I used to enjoy going to the cinemas but now I feel the sense of joy I had as a child ebbing away, and feel it slowly replaced by feelings of anxiety, confusion, stress & of course my old friend – hatred. After going to see the final Hobbit movie tonight, and coming out feeling like I could set fire to my own face, and then the cinema, I thought I’d write down some basic rules to help people not act like a tit when you’re at the flicks.
1. As soon as you’re through the double doors into the screen then you should begin finishing all external communications via your mobile phone as you will shortly need to turn it off and/or destroy it. That’s an easy one. I don’t care if it’s adverts, trailers or the actual movie – no one wants your Instagram feed shining like some shit beacon from the darkness and burning out their retinas. I am yet to see someone use a phone during the movie itself, even in this human cesspool of stupidity we call earth, it seems that most people can still restrain themselves on some levels.
2. In regards to snacks, everyone likes to eat at the cinema, and that’s fine, but a great idea is to prepare the food before the film starts, rather than waiting until the tipping point in the films arc before you start making a fucking ham sandwich. I can’t think of anything worse than the slow unravelling of a crisp packet from three rows back clawing at my sanity. Also, I will provide some types of food that are not acceptable to eat at the cinema – curry, fish products, protein shakes, hot fried chicken. The cinema is not a fucking Nando’s mate.
3. Don’t talk to anyone, ever, it doesn’t matter if it’s a medical emergency (child birth, heart attack etc) or if you’re about to tell your significant other that you no longer love them – DO NOT TALK. If anything whispering is even worse, at least if someone is talking then I know what the deal is or I might at least hear something interesting but with someone whispering I feel like the sound is gnawing away at the edge of my conscience and slowly sending me insane. Also, don’t ask me what’s going to happen next in the movie – I haven’t seen it either …
4. Stick to your booked seats – if you’ve been allocated seat F12 then simply go locate the seat using the corresponding symbols (letters and numbers in layman’s terms), pull the seat down, sit down and then follow the previous 3 rules. Don’t go sit in someone else’s seat, you wouldn’t break into someone else’s fucking hotel room, and do a shit in their bathroom. Actually, maybe you’re exactly the kind of person who would, and that’s why you need to heed the above advice.
So, those are my core rules for having a great time at the cinema. I feel that writing this article has been a cathartic experience for me, and I can’t wait to build my own 12 screen home cinema underground.
I watched The Theory Of Everything in the cinema by myself a couple of weeks back. It was glorious.
I rarely go to the movies anymore, just for this reason. With a 60″ HDTV in the Man Cave and full HD quality movies ready on demand or by Blue Ray, I find it difficult to spend $60 for a family of 5 to go to a theater to hear people eating, talking and coughing over the soundtrack.
I watched the Hobbit at the IMax yesterday with Dieter. There is nothing like a 6ft tall, 7ft wide hairy biker looking guy with an 8ft long beard to deter would be cinema experience ruiners.
During a screening of Prince Of Persia a few years back, I witnessed a guy texting on his phone during the whole movie off in my right hand periphery. 20 minutes from the end he actually MADE an outbound call. Sketchy Adam actually went over to have a go and the guy got defensive to the point of wanting a fight, he saw me and the other guy we were with and decided against it. Dude never even stayed for the final 10 minutes of the flick. The last part I can’t blame him for, film was dog eggs.
My last ever vist to cinema about 4 years ago, 2 blokes and girl were yapping on not giving a fuck for anyone else trying to watch the film. After 10 minutes l stepped up fuming and asked them ‘are you going to shut the fuck up or what?’ They nearly shit themselves, they stayed seated after the movie had finished and didn’t move until l’d left.
This kind of behaviour should be encouraged. Yours, not theirs.
“Also, don’t ask me what’s going to happen next in the movie – I haven’t seen it either …”
Good god this drives me almost to the point of murder. PAY. ATTENTION. YOU. CLUELESS. TARTS.
Years ago this moron I took on a date drove me to cinema to see some film, she irritated me so much talking throught the first trailers I literally moved three seats down the row. We drove home in silence and I never spoke to her again.
Case closed.