Badmovies.org Forum

I love going to the movies. Even if it isn't a good movie, the atmosphere can still be fun. However, I know we have all been to a movie theater and have had bad experiences. We've endured the people talking incessantly at normal volume during the film, cell phones ringing, etc. So, what I'm wondering is, besides the obvious cliches of people talking loudly and cell phone ringing, what are the things that can irk you about the moviegoing experience?
I have a somewhat odd pet peeve that I haven't really thought too much about until I went to see TRANSFORMERS the other night (I enjoyed it, BTW). Of course, there were about umpteen trailers before the film started. They were mostly trailers for comedies, but the last trailer was for a film that J J Abrams is producing, the name of which escapes me at the moment (I don't even think it has an official title yet). The trailer for the Abrams film is loud, fast, and the date it comes out on flashes at the end, and that's it. (Those of you who have seen the trailer know what I'm talking about). Anyway, this bizarre trailer set the whole theater abuzz with people wondering just what the heck they had just seen, which is to be expected. However, our feature presentation began about three seconds later, and the buzz from the audience had not even died down yet. And so this audience chatter was finding its way into the beginning of the movie, and those of you who had seen TRANSFORMERS know that the first five minutes of the movie are somewhat important.
Stuff like this has happened in countless movies I've been to, where the buzz or uproarious laughter from the audience hasn't died down yet from the final trailer and it "bleeds" into the beginning of the movie, which can spoil or obscure important exposition at the beginning of the movie. For crying out loud, give the audience a chance to recover from the last trailer so that way they're quiet when the movie starts!
Does anybody else share this pet peeve of mine? I know it's really no big deal, but I hate when the audience's laughter from a comedy trailer finds its way into a serious movie I've gone to see. Why can't theaters just show a mild trailer before the feature presentation starts, or just always have a THX/Dolby/DTS/Whatever ad before the movie so the audience has a chance to quiet down?

I absolutely, positively detest seeing commercials on the big screen.  :hatred:  Not trailers, but TV commercials.  Car commercials.  Show commercials.  Deodorant commercials.  I actually got rid of my TV about four years ago because the flishy-flashy 30-second TV spots were driving me insane (not to mention inducing acid flashbacks).  Now I have to show up intentionally late to avoid seeing them scaled up several magnitudes.

On a local note, the only theatres in my area are owned by Regal.  If I have to stare at the perky cleavage of the CG catgirl (the Regal mascot's girlfriend) one more time I'm going to kill somebody.  Or spill my drink on the floor and smoosh it around with my shoes.  Whichever proves easier.

I also wish they'd show appropriately marketed trailers for the particular presentation.  If I am sitting down to watch ninety minutes of brutal torture, I want to see trailers informing me of other such socially irresponsible schlock.  It just doesn't make sense to screen the Adam Sandler firefighter thing to that kind of audience.  Or does it?  I dunno.

None of these things actually keep me from going to the theatre.  I make an effort to see as many intriguing titles on the big screen as I can.  If for nothing else, I love the audience reactions; it helps me gage my humanity.  :teddyr:

Oh there's the basic chatting during films.  Watching a movie with a few mothers on a movie night gasbagging about their kids whilst the opening credits are playing is very annoying [and happened to me not too long ago.]

But that's about it.  One other moment was my boss's kid was telling me about how they went to see a 'nice' film and got in there early, only to catch the last ten minutes of Hostel.  He is 9 years old and was with his grandmother.  She wasn't too impressed as you'd imagine.

What annoys me about that situation is that it doesn't happen more often of course...  :wink:

Talking, cell phones, trailers, commercials, sticky floors, way over priced snacks and drinks., bad chairs, hearing the movie next door or on both sides, bad sound, bad print of the movie, small screen, etc etc ...

So I just watch them at home 99.9% of the time. About only go to kid flicks with the family.

 Don't you hate it when ,in the middle of a good scary movie,that all of a sudden,demons start killing the audiance? Or a giant Blob starts gobblin people up? That really sucks!  :wink:

Kid with laser pointers in the theater.

