#cinema etiquette

[backtothefanfiction]

I feel like I’m literally shouting into the void…

Any time there is a new marvel movie out, before the first day is even over, people are already posting shitty quality videos they filmed on their phones in the cinema all over social media. I finally got to see Thunderbolts* last night and now my TikTok feed is inundated with shitty clips and edits from the movie. Regardless if they are marked with spoiler warnings or not, I feel so sorry for the people who shared a cinema with the people posting who had to put up with them getting their phone out in the cinema and filming multiple clips so that they could post them online and say “I was here”. Not to mention you are just openly filming and pirating the movie which is illegal and the amount of young people who think that’s okay is just shocking. It’s disrespectful for everyone who put their effort into the movie. It’s disrespectful for the people around them in the moment. Disrespectful of others who haven’t had the chance to see the movie yet and suddenly have their fyp littered with these stupid crappy clips that spoil the movie. AND THE FOOTAGE IS NEVER EVEN THAT GOOD! It’s grainy and at a weird angle- AND YET PEOPLE STILL MAKE CHARACTER EDITS WITH IT TOO!!! LIKE WHAT?! HAS THE WORLD GONE MAD! HOW DO YOUNG PEOPLE AND TEENAGERS THINK THIS IS OKAY!

I hope studios clap back. I hope they set up teams to scour the internet and actually fine people for this shit because I think it’s the only way it’ll stop. It’s no wonder films don’t make much at the box office anymore- and yes part of that is because they put it on streaming after only a couple weeks these days- but it’s also because it shit like this!!!! People can’t sit in a theatre full of other people and enjoy a movie for two hours without checking their phone or filming clips to put online for their own fucking ego! It honestly makes me so angry!!!!!!!

And there’s no shame or accountability for it either!

We literally had a guy down in the second row of our screening of Captain America Brave New World who actually lifted up his phone and started recording the fight scene with red hulk in front of everyone! And even when my husband went and told the attendant and told them exactly where they were sitting they did nothing!

AND THIS IS WHY PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO GO TO THE CINEMA ANYMORE!

Who wants to pay all that money for a ticket when a teenager who thinks they know everything whips out their phone mid movie to film bits of it for their social media account! Like where’s the shame! The embarrassment! And people just let them get away with it! I’m fucking sick of it!

Clearly the switch your phone off and enjoy the movie notifications just before the movie starts isn’t enough! There needs to be a clear campaign and clap back from the media industry! Give me Captain America sitting on a chair and lecturing people! Get the cast themselves to record bits that play before the movie telling people clearly and without confusion to put their phone away. Don’t text during the movie or check your stupid facebook feed. Don’t film clips of the movie! Or better yet let’s go back to the piracy warning videos of old we used to get on DVDs!

Anything! Anything at all that’s actually gonna combat this because I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle of constantly telling people in cinemas to get off their phones.

Better yet, I’d pay extra for a screening where you lock your phones in those little pouches that only staff can unlock at the end of the screening. I just want anything more than this!!

When you buy a ticket and enter into any public theatre you ARE agreeing to a certain respect for the people creating the thing you are viewing and the people around you and you ARE expected to hold yourself to that standard. If you can’t kindly stay the fuck home! Lockdown wasn’t that long for people to have this much brain fucking rot and forget how public viewing of media fucking works! The theatre is not your mother’s fucking living room. So sit down, shut the fuck up, keep your phone in your fucking pocket or bag the whole time and JUST WATCH THE MOVIE! That’s it! It’s not that hard!!!!!!

[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

[weallhatewes]

If you're going to be on your phone during the film, then you shouldn't go to the cinema.❤️

[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.

[luwyv]

I just remembered one time I went to the cinema with my family and it was full of kids that wouldn’t shut up and sit still and parents that were on their phones during the whole movie and now I feel compelled to do a short about that

[internally-screeching]

Cinema etiquette is dead. I should be allowed to slap anyone who speaks during the movie

on that note I really liked wicked!

[102ki]

ceras gets a large bucket of caramel popcorn at the cinema. but she often gets so caught up in the movie she'll forget to eat 90% of it, so then she takes it back to school and has a popcorn party with her friends in the lounge

when she and izumi go to a mini theatre (people have worked out its cinémonde kourinbou) that doesnt sell popcorn they go to an italian restaurant izumi likes (similarly worked out its saizeriya) after the movie to talk about their thoughts

she also recommends buying your ticket in advance. she doesnt have a credit card though so she has to ask her mom to do it for her

she's never seen a movie in 4dx because itll make it hard to eat her popcorn...

movies recommended by ceras:

close

train to busan (she hasnt seen many horror movies though since she's still only 15 and she promised her mom to follow the age ratings while she's at hasunosora)

what she'd like to watch with each club member:

kosuzu-senpai - a movie with sharks or tornadoes. she thinks she'd have really big reactions

hime-senpai - a mystery/detective movie. she thinks she's pretty smart and she wants to see if she'd be able to figure it out

ginko...-senpai - a zombie movie. she wants to see her react to train to busan

izumi - they already watch all kinds of movies but next time they should watch an indian movie like RRR. but maybe the next edel note song will sound more indian...

sayaka-senpai - a horror B movie. she loves sayaka-senpai's tsukkomi and she thinks she'll get to hear it a lot if they watch lots of B movies

rurino-senpai - anything horror! she watched the archive of the ghost stories with×meets last year!

hana-chan - hana-chan's bad with ghosts so they should watch a fun happy movie! something hana-chan wants to watch. what about harry potter hana-chan, what do you think? ♡

[pot-yacht]

Just got back from Sinners…… it was worth the hype and more

[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.

[littlespud]

sadly seeing A Minecraft Movie at 1pm in a packed theater kind of cooked and I will be chasing that high for the rest of my life

[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

[glitterslag]

Gonna have to go see sinners again too bc there were a LOT of chatty cathys and phone checking phillips in that cinema 😐