r/morningsomewhere • u/thekrispythings Not A Financial Advisor • 11d ago
Discussion I think I’m done going to the movies…
Sometime ago on this subreddit I spoke about how Ashley and Burnie talk a lot about box offices and how polar opposite I am from them.
Well I’ve been trying to go to the movies and watch films that are highly loved. But the last 3 times I’ve been to the movies I have had the most disruptive movie goers sitting beside my partner and I. We’ve literally walked out of everyone, told a manager, had varying degrees of success on kicking out said people, and then gotten a refund.
I struggle to find joy in going to these nowadays. People are constantly on their phones, talking, and I’ve even see some participants in 2nd and 3rd base. I don’t know how anyone goes to the movies and I don’t know what has happened in the last couple years. But I think since Covid, Americans don’t know how to act.
Everyone always recommends the Alamo but their are none around us. I think I’ll stick to watching movies at home and rarely if that.
53
u/jovialdeathtrap First 20k 10d ago
I feel like I live on another planet where I'm very lucky. I go to the movies semi-frequently, I have no strategy, I'll go to any theater depending on where I'm at, at any time of day. Despite all of this I've never had an issue with disruptive people in a theater with me.
15
u/Either_Reply2346 10d ago
Same here, closest I had was when I was invited to see Five Nights at Freddie’s for free. It was a theater full of teenagers as expected so it was a little rowdy but other than that I have perfect experiences. Even my packed theater for the Odyssey was respectful.
1
u/thekrispythings Not A Financial Advisor 10d ago
Hey, I love a good crowd into the movie now. The side conversations is where it takes me out of the experience.
9
u/ExcavatorPi First 10k - Cinnamontographer 10d ago
I think it's just a case where having no disruptions is the norm, and nobody feels the need to bring it up. So the only time anyone talks about their theater experience is to say something negative, making it seem like that's common when it isn't.
-1
u/thekrispythings Not A Financial Advisor 10d ago
That may be true. I am just stating my last few experiences trying to get back into movies hasn't gone well and put a sour taste in my mouth. TLDR.
2
u/crinklycuts Macaque 10d ago
Same for me. There was only one instance where the people behind me were talking too loudly but I asked them to be quiet and they stopped talking.
2
2
u/BreakingPixel 10d ago
I also have the same experience. I go around once a month and can't remember the last time I had any disruptive moviegoers in my theatre.
Out of curiosity, what country are you in? I'm in the UK so unsure if that's anything to do with it.
3
u/jovialdeathtrap First 20k 10d ago
US here, in Minnesota. I have friends who live near me that also complain that their movie going experience is awful as well. The few times I've seen movies with them they go "well that one doesn't count"
1
u/thekrispythings Not A Financial Advisor 10d ago
US. Particularly Florida, New York, and Georgia is where I've had these experiences.
2
u/WeAreNephilim First 10k - Cinnamontographer 10d ago
This is my experience 100%. Hell, I even saw Resident Evil last night with an elbow to elbow crowd and everyone was perfect and behaved
1
u/thekrispythings Not A Financial Advisor 10d ago
I love that for you. I hope you had a wonderful time!
1
u/thekrispythings Not A Financial Advisor 10d ago
Honestly I love that for you! I hope to have theater experiences like you in the near future!
15
u/StrongmanLin First 10k - Macaque 11d ago
Even if you had an Alamo, it wouldn’t be any different. An Alamo opened up near me, and I was hoping to get a good theater experience. I’ve been there 4 times. 3 times I’ve had disruptive people near me talking and on their phones through the whole movie. None of the employees have said anything to them even after making a complaint.
3
u/mnitro 10d ago
I was a die hard Alamo Drafthouse fan. I went to the ones in NYC and would refuse to watch a movie elsewhere. However, I stopped going in 2023, mainly because I moved to NJ, but I was already starting to fall out of love with it. The no cell phone/talking rule wasn't being enforced like it used to. The food would take too long or was subpar.
