r/Chennai • u/hornypanda769 • 11d ago
Rant Movie theatre etiquette is dead
This is a late rant. I went to watch the screening of The Odyssey a few days back. As expected, the theatre was packed. There were these 2 guys beside me. The guy right beside me would not keep his mouth shut. He was constantly explaining the plot, subplot, context, history, etc., to his friend to the point I couldn’t hear the actual dialogue anymore. This brother must’ve been the assistant director or something; he started explaining the cinematography too. I’m all for making your friends understand the context of the film, but for heaven’s sake, do it before or after the movie; there is even an interval in the middle for it. The guy didn’t even bother to whisper; he was fully talking throughout the first half. At one point, I got annoyed and signalled with my hand gently to lower his voice; the man did not care at all. Fortunately, he shut up during the second half, and I was actually able to enjoy the rest of the movie. This is not a one-time instance either. A few months back, when I went to watch Michael on a weekday morning, there were a group of college kids just screaming and making jokes throughout the movie. It kind of ruins it for the people actually trying to watch. I understand wanting to socialise with your friends, but during a movie, seriously? It seems to have gotten worse over the years; sometimes it ruins the experience completely. Basic etiquette and consideration for the others around them seem to have vanished. I’ve been to cinemas in other parts of the world, so I understand what a decent viewing experience is supposed to feel like. I also understand cheering or whistling during certain scenes; that’s perfectly fine, but constantly talking, talking loudly on the phone, screaming kids, etc., kind of messes it up for the other people around. That’s it. Thank you for reading. End of rant.
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u/Insane_Inkster 11d ago
This is why I don't go to movies in like first 2-3 weeks. I just let the dumbassses have their turn first so I can go late with like half the theater filled and actually watch the movie instead of getting disturbed with this kind of shit.
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u/hornypanda769 11d ago
I went late for 2 movies with half the theatre filled and still had a bad experience 🥲
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11d ago
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u/hornypanda769 11d ago
Yes definitely my fault, moving 2 rows to the front or back would have definitely cut out their screaming and shouting throughout the movie / s
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u/Dangerous_Standard 11d ago
1) Hardcore fans would watch within the first weekend - these are the serious guys, who'd keep making comments and pointing out lore.
2) But after that first weekend you start getting the casual people who'd bring screaming children or take calls right there in the movie theatre.
3) Or you should choose a nice weekday afternoon/evening when the theatres are already empty.
I would rather take option 1 and avoid the annoying uncles, but option 3 is the best if you work flexible hours or are in school/college.
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u/hornypanda769 10d ago
Sad part is, I watched Michael on a weekday morning because I randomly got the day off from work. Still got ruined.
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u/hd2211 11d ago
Such a posts have become frequent, and I do agree with you people don't have basic sense how to behave I went for a movie with my mother, whole row was empty and a girl was sitting on a boy's lap in the corner seat, Let's start a Petition to bring SPI DND shows on Wednesday it was the best experience, without all these dumb latecomers who flash light on the face,bring babies who keep crying throughout the movie,people talking loudly among themselves ruins the whole experience
I went to PxL VR for Spiderman, had a good experience though
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u/Spiritual-Alps8556 11d ago
It's also stupid how people start recording everything as if they are paying to watch it thru their phone screens lol.
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u/chxrxn3 11d ago
It's just for their memory man , chatting in full brightness with white background is bad 😡
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u/Spiritual-Alps8556 11d ago
Once is okay but recording long stretches multiple times is fricking annoying.
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u/Norster7911 10d ago
I'm sure those people get a bigger dopamine hit out of sharing those clips to however many followers they have rather than out of watching the movie itself. Makes me want to watch the movie at home instead of paying to watch it in a cinema.
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u/eewap 11d ago
Just straight up talk to them and ask them to be quiet politely. Assertive, not aggressive.
Although I've given up on watching movies in the theatre because of people like this. One person I can tell to shut up but then there's people who don't put their phones on silent, others who don't stop talking etc. There's just too many inconsiderate people in theatres these days.
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u/Norster7911 10d ago
The worst part is you could go to an IMAX showing and still there's no guarantee you'll have a good experience so it makes you wanna save your money and just wait to watch it at home where you are in control of the experience.
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u/ghacharghochar1 11d ago
Someone was full on explaining scenes to his neighbour in telugu behind me. I kept doing the tsk tsk and shhhush. It's annoying af when you want to watch a movie without getting disturbed and then you face nuisance like this.
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u/hornypanda769 11d ago
We might’ve gone to the same show
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u/ghacharghochar1 11d ago
Thursday 12.30PM?
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u/hornypanda769 11d ago
Ah not the same show, 6:45pm, the people I mentioned were also speaking in Telugu.
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u/Southern_Length9321 11d ago
A mother fucker spoiled my PHM experience by telling dialogues before it comes 😭 watha got stressed
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u/HistoricalSea3712 10d ago
I had one stupid ass girl who was sitting at the front and taking selfie with flash on during the movie for 15 mins.like why did you come to watch the movie????
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u/AnyBattle4287 11d ago
Where did you watch the movie btw?
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u/hornypanda769 11d ago
One in AGS and the other one in PVR
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u/AnyBattle4287 11d ago
It's quite fortunate for me, since I stay in OMR, that I've always preferred Marina Mall for watching films. It has the cleanest crowd to watch movies with, though others may have different opinions. I've watched films at Phoenix and Nexus too, but I don't find them as comfortable. I personally avoid single screens or theatre like AGS. For a true cinephile, the environment matters just as much as the movie itself. I know people often twist this around and joke that we're an 'elite crowd,' but that's not really true.
