#movie theater etiquette

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Movie Theaters

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Alien: Why are you taking me to a dark place? Alien: Do you plan to murder me? Human: What? No! Alien: I thought we were friends, Human Jim. Human: I’m not going to- Alien: I will not go down so easily, Human Jim! Alien: *Begins sprinting away in opposite direction Human: *watches friend run away… Human: (Shouts) This was your idea you idiot! --------------------

Alien: So people come here to watch a moving picture? Human: We call them “Movies”. Alien: But then the same picture is only on these giant screens for a few of your rotations before it can be seen on your smaller screens? Human: Yes. Alien: So really you are just paying to see your “movie” on a bigger screen? Human: Yes. Alien: How does that make sense? Human: Some movies just need to be seen on bigger screen. Alien: *Phissh *Proceeds to watch “Return of the King” on movie screen. Alien: Sobbing I was wrong. Human: Damn right you were. --------------------

Human: Now remember, snack counters are where movie theaters really shiv you for money. Alien: It can’t be that bad. *At register after getting snacks Clerk: So that is one popcorn, one soda, and two boxes of candy which will total sixty seven credits. Alien: SIXTY SEVEN!?!?!? Alien: That’s nearly triple what we paid for tickets! Clerk: We also now offer organ harvesting options if you don’t have credits. Human: You can’t be- Human: *Sees alien friend lifting up shirt and cutting open stomach Human: You can’t be serious. Alien: Whispers It’s okay, I have thirteen livers and I only use six on any given day. -----------------

Alien: Where should we sit? Human: We could sit at the top; it’s more recluse and no people behind us but perverts tend to hangout up there. Alien: Wait….what? Alien: Why would perverts go to a movie- Alien: *Realization Alien: Oh. Alien: OH. Alien: OH!!! Human: Yeah…… Human: Just be thankful we aren’t seeing a “My Little Pony” movie. Alien: Surely it can’t be that bad. Human: I once saw a group of ushers break out night sticks to shoo them out, and they didn’t leave until they “finished”. Alien: *Barfs. ---------------------

Alien: Why does the movie listing say it starts at a certain time but then must watch twenty minutes of ads for other movies before it even starts? Human: It’s a misdirect. Human: It gives people a chance to get snacks and then make it to the movie without missing anything. Alien: No wonder your species is weak. Alien: You cater to those who cannot manage their time properly. Human: Oh that’s not how we measure strength. Human: The real test is being able to control your bladder for three hours so you don’t miss a single thing. Alien: I will admit that is impressive. Human: My record is twelve hours. Alien: Why would you endure such pain? Human: When you watch the extended editions of LOTR nothing less is acceptable. --------------------

Alien & Human: *Patiently watching movie Annoying kids behind them: *Kicking chair Human: Whispers back Please stop. Annoying kids: *Continues kicking Human: Last warning, please stop. Annoying kids: *Snickers and continues kicking. Alien: Looks at human Now? Human: Nods They were warned. Alien: Roars and leaps back into children Annoying kids: Scream in terror as alien throws one of them into the screen. Alien: Looks at human friend as they are holding second child in air Are you sure this is acceptable? Human: *Points at surrounding audience cheering and clapping Human: Crowd justice has spoken. Alien: *Shrugs and flings remaining child into nearby wall. ----------------------

Alien: When is it acceptable to speak in a movie? Human: If a movie is terrible and the crowd’s commentary is more entertaining. Alien: You’ve seen this happen? Human: Oh yeah. Human: Last time it was for a movie about three masked killers hunting down some people in a trailer park. Human: We all ended up cheering for the killers as the lead’s acting was terrible. Human: When they actually died we started cheering; the person next to me started weeping tears of joy. --------------------

Alien: *Whispers to human Alien: That human next to you is recording the movie on their phone. Human: I noticed. Alien: Are you not going to do anything? Human: Not unless their phone brightness gets brighter. Alien: Do you not care for the movie industry? Human: No. Human: *Notices light get brighter Human: But I do care about my own time enjoying it. Human: *Proceeds to grab drink and pour it on phone human, triggering a massive fight which has him and his alien friend thrown out of theater.

[bellamer]

I don’t watch The Boys but you know that one preview of Wolverine telling people to shut the fuck up and silence their phones ? I need one with Homelander. Like they put the nigga who plays Homelander on screen for like four minutes and he’s just staring in a “I’ll wait” fashion doing that thing with his face before saying if people don’t sit down and shut the fuck up he’ll find them and he’ll get them and they don’t want to know what he’ll do to them and like he’s just saying it in a calm tone but he’s doing that thing with his face and jaw and it’s unsettling and then he turns back to nice charismatic Homelander and winks and says “Enjoy your movie” and then it’s dark for like five seconds before a jumpscare of his face with laser eyes or something

[puhpandas]

I feel bad for the people who will sit behind me in the theater during the fnaf movie because I'm gonna be liveblogging the whole thing on tumblr

[always-besides-the-darkest]

getting up during the new Joker film and loudly announcing “sorry guys I gotta take a folie à DEUX-MP”

[cheezewhis]

[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.