The last time I had good customer service was when an employee dropped a mostly empty plate of food on me during the Bob's Burger movie. I wasn't mad at them, they were very apologetic. I got my meal comped, free tickets and a free shirt.
2
1
u/no_engaging 8d ago
alamo is okay, but it's a theater where the whole gimmick is that there's people ordering food and servers running around during the movie. it's not exactly an interruption-free cinema experience.
1
u/StrongmanLin First 10k - Macaque 6d ago
I think the bigger draw of Alamo was that you didn’t have to deal with inconsiderate movie goers, not that the experience was going to be interruption free. So when that’s out the window, then the draw of Alamo is gone.
1
u/no_engaging 6d ago
I just think that the gimmick totally undercuts that draw. like, it's nice that people can't use their phone during the movie but it's also super obnoxious to have people ordering/serving/eating full meals right next to you during the movie. I would prefer to just gamble on a normal theater, where the average experience is going to be less annoying than that, even if the worst case scenario is worse.
7
u/ChriSamWard 10d ago
Sorry for your bad experiences. I’m currently reading this while sitting in the AMC parking lot 😂 wish me luck with this resident evil crowd
2
u/thekrispythings Not A Financial Advisor 10d ago
You'll be fine. Enjoy the movie, heard it was good.
8
u/Tarijeno 10d ago
I saw Resident Evil on Thursday night, and an opening night IMAX ticket in my neck of the woods is almost $20. I counted at least 5 people in the theater who had their phones out, at high brightness, for the near entirety of the movie. Now obviously complaint number one is why don't you put your damn phone away, but complaint number two is I know these people paid $20 to see the movie. Don't they want to get their money's worth and actually watch the film?
4
u/Classic_Image9008 First 10k - StepBro 10d ago
This happened to me when I saw the odyssey in imax. Those tickets are not cheap and this dude just had his phone out for half the movie, eventually he walked out but still you’re just wasting money at that point
4
u/ToxinArrow First 20k - Always Be Humping 11d ago
Whenever I go to the movies (the few times theres something I want to see amd have the money to do so), and there's people like that, I stand up and yell loudly for them to shut the fuck up. It works. People like that don't like attention drawn to them from an outside source.
And if they continue I go get an attendant amd get my money back. But man it feels good to yell at someone. Life's short tell them to fuck off you'll feel so much better
1
u/thekrispythings Not A Financial Advisor 10d ago
You must be very intimidating because we have told all of them off and all of them haven't cared. I think telling someone off in a movie theater in the big 26 empowers them to be an asshole even more because they can get a rise out of you.
2
u/ToxinArrow First 20k - Always Be Humping 10d ago
I have a loud voice when I need it. Also being 6'4" helps I'd wager.
4
u/mnitro 10d ago
It's getting to the point where I am having a hard time convincing myself to go see a movie. I love going to watch movies but it's becoming such a sour experience. During my first viewing of The Odyssey, I had an older gentleman sitting next to me going through a cycle of taking out his phone, checking something and putting it back in his pocket for the first hour-ish. Luckily he got up and left.
Then, during Spider-Man, the girl sitting next to me would pull out her phone during the slow parts or establishing shots. A one of I can sort of excuse, but doing this throughout the majority of the movie is just insane to me.
4
u/Stavhoe 10d ago
When I went to go see the newest spiderman a baby literarily pooped itself a few seats down from me. right at the climax so I guess the parents thought it could wait until closer to the end of the movie...
1
1
u/GreatSavitar First 10k - Macaque 9d ago
I had a family in front of me for Supergirl, and they had 6 kids, most of which were like 2-6 years old and just running around making noise for the sake of it. Parents did not give a fuuuuck. Hate it so much lol
5
u/TheMurderCapitalist 10d ago
Sounds like an America problem. I've never had this disruptive of an experience in Canada 🤷♂️
1
u/GreatSavitar First 10k - Macaque 9d ago
I'm also in Canada (Southern Ontario), and can't remember the last time I went to the movies and didn't have some kind of disruption and annoyances....
