Talkers - how do you deal with them at a movie theater

I just returned from seeing "The Amityville Horror" at a local movie theater and the biggest horror that night wasn't the movie - it was the most obnoxious talkers that were sitting behind us. To make matters worse, when we politely asked them to not be quiet, the woman started to threaten us, called us the most vulgar names and said that we should "mind our own business, the can talk if they want".

But I'm not sure what was worse - this woman or the fact that I had to get management who actually listened to her call us once again "bitches" and even told the manager she was going to "kick our asses if we didn't mind our own business" - well, the manager did absolutely NOTHING - not once, but twice.

Is this normal? I make it a point to turn off my cell phone and keep pretty quiet except the occasional scream (the movie actually, was pretty good). But what gives??

if the manager was not going to do anything.

We actually bought tickets for "The Intrepretor" because we thought we missed the start of "Amityville". So it's not like I could show them my ticket stubs.

But hey, you know we shouldn't be demanding anything. What should have happened was that manager & cop should have removed that couple when she admitted to wanting to kick our asses.

Plus when we left the movie there was no one who worked there outside making sure everything was fine. Gratefully a few other patrons kept their eyes on us so that we got to our cars ok. And it turned out the couple was parked like 2 cars down from mine. She kept hollaring and bitching, pissed because my friend told her she has no class. I just looked at her and said she should show some of that class she says she had. Funny, but as I got into my car, the boyfriend kinda gave me this look like "Sorry my girlfriend is a bitch"

It's just not a pleasant experience anymore.

The manager seems to be incompetent. You can contact the chain (I presume it's a chain) and complain.

and in the theater letter, I told them I should write a letter to the editor of the local paper and warn about the horrible management that refuses to do anything about threats

molten gold down there throats.

you and keep raising up until they can't see. When they complain tell them that when you can hear, they can see. It worked for me several times but the woman behind you might have clobbered you. I guess you just have to judge the situation. It is most unpleasant these days at the theaters.

...I go to other theaters and I'll get near talkers, and usually they'll pipe down after even just a glance back. What really irritated me is this woman made it a race issue and this especially is bugging me. I mean, this was a black couple and my friend and I are both white. Hell, I've told people of all sizes, races, religions and even ages (I had an elderly white couple talk during "Blind Spot, Hitler's Secretary") and never once has anyone before this brought up the race issue. I wasn't upset that African-Americans were sitting behind me, I was just upset that they kept talking, not hushed whispers but just casual conversation.

And this is what is really bugging me, why does she have to pull the race card on me? We never once said ANYTHING other than "Please be quiet" until after the manager kept at it and then my friend told the woman she had no class. I'm just having a tough time dealing with this because I'm like the most respectful person to everyone and yet this crap was pulled on me. Funniest thing she kept saying was "If you lived in the Ghetto your ass would be shot by now". Ironically, I pretty much live on the border of "the Ghetto" and my neighbors are all absolutely wonderful.

I didn't know that about the people behind you. That is always a shame, shit we are all humans and none of us can hear when someone else is talking. It would bug me too. Damn, Lynne, I am sorry.

A career in Theatre Management doesn't usually attract the best and brightest (or most courageous for that matter)

and I take exception with what you say. They have all worked many years in management for a small chain that has been sold many many times and have had to be very quick thinking and resourceful and have the ability to suck it up in order to keep their jobs.

And they are mostly very smart, not to mention progressive people, who would not make that generalisation about all the people in your profession, whatever it may be.

your comment that they need the ability to "suck it up" kind of confirms what I was saying, doesn't it?

In my experience, *for the most part*, the pay is crappy, the work is tedious, and the attitudes of theater managers reflect it. People that are bright and progressive usually don't last for long.

is a pretty smart way to manage one's working life. So no, I don't think "suck it up" confirms what you said. I think it confirms what I said. They are intelligent enough to know that "this too shall pass" and wait out the hard times and enjoy the good.

The people I know in the business are in the business because they love movies and love the industry. They are smart enough to leave if they hate the job, but they don't. And anyone of them would have shown those chatty assholes the door in a heartbeat.

The pay rate they are at is NOT crappy. Yeah, the work MAY be tedious sometimes, but they are rewarded by having jobs that offer a great deal of variety and fun. They all started out in the union apprentice program as projectionists, and as they went into management, kept the union sweet.

Now after several owners, including Sony and some cut rate bunch of assholes in Texas, Mark Cuban has bought the chain. Once again, they watch and wait. They are old now, and Cuban has gone through the rest of the chain in Minneapolis, SF and other places and dumped the old timers, in favour of the type of employee you may be more familiar with.

and so I no longer frequent movie theaters in neighborhoods that are predominantly of those cultures.

