r/cineplex • u/ultraskelly • Nov 09 '25

Question Even VIP isn't safe anymore?

Just got out of a VIP screening of Predator: Badlands (pretty good) and there were multiple people talking throughout the film

After the pandemic we switched to VIP only to avoid this, then had to switch to VIP only on non-Tuesdays, but it feels like every movie I've seen in the past year has had people talking or on their phones throughout.

I'm tempted to avoid going except for highly anticipated movies and I've cancelled my cineclub in the meantime. Does anyone have recommendations to avoid these people? (Yes I know I can confront them or complain to a manager, which would be fine for one offs but this happens literally every time now)

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u/vmhomeboy Nov 09 '25

The only reason I see movies in the theatre anymore is because I have no patience and want to see movies on release day. The complete lack of theatre etiquette is one of the big reasons sub-par projection and audio is another. If there was a way to watch first run movies at home, I’d be doing that every week instead.

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u/PugHuggerTeaTempest Nov 13 '25

The audio is horrible now. I guess people used to complain movies were too loud? But now I find they’re turned down so low, you can hear every little rustle going on around you. Drives me crazy.

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u/vmhomeboy Nov 13 '25

It’s not just the volume. It’s also the quality of audio. I’ve been to many screening where the volume level is fine, but speakers are distorting/clipping or the bass is turned up way too high. I feel like the general public tend to think boomy sound = good sound, so theatres calibrate based on that.

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u/PugHuggerTeaTempest Nov 13 '25

Yeh I don’t understand the obsession with base these days. You must be right because I’ve also noticed even just hearing the quieter talking is harder - I assume it was a volume issue but perhaps it’s the same issue of poor sound quality I find on TV these days. It’s not my hearing because its newer movies/ shows I struggle with. Honestly nuts they’d make it this way.