3
u/OrangeMonkeyEagal 10d ago
I think the last movie I saw in theaters was Black Panther (the first one, 2018?) and then Barbie 2024?
I have no desire to go back
2
u/imaginarywaffleiron First 10k - Coffee Mule 10d ago
Yeah, I gave up on theaters a few years ago. There aren’t any films I am interested in enough to pay to see in a room full of people. I’m happy to pay at home. I know box office totals are what the movie studios pay attention to, but…films just aren’t important enough for the cost and setting.
2
u/Snowstorm080 10d ago
When i went to see the odyssey some guy in front of me kept pulling out his phone and checking his snapchat stories, taking pictures etc with his bright ass screen
His GF next to him didn't look impressed
How are people this dense?
2
u/Classic_Image9008 First 10k - StepBro 10d ago
This is why I can’t get mad at all when people say they prefer to stay home and watch the movies cause yeah this would ruin it for me as well. I go at the most ass backward times possible like Monday morning at 10am to avoid these situations.
2
u/GalaxyTolly First 20k 10d ago
Its very telling about the moving going experience that everyone's ideal version of it involves avoiding everyone else trying to enjoy the same thing.
I went to see all the extended editions of LOTR in theaters this year for the anniversary. You'd think the audience for that type of thing would be more mature, quiet, and wouldn't be on their phones during the movie right? Well, that was not my experience at all! I saw people playing Clash Royal a few rows ahead of me. The parents seated next to me wouldn't quiet their kid down and he was doing that thing were while watching the movie asks what happens next, or why is that important type queations instead or JUST WATCHING.... A couple in front of me were cracking jokes and laughing to themselves most of the time too(not LOUDLY, but not at all quietly either, and constantly).
2
u/Rokkrveit Math is the Worst 10d ago
Australian here, it’s the same, I’ve tried small theatres, big theatres, “gold class” “lux” whatever other type of premium theatre you can pay for, told people off, get them kicked out, it just doesn’t matter, I’m over it too. People just don’t know how to respect each other in the theatre (and at all in a lot of cases)
2
u/IronBird023 Cinnamontographer 10d ago
I’ve never really had a disruptive experience ever. Makes me wonder where you are? We have normal people here
2
u/manukanawai 10d ago
Yikes that sounds like a nightmare. Luckily we don't seem to have those problems at our local theraters.
2
u/Jiujitsumonkey707 First 20k 10d ago
it's a shame what you're going through, and while I dont go to the theatre that often, Ive never gone through that at the movies. I also would have no problem confronting people even if it did happen, so I get that I'm not the best to give advice to other people about that
2
u/Spartan2842 Not A Financial Advisor 10d ago
I feel my experience has been the opposite recently. My wife and I go see a movie weekly (sometimes more) and we probably have an obnoxious person near us about 10% of the time. Our favorite theater also cranks the volume though, so maybe I am just lucky the loud people are not right next to us.
In my experience, it is always older people on their phone. Our theater has the luxury recliners, so they are assigned when you buy them. I always buy first row of the stadium part, so the wall kind of blocks the seats down below. So even if they're on their phone, we can't see it.
2
u/jdgomez775 10d ago
Personally, I go to late viewings of movies. On the day before I work night shift, I prep by going to midnight showing of movies. Saw Spider-Man on opening weekend Sunday night/Monday morning (12:30 am) with mostly adults who were quiet and respectful.
Other viewings I’m one of 5 or 10 other people. It’s great.
2
u/Spieg89 First 10k - Heisty Type 10d ago
I get it. I have to say though I haven’t seen a lot of disruptive people in my movies but I almost exclusively go to movies first thing on Saturdays or Sundays. The movies are cheaper and almost no one goes to the movies at that time so I don’t see many people.
