Should Ushers/Usherettes return to cinemas?

catkins

onlyroz wrote: »

Considering that you need a bank loan these days to afford a trip to the cinema I'm amazed that you would find anything other than hushed silence and rapt attention.

I don't think the cinema offers bad value for a couple of hours of entertainment when you compare it with things like concerts and theatre. I do find it strange though that people pay money and then talk throughout the film or play with their phones. If they don't like the film then why not leave?


It's not just the cinema though. A couple of years ago I got tickets for George Michael which I was really excited about. I had never seen him before and have been a fan for years so was determined to get tickets. I had to buy them on ebay and they cost over £100 each. They were standing tickets so me and OH found a good spot to stand and I was very excited. There were two women behind us who talked all through Sophie Ellis Bextor but I thought they would shut up once George came on - wrong! Obviously they had to shout at each other to talk and I they were spoiling my enjoyment. I thought about moving but I had found a good spot and, of course, it was packed so not that easy to move. Anyway after a while I turned and politely asked if they could be quiet. I said I had paid a lot of money for my ticket and had come to hear George sing. In return I got a load of abuse and was told they could do what they f******g well liked as they had paid for tickets!!!

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

I agree with the last sentence, I can't stand it when people eat noisily. But for me personally, and possibly for a lot of other people, it's a rare occurence that we go to the cinema nowadays, so when we do go, we like to treat ourselves and get popcorn, drinks, sweets etc.

Hasn't it always been the case that people ate treats at the cinema? I remember when I was little (in my 30's) the ice-cream lady coming round.

I remember as a child eating choc ices in the cinema - great things as they are not noisy although I nearly always managed to get it all down me! Then as an adult me and OH almost always went to the NFT where no food was allowed so I got used to not eating in a cinema.


I get so engrossed in the film (until some idiot disturbs me) that I am not interested in eating and, anyway, I don't like the food cinemas sell - vegetarian who hates nachos and popcorn!

heartbreak_star

I must admit I hate being disturbed in the cinema, I find it hard to tune annoying-ness out. That and the price is why we don't go much

I do have an addiction to cinema nachos and will always have a portion when we go, but I make sure I'm done with them by the end of the trailers as I know how noisy they are (trailers and ads add up to about 30-40 mins of the presentation anyway!).

HBS x

Janepig

catkins wrote: »

It's not just the cinema though. A couple of years ago I got tickets for George Michael which I was really excited about. I had never seen him before and have been a fan for years so was determined to get tickets. I had to buy them on ebay and they cost over £100 each. They were standing tickets so me and OH found a good spot to stand and I was very excited. There were two women behind us who talked all through Sophie Ellis Bextor but I thought they would shut up once George came on - wrong! Obviously they had to shout at each other to talk and I they were spoiling my enjoyment. I thought about moving but I had found a good spot and, of course, it was packed so not that easy to move. Anyway after a while I turned and politely asked if they could be quiet. I said I had paid a lot of money for my ticket and had come to hear George sing. In return I got a load of abuse and was told they could do what they f******g well liked as they had paid for tickets!!!

I've been to three "arena" type concerts in the last couple of years and they were all awful. In the first one, I had standing tickets (which was a mistake!) and I have never been surrounded by so many people who were so completely drunk in my life. There were staff walking around with tanks of wine on their backs filling everyone's glasses up, by the time the main act came on there were bodies everywhere, people having to be thrown out/dragged out, fighting, etc... I think I was the only sober person in the place!

The next was the same venue but an act that would appeal to "kids" really. I had seated tickets (big gang of us went with our kids) and again there were that many sloshed adults and they were up and down to the bar, pushing past, etc... it was like watching the concert in serial form. There was a woman sitting behind us with her two young kids who was so drunk she fell down the concrete steps before the main act even came on and her daughter sat on her lap sobbing throughout the concert because she was so worried about her mother.

Third and last one was also seated but again ruined by people who had to get up and down about 450 times throughout the concert, having to push past for toilet, food, more booze, etc... What a nightmare!

<and breathe>

Jx

catkins

Janepig wrote: »

I've been to three "arena" type concerts in the last couple of years and they were all awful. In the first one, I had standing tickets (which was a mistake!) and I have never been surrounded by so many people who were so completely drunk in my life. There were staff walking around with tanks of wine on their backs filling everyone's glasses up, by the time the main act came on there were bodies everywhere, people having to be thrown out/dragged out, fighting, etc... I think I was the only sober person in the place!

