Especially when they use them during the movie and the light starts becoming distracting. Why even go watch a movie or go to the theaters if you're not focused on the show itself? I swear some people treat going to a theater as if they're watching it at home and don't care about the people around them that they could annoy if they're not busing screaming or yelling or yapping.
shareI’ve only been to one movie theater in the last couple years and everyone was very well behaved and kept the laptops and phones off, for a change! Those old audiences were often obnoxious.
And sorry to switch the topic but with seemingly endless streaming services now and reasonable prices to rent from home on streaming I wonder if the theaters are sweating bullets heavily…
If I can rent a cool new release on streaming, snack cheaply and avoid concession$$$, and go pee when I want to by pressing pause on my fairly large TV why do I need the smelly, disgusting crowd, the lousy parking and the ridiculous prices?
I think theaters are in big trouble.
I'm hoping the best theaters stay open, go for elite pricing, thus supported by the ones who REALLY enjoy that experience, and too expensive for stupid, noisy people to bother with.
I have a dream...
I don’t know what’s going to happen with theaters. A very large TV and a good sound system are affordable to the average working person now and streaming offers new movies right away.
Top Gun: Maverick was amazing on that huge screen and the crowd was well behaved but I could have gotten to see it cheaper and easier at home.
Perhaps it’s just me but I think movie theaters are in big trouble. We shall see…
I think they are in trouble too. BUT, I have a nice IMAX near me and almost always go to that.... empty as it is (which I love)... and home theater is great, but I do love me a 90 foot screen, 4k laser projected movie, with audio bouncing around a huge room.
I'd pay double ticket cost to keep it open, and see movies look their very best in that
True story: I went to see Top Gun Maverick at the cinema that’s a 10 minute drive from me on a Wednesday lunchtime. The barrier was undergoing maintenance, so the parking was free! The ticket was a ‘Silver Screen’ special for £3.25 ($3.67) with free tea, coffee and biscuits!
I had the screen almost to myself in the best seat (I always ask the staff which seat is the best) with lashings of coffee and biscuits - bargain!
If they would open a theater like the one you described recently, I would give them my money weekly. 😀
shareYeah, I do miss that old joint!
It was pretty nearby. A casual pal, ‘Horror Movie Anthony’ as I call him tells me there is another cheap theatre that shows the oldies but it’s over an hour North of me so I’ve not gone there.
go pee when I want to by pressing pause on my fairly large TV
it really would be cool if they did little intermissions in the middle... even for a 2 hour film
shareThat would be ideal. Logistically though, I think that would be a nightmare in the multiplex world.
shareThey did intermissions all the time in the 50s and 60s. The lights would come up, the curtains would close over the screen. Bladders got emptied. The theater sold more snacks. We don’t do it today because we’ve lost a lot of class.
shareI think in the 50s and 60s, it was more that a movie theatre had one screen. The theatre which I worked at when I was a teen had 6 screens. The ones today have what 16 screens? I couldn't imagine the nightmare of trying to schedule not only starting times but having to factor in intermission times to keep both the lobby and the washrooms from being overwhelmed with people.
shareIn the early days of cinema, many movie theaters were like palaces with large screens. Those days are long gone. What audiences experience at today's 16-screen multiplexes can be replicated at home with an 85-inch 4K Ultra HD TV and a good surround sound system.
It's no longer necessary to be forced to deal with overpriced concessions and rude people in the audience.
Instead of of having the audiences all jam into 1 refreshment stand or 1 of 2 rest rooms, theater management can have staff roam through the audience during the intermission, selling refreshments and urinals.
shareIt's 2022, you cannot expect people to switch their phones off. We are connected to the rest of the world and need to often respond to messages in real time or even just check up on something.
Munching food or even just laughing too loud is what is annoying.
BULLSHIT...TURN IT OFF. NOEMOJI
shareNope, if I see a phone in use it's getting smashed!
shareWhy go to a theater, pay for tickets and overpriced snacks, and not watch the movie?
There is no reason to be constantly "connected to the rest of the world." You can take a couple of hours off to watch a film. And unless it was a life-or-death situation, the response to a message can wait. The same applies to "checking up on something." It isn't necessary to carry the gadget into the theater in the first place. Leave the stupid thing in the car.
This is why I call those devices StupidPhones™. They are contributing to the dumbing-down of our society.
We need to be reachable. You turn your phone off and your boss will hit the roof!
Why? Did you go to work, clock in, and then sneak out to watch a movie? If you are in a theater on your own time then it's nobody's business, and this includes your employer.
There are times of the day to be "reachable" and other times when you need to disconnect and recharge. There needs to be a healthy balance. Ones life should not revolve around some silly electronic device.
Okay and if a loved one has an emergency do you really want to be unreachable? I don't. My phone is staying on.
shareThat would fall into the category of a life-or-death situation, as I mentioned above. Like if a family member was in the hospital for cancer treatments and you needed updates.
Otherwise there is no reason to have the stupid thing turned on while you are in a movie theater. Just like there is no reason to be staring at it while crossing a street, a dangerous situation in which you need to be alert.
I CALL BULLSHIT...YOU DON'T HAVE ANY LOVED ONES. NOEMOJI
shareAs far as I can remember I've only once briefly seen the glow of a smart phone screen during a film - everyone seems pretty considerate about not using them and I usually remember to turn mine off altogether. But it sounds like you're describing an American audience (a guess I make based on previous posts) - just don't get that in the UK.
I call those devices StupidPhones™ because they are contributing to the dumbing-down of our society.
Why would anyone go through the trouble of driving to a theater, paying for tickets and overpriced popcorn, and then not watch the movie?
Just like the Super Bowl. People pay huge amounts of money for tickets, airfare, hotels and car rental to attend what they consider the biggest event of the year. When the camera pans along the stands showing closeups of the crowd, what do you see? Fans staring at their StupidPhones™. Unbelievable.
FULL AGREEMENT HERE,UNCLE JON...I WOULD HAVE USED HARSHER WORDS EVEN. NOEMOJI
shareI am a regular (less than before) theater attendee. I love the experience. I haven't seen a phone on in years. Part of the reason is that we go at times other than opening night and also avoid typical "date times" like 8 to 10 on a Fri/Sat night. There are some other contributing factors but the ill-mannered trend does seem to be abating.
Very comfy.
I only mid week at lunchtime - I have the whole place to myself.
shareI think they should be killed. Painfully and slowly.
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