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Perhaps, on reflection, there was a more diplomatic phrasing than "the uniquely repulsive sound of swine feeding on popcorn." I'm not really all that bigoted against popcorn: by all means eat it at the library, in church, or during sex, but not for goodness' sake at the cinema where people may be trying to watch a movie.

The other day I went to the cinema, and this time I had my stopwatch ready. Movie was scheduled to start at 8pm. I arrive 7:55pm and there are pre-game static ads running. 8pm, commercials begin and run for 17 minutes (cell phones, coca-cola, cars). 8:17pm, trailers come on and run for 16 minutes, with two or three PSAs (turn off mobiles, no pirating, etc) lumped in. So basically, I was subjected to roughly 30 minutes of advertising, from which I could not escape. Did I mention that I was at an upscale Luxury theater where tickets are already over $30 USD per seat? I feel like advertising is out of control now, especially when I have paid top dollar to see a movie. =;

I mentioned in a previous post that I attended a movie at the Kino Arthouse cinema in Zurich and was amazed to be subjected to a grand total of zero trailers and zero ads. I have not attended any of the newer cinemas in the US like Alamo Drafthouse... are any of these theaters eschewing advertising, or are they embracing it?

Doesn't the Alamo Drafthouse show vintage ads and trailers? I got that impression from their commentary track on their 42nd Street Forever disc, in which they talk of one time when Jerry Seinfeld wanted to come to the theatre in order to preview his latest film Bee Movie. One of the programmers there got really excited about potentially becoming best friends with the comedian, so he loaded up the beginning of the film with a couple of his favourite trailers (including for the Hong Kong film that ends with a girl smacking into a concrete floor face-first, Lucky Seven!) only to remember that trailers in those days ran around five minutes long each! It was also an early morning show too, and apparently Seinfeld just sat there in bemusement, unsmiling throughout and just waiting for his movie to start, so the programmer unfortunately didn't get to bond with him!

This could go in the Star Wars thread as well, but seeing The Force Awakens in the cinema last night and being bludgeoned with superhero trailers, I was rather surprised, to put it mildly, when the trailer for Yakuza Apocalypse, Takashi Miike's latest, played. It's rare enough in arthouse cinemas to show foreign language trailers, but in Showcase before a Star Wars film? Surely unique!

In answer to Trees's question above, the newly opened Arclight here in Chicago plays no commercial ads and, the times I've been, they've played exactly three trailers each time. So, much reduced compared to most other big multiplexes. I've never been to other Arclights, but my understanding is that this is consistent with company policy.

I had a pretty bad experience this evening at a movie theater in north Brooklyn. I went to see a 10pm screening of The Hateful Eight, and I'm not sure if these three people were drunk or not, but within twenty minutes of the film they began making comments out loud at the screen. It got worse as the hour went on. Lots of shushing from the crowd followed. It escalated to the point of people screaming at three of them and then the three of them also began including "defensive" remarks at the crowd ("Fuck YOU"). Some people finally complained. It reached its peak during the flashback scene with Sam Jackson's character. If you know the scene, you know what this involves and the comments some could formulate. They were finally asked/forced to leave after this scene and I really thought a physical fight was going to follow. They left peacefully to the erupting applause of the theater. I missed a lot of this because it was happening in the upper seats and I was down below in the middle, so it really didn't take me to far out of the film. I simply don't understand how anyone could think behavior like this is even remotely acceptable. I might understand if it was a midnight showing of some horror movie from the 1950s we have all seen, but even then, yelling at the screen throughout a movie doesn't work for me. Very bizarre experience.

After the film, the theater worker came in and handed out a free movie pass to every single person in the audience and gave a personal apology to each. I felt kind of bad for the guy because it certainly isn't the theater's fault. It was really nice of them

It kind of left me wondering if movie theaters do a cost/benefit analysis for these scenarios. Namely, hand out free passes with the idea that these will be lost or never redeemed, or risk even 50% of the theater demanding a refund on the spot.