[nyxx-shade13]

Yo...

As some who did work at a movie theater until recently...

PICK YOUR BIG TRASH UP MOTHERFUCKERS!!

When I had to usher, I hated going into theaters and finding Candy bags/boxes, cups, popcorn bags etc. thrown around on top of spilled food, tickets abd drinks...

All I ask..neigh BEG. Is that people pick up the big shit. Not the individual fallen pieces of Popcorn and candy of course. But just...We have Trash cans for a reason.

[incognitopolls]

In anon's opinion, people who are late to arrive to a movie should stand in the aisle for a minute to let their eyes adjust, then use the ambient light (from emergency lights + what's on screen) to find their seat.

Pollmonger's note: I think this wording implies the theater has assigned seats, but the question stands whether the latecomers need to find a specific seat or just any open seat.

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We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

[savagechickens]

Movie Theater Etiquette.

And more etiquette.

[pbpsbff]

i hate that one video going around rn where they're watching the mean girls musical movie and everyone GROANS??? because someone in a MUSICAL??? is SINGING??? like oh my god what did you expect. it wasn't even the first song so like they had the chance to leave???

[bellamer]

Also I don’t know if it’s bad parenting or you know after COVID that movie theater etiquette is going downhill but my parents have been taking me to see movies, even horror movies since I was a baby and I never once acted up or anything. Like my first ever movie was Freddy vs Jason as a baby and I slept through the entire thing and according to my mom only woke up for milk once and went back to sleep. Like since I was fresh out the womb I knew to be quiet and sit still during movies and so did my brothers. Same thing with my brothers, and even if it was a movie we didn’t want to see like when we were dragged to see Iron Man 2 we just went to sleep on my dads lap and they continued to watch the movie

Like it baffles me to come across disruptive kids with no parents or parents who just don’t care because my brothers and I knew to sit down and shut the fuck up till the credits rolled and the lights came back on. It’s just odd to me. Even when we went to go see movies without our mom like Black Panther back in 2016, we sit down and shut the fuck up

[frogmanfae]

It seems we need to have a little chat about theater etiquette, especially concerning "notes"

You do not say a singular bad word about the show until you are in the car on your way home in private. If you're taking public transportation, not until you get home. Not a word.

I wrote little notes (a thing i do as a form of my appreciation for the arts to ensure i keep my full attention on the show and dont zone out. I rarely share them with anyone) during an intermission for a show I saw with my friend at this really small playhouse and he leaned over and read (very loudly) "why did you put *something critical about the opening number*" like DUDE THAT ACTOR'S MOM COULD BE SITTING IN FRONT OF YOU??? DON'T SAY SHIT WHEN YOU DONT KNOW WHOS GONNA HEAR IT

Even if the people around you don't know the cast/crew personally, they could have really enjoyed it. Say you thought an actor was pitchy and you said that out loud during intermission or after the show (God forbid you say it during the show) and the person next to you thought it was incredible. You're now diminishing that person's experience and making them feel stupid for thinking it was good. Their whole night at the show is now devalued because you said something bad and changed their perspective.

And these same people are going to be out in the lobby, by the doors, in the parking lot, taking the same bus as you, walking part of your route, going to the same restaurant... hold your tongue until you're somewhere completely private. It's just respectful.

[sagechan]

my "I'm with the boomers on this one" gripe is that, when I go to the movie theater, famously a place that is supposed to be. dark. I should not be blinded by a 9-year-old playing Kim Kardashian Nail Salon on maximum fucking brightness right next to me. it's so awkward cuz that's not your chuld and you don't want to speak to/parent someone else's kid, but god the way i wanted to scream (at the parent, not the child) to at least turn down the brightness if the kid absolutely cannot get through a 2 hour movie without NEEDING to be on a phone. if you know your child can't go 5 minutes without whipping out the equivalent of looking into the fucking Sun, then don't bring them to the movie theater! which is a public place! where other people are trying to exist and enjoy a movie! and if you know your kid will be bored or disinterested by the fucking. Planet of the Apes movie. and will be on their phone the whole time. THEN WHY ARE YOU BRINGING THEM TO THAT MOVIE ANYWAY. WHERE I AM TRYING. TO SEE.

[autism-swagger]

Just got back from seeing Abigail. Very good movie 👍 I enjoyed it.

[chazraps]

RIP Richard Lewis

[polyamoryprincess]

Idk what the fuck is up, but if you are at a live show, turn your phone off, follow the rules, be respectful, and shut the absolute fuck up unless it’s encouraged. Shut. Up.