What was your worst experience in the theater?

[MagicalKingdom]

Some guy near me texted throughout the entire run time of SALT which frustrated me to no end. I couldn't focus on the movie for more than a minute or two without glancing over at his cell phone light and getting angry.

 

[Acklander]

If it bothered you that much couldn't you have just moved? That's what I would have done.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

LIBERTY TREE MALL movie theatre Danvers MA

As I walked to my seat in the dark a large rat ran across my path. I was freaked and could not enjoy the movie. My husband just brused it off but I had to keep my feet up on the front row bars the whole time. I pulled a muscle in the back of my leg. I had told the ticket taker as soon as it happend and he could have cared less. I HATE to go to the movies since then b/c before that time, it had never even occured to me that mice or rats could be running around my feet.

 

[Jennasis]

Move? No way. Get the manager and have the guy reprimanded or booted? Yep.

 

[Acklander]

Move? No way. Get the manager and have the guy reprimanded or booted? Yep.

That works too. but sitting there silently, getting angry every couple of minutes throughout an entire movie - that's pointless. If it bothers you so much that you're getting angry about it - do something about it.

 

[pbthompson]

I took my daughter and her friend to see the latest episode of Twilight recently. We were the first ones there and it didn't start filling in until a few minutes before the movie started. A lady sat right in front of me which was fine because it was stadium seating. The problem was she was rocking in her chair like an old lady on a porch rocker. She kept hitting my foot since I had my legs crossed. I finally got sick of her hitting my foot and moved it. She turned around and screamed, "Will you please stop kicking my seat!" I told her I wasn't kicking her seat and that I had simply moved my foot because she kept hitting it with her rocking. I said I don't know if you thought I was a teenager or what but I am a grown adult and will not put up with that. She turned around, didn't rock or say another word.

 

[bicker]

SOOOOO glad that I have a nice room in my home to watch movies now. I cannot imagine going to the theater anymore, except to IMA$ uh IMA$ uh having trouble typing IMAX.

 

[Jennasis]

That works too. but sitting there silently, getting angry every couple of minutes throughout an entire movie - that's pointless. If it bothers you so much that you're getting angry about it - do something about it.

I agree with you. But I prefer to have people ejected, especially if it's a crowded theatre and there isn't anywhere to move to.

 

[skuttle]

At Toy Story 3, the family behind us showed up about 10-15 minutes late. Of course when they went down the row they knocked the back of our seats. Then, the mom answered her ringing phone not once but twice.

 

[MushyMushy]

I posted about this the time it happened, and I still shake my head over it. My worst experience in a theater was when Chronicles of Narnia came out. I went with my husband and daughter and we sat in the back row, near the middle. The family came in and sat on my side -- mom, dad, 3 kids, the youngest about 5 sat one seat over from me. From the time they sat down, they were obnoxious. Talking loudly, getting up to move around, fussing with their food. When the movie started, the 5 year old started asking her mother questions at the top of her lungs, and the mother would answer at the top of her lungs. No effort to shush her. The kids were kicking the seats in front of them so hard that they were bothering ME with the noise, so I can't even imagine how badly it was bothering the folks sitting there!

My husband and I were so annoyed, but we were just going to chalk it up to a bad experience and the price you pay for seeing a movie on opening night.

THEN, out of nowhere, the 5 year old spilled this huge bucket of soda (you know how big the largest ones are!), and it soaked the faux fur on my winter jacket, and left my feet sitting in a puddle. My husband had had enough and got up to find a manager. The manager stood to the side and watched for a while, then came over to confront the family. The mom started yelling at me, raving on and on about "How dare you! She's just a child! She's only 5, she's just a child!"

For as non confrontational as I am, that really ticked me off. I told her SHE was an adult and SHE was the one who should have been keeping her family quiet and that they were disturbing everyone around them. She yelled at me some more, then the manager asked her to leave, so she left in a big huff. Her husband stayed a few minutes with the 2 other kids, but then he ended up slinking out of the theater too. Poor guy was probably mortified.

At that point, everyone in the rows in front of us applauded, then after the movie ended, a few of them came up and thanked me and told the manager how bad it was, so he gave us all free tickets.

 

[pbthompson]

This reminds me of another incident back in April. My husband and I went to see Clash of the Titans. We were in the back row sitting next to some pre-teenager boys. We left a seat open between us and them. A few minutes before the movie started an older couple (atleast 50s) came in walked around and around the seats trying to find the exact ones they wanted. Finally the man came up to our row and said "Listen boys this is whats going to happen...you can either move one seat to the left or one to the right but we are sitting here." I was like OMG, I said "WOW that was really rude, my husband said not to say anything else...fine. I am a redhead and a mom so this was VERY difficult for me. So the kids moved over and the older couple sat next to me...joy. The move started and I heard this pop...they brought BEER in with them. Are you freaking kidding me? It was really crowded by this point so I didn't get up and report them, though later I would wish that I did because the woman kept asking questions throughout the entire movie. I was ready to snap. They were well aware that I was not happy but the looks I gave them. People...

 

[Chelley00]

I had someone throw up on me at a movie once.... long time ago.

A group of friends and I were watching Silence of the Lambs in high school, and the lady in a row behind me apparently didn't know what it was about. The scene were his mouth is covered in blood in the cage? The lady decided to leave, stood up, and puked on my shoulder and all down my arm.


She felt horrible about it and when we were in the bathroom cleaning up, insisted on buying all my friends and I movie gift certificates so we could rewatch the movie (plus a couple more, she was way too generous) and gave me $50 to replace my clothes.

