#cinema etiquette

[backtothefanfiction]

I just need to say this because I’m honestly still so astounded at peoples behaviour when it comes to cinema and theatre etiquette post pandemic, but there were literal posts and infographics that went round saying don’t spoil deadpool and wolverine for others and the amount of video footage I’ve seen from cinemas in circulation that have been turned into green screen memes on tiktok or pictures posted on all social platforms online and the movie has only been out a couple of weeks is shocking. No respect for others or those in the industry who put hard work into those movies just to be treated like this. Uhhhhgg honestly! There’s even notices at the start of all movies in the cinema that say put your phone on silent and don’t check it during the movie. It just makes me so angry now! If you honestly can’t go a couple of hours and fully switch off from your phone then you shouldn’t be going to the cinema in the first place and should just wait for it to come out on streaming and watch it at home so you can be on your phone to your hearts content. There were some big spoilers in this film they really did well to keep a secret and other people just couldn’t help do that.

[briarlovesclara]

Movie Theater Etiquette Preferences (the opinion of one AMC worker*) + explanations!

DONT'S:

Don't come up to a register unless you are called/gestured to: This one is pretty simple! Every concessionist has a different style in which they call you up. I like to verbally say that I can help, as well as waving/raising my hand. Some of my coworkers make eye contact or some other physical indicator. WHY?: There are many reasons that coming up before you are called can cause issues. Sometimes the person behind the counter is not available to help, such as management doing refunds or fixing kitchen orders. The worker may also be clocking off of their shift or going on break. There are also many things we need to be keeping track of, such as stock and popcorn, that require us to step away. The person might not even be a concessionist, and was just helping out for a short while! Finally, it can cause confusion. The other day a customer walked up to a register not in used and then was confused when I called the next person behind them, since I assumed they were being helped by someone who had run to grab something.

Don't be a creep: One of the most straightforward rules, but it's often disregarded. Just because we are working does not mean you are entitled to anything about us, or that we are looking for your attention.

Don't come up to non-line areas: Our AMC has a corner of our concessions counter off to the side behind our drink fridge that you can theoretically access as a customer or a worker. This area is not for customer interaction! If you'd like to get service, no matter how small of an issue, come to the front in the line area and/or get into line. WHY?: When we pass by that corner, we are often busy with another task. Having to stop to refill your popcorn, get you a condiment, etc. can be disruptive to not only our job but often other customer's service. For example, it's tempting to get our attention from off to the side if there is a crowd at concessions and you want a refill. However, we are usually assisting another customer, or calling from the lines. Especially if it's busy, make sure that you're waiting your turn to keep everything fair. You could also be interrupting the job of a non-concessionist, like the food runners, who are just grabbing something. In that case, they have an entire building to service (often alone) and are already extremely busy (and have gloves on, so they don't want to touch dirty things for you!).

Don't let your personal opinions interfere with our interaction: Make sure that your negative opinions stay inside! If you don't like someone's mask/hair/etc, there's no need to comment on it. Odds are, it was chosen for a reason that will not be shaken by a random stranger. WHY?: All this does is add hostility to the worker's day and cause an uncomfortable situation. We are not trying to escalate our interactions (in fact, our theater trained us all in de-escalation), but it's hard to find an appropriate response to a personal attack. If anything we were wearing was against theater policy, it would have been addressed by the management. If it's nothing that you think is against rules, you just don't like, you don't have to comment! Just showing up to work is not inviting your opinion.

Don't blame us for policies/technology: Make sure you understand how little power the everyday crew member has on policy decisions or app/website construction. WHY?: This is more of a personal preference, but oftentimes even jokes leave me feeling like I should apologize for the corporation I have no control over. We don't make rules on IDs, or how our points system works. Understand that we are working under largely the same restraints that you are, and that we are helping as much as we can within that framework.

Don't come up as a group if you're ordering separately: If you are paying for an entire group, feel free to come up together. If you are with your friends and each of you are paying separately, come up when called and stay on your own/with the payment group. WHY?: We have specific pull ratios for our lines. It is unfair for 5 people to be pulled from one line on accident. This also relates to the first DON'T about not coming up when called. Situations may arise where the concessionist was not aware of how many interactions they were signing up for when they called over a group.

Don't panic if your food isn't out to the minute: When you order ahead, your food pops up on our screens 10-15 minutes before your 'scheduled' delivery time. If your delivery is scheduled for 6:00 pm and it is 6:05 pm, don't worry! We are most likely on the way with your order. Similarly, if it was extremely busy when you were ordering at concessions, your food may take 20-25 minutes to be delivered to you. If it is expected to take any longer, the concessionist you ordered from will often mention the new expected wait time. WHY?: You may be missing your movie coming up to see us. If you are alone, we may be delivering the food while you come up, and it will be a few minutes before we try again if you are not there, especially when busy. *If it has been 30 minutes or more, feel free to come up to concessions and ask about your order. Make sure you're asking a concessionist at the counter, as they will be the only ones able to check on your order, and not another employee at box office or ushering.