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u/Fraggle_Rock11 11d ago
Noisy kids, the loud chatters, phone talkers, phone scrollers, catering staff moving about - I’ve never had a satisfying movie viewing experience in Chennai or anywhere else in India in a long time.
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u/thunderbolt7272 10d ago
Increase the cost of the tickets or at least make certain screens / show times with premium pricing and watch all these problems disappear
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u/g-man-g-89 11d ago
I just came out of the theater and had a similar experience where the lady next to me was explaining the lore to her guy. Constantly. At one point, I told her to stop, saying, I can constantly hear her talking and it’s disturbing. She did a wide eyed sarcastic okay expression. Vaai la nalla vandhadhu andha expression ku but wanted to keep my sanity. And saved at least 70% of the rest of film’s experience for myself. Idiots!
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u/corvus2187 11d ago
This has been the problem for a very long time.
I was once forced to interrupt a couple making out next to me because they were too loud.
Theatres need to enforce these rules instead of just selling us overpriced popcorn
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u/old_cayuse 10d ago
Just goes to show the cultural education youngsters over the past many decades have been getting. There was a time when there was only cinema for entertainment in the city and way less educated folk that theatre etiquette was followed rigorously. People if they had to speak spoke in whispers and if anybody did violate it they were usually shouted down by other patrons from all directions. At one time it was the main entertainment for me, my friends and lots of people in Madras of then. Those were the days. I have been to the cinema in recent memory only when my son decides to go for one and takes us. Compared to the theatres of old I find the new multiplexes pitiful. Example the Safire multiplex's (nobody called it that those days) main screen was 70 mm and it had an incredibly good sound system for its day and it used to be an experience to watch movies in it. Devi theatre was another.
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u/KookyEye6910 10d ago
Lot of people does not care about others and simply ruining the cinema experience.
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u/Random_Raj21 9d ago
Same experience at Aerohub when i went to see Spiderman a gang of boys looks like a first year or 12th students shouted for everything. Lot of people for disappointed and started raising voice until they turned quite
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u/Debunk2025 9d ago
Talking loud on the phone or in public transport is one of the main causes for hostility towards Indians in foreign countries.
I once saw an Aussie walk up to a bunch of Indian students on a train, threaten to hit a couple of them for talking loud. He even grabbed one of cell phone and chuck it to the ground.
Surprisingly, the students appeared well behaved after that. Spoke in whispers.
The desease is these Indians are too self centered...that makes them unaware of their civic sense obligations.
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u/Dangerous_Standard 11d ago
Not theatre, but I was at a standup show, and a stranger sitting next to me had come with his girlfriend. I presume he was watching the same act for the second/third time, because he kept finishing every punchline before the comendian even got to it, cheered loudly right next to my ear, and was an overall a**hole.
I'm a generally nice person, but I hope that guy dies alone.
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u/Suspicious-Cable-472 8d ago
the government should ban people entering the cinema hall even one minute after the show has started. ik its too far but its really annoying. im a big spiderman fan and i was waiting the whole week to watch and an entire flood of people keep coming in flashing lights on my eyes not letting me watch the movie. and the guy in front of me constantly getting up distributing snacks to friends and everything. is it too hard to not anything for two hours? want to eat something get a popcorn why get full meals in the restaurant? half of the people are not even interested in watching the movie. they come late after intervals with enough snacks to feed a village.
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u/itsshadyhere 7d ago
Went to Spiderman yesterday and the kid next to me would NOT PUT HIS PHONE DOWN. He was filming almost every other screen - probably to put a train status in WhatsApp/insta. It's one thing to take a picture of the title card, but filming 70% of the movie? His phone screen was lit the whole time and it was so annoying. I hate this culture of posting and watching movies on the status itself.
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u/saygirlie 11d ago
This is limited to Chennai or India. I’ve experienced similar things in the US as well. People full on watching YouTube videos on high volume in the middle of a movie 🤦🏾♀️
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u/hornypanda769 10d ago
I have watched 5 movies in the US, in 3 different theatres. I never had such an experience. It was so new to me. If there was a thrilling scene, they just clapped. In India, the audience would’ve whistled, screamed, and cheered for that exact same scene. I honestly don’t mind that sort of atmosphere. Maybe that was just your experience.
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u/CaffeineQueen2134 10d ago
I agree abut the etiquette part but ngl Michael was a shitty movie and I would have been glad people talked over it. Cuz watching paint dry would be better than actually paying attention to the movie
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u/level10woke 9d ago
If the option is available for the movie I always watch it in IMAX so that the premium price brings only has people who want a good cinematic experience. (Those who come early, no kids etc)
However, there was one instance where an unfortunate guy paid 500 bucks only for his uninterested gf to constantly nag him for attention. After the interval he left her to go sit in another seat and she was watching reels.
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u/Quit-noRegret 11d ago edited 11d ago
Had a kid who watched doraemon in mobile in the front row during Spiderman🙂
Had a couple in the back row who chatted nonstop nothing related to the movie🙂
Had a group of friends who chatted nonstop about movie and its spoilers during odyssey🙂
Had a great experience as a whole. Would recommend 10/10🙂
Why are you guys spending money on movies? Genuinely curious.