 

[worm761]

We don't go to the movies very often anymore. DS has Asperger's and ADHD. I tried going to night movies but his meds wear off and he has impulse control issues. I have had to leave more than one movie because he just could not control himself. Now, when we go, we go to matinees where his meds are still working. See, I learned.

We had the teens that wouldn't shut up once. I have always worked with teens plus I am a mom. I looked at them and said in my best mom/boss voice- I am only going to tell you once to be quiet. They all straightened up. I was rather shocked! r

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

I took my son to Toy Story 3 at our local IMAX theater. He sat on my left and to my right sat a family of four with their DS right next to me, mom, dad, and older daughter. The boy was probably about 2 maybe 2.5 years old and I don't know if this was his first movie or first one at an IMAX theater b/c almost immediately he started wimpering once the movie started. About 30 minutes in he was having loud crying outbursts out of fear and then started BEGGING his mom to leave!!! She chose to pull him onto her lap and loudly try to calm him down, once calm she'd put him back into his seat until the next scary scene which for his age was a lot of the movie and he'd once again BEG to leave so she'd pull him on her lap and calm him down - this went on for the rest of the movie. By the time we got to the incinerator scene I thought this poor boy was going to really lose it - his mom did look over at me at one point and gave me this "you're a mom, I'm sure you understand" look - to which I tried to give her my "you're a mom, you should know he'd had enough and take him out of here" look but I doubt it came across that way!

 

[ShesAPirate]

Ugh, all of these stories are why I avoid going to the movies during "prime" times. We saw "Inception" on a Friday night (my boyfriend planned it, not me), and I was worried that I would have to deal with this kind of thing. The family in front of us talked all through the previews -- which annoys me, because I actually like the previews -- but fortunately they stopped once the movie started. It wasn't as bad as I expected.

Why do people even *go* to the movies if they're going to talk, text, be on the phone, etc., the whole time? It's not like movie tickets are cheap! The other thing that drives me crazy -- people who bring their babies/toddlers to horror or other adult movies (bad for the kids, and bad for the other people in the theater). There were people with little kids in the theater when I went to see "Saw"! I couldn't believe it. I love scary/gory movies, and even I was covering my eyes at some points during that one.

 

[rodeo65]

Ugh, all of these stories are why I avoid going to the movies during "prime" times. We saw "Inception" on a Friday night (my boyfriend planned it, not me), and I was worried that I would have to deal with this kind of thing. The family in front of us talked all through the previews -- which annoys me, because I actually like the previews -- but fortunately they stopped once the movie started. It wasn't as bad as I expected.

Why do people even *go* to the movies if they're going to talk, text, be on the phone, etc., the whole time? It's not like movie tickets are cheap! QUOTE]


Yup - agree!! And I like the previews too. My kids know that we go to see movies at least a month after they come out. We sit in the back row, in the middle and for the most part never have anyone bother us.

Occassionally we'll have a tall man sit in front of one of the kids and we'll have to shuffle a little but at least waiting until the initial mania of seeing a new release wears out means we CAN move a seat one way or the other or switch US around - depending on exactly how tall said person is - I'm kinda short myself and sometimes even I have to move.

 

[parrothead365]

sticky floors....ick!!!!

Oh and never sit behind a guy that looks like PeeWee Herman...no good will come of it.

 

[Tinkermommy]

Well, I had a funny incident happen to me.

DH and I went to see the first Scream movie. Friday night, packed theater. I had open seat open right next to me.

Right before the movie started a young girl (18-19) sat down next to me. I thought it was weird she was by herself on a Friday night, but whatever.

The entire movie she clutched my arm and at times dug her head into my neck!!! She was terrified. I had not idea what to do so just sat there.

Well, the movie ends and she just gets up and leaves! No "sorry about grabbing you" or anything. I felt should could at least said goodbye, we kind of had a bonding experience in my opinion!

 

[karenos]

I took my son to Toy Story 3 at our local IMAX theater. He sat on my left and to my right sat a family of four with their DS right next to me, mom, dad, and older daughter. The boy was probably about 2 maybe 2.5 years old and I don't know if this was his first movie or first one at an IMAX theater b/c almost immediately he started wimpering once the movie started. About 30 minutes in he was having loud crying outbursts out of fear and then started BEGGING his mom to leave!!! She chose to pull him onto her lap and loudly try to calm him down, once calm she'd put him back into his seat until the next scary scene which for his age was a lot of the movie and he'd once again BEG to leave so she'd pull him on her lap and calm him down - this went on for the rest of the movie. By the time we got to the incinerator scene I thought this poor boy was going to really lose it - his mom did look over at me at one point and gave me this "you're a mom, I'm sure you understand" look - to which I tried to give her my "you're a mom, you should know he'd had enough and take him out of here" look but I doubt it came across that way!

Something similar happened to me but it was a one year old who ran up and down the theater aisles. All the time the child was crying and screaming and well, acting like a one-year old. Now my kids were really looking forward to seeing ToyStory 3 and we decided to spring for 3d tickets so I was out about $40. (We don't go to the movies all that often, perhaps this is why!) We loved the movie but we would have liked even more if not for the distracting screaming toddler.

karenos

 

[PanamaMike]

August 1992

Los Angeles, CA

A Sunday morning showing of Single White Female.

Theater is pretty empty...15-20 people at the most.

A man & woman sit down several rows from the front and before the show even starts, begin making out like two randy teenagers.

The couple in question:


Tom & Rosanne Arnold.


Forever burned in my memory.