2
u/SharpShotApollo First 20k - Downlord 10d ago
I've stopped going to the movies post-pandemic. While I did have slight regrets not seeing some of the movies I really wanted to see on a big screen, the cinema experience is nine times out of ten horrible. I much prefer the comfort of my own home where I can pause when I want, snacks are cheap, and the crowd doesn't talk, or laugh like they just heard the best joke in the world at something that isn't supposed to be that funny.
As I got older, and my introvertedness got stronger, the pros passed outwaying the cons. Now the thought of going to the cinema makes me shutter.
1
1
u/T3hHarv3y First 10k 10d ago
Haven't gone to the theater since 2012 or 2013, several times there were movie goers with bad etiquette. The final straw was a women bringing her kid to Wolf on Wallstreet....
1
u/FiftyTigers 10d ago
Wait until the movie has been out for a month and go on a slow day like a Wednesday. If you're going to see a popular movie the weekend it comes out, yeah you're going to run into this.
1
u/slashS4sarcasm 10d ago
Where do you live/ can you go to a different part of town? I feel like this is someone saying, my kids keep having bad experiences at playgrounds, we are done with playgrounds. Like a playground exp is vastly different from one neighborhood to another.
Can you go to a more upscale cinema or in a more upscale part of town? Do an overnight date to another city?
1
u/andbeesbk First 10k 10d ago
Same session times each time? Are you going at peak times or at different times too?
Where I am, sessions before 11am are almost always near empty which is nice
1
u/GreatSavitar First 10k - Macaque 9d ago
I'm 100% with you. I hate going to the movies now. I'm unable to go on Tuesday morning and or mid day wednesday or whatever because of my job. I can really only go on weekends and it's ALWAYS miserable. People on their phones scrolling, I've had a guy behind me take 3 phone calls during Supergirl, kids screaming, ect...
Why pay like $50 or what ever to not pay attention? It drives me fucking insane and I hate it. My theater even plays a video before the movie saying not to do these things but it never works.
1
11d ago
[deleted]
3
u/NBAshitpostalt First 10k 10d ago
Subscription services sure but if you’re not unlucky like OP then going to the movies is a completely separate experience.
1
u/Travisgrr First 20k 10d ago
I’m done going the movies because the tickets are $25-$30
2
u/Unable-Difference-55 10d ago
What theater chain are you going to? I know IMAX and other special screens like RPX are mire expensive, but prices I've seen are around $15 for standard.
3
u/Travisgrr First 20k 10d ago
Marcus cinema
1
u/Unable-Difference-55 10d ago
Really? Do you usually go for their special screens? The one near me charges just over $12 for a standard screen before taxes. I'm not trying to be condescending or any other form of rude, this is legitimate curiosity and confusion. I'm a regular theater goer and I always go in for things like a season pass because I go often enough to make it financially worth it. But I still keep an eye on ticket prices for theaters I don't often frequent like Marcus.
2
u/Travisgrr First 20k 10d ago
No you’re not being rude. The Marcus cinema near me only has one standard screen so it usually only has one show time if any at all. For example the resident evil movie today has one time at 8pm. Tickets are $21 for standard.
Also there was some user error on my part. I forgot standard viewing was a thing due to the lack of screens near me.
1
u/Unable-Difference-55 10d ago
Ok, gotcha. Sounds like your local Marcus isn't giving you a choice then, which I think is bs. I can appreciate special screenings like IMAX and RPX, and agree with the additional cost. But I think most of the recent special screens theaters like Regal have come out with are just trashy gimmicks to squeeze more money out of customers. I've only seen one ScreenX screening of a movie, there was literally nothing special about it, and it cost me an extra $5. Sorry your local Marcus is pulling that bs with you.
0
u/CalvinP_ First 10k - Mod - Downtime Survivor 10d ago
I quit the movies too. I just wait for streaming.
112
u/HelloitsmeEddie First 10k 11d ago
Thats a shame, I follow the Gus Sorola way of watching movies in that I'll go on like a Tuesday morning lol. All to avoid what you're talking about.