# The horror stories at the movies can come from the audience



## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

From Sacramento Bee:

*The horror stories at the movies can come from the audience*

Coming soon to a theater near you: movie rage, the outright warfare threatening to erupt any day now between the talkers and the shushers.

And between the cell-phoners - and candy-wrapper crinklers and seat-kickers and laptop users - and the rest of us, who used to go to the movies a lot more often, before our fellow audience members' rude behavior drove us away.

Recent studies show that's one of the top reasons for the slump in movie theater attendance. Frankly, we already knew.

So we asked for your movie audience horror stories, and we learned that things are even worse than we thought.

FULL ARTICLE HERE


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## Spruceman (Nov 21, 2004)

I'd rather wait a few months for the DVD to come out, so I don't have to put up with the hassles of traffic; parking; paying exhorbitant admissions; waiting in line and waiting during advertisements, trailers, etc; putting up with sticky floors; the talking, cellphoning, coughing, burping, f4rting, unruly behaviour, etc of the theatregoers, having my view blocked -- especially during end credits, etc., etc.

Once upon a time, going to the movies was a pleasant experience -- back in the 1940s thru '60s, when you could walk into a theatre anytime during the movie, watch it as many times as you wished, and had a quiet and respectful audience. But no longer. 

Besides, for the price of two or three of us going to see the movie at a theatre just one time, we can buy the DVD and watch it over and over again -- with subtitles and with pauses to accommodate any of our eating or bathroom needs -- and a more comfortable seat to recline, sprawl out, lie down, or whatever. Plus having the 7.1 sound peaked for where I'm sitting. 

Or wait yet a few months more and see the movie as part of America's Everything pack at no added charge.

There's no place like home for watching a movie.


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## bobsupra (Jul 12, 2002)

Miss Manners would not be amused!


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

Oh, and if I catch the moron with the laser pointer, I'm gonna give him an atomic wedgie so severe he'll be tasting cotton........


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## JBKing (Mar 23, 2002)

I always like sitting around the guy who's _already_ seen the movie, and has to tell his buddy what's going to happen.

Cellphone converstations are always nice as well. I also like to see babies (and toddlers) in the theater. I realize you paid so much to get to the movies and buy some snacks that you probably didn't want to pay for a sitter also, but geez! just stay at home then... ALL of you!


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## Danny R (Jul 5, 2002)

_and laptop users _

Never seen that one before.

I still like seeing the films on the big screen. Luckily the theater I go to has usually well behaved patrons. This friday, however, I went to go see Stealth, and someone had tossed a drink up at the screen during an earlier show, so there was this large off color splotch right in the middle of the screen.

FYI: I recommend Stealth only for those who like action movies with little plot. You MUST throw your brain out the window prior to seeing it.

In retrospect, perhaps I should have taken the spilled drink as a warning about the sort of film I was about to watch.



Spoiler



Top 3 pilots in the world all demonstrate no reason why they are considered such. Two lose their state of the art prototype planes due to pilot error and following too closely their targets. The third crash lands his plane after allowing himself to be shot up in combat despite having the superior top end aircraft. And of course we have the military general, who at the end supposedly demonstrates the difference between a politician and a soldier, but acts 100% like a politician up until that point. And of course the whole "civilian casualties, oh my!" attitude is ridiculous given the alternative of an uncontrolled warlord having four nukes which could kill *millions*.


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## tonyp56 (Apr 26, 2004)

I love it when someone is talking and those manner police people got to sush them!! So now instead of just the noise from the person talking we now have someone SSHHing them!! 

Shut your mouth, if someone doesn't, keep your mouth shut anyways! Yes, it is rude to talk in the theater, but it is also rude to SSSHH someone too!


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## tonyp56 (Apr 26, 2004)

Danny R said:


> This friday, however, I went to go see Stealth, and someone had tossed a drink up at the screen during an earlier show, so there was this large off color splotch right in the middle of the screen.
> 
> FYI: I recommend Stealth only for those who like action movies with little plot. You MUST throw your brain out the window prior to seeing it.
> 
> In retrospect, perhaps I should have taken the spilled drink as a warning about the sort of film I was about to watch.


Yeah, that movie wasn't that great, it was a waste of two hours IMHO.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

Yes, this one pushed by summer movie "Tastes Great, Less Filling" mantra to the limit. "Top of their class" jet jockeys who couldn't follow orders, couldn't fly in combat, etc. Also suffered from the Top Gun school of ejection seat impossibilities (seat ejects, plane explodes, and body and flaming debris follow each other EXACTLY to the ground? Please. I did like the cameos of the actor who played Dyson in Terminator 2 (He invented SkyNet basically, but was hatin' on the new system in this movie ). Also Claire Danes father who turned Skynet ON in Terminator 3 was the politician who helped greenlight the project. 

Then again, my 11 year old son loved it,.... It should make a quick exit from theaters and do OK on DVD as people give it a rent for a night.... 

Saw two movies this weekend.... Sky High (the kids were begging me) wasn't bad for a kiddie flick. Lynda Carter still looking amazing in her 50's, and Bruce Campbell stealing every scene he was in. Basically, a low rent "Incredibles".... The best scene involved the fireball throwing grumpy loner vs. the self esteemed challenged son of a superhero couple that JUST got his powers. Lots of throwing through walls and other amusing effects...


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## Tusk (Nov 14, 2002)

tonyp56 said:


> I love it when someone is talking and those manner police people got to sush them!! So now instead of just the noise from the person talking we now have someone SSHHing them!!
> 
> Shut your mouth, if someone doesn't, keep your mouth shut anyways! Yes, it is rude to talk in the theater, but it is also rude to SSSHH someone too!


How is it rude to ask someone to quit talking during a movie that you paid to see? I don't consider that being the manner police. I consider that asking someone to give the other people in theater the common courtesy of being quite. If they want to talk, they can go outside.


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## Jim Parker (Aug 12, 2003)

A few years ago at a live theatre show ($65 tickets), a couple came in late and sat down next to me. They proceeded to talk in a low voice. After about 5 minutes of this, I leaned way over the arm rest, invading her space and put my head about 6" from hers. They both glared at me, but I just gave them a "go ahead, continue on" wave of my hand. After 15 seconds, they got up and left.  The guy sitting on the other side of them watched this and gave me a thumbs up.


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