Enjoy the rant, no talking please.
The cinema is a place for us all to go and enjoy the latest movies. At a small fee, the cinema is in my estimation one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get a couple of hours of great entertainment conveniently.
With new cinemas popping up frequently, there's never one too far and with big name releases around every corner, there's rarely a shortage of something new to see. However, are the minority ruining the experience for the rest of us?
I like to visit the cinema on a regular basis, I've always been a movie enthusiast and I enjoy the simple things. A warm bag of popcorn and a two-hour fantasy flick is all I need to enjoy a nice evening. Others it would seem don't feel the same way and more often than not, I'll find I'm sat in a cinema with a few other people who simply aren't there to watch the movie. They're either just out to socialise or they've mistaken the bright screen and loud noises for a nightclub. A common mistake I'm sure.
As a result, I thought I'd taken a moment and list my "Top 5 annoyances when visiting the cinema"
- Talking. I don't mind the occasional whisper, you may sometimes need to explain a scene to a friend. You may even need to exclaim "oooh that was good". But, there are those who talk throughout the movie about last week's football results. Got to be ranked #1, easily the most annoying.
- Late entrances. A late entrance isn't a grand entrance at all. Not only do late arrivals disturb your viewing, they then spend a good ten minutes trying to find a seat in the dark. If you're not careful, they'll tread on your toes as well as interrupting the film. Would closing the doors and refusing more tickets after a film has started be such a bad idea?
- Mobile phones. Hats off to Orange here, they do their best to ensure a mobile phone doesn't ruin a movie with their comical advertisements. They don't seem to be working however. Is it that difficult to switch a phone off for roughly two hours? That's completely off by the way, not silent or vibrate only...off, off. Furthermore, others tend to think that not talking on their phone but texting instead is being polite. They don't seem to realise that the bright screen of their phone in a darkened theatre does in fact catch everyones eye. Very annoying.
- Snacks. I've already admitted to enjoying some popcorn during a movie, but it requires just a touch of thought when rustling your bag or wrapper. In scenes of intimate dialogue, don't dip your hand into your bag of M&M's and add your own sound effects. Just a touch of courtesy please.
- Start times. Are the cinemas really helping the matter? If a movie is listed as 7:15, you'll be lucky if it starts by 8:00. Why is this an annoyance? Well, the sitting around and waiting is what I believe makes the movie-goers restless in the first place. After waiting around for so long, conversations do start up and it's then all the more challenging to quieten down when the movie does eventually start. Likewise, are late entrances due to people wishing to avoid that prolonged build up?
Those annoyances make the top 5 as they're the most common and occur on the most regular basis. There are of course other incidents I've experienced. I've had kids running up and down stairs during The Legend of Zorro and although I admit the movie was poor, it's no excuse to start running around. I've had a couple making out during Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, a movie quiet enough for the entire theatre to hear what was happening and believe you me, it wasn't crouching and it certainly wasn't hidden.
From where I live, I've a selection of cinemas from which I could choose. The two closest to me being Cineworld Wolverhampton and Showcase Walsall. The Cineworld, the newer of the two multiplexes offers bigger screens, more comfortable seats and better all round facilities. Unfortunately, it's located in a very busy area and regularly overrun with kids, it just so happens to be where the two aforementioned incidents occurred. More often than not, I've found a visit to Cineworld Wolverhampton proves to be a largely challenging experience. The above annoyances are all a common occurrence and as a result, I've made the switch now to Showcase Walsall.
The Showcase cinema, located just off a motorway isn't as easily accessible. People visiting this cinema tend to be there for a common purpose; they're out to watch a movie. The screens are smaller, some aren't of the best quality and the seats often leave me sore for a short while afterwards. Irrespective of that, it's my preferred choice of cinema as I get to enjoy the movie without the unwanted interruptions.
Should cinemas be doing more to make the movie going experience what it used to be? I think so.