'nuff said.

I've got one...

People who sit near me.
I'm not talking about friends...that's ok.
I'm talking about going to see a movie when there's only like 5-10 people in the entire theater and some joker and his girlfriend will sit directly in front of me or behind me.

If they sit in front of me, I can't put my feet up on the back of the seat.
If they sit behind me, they'll put their feet up on the back of my seat.

Out of all the open seats in the theater, they feel the need to sit by me.   :hatred:

Ever been sitting in the theater waiting for the movie to start and you see people looking at some seats near you and you keep thinking, "Please don't sit by me.  Please don't sit by me."?
And then they do!
AAHHHH!

I've actually gotten up out of my seat and moved because someone sat near me.
When I go to the movies, especially by myself, I want to be totally alone.  I don't want anyone near me.

top five in no particular order (some have already been mentioned)
1.) People who laugh at inopportune times at nothing apparently funny
2.) People who think they're as funny as MST3K making commentary but don't even come close to anything resembling funny.
3.) Commercials before movies, do movie theaters really need more money when they charge 5 bucks for a popcorn?
4.) Ear bleeding sound systems. I had to watch one film with my fingers in my ears literally.
5.) People who shout at characters during horror films.  Had one lady during some film I went to kept saying "GET OUT OF THERE GIRL, RUN!"

Ash, I could have written that post myself, I agree so much.

For me:

Any kind of talking or constant whispering from people
Unruly, noisy kids and parents who are too lazy to do anything about them.

I used to love going to the movies, but it has gotten to the point where so many people are just flat out rude and obnoxious, that I hardly ever go anymore. I really hate dealing with people and the self centered behavior by so many just convinces me to stay home and wait for DVD. If I really must see a film in the theater, I'll wait a few weeks for all the crowds to thin before going. Back in 2003 I think I went and saw almost 30 movies in the theater. So far this year I have been once, to see Spider-Man 3.

I wish they'd bring back drive-ins.  That would allow more privacy for those who actually want to watch movies and for those who don't (neck, whatever).

Here's my list:
The commercials, used to be you'd get the coming attractions trailers, a short film, and a cartoon or two, now we get a 10-15 minute pitch on how you can change your life by taking the Sunday Times for just pennies a day or some other inane add.
People who have seen the film and who feel compelled to describe what's happening to their companions, they always sit near enough to be heard, and they get upset when told to be quiet.
People who just seem to talk incessantly while the movie is on.
The ridiculous high cost of everything from admission to popcorn, I know this is hard to believe but when I was a youngster I could get into the movie theater, see 2 films, previews of the "Starts Wednesday" films and the"Coming soon to this theater" type, and a short subject, all for a total of 35 cents.
I don't like people who yell at the characters while the movie's on, there is an exception to this, at the end of Titanic, when the old woman throws the diamond into the ocean I was thinking that she just threw a lot of money away, some guy in the front row stands up and yells "YOU STUPID B***H, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT'S WORTH!"
Cracked up the whole joint.

Absolutely about talking, cellphones, sitting near me.  And crying babies.

Commercials should be banned.  Right now, the only reason to go to the movies is because of the bigger screen.

As for trailers -- don't give away the whole freaking movie, and don't use the best jokes. 

People who bring their 5 year olds into violent, loud films and then wonder why Junior is bawling the whole time . . . when my wife and I went to see Titanic the lady in front of us had a kid who couldn't have been over 4, and when the people went into the water he started crying his eyes out . . . . hire a sitter, for crying out loud!

I'll agree with this. Some dumb woman brought her two little kids, who were under 6 at least, to see THE 300. They were right in front of me, whining the whole time! Fortunately it was such a good movie I didn't care. Normally though this would bother the hell out of me. The standard stuff annoys me too. Like morons on their cell phones or people talking during the movie.

Knees on the back of my seat...feet up on the back of my seat...kicking of the back of my seat or any seat in the row in which I'm sitting or kicking of any leg of any seat in the row in which I'm sitting... :hatred:

People who don't know what's going on in the movie they're watching.  I Remember watching X2 in a theater near Ft. Stewart.  My seargent, thoughout the whole movie was asking me who was that, what happened, why that happened.   I know he's not comic book savy like me, but just enjoy the movie now and ask me later.