The next was the same venue but an act that would appeal to "kids" really. I had seated tickets (big gang of us went with our kids) and again there were that many sloshed adults and they were up and down to the bar, pushing past, etc... it was like watching the concert in serial form. There was a woman sitting behind us with her two young kids who was so drunk she fell down the concrete steps before the main act even came on and her daughter sat on her lap sobbing throughout the concert because she was so worried about her mother.

Third and last one was also seated but again ruined by people who had to get up and down about 450 times throughout the concert, having to push past for toilet, food, more booze, etc... What a nightmare!

<and breathe>

Jx

Yes, that's another thing I don't understand - people getting drunk at concerts. Why? A lot of them are so out of it they don't seem aware of what is going on and I am sure they do not remember the concert afterwards.

Janepig

catkins wrote: »

Yes, that's another thing I don't understand - people getting drunk at concerts. Why? A lot of them are so out of it they don't seem aware of what is going on and I am sure they do not remember the concert afterwards.

I know! I've spoken to loads of people who were at the first concert I mentioned and almost without exception they've all said how legless they were and don't remember anything about it. What's the point of that?

Jx

Buzzybee90

catkins wrote: »

Yes, that's another thing I don't understand - people getting drunk at concerts. Why? A lot of them are so out of it they don't seem aware of what is going on and I am sure they do not remember the concert afterwards.

Drunk or - and to be honest this annoys me more - holding their iPads or themselves on shoulders, in front on someone. So rude and unfair. My boyfriend is tall so we always make sure there's no one short behind and he can't help his height!

One other thing... Wee. I do not enjoy being covered in wee.

System

ska_lover wrote: »

We stopped going a couple of years ago, after me and my husband went to see an 18 rated film starting at 10pm on a saturday night - where a couple had been permitted to bring a baby into the auditorium.

Many people in the audience (including us) complained to the staff as the small baby was crying - pretty much non stop, and felt that it was inappropriate to be bringing a child into what would be exclusively an adult event late on a saturday night.

The staff refused to do anything, and after about an hour we walked out and asked for a refund - we were about the 20th set of people to leave.

Its so expensive these days to go to the cinema - regardless of if you get to see the film in peace, just so expensive especially if there are a large family of you, so much cheaper to get the film on DVD and have a family night at home these days, its really not the affordable treat it used to be

A cinema near us used to do a special screening once a week for parents with babies. As long as the child was under a year old, they could bring them along and watch a film, whatever the film certificate. It was a good opportunity for parents to get out and go to the cinema, and the noise wouldn't annoy other cinema-goers, as they'd be there with their young child, too.

victory

avogadro wrote: »

A cinema near us used to do a special screening once a week for parents with babies. As long as the child was under a year old, they could bring them along and watch a film, whatever the film certificate. It was a good opportunity for parents to get out and go to the cinema, and the noise wouldn't annoy other cinema-goers, as they'd be there with their young child, too.

Ours still does, ideal for all the parents and little ones to get together and no one complaining about the noise:D

victory

catkins wrote: »

Yes, that's another thing I don't understand - people getting drunk at concerts. Why? A lot of them are so out of it they don't seem aware of what is going on and I am sure they do not remember the concert afterwards.

we went to a football much a while ago where it was vital that England won to get through to the Euro's, the two grown men sitting next to us were so drunk they fell asleep and never saw one moment of the match, how they managed to sleep through the noise when we scored I will never know:rotfl:, I just thought what a waste of money:rotfl:

Janepig

victory wrote: »

we went to a football much a while ago where it was vital that England won to get through to the Euro's, the two grown men sitting next to us were so drunk they fell asleep and never saw one moment of the match, how they managed to sleep through the noise when we scored I will never know:rotfl:, I just thought what a waste of money:rotfl:

Funnily enough I went to a Heineken Cup rugby semi final many years ago and it was only at the end (when my team lost ) that I realised how drunk people were - bodies all over the place (again!). I remember one elderly fella (must have been late 70's) with his hair spray painted red, completely legless and having to be helped out of the stadium - he'd been quite animated up until about five minutes before the final whistle!

Jx