In NYC, I found that the Union Square theaters, by NYU, always provided an excellent atmosphere - a mostly educated, sane, nicely raised clientelle who were quiet and refined and classy. And the Lincoln Center theater (not at Lincoln Center, but up a block). Also a more intelligent, educated, and classy clientelle.

Hate to say it, but, in my experience, the majority of talkers/obnoxious peoples in movies tend to be uneducated, poor, and/or from some other cultures.

So I try not to go to places that would attract those kinds of people.

Sadly, that's about all one can do any more. Most managers/ushers won't bother with shutting people up because they're afraid of lawsuits or just don't want the hassle of dealing with the assholes.

...however, that's no excuse. Maybe it is. Maybe it's just my liberal thinking head exploding over the concept because you probably have a point. But I live in a neighborhood that you just described and I love it here. My neighbors are wonderful and if I have a complaint they aren't ones to "get into your face" (not that I complain much, I think twice in the past 4 years and both time the neighbor was very sweet & helpful since it was actually her granddaughter visiting who was playing the loud music).

That was my first thought when I read your first post.

But that's their culture - to talk during movies. To them, it's not bad. And I can live with that - neither side has a more moral reasoning to it. But I was raised in a non-talking-at-movies culture, and it bugs the hell out of me when people won't shut up.

And then it DOES end up being a race issue. "Damn white people trying to make us black people be quiet at movies. Talking don't bug us, why should it bother them? They're just too uptight!" And there you go - two mutually incompatible views of watching a movie.

And I hate going to a movie with my brother-in-law because he doesn't "get" things real quickly, so he's always asking, "What's that? Who's that? Why are they doing that?" It's like going to a movie with a child sometimes. He was AWFUL during the Lord of the Rings movies because, of course, he's never read the books. And considering he couldn't follow "The Passion of the Christ" without asking me a bunch of questions, you can imagine how awful it was in a movie like LOTR which has more than one character, and more than one plot line.

because the 2 Regals in Wilmington & Newark will still get it's big mix of races & cultures and yet I have never had the problem like I did tonight. I'm trying to be this good democrat but this whole thing is just perplexing the bejesus out of me.

which is why I used "culture" and not "race". I also know a lot of white people who talk during movies; they tend not to be well-educated, and not very aware of the fact that there are other people around them (which is to say, tend toward a certain kind of self-absorption). But in the black, hispanic, greek, italian communities, they just tend to have the loud talking component a lot more, which in some ways is a wonderful thing, but in other ways can be really annoying.

I can't handle being with an Italian or Hispanic family - it's too many people talking loudly, all at the same time, and my mind overloads. :-) I think this is why I'm most comfortable with Japanese people, even more so than caucasians.

on the back row. That way, no one kicks the back of my seat or talks behind me. I don't know why, but I feel "in control" when I sit in the back.

If I would have been in your situation, I would have accidently spilt a Pepsi over my shoulder. Ooops!

I'm 5'5" not short but not tall either. Someone really tall invariable sits in front of me in a regular theater.

there isn't a lot you can really do except complain to the 17 year old that work there and demand they give you a refund or tickets to the next show.

wait for it to come out on video/DVD? Unfortunately, I think it is "normal" behavior these days. I once asked a group of 13-year olds to keep it down and they told me to STFU. 13! My date grabbed one of them by the throat and that did the trick. Too bad it had to come to that, but it shut them up.

You have to be careful. A guy in Seattle was shot by a rude asshole who took exception at be hushed during a screening of 'Analyze This'

A sign of the times-someone does rude shit, you ask them to behave, and you are the recipient of all sorts of abuse. I might have found a way to spill a mondo soda on them.

"Whatdaya mean 'be quiet'? I don't have to 'be quiet' when I'm at HOME, why should I shut up here? Uh, hold that thought, I gotta take this call...."

Minimum age is 17 :applause:

Management Responds Immediately:grouphug:

They not only gave us a refund years ago (Titanic) they gave us food coupons for next trip.


Her Boyfriend?:blush: WUSSY-boy!

In fact one time at TheaterN the guy sitting next to me was Beau Biden (Joe's kid and probably our next senator).

Even the Regals are pretty decent. This was just a last minute thing to catch a movie.

Hey, call me sometime if you're going to the Ritz in Philly!

'Nite, Kid!

DRAFT DAY Tomorrow...:bounce:

And the BIRDS are wheelin' and dealin' (Travis Henry for a 3rd rounder):popcorn:

I have a training tomorrow from 12-2 with AIDS Delaware and then I'm going to go see the movie I was originally going to see last night - which is Born into Brothels (that's playing at the theaterN)

they don't talk long.

"We're trying to watch this film. Shut the fuck up or I'll have the Manager throw you out!" and that seemed to work really well.

(edit):
Also, "Hey you can talk outside for free - only an idiot would pay to do it in here"

Although I try not to use the fuck word when asking something from complete strangers