DO'S:

Do decide who is ordering: Make sure that going into a concessions order you know who will be ordering, or that all of you will order for yourself. WHY?: If you are jumping back and forth between discussing/deciding what to order and actually ordering, it's easy for concessionists to lose track of what you are actually getting and what you are considering. If you have a large group order, consider asking the concessionist to review the order before it proceeds, and don't get upset at any mix-up. Deciding ahead of time that you will either take full responsibility of the order or everyone will order their own items reduces confusion, missed items, and double ordering. I have often had to ping-pong between parents, families, friends, etc who are contradicting each other throughout the entire order.

Do project and speak clearly (and listen!): Make sure your face is physically turned towards the concessionist when you are talking to us. Be close to the counter and feel free to stop the conversation to move back and look at the menu. (Bonus: if you are engaging with the concessionist, make sure you are listening as much as possible! It's not always viable, but try to avoid side conversations with party members, even when you think we aren't talking to you.) WHY?: It is often loud behind concessions, and if you are turned to your party member when you are ordering it can seem like you are just consulting them rather than giving a request. (If I am standing and looking at you, I may be talking to you. This might include vital instructions for your order, or questions you need to answer.)

Do know your seat number if you are ordering food: Unless you are not currently seeing a movie, your food needs to be delivered to your seat (no fee at our location). Make sure that you have your ticket or know your auditorium/seat number before ordering in order to save time.

Do make sure you're in the right line: When you are walking to our lines, look and see whether you are a paid member or not. Please use the appropriate line. WHY?: We have a pull ratio that favors paid members. It is unfair to those who are paying for priority for you to get those benefits for free by going in the paid member line.

Do have your ID if applicable: If you are an A-List member, are seeing an R-rated movie, or are ordering alcohol, you must have a valid ID with your name, picture, and birth date. WHY?: For our A-List membership, this is to protect you from identity fraud or scams, as you are paying monthly and getting free movies. For R-rated movies, make sure all party members are 17+ with valid ID, or have 1+ party member 21 or older with a valid ID that is staying for the movie. This is a potentially job-ending matter for employees, and you will be turned away from getting tickets or coming in. Please refer back to to the DON'T about blaming us for policy-- from our perspective, you seeing one movie is not worth our job. For alcohol, we have to card every single person, no matter how 'obviously over 21' you are. Please refer back to the DON'T about blaming us for policy.

Thank you for reading!

*These are only my opinions and are tailored to an AMC Dine-In audience. These opinions are not an official statement from AMC or my specific location, and are my own.

[cynicalclassicist]

God, just turn your phone off! The film is on, focus on that! For a couple of hours we are out of what is going on outside! I don't want someone looking at a phone during this! And you had plenty of time to doomscroll over Covid!

If you can't get away from looking at your phone, then don't go to the cinema!

ppl are rlly trying to defend being on your phone during a movie in the theater what is going on

[youcallyourselfafilmcritic]

I sympathise with parents never really getting a chance to go out-it must be challenging-but if you bring your kid to a movie and they run up and down the aisles then play a video full blast I think I'm okay in saying get someone to mind them or don't go to the cinema

Cinema etiquette in general has gone to shit post-pandemic but this was the absolute worst

Kid started SCREAMING like a banshee when the mum took his phone off of him-the staff had to convince her to do this

This isn't parenting advice-I'm not a parent-this is "There are other people going to the cinema probably on a rare occasion they can get out (especially to go see a blockbuster like this) and while it sucks that your child cannot be controlled and it's detrimental to getting out of the house you just casually enabling this is ruining the experience of everyone else going to this also there are other things you can do to get out with your kids"

[savagechickens]

Movie Theater Etiquette.

And more etiquette.

[bellamer]

Movie theaters have gotten so bad with not supervising kids who sneak into adult movies that I have to go to an 11am showing of Longlegs on a Thursday because I’m sure no one will be there, since most morning showings are empty, especially for horror movies.

Like first of all the rules state that people under the age of eighteen can’t be on their property without an adult or legal guardian after 6pm. So why the hell was there an entire group of 15-16 year olds in my 8pm showing of the definitely rated R movie In a Violent Nature ?

Why was there a group of pre teens at the 7pm showing of Late Night With the Devil ?

Why was there a group of unsupervised kids at the showing of Lisa Frankenstein, where granted it was 4pm but it was PG-13 and none of those kids have parents with them but me, a 21 year old adult had to be carded just to get my ticket ? And I admit I did take my 16 year old cousin with me to see it but I was her adult supervision so we weren’t breaking the rules

Like even when I went to go see the Mario movie at 10pm at night, teenagers shouldn’t have been there because it was 10pm and they’re not allowed on property without adults but they were

And like I’m not trying to be a Karen but I wouldn’t have a problem with it if they weren’t so loud and noisy and obnoxious and disruptive. Like when I went to go see In a Violent Nature, a relatively quiet movie, the teenagers kept being obnoxious and laughing really loudly and making fart noises and letting out loud belches thinking it was funny, Lisa Frankenstein, they were being loud and obnoxious and on their phones, Late Night With the Devil kept loudly shouting “What the fuck !” and just laughing at inappropriate moments and even at the Mario movie they were throwing popcorn at each other and on their phones, recording and being loud

Like I genuinely wouldn’t have a problem if they would just behave or had parental supervision. But it’s getting to the point where I’m starting to advocate having ushers inside the movie theater again to monitor people who are being disruptive.

And I think half the problem is that most of the staff at my movie theater are teenagers. So they probably don’t care enough to ID people or they’re letting their friends in to see rated r movies and I would actually prefer them having adults run the ticket station and monitor the remote ticket station and have the teens work concessions and clean up to help curve these problems and after 6pm or 7pm or even 8pm, it should be an all adult staff for the late night showings of movies. Like I’m actually waiting for the day where kids go back to school so that I can go back to late night showings of movies on weekdays without worrying about disruptive and unsupervised children who lack movie theater etiquette

I don’t know. Am I being unreasonable? Because every time I rant about it to family they always go “it’s not that serious” and make fun of me for being mad that my movie experience is being interrupted and my mom always says “well you take your cousin and your brother to the movies” but they don’t understand that im an adult supervising them and they also behave.

When my cousin and I went to go see Lisa Frankenstein whenever she got a phone call she’d leave the theater and answer the phone outside and wouldn’t return until the call was done and when I took my brother to see Godzilla Minus One and Godzilla and Kong the most he came to being disruptive was when it was a really intense scene and he either was so overcome with emotion he stood up out of his chair in cheered which I let him do because everyone else did it too or when he started bawling his eyes out because he couldn’t believe what he was seeing and it was his first time ever seeing a Godzilla movie in theaters and I have no doubt that he’ll have another moment like those when I take him to see Transformers One, his first Transformers movie in theaters and Alien Romulus, his first Alien movie in theaters, because whenever it’s one of his hyperfixations and interest he gets really excited and can’t help but to overflow with emotion despite being a kid who really doesn’t do emotions and doesn’t like talking about his feelings.

I don’t know. This rant got out of hand. Just let me know if I’m over reacting or being unreasonable

[drive]

the thing about tumblr is that when someone entrenched in chronically online discourse is being a nuisance about something innocuous or exhibiting general tar pit behavior on the dashboard they immediately get killed with hammers. But said behavior is 90% of twitter so you just feel like worms are gnawing on your brain matter as you scroll

[fght-ff-yr-dmns]

There's a special place in hell for people who use their phones after the main feature starts in the cinema.

[the-irrelevant-trumpeter]

saw the barbie movie again tonight and the people sitting next to me were being so disrespectful that this is now the third platform i’m ranting about them on

[bellamysgriffin]

i wish everyone who laughs during old movie scenes that clearly aren’t intended to be funny a very shut the fuck up you insufferable, imagination-bereft, shallow, narrow-minded, egotistical ASSHOLES!!!

[sundayshaze]

update... it was Terrifier 3. a handful of people walked out. these movies sort of suck but I power through for that silly little clown, he's so fun

[kittyvampire]

using ur phone torch in the cinema DURING THE MOVIE should be punishable by DEATH

[vcrnons]

ab to watch longlegs. pray for me thanks

[bellamer]

Also to add to my movie theater etiquette rant, I’m going to need people to start washing their pits, tits and asses when they come to the movies because it’s only happened so far with me taking my brother to Godzilla movies but when we went to go see Godzilla Minus One and Godzilla X Kong, both times the entire theaters smelt like rank BO from grown ass men. And like I’m sure movie theaters can’t kick people out for stinking but I know it was them because my brother and I stayed after both movies to see if there was any after credits but the groups of men left once the credits rolled and the room started to smell better once they all piled out and we were the only ones left. Mind you this happened both times at two different movies.

And both times I didn’t even eat my snacks because the smells were so rank that I couldn’t even eat without feeling sick. A group sitting two rows in front of us smelt like mildew and ass and once they left the room smelt better. The smell was lingering but the odor had lessened and was mostly gone once they left.

Not saying it’s a fandom thing but it happened with two movies focusing on the monster verse and Godzilla so like…

I don’t know. Just whenever you go see a movie just wash yourself and make sure you don’t wear stinky clothes and ruin it for everyone.

WASH YOUR PITS TITS AND ASS ! IF YOU CAN PAY FOR A MOVIE TICKET AND SNACKS YOU CAN PAY FOR A BAR OF SOAP AND DEODORANT FROM DOLLAR TREE FOR A COMBINED TOTAL OF TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTEEN CENTS ! AND THE MOVIES AT REGAL DONT EVEN START TILL AN HOUR AFTER THEY SAY THEY DO SO YOU CAN SPARE FIFTEEN TO TWENTY MINUTES WASHING YOUR ASS AND GETTING CLOTHES THAT DONT STINK !

[melvinthedepressedrobot]

finally got to see Bottoms 👌 been wanting to see it for ages and just happened to look at what's on at the cinema and noticed it's finally showing

[snallavanta]

everyone saying they want their theatre to be rowdy as hell for their tswizzle concert... genuinely, how does one enjoy that