I think the post that started this thread goes to prove that movies are nothing but watered-down trailers.  Cinema will have reached its finest form when you can walk out feeling like you just saw a 2-hour butt-kicking trailer.

I agree with most of the posters here about commericals in movies. Don't need other 10 mins. tacked on before the movie starts.

Babies is other thing. I can understand your trying to have a evening out, but bring a child to a very loud movie, of course it going to cry or make nosies.

Admission is other. Their are still some cheap matinee shows but most of the movies I see are limited release and have to pay $10.00 something. Its also doesn't help a DVD release is going to be 5 months later.

Film projection out of focus
Film projection out of rack
Film projection with the wrong film gate / film lens for the print
Sound bad
Digital projection aka "F**k it, leave it"  :buggedout:
Noisy people in the cinema (I mean talking through the film, not cheering or anything like that)

As I scrolled through the replies to this topic, I saw that about 4/5ths of the members who originally posted an answer are no longer active here. The heavy attrition of time, huh?

Me, I dislike almost every part of seeing a movie in a theater and very rarely go because the experience is annoying. It costs too much, you are subjected to commercials and time-consuming previews, and all during the (generally mediocre these days) film people carry on with conversations like they're home in their living rooms, and invariably at almost any given time someone has a glaringly bright phone open.

I also find it annoying when people eat during a movie. You're sitting there trying to take in some important scene and people are crunching and messing with wrappers and slurping soft drinks. I know multiplexes make their money off concessions, and yes modern people overeat as a form of entertainment, but can't they go two hours without a snack? Really?

Even in the rare instances when I think an offering out of Hollywood looks half decent I basically don't go out to see movies at all anymore because the experience is one long aggravation.

That's exactly why I don't eat anything while watching a movie in the cinema: I will drink something, either a Coke or Slush Puppie but nothing that will disturb anyone else.

Because cinemas can have to hand over more than 100% of the price of a ticket in order to show a movie, I do try to pick up something to eat and drink when I go to see something. I dislike other people being in the cinema while I am there, so if they don't like me eating, they should go to other showings.  :bouncegiggle:

I’m not sure there’s anyone left in the U.S. doing film projections, outside of a few speciality houses.  :bluesad:

Sadly true here as well. I trained in it for almost 2 years and now I don't do it anymore 😞

Trevor, how did you find this old thread?  I'm one of the few survivors! 

I'm totally with ER on this one.  Going to a movie theater is not worth the aggravation. 

^ It's easy to find old threads. Just find a member or your own posts- go to old posts - tada!

For example- here's your first post from 2007-!



...and here's mine!

As far as movie theaters..I hate huge amounts of people. A small movie house is fine with me. I like to be in the balcony or in the front row in a corner.
As a kid, the balcony was fun because you could throw popcorn down on the other kids.
As an adult-I liked to be hidden, because I carried a pint of whiskey with me. Sometimes I smoked a joint with my brother. I haven't been to a theater in almost a decade.
For the most part, I am the reason people hate theaters.

 

No.  I understand the rudimentary.  Here's Trevor's first post :


My question is directed to Trevor. 

I couldn't sleep a few days ago and spent about three hours going through any post I could find: came up with this one  :smile:

Well, RC advised me correctly.  Hunt and peck.  Thank you.

I absolutely love going to the theater and try to make it a point to do so once a week. Most movies, even small intimate dramas, have bigger impacts on a big screen. There are no distractions from engaging with the story; if I'm temporarily bored, I push through instead of checking my phone or grabbing a snack or whatever. It's always interesting to see how other people react; are they laughing or gasping at the same things I'm laughing or gasping at? What's the buzz like when the movie ends?

My only complaint is the expense.

I like going to the cinema. It's a chance to get out of the house, & movies are cooler on a bigger screen. We just haven't got to go since covid hit.  :bluesad: