Janey

I had this awful experience. I went to see a musical (can't remember its name) but it seemed like the entire audience was shouting and singing along, and making commentary, and throwing stuff at the screeen. It was horrendous. the guy next to me, I swear, he must have thought it was halloween. His face was all white-painted, and he was throwing toast and playing cards at the movie!! I couldn't hear a damn thing, or follow along the movie.

These guys were mixed, black, white, chinks like me... everything. But never again. It's dvd's for me from now on.

pig

that was funny. i think i saw the same show, but it was a community theatre...good times.

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canuckguy

This thread backs my true feelings of watching a movie with an idiot in the room, whether they describe the "action" for you or its someone eating popcorn with there mouth open. I have not been to the movie theatre in years. last movie i saw at the show was fucking Space Jam! got me a home theatre, wait for it on dvd!

crewsor

I have had the same experience only usually it involved white people, mostly teens or very young adults.

For that very reason I have been to only one movie in the last ten years. It seemed every time I went to see a flick, the village idiot or idiots had to sit directly behind me and yell, scream and provide running commentary.

I'm not the type of person who is able to ignore behavior I consider an affront to me and my companions, so natrually I would tell them shut the hell up. Then they get indignant and turn their rude behavior towards me and before you know it I'm ready to go over the seat and teach them some manners.

Needless to say that makes for a less than enjoyable evening, so now I wait for the DVD release.

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Fate

My dads wife is the same way- she'll just start saying her mind while I'm trying to watch a movie I want to see. The very most common action of hers is putting both hands to her mouth and saying "OMG did you see that??" *looks at my dad while saying it* - I totally think to myself "No woman, I was watching the paint on the wall peel."
I usually get up and leave at this point so I don't throw my mouth off at her.
They wonder why I don't watch movies with them anymore.

I remember a heavily specific time... we were all watching Chris Rock on HBO doing live comedy, and she was close to getting up off her seat and throwing the snapping fingers into the air, meanwhile for the next 4 minutes she's saying how true is that!? like 7 times or and was encouraging the man in the tv.

If you havn't guessed, shes black.
But no where do I associate black people being loud. So far I've noticed (In my are anyway) if white ppl are being loud during a movie in a theater, some other white guy gets up and tells him to shutup, then a fight breaks out. It's hard to choose whats entertaining you at this point- the movie you paid for Or two white idiots beating the shit out of eachother.

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MSD

I notice this around me. I think it has more to do with the relative economic situation and levels of education. The theaters around here are right on the border of the rich, suburban town with a great public school system and the poor, urban city with overcrowded, underfunded schools. It's the fault of our society that lines between economic classes have been drawn in the same places as the lines between racial and cultural groups.

I'd also like to say that nobody would question this and consider calling it racist if Bill Cosby siad it.

Tophat665

Many of the loud, annoying theater patron experiences have involved blacks, more than a few, whites, and a few (only one recently) myself (I was really into Gladiator, and the Theater served sangira by the pitcher. )

Here's the difference - When I tell the white teenage girl in front of me that if she doesn't shut her insipid yap I will squeeze her head until it pops, she will shut up. When I tell the row of 8 to 13 year old black kids in the R-Rated movie to STFU, they get pretty hostile.

I agree that it is a selective perception thing, here. I also think there is some of the participatory style noted in black Baptist and pentacostalist churches, but that's not a question of more or less, but a question of style.

I've been one of the white-boy bad commedians. I've gotten over it. Fun to get loaded with friends at home and turn, say, Much Ado about Nothing into Rocky Horror, but that's in one's own home.

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LoganSnake

I haven't had this kind of problem...yet, but I've often experienced something similar. People "reacting" to the happenings on screen. Some examples would be "Ooh! Did you see what he did!?" "That's awesome!" "Oh no!" "Holy shit!" It's more than annoying. It's downright irritating. I've tried telling one person who've done it to be quiet (politely) and what I got in return was a dirty look.

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Ananas

I've been to movie theaters in different neighborhoods and have noticed the ignorant and annoying at ALL of them - didn't matter the color of the participants.

I think it's our whole society in general that has just gotten louder, ruder, and stupider. How stupid, and inconsiderate, is it to drive through the streets with your car stereo cranked up to maximum ear pain levels? Not to mention playing your stereo at home so loudly that your neighbor's walls reverberate, or walking in the street while yelling into your cell phone. People have taken socially unacceptable private behavior into the public realm, and EVERYONE has abdicated their responsibility to conduct themselves in a manner that is respectful and considerate.

Whatever happened to HOME TRAINING?

spectre

The worst experience I've had at a movie was when I saw Terminator 3. There was a little old white lady who constantly talked throughout the entire movie, mostly complaining about how violent it was. All I could think was, "you came to a movie starring Arnold called Terminator and you're surprised that it's violent?!?!" After the show I saw her sneak into another movie.

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Willravel

My favorite is when a person brings an infant to an obviously adult movie. Have you ever heard a baby cry durring Resident Evil: Apocolypse? I have. Same thing with movies from M. Night, Jason, Freddy, Bourne Identity/Supremacy, and a truckload of other movies. I can see this happening during Shrek or the next Pixar movie, but what is wrong with these parents? Do tehy realize how bad that is for an infants ears? Do tehy reaize that scares them shitless? Do they realize that a 3 month old can't keep up with the storyline? Get a babysitter for God's sake!
IMO

shakran

Bingo. You hit the nail squarely on the head. People today generally don't give a crap about anyone but themselves. If they want to do something, they do it, and screw whoever happens to be around. This problem is compounded by businesses so desperate for every scrap of cash they can possibly squeeze out of the public that they bend over backwards to avoid pissing anyone off - even the bad customers.

So we wind up with movie theaters that won't do anything about rude patrons. Hell once I had one guy threaten to put my (then) girlfriend in the hospital right in front of an usher, and nothing was done by the staff. Something was done by me, but that's another story

The problem is also compounded by our kid-centric society. Parents are put on some sort of god-like pedestal and are allowed to get away with stuff that the rest of us never could. Want to bring your crying kid into a theater? That's OK, you're a MOMMY. Want to change your kid's diapers on the table in the mall food court (i've seen this enough times that I never again will eat off of one of those tables)? That's OK, you're a DADDY. And with all those parents being forgiven for acting like rude asshats, it's hard to frown on the rest of society if they also want to do rude and inconsiderate things.

It's turned into a downward spiral, and I think it's going to spell trouble for us as our population continues to rise. The Japanese developed a social system of hyper politeness largely because they have about a jillion people per square inch, and if everyone was a rude asshole they'd end up with people snapping and mowing down crowds every day. Our society, meanwhile, continues to have the attitude of "I do what I want when I want and fuck everyone else" while we continue to increase in population and proximity to each other - and we wonder why we continue to have more incidents of rage.

Just as an example, when I was growing up in the early 80's, we never heard of road rage. Didn't exist. But there was also a higher level of politeness on the highways. Now we've got some of the rudest behavior of our society happening daily on the highways, and people are snapping.

We have to decide as a society to start being courteous and considerate toward each other again. If we don't, we're going to find ourselves in deep trouble down the line.

Pip

Americans applaud at the end of a movie? That's so adorable!

I love "talking back" to movies, it makes the experience more intense. Like screaming when riding a rollercoaster. I also love to watch movies with friends and talk about what happens on screen. Of course we keep it down at public theatres, but in private we scream, cry, swoon, bitch, laugh and cut the movie to pieces with great gusto. Some of the best movie/theatre experiences I've had are when the audience becomes alive and our hearts seem to beat in unison. This entire sitting still and shutting up thing at the opera/movies/whatever has only been around since maybe the late 1800's anyway.

To get the background: I'm white, most of my friends are white, we are all well educated and most come from well educated families. And I hate when people with disgusting lung diseases goes to the Opera.

Carno

I've never been in a movie where people clapped at the end..

Maybe a northern thing

Rdr4evr

I have had more than a few instances where black people yell/scream/talk at/in the theater. I don't believe it is a racist issue, because EVERY single time I have had an issue at a movie, it has always been because of a black individual or group. Either they are constantly being loud and obnoxious through out a majority of the film, or they talk amongst themselves during the film. God forbid you tell them to shut their mouths too; otherwise it is a fight ready to happen.

I use to go to the same theater for a good few months, and 70% of those times I had problems, and being stubborn, I insisted that me and my g/f continue to go to the same theater because I found it to be the best one in our vicinity comfort wise and technology wise.

But luckily, a while ago I have found a new theater that I go to and have had no bad experiences as of yet.

In the old one I attended, the last bad experience I had was in "28 Days Later". Me and my g/f got there early and found some good seats because we knew the theater would be packed. About 10 minutes into the movie, two black girls decided to walk DIRECTLY in front of us obstructing our view (we were in the second row), asking if we would move over so they could sit down. So I decided what the hell, and moved over, although I HATE when people come in late and expect me to move my seat after I have been there for the last 30 minutes. Anyways, we move over and they sit next to us. What a big mistake that was, for the REST of the movie all they did was talk to the fucking actors and when they weren’t doing that, they were talking out loud on their cell phones. To top it off, about 10 minutes before the film ended, they found a party and decided to leave the theater and attend the party instead. I know this because they were so LOUD talking on their cell that I could hear their whole conversation.

After that incident, I decided I am COMPLETELY sick of going to that theater.