Your line "it got worse as the hour went on" makes me suspect that it was the cimema management's fault. It's up to them to make sure each house is orderly. They should've swooped instantly. In the days when a staff member sat in every screening they would have.

Free passes sounds like the least they could do.

RossyG wrote:Your line "it got worse as the hour went on" makes me suspect that it was the cimema management's fault. It's up to them to make sure each house is orderly. They should've swooped instantly. In the days when a staff member sat in every screening they would have.

Free passes sounds like the least they could do.

I guess you have a point. I also had no idea theaters used to include a staff member in an audience for every screening. When was this and when did it die out?

We had two in every screening at Warwick Arts Centre when I was working there during 2012-13. It'll still be happening now I'm sure. When non-profit cinemas have voluntary staff, there's no reason not to have them. You act as a steward when people are entering and leaving, watch the film/show for free and get some money for your expenses. A great way to watch film, theatre, opera and comedy for free.

Thankfully the worst behaviour I ever had to manage was people bringing a full picnic spread to MET opera screenings and trying to arrange it on the floor between rows of seats.

aox wrote:I had a pretty bad experience this evening at a movie theater in north Brooklyn. I went to see a 10pm screening of The Hateful Eight, and I'm not sure if these three people were drunk or not, but within twenty minutes of the film they began making comments out loud at the screen. It got worse as the hour went on...

Jesus, I have to admit, intense conflicts in a movie theater have become a frequent occurrence ever since I arrived in NYC (all the more surprising since most of what I see are art house films and revivals, usually packed with senior citizens - never had a moment of hostility in all the teen-packed multiplex screenings I attended growing up in the Chicago suburbs). But I've never seen one nearly this bad.

Fucktard who obviously shouldn't be allowed to carry a concealed weapon (let alone own a gun) "accidentally" shoots a woman in a movie theater that I visit quite often.

Avoiding the obvious "oh, of course it happened at a screening of the Benghazi movie" snark (whoops, too late) I now not only have to worry about some psychopath shooting up a theater or some numbnut shooting me because I make too much noise in the theater, but I now have to worry about the idiots that carry to "protect" everyone around them (as they try to sell it). It would be so nice, so nice, if people that wanted a gun actually were required to, at the very least, know how to handle one. But I guess idiots need to be able to protect themselves from whatever it is they're scared of this week.

cdnchris wrote:Avoiding the obvious "oh, of course it happened at a screening of the Benghazi movie" snark (whoops, too late)

The ghost of William Castle works in mysterious ways

I watched The Revenant tonight, unfortunately next to me some teenage girls were seated. They were talking loudly until I asked them to stop after 5-10 minutes. That only stopped them for a few minutes, then they started again. Only after threatening to ask the usher to remove them, they made an effort to keep quiet, but they were still making trouble (getting up, fidgeting and looking at their cellphones all the time). Finally, I decided to move to the third row from the screen where there was hardly anyone. They were obviously there for Leo, but I can't understand why the other patrons should suffer because the film wasn't another Titanic!

My luck this Oscar season seems to be terrible. Same Brooklyn theater that I mentioned above.

I went to a 3pm screening of Star Wars on a Thursday this week. I have an etiquette question: is it OK for a father and 4-6 year old son to openly converse during the entire 2+ hour runtime of a kids' movie a month after its release on a midweek afternoon showing? Little kids will be kids (he was pointing out characters, making blaster noises, and spoiled

Spoiler

Han Solo's death

twenty minutes in), but the father was actively encouraging it. This was my second time seeing the film, so it didn't matter to me, and none of the twenty other people said anything. But just curious how you guys judge this.

EDIT: thanks mods for spoiler tagging my spoiler. Ironic considering my post. Sorry about that.

Meh, it's Star Wars. If I wanted a peaceful spot to eat I wouldn't spend an afternoon at McDonalds. Was this a chain/mainstream cinema?

