that one, with so many pissed off fanboys swinging their light sabers in the air. But we all received 3 free passes on the way out. Whew they ate some cost that night. 2 of my friends stayed, and were on the 6am news
I actually had a pleasant experience on Spidey Friday, but it was a 1:40 PM showing. I tend to go to early matinees on odd days, so I guess that helps.
Last edited by stingermck; 05-07-07 at 10:49 AM.
05-07-07, 10:46 AM
#42
Moderator
Originally Posted by stingermck
I actually had a pleasant experience on Spidey Friday, but it was a 1:40 showing. I tend to go to early matinees on odd days, so I guess that helps.
worst theatre experience, technically, was a DLP screening of 'The Island' where they couldn't unsqueeze the anamorphic image to it's correct OAR - everyone was stick people, sat and watched the whole damn thing that way... oi! my eyes!
05-07-07, 12:52 PM
#43
I remember going to see some movie, I think it was called Two Story House* at an art house theater. The focus was slightly off and repeated adjustments weren't doing anything. After about 20 minutes my eyes were so sore I had to walk out.
I also recall going to the opening day matinee of American Psycho. I was a huge fan of the book and was interested in seeing the movie. The audience of under a dozen was entirely made up of white Travis Bickle looking creeps. They were unshaven, had vacant stares, it was like a mental hospital field trip. The one guy sits in the seat right behind me. As the movie starts I can hear him mumbeling and fidgeting around in his seat. Then I hear this strange noise that I thought was a knife being slid in and out of it's sheath repeatidly. I almost left I was so freaked out, but instead I just moved to the last row. With my back to the wall I enjoyed the rest of the showing.
*The movie starred that guy who played the mob boss who died of cancer in the first season of The Sopranos. In the movie this pregnant Irish teenager moves into his families house.
I also recall going to the opening day matinee of American Psycho. I was a huge fan of the book and was interested in seeing the movie. The audience of under a dozen was entirely made up of white Travis Bickle looking creeps. They were unshaven, had vacant stares, it was like a mental hospital field trip. The one guy sits in the seat right behind me. As the movie starts I can hear him mumbeling and fidgeting around in his seat. Then I hear this strange noise that I thought was a knife being slid in and out of it's sheath repeatidly. I almost left I was so freaked out, but instead I just moved to the last row. With my back to the wall I enjoyed the rest of the showing.
*The movie starred that guy who played the mob boss who died of cancer in the first season of The Sopranos. In the movie this pregnant Irish teenager moves into his families house.
05-07-07, 01:04 PM
#44
Originally Posted by calhoun07
The relevant threads you linked are at least 2 years old and older. If somebody resurrected one of those, then somebody else would be moaning how such an old thread was resurrected.
I agree.
Does anyone care if an old thread is resurrected? Sheesh.
05-07-07, 02:11 PM
#46
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: AUSTIN - Land of Mexican Coke
Posts: 3,921
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
There was a streaker in my midnight showing of Episode One. He ran down the from the top, jumps up and hits the screen, yelled something and ran out the exit.
At Donnie Brasco the theater was maybe 90% full and a woman comes in with a baby and sits right next to me. She starts giving the baby milk and he spits it up on my arm. Actually found 2 seats together a little further down when we moved.
There have been countless times that I have gone to inform an employee that the film is misframed or sound is messed up and they just look at me like I am crazy.
At Donnie Brasco the theater was maybe 90% full and a woman comes in with a baby and sits right next to me. She starts giving the baby milk and he spits it up on my arm. Actually found 2 seats together a little further down when we moved.
There have been countless times that I have gone to inform an employee that the film is misframed or sound is messed up and they just look at me like I am crazy.
05-07-07, 03:25 PM
#47
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: May 2002
Location: waiting for forum.dvdtalk.com ...
Posts: 2,755
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
mine was at opening weekend for blair witch project. it was a typical hot and muggy houston evening. i saw this at the river oaks theater- a nice place to see your run-of-the-mill independent movies, but not at all set up to handle the throngs out to catch this movie. the theater was packed, the seating was uncomfortable (old style, not arena), the air conditioning broke, and then the shaky, handycam action started ... i thought i was going to puke.
05-07-07, 03:27 PM
#48
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sesame Street (the apt. next to Bob's)
Posts: 20,195
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
6 Posts
When I saw The Grudge 2 last year, a group of about 5 teenagers and 2 or 3 preteens sat behind me, which made me shake my head and say, "Aw, SHIT!" Yes, they were black. The lights went out and I didn't hear a single peep from any of them.
For my experience, old farts are the absolute worst. Noisy & inconsiderate.
For my experience, old farts are the absolute worst. Noisy & inconsiderate.
05-07-07, 03:31 PM
#49
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: The Janitor's closet in Kinnick Stadium
Posts: 15,725
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Originally Posted by Charlie Goose
For my experience, old farts are the absolute worst. Noisy & inconsiderate.
I went and saw Disturbia this weekend and for some reason the movie kept going out of frame. Every time it did this geezer in the front row would yell "Frame!" "Frame!". Like there was someone in the room that ran the projector. Then he just got up and left the theater to tell someone. This happened 3 times.
05-08-07, 02:14 AM
#50
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,459
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Giles
...those fucking teenagers with their goddamn cellphones and talking left and right... some people got really angry at them and told them to 'shut the fuck up' which didn't help at all...