The funny thing is, most people never say anything to them because they are probably afraid of their violent behavior. Even if they are not violent, the way they yell during films portrays them as so.

shakran

Yes it is. How many times have you seen black people behaving well in a theater? Why didn't you mention that this time? I dunno about you but I see plenty of black people NOT being assholes.

If you choose to single black people out as being a group that behaves like assholes in the theater, then you are being racist because that's not true - SOME black people are assholes, but then so are some white people.

The theater thing is not a race issue, it's an asshole issue.

Rdr4evr

I understand it is not ALL black people, but from my experiences it is always a black person or group. If it was always a white person being obnoxious, or a Hispanic person, or a Asian person, or a middle eastern person, or whatever race at all, I would say the same thing about them if the thread was aimed towards that group being annoying in whatever situation if it was true in my case as well.

The topic of the thread is "black people, movies" WTF?" Not "assholes, movies, WTF?". If that were the case, I wouldn't single out black people, but like I said, my experiences have always been with obnoxious black people in theaters. Considering I have black friends and acquaintances, I don't consider this racist.

narf!

How frustrating!

monkeysugar

I think, as others have also stated, this most likely a cultural difference. Not all Black people are loud and obnoxious at movies, and certainly not all White people are quiet, reserved, and considerate at movies.

That being said, most of these type of differences can possibly be attributed to differences in both culture and socialization. We all may agree on certain things, but the multitude of different racial/ethnic groups in the US leads to many different norms, dependant on the location and situation. Partially because of these differences, what is offensive to one person often is perfectly acceptable to another person. While Whites might frown on behavior such as exhibited in Clavus' post, those from a different cultural background may wonder what everyone is being so uptight about.

I tend to run into people from all ethnic backgrounds being jackasses in theaters. Usually the biggest troublemakers are the middle school-high schoolers who come in droves and make asses of themselves. As far as cell phones go, every time someone's phone goes off and they sit there and talk or fiddle with it, I am overcome with the urge to grab it and throw it against the nearest concrete surface.

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Dilbert1234567

my bro's GF does this to, but she is White, not a damn bit of color in her.

/annoyed at bro's gf...

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irseg

Huh? Toast?? Is that some kind of joke particular to the movie, or is it just completely random?

"Come on, we're running late!"
"Dammit I still have to make 4 more slices, I'm going as fast as I can! Maybe if your toaster wasn't such a piece of crap we could get there on time!!"

Pip

I have heard anthropologists whisper about strange and dark rituals surrounding a movie known as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".

Lebell

They're talking about "Rocky Horror Picture Show".

You must be a "virgin".

VIRGIN!!!

(another movie related joke )

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mattgical

mmm.. i went to see Bad Boys 2 and everytime a song came on, be it P. Diddy or Nelly, black people would get up and dance like they were in a club.

the big black ladies would start saying, "Hey!" while gyrating standing up in their seats.

Frowning Budah

As several posters have pointed out it is a very fine line between comments being entertaining and annoying. I assume when people to it they think they are being entertaining. I have experienced both types and have even participated in what I hope was the entertaining kind. We must have been entertaining because the other 10 people in the theater moved to the back with us and joined in. I blame it all on the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

KungFuGuy

my worst movie going experiance was viewing brosnans' fourth bond movie, and me and my friend sat in front of some middle easterners. They were loud and rude, i asked them to be quiet, and then they got louder and ruder. the entire theatre wanted to kill them, and it was packed cause it was either the first or second day the movie was out. They made sure to leave the theatre early cause they would've been jumped for sure.

that being said, I've experianced loud and rude people in theatres of every race, and its always bothersome. i can tolerate some whispered commentary on the movie, but thats it.

Bratwurst

Great post. I can't stand going to movies anymore. If it isn't people speaking loudly, its cell phones, or whatever. Not to mention the fact that it costs a small fortune to go to a movie to sit and deal with it all.

I would just watch everything at home, but my wife actually enjoys going sometimes although she usually gets more upset everytime we try than I do. I don't mind waiting a few months for the movie to come out on ppv. There isn't anything that has come out in the theatres in forever that I actually thought I just had to run out and see opening weekend in years.

My personal ghetto experience - Watching Chris Rock's CB4 in a total ghetto theatre back in high school. Scary and exhilarating.

Destrox

All post previous are the very reasons why I go to movies during their late late showings on school nights.

No kids, no annoying little highschool kids, less people on a whole. Also its a whole lot less traffic.

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alansmithee

I have to agree. I don't even attend "urban" targetted movies in the theaters anymore because often the blacks will be ruining it.

