Please be courteous to those around you by silencing your cell phone during the movie. The simplest and most basic of instructions, yet nobody seems to be able to follow them. When it started is impossible to tell, but movie theater etiquette is almost nonexistent anymore.
It may have escalated with the rise of cell phones, but it seems like every time I go to a movie, somebody is there acting like a total jerk, ruining the other patrons’ theater experience.
It would only take a few small steps to fix people’s ignorance, and frequent moviegoers really need to start working on their etiquette if they intend to make trips to the theater often.
Obviously, the biggest problem is the unwarranted use of cell phones in the theater. People are way too attached to their cell phones, and smart phones have only made it worse. The purpose of a film is to entertain us and distract us from real life.
I have sat down in the theater multiple times, only to be baffled why people are playing games on their phones during the movie. They did not even give the film a chance before they decided “Angry Birds” would be a better use of their time.
Not only that, but they are also texting somebody who did not make the trip in a conversation that could wait until after the movie is over. “This movie sux lol” can wait until you leave the theater. A lighted phone is a huge distraction to everyone else trying to enjoy the film, and this issue needs to be taken care of.
If you cannot handle the pressure of not knowing who is texting you during the movie, the best way to fix this problem is by leaving your phone in the car. All those texts will be there after the movie is over, and you will not have to risk me dumping a full bucket of popcorn on your head because I openly question your intelligence.
The next issue that needs to be addressed is bringing children to the theater. If the movie does not feature cartoon characters singing and dancing around, your children need to stay at home. Two weeks in a row, I have dealt with parents bringing their kids to the movie only for them to ruin the film for everyone else.
The first time was my second go-around with “The Hunger Games” film, which proved to be a great experience, except for the little girl who sat right behind me and kicked my seat for two hours. The mother had no control over the little girl, who also was too young to understand the film, which resulted in a plethora of loud, obnoxious questions that were just plain annoying.
The second time I was forced to deal with this problem was last week during the “R”-rated horror film “Cabin in the Woods.” Yes, some terrible parents actually brought their children to the gorefest that was “Cabin in the Woods.”
Of course, as soon as the blood started flying, the kids started crying, and the parents should have taken their children to the lobby. You would think that would have been the result, but when they started bawling uncontrollably, the parents just let them ruin everyone else’s theater experience.
They refused to take them out. This is inexcusable and needs to be addressed by the theater’s employees. The only suitable punishment for these parents would have been for the kids to pick up on the film’s excessive cursing, and I am positive I would have laughed out loud if one of the kids would have yelled out a hearty “f-bomb” as they were getting thrown out of the theater.
The last issue that needs to be addressed is where people are sitting during the movie. The common courtesy is to avoid sitting directly in front or behind other patrons unless the theater is completely full. Choosing the wrong seat could directly affect how people are able to view the film, and this is easy to fix.
Additionally, people like to put their feet up on the seat, which while frowned upon, I have no problem with. That is, as long as you are not putting your feet anywhere near another patron’s face. You would think this would be general knowledge, but people do not understand this rule at all.
Relax, enjoy the movie, but keep your feet out of my face. Seriously.
I, along with many others, love going to the theater. Enjoying a good flick can be a great experience, but others’ lack of manners has recently changed that experience. Please, put your cell phones away until after the movie is over, and let us make going to the theater as enjoyable as it used to be.
Recent Comments