TMDaines wrote:Meh, it's Star Wars. If I wanted a peaceful spot to eat I wouldn't spend an afternoon at McDonalds. Was this a chain/mainstream cinema?

Yeah, that's where I am leaning as well. I was just kind of shocked and admittedly ignorant when it comes to small children (I have none and am never around them). It's an independent theater pretending to be an AMC: http://www.williamsburgcinemas.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I woulda shushed them, nothing wrong with teaching kids some manners now. Also I wouldn't call Star Wars a kids' movie. On my Oscar season front I saw a $6 matinee of The Big Short at an AMC. Nothing but old people. One couple kept talking loudly and the other old folks shushed them. Then the husband appeared to be helping his wife to get re-seated and she full on yelled "Oww, you're hurting me!" Then they left early and the husband used a flashlight. I certainly don't want any old people to trip and break their hip at the movies but it would've been nice if he pointed it at the floor and not to the back of the auditorium (my eyes).

Star Wars is PG-13 in the U.S., i.e. not a kids' movie.

swo17 wrote:Star Wars is PG-13 in the U.S., i.e. not a kids' movie.

I guess. I didn't realize it was PG-13 (as was Episode III). I just know that is a common label nowadays to lobe at the saga. Especially after Episode I and the Ewoks in Episode VI.

A 4-6 year old who stays actively engaged for a whole movie is probably a little ahead of the kids who give up 15 minutes in and start running up and down the aisles throwing shit.

cdnchris wrote:I now not only have to worry about some psychopath shooting up a theater or some numbnut shooting me because I make too much noise in the theater,

Hard to avoid the former, but that latter is easy. Just don't make any noise.

In general, I wouldn't want American gun laws here in the UK, but the idea of being able to shoot people who talk during films is tempting.

As for the father actively encouraging his kid to talk during Star Wars, he sounds like an arrogant, entitled cunt and would be the first in my gun sights.

lacritfan wrote:No 6 after 6

I liked this bit:

The genesis of the age cutoff isn't known. "We tried to determine at what age a kid can behave themselves and not blurt out the first thing in their heads," says League.

Judging by this thread, that age is somewhere north of ninety.

Caught two Chantal Ackerman films at the Cinefamily this past weekend, Golden Eighties and Les Rendez-Vous d'Anna. Unfortunately, both prints were shipped from Belgium sans subtitles. Golden Eighties was on Saturday afternoon, and after the series organizer and theatre founder both came out to apologize, at least half of the audience opted to leave. I decided to stay, because while a makeup screening(s) was promised, I didn't want to gamble with it being programmed on a day I couldn't come, and I'd already driven nearly an hour to get to the there. The Cinefamily is fickle with its screenings as well; a few years ago, I'd bought a ticket to see a new print of Punishment Park, and found out at the eleventh hour that it had been canceled because they decided to squeeze in a preview of, I think, 21 Jump Street.

The screening of Les Rendez-Vous was smoother, although the theatre had to use "soft subtitles" projected from a DVD below the 35mm print. I'd seen them use that process to much smoother effect during their massive Andrzej Zulawski retrospective, but I was still disappointed and mildly frustrated.

Starting to see the clean up crew interfering with the complete showing of credits. Was at the 12:25pm showing of Everybody Wants Some!! and a few minutes into it all of the lights come on. Not the low lights that come on when the credits started, so people can see the steps, but the bright lights. Then the two workers come moseying in pushing the trash can. I don't say anything, and they see me (the only one) sitting there and continue across in front of me so I say "can you please turn off the lights so I can watch this?". And just so happens there are scenes being played during the credits (which is not the point). This is the second time all of the lights came on - few weeks ago it was a Century, this time Regal - both times the manager gave me a movie pass. What is becoming more common is the crew starting clean up while the credits are still going, while you are sitting there, watching - which is very distracting.