However, what really gets on my nerves is the lynchings. And the lack of job prospects and of being able to earn promotions. And the abject poverty that is the legacy of slavery. But hey, what's that when weighed against someone being obnoxious during a movie hey? Maybe if we hand out watermelons and fried chicken before films, all those nigrah's will keep their mouths shut?

zdman135

hrmm... this kinda correlates with black churches being notoriously known to be lively and talkative, while the white churches are quiet

Lasereth

He didn't mention any racists views. It's true. He didn't mention any of the black people behaving well because that's not the topic of discussion. The only topic is who's acting like a fucking idiot at the movie theater and who's not. When I go to the theater, if there's a member of the audience talking to the screen or yelling and screaming through the movie, it's always a black person. That's not racist, it's a clear observation. I've yet to see a white person do this. White people do other annoying things in theaters (old people talking, little kids talking) but every damned person I've seen that screams and yells at the screen is black. There's no racism in a simple observation. Racism would be saying that they're yelling at the screen BECAUSE they're black...and that's not the case.

I think it has to do with the culture they were brought up in. Many black folks grow up in environments that simply reinforce loud behavior (from what I've experienced). At my college, the only folks raising hell in the cafeterias are black people. They yell and scream CONSTANTLY and laugh hysterically loud from across the cafeteria to each other. Anyone in their path gets their eardrums imploded from the pressure...but JESUS, don't say it's the BLACKS cause then it's racist!! No, it's a simple OBSERVATATION just like before. Black people are loud as HELL in the cafeterias at my school and white people are not. Again, I believe it's simply being brought up in an environment where loud behavior is not discouraged but reinforced.

I don't understand why people can't sit on their asses during a movie and watch it. Don't use your cell phone, don't talk, don't WHISPER or throw candy. Just sit and watch the movie like you're supposed to. Cheer appropriately and applaud at the end if you want but don't disrupt others.

Go to a NASCAR race and you'll see white people acting just as stupid. This is a case of observations and trying to explain why they happen, not racism. Anyone that takes this thread into the racism category is not in touch with what racism actually is.

-Lasereth

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Midnight_Son

wasn't that a scene in scary movie?

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tspikes51

I've witnessed this before, but I must admit that I am a culprit of this crime too, but in a different way. If the movie sucks (i.e. Wild Wild West, Loser, or Cold Mountain), and it is obvious to me that everybody else thinks so (not really the case with Cold Mountian), I start doing a "Mystery Science Theater 3000" with the movie. Everybody seems to get more enjoyment out of the movie then.

I've always wondered the same thing. I remember yelling at people on a charter bus for clapping after we saw a movie.

Head over to Westerville if you want to find out. I've never seen them anywhere else.

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Janey

I'm so embarrased apparantly i went to see Rocky Horror Picture Show. and it is a tradition to do those things. So I was outta the loop on that one. The toas was for something that somebody said on the screen.

TexanAvenger

I don't know... While I don't actually talk to the characters, the people around me are subject to be talked to, at great length, about the movie, its mistakes/ridiculousness, and whatever else movie-related pops into my head. And, for clarification, if I were any whiter, I'd either be clear or glow in the dark... I'm not sure which.

Jonsgirl

This sounds exactly like my in-laws!!
I Love em to death, but I cannot stand to watch tv over at thier house. And it never fails that whenever it gets to a good part in the show...they change the channel! Arrgghh!

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blitz.fenix

I was watching a movie at a theatre, think it was the Grudge. Well anyway there was a group of thuggish people at the front talking loudly and shouting and a guy told them to shut the hell up and "I know your group of friends didn't pay for the movie but the rest of us did so shut the fu** up". And the guys at the front shouted back, "You trying to be racist you fu****?" The guy who replied back, "I am black." That Shut the people up at the front for the whole movie.

Don't understand why some groups of people automatically think someone is racist because they tell them to "shut up".

Rdr4evr

Some people will pull the race card any chance they get. I guess some just want people to feel sorry for them, or want their actions justified.

Grasshopper Green

I guess I'm pretty fortunate because the theater I go to is usually pretty quiet, unless it is a major blockbuster opening, then there is always going to be some disturbances.

The only time this has ever happened to me was when I lived in NC and went with a group of my girlfriends (all white), and they were the rude ones...saying things out loud, talking on their cell phones, and whispering the entire movie. I scrunched down in my seat and pretended not to know them. Needless to say, I never went to the movies with them again. I hate that crap.

BTW, WillyPete, loved your comments on the Provo thing I grew up not far from there and I can just imagine!!!

ICER

This whole thread reminds me of "Scary Movie" the first one, where the black victim is so loud in the theater. That when the killer does kill her. The audience stands up and claps, and in the next scene. The killer is sitting there enjoying a quite movie eating her popcorn.

Wrong I know. But the whole Scary Movie series is pretty wrong as well.

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