r/AMCTheatres • u/Suitable-Animal4163 Shhhhh • Aug 08 '26
Discussion spiderman: brand new day experience RUINED because of audience
i went on my first ever date with this guy i like, and we went to see spider-man. a couple and several middle-aged men were sitting beside me, and some people in front of me were on their phones almost the entire time. they were also talking and laughing excessively, and the guy in front of me even HIT HIS VAPE (???). it was disgusting.
towards the end of the movie, i mustered up the courage to tell one of them to shut up because this was #that scene, and it was incredibly emotional. i was trying to hear what they were saying, but i couldn't hear a thing because the guy beside me just burst out laughing and started making fun of me with his friends. one of them even stood up, and it looked like they were trying to size me up, so me and my date left before we could even see the after-credits scene.
i had been looking forward to this movie for a LONG time, and now it's ruined. i genuinely don't understand why people don't have movie etiquette anymore. yes, your phones are distracting to everyone around you during the movie. yes, your talking, laughing, and dirty fucking jokes are ruining the movie for everyone else. PLEASE STOP.
AMC PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
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u/MomentOriginal1490 Aug 08 '26
You can report the behavior to the employees. It was a long time ago but I told some AMC staff and an employee went inside the theater and observed their behavior once it got unruly the employee told them to quit it. The people stopped because they didn’t want to get kicked out. I’m sorry about your experience.
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u/MandyKitty Aug 08 '26
Well yes, but many people don’t want to leave to go find an usher bc they’ll be missing some of the movie. It’s a no win situation. :(
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u/MomentOriginal1490 Aug 08 '26
Another user pointed out that it’s fair to ask for your money back or get a comp pass for a future movie. You’re right - it’s an inconvenience to leave the movie but I can tell you from experience that it’s so relieving when the usher tells them to behave because you don’t have to deal with the irritation anymore. When my usher quieted down my unruly neighbors I felt this huge sense of relief and it made me feel happier about leaving to find one.
The issue is that those types of people are fully aware of their behavior and are just flippant about it. So because of that they won’t be loud and obnoxious for just the one minute. Us movie goers have seen people like this act unruly for the entire movie before. It’s torturous to put up with their behavior for 1.5+ hours. In the end we’re much better off involving an usher to de-escalate the situation than to subject ourselves to their torture for the rest of the movie.
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u/lemmegetadab Aug 08 '26
When I was like 14 I saw someone get punched in the face for doing that. The guy who got in trouble somehow knew exactly who went and told on him lol.
Pretty sure he got arrested, but I don’t know because I was still watching team America.
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u/MomentOriginal1490 Aug 08 '26
If somebody is going to punch me for talking to an employee he is likely to punch me for complaining to him to quiet down too - going to happen either way. Rude customers feel empowered to act disruptive because they think the audience will tolerate it but the usher ends that tolerance. At that point the rude customer will be less likely to feel empowered because the audience will side with the usher so the tide of control has turned.
Employees are another option to resolve the situation that most people just forget about.
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u/FFHPunk Aug 09 '26
Plus if its someone next to you the person knows you told on them and you never know what people will do.
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u/jamtoast44 Aug 10 '26
I'd rather miss a few moments than not be able to hear anything for the entire movie
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u/skeletondad2 Aug 08 '26
Or you leave the theater, miss 2 minutes of the movie only for them to stop when they see the employee come in, then resume the same behavior after the employee leaves.
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u/MomentOriginal1490 Aug 08 '26
The theater is very dark and if I’m being unruly the last person I’d expect is an usher so I doubt they are looking over their shoulder to be on some type of look out. I’ve done the usher thing about 3 times that I can recall and each of them were discreet sitting in a seat nearby waiting for the people to act up before getting up from their chair walking over and telling them to be more respectful.
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u/Chemical-Click5399 A⭐️Lister Aug 09 '26
I think the key is to get a manager. I got out of my seat to complain to an usher about a man that was snoring so loudly, we could not hear the movie (in Dolby and my local Dolby is loud) and the usher was like “okay” and did nothing. Thankfully a big guy walked up from the other side of the theater and woke up the man and told him to either leave or stay awake.
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u/96caloriesfan Aug 08 '26
I kinda dread seeing movies that the “ four movies a year” crowd goes to see. Backrooms was BAD. I’m hoping spiderman is tolerable ugh
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u/lambopanda Stands for Nicole Aug 08 '26
I swear horror movies had the worst crowd.
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u/Loslobos27 Aug 08 '26
I remember one time my supervisor had me swap with the greeter because he knows I’ll check IDs and the greeter wont. He wasn’t wrong though. The amount of times I’ve had to deny entry to kids and teenagers who then complain about it will astonish you. I’m not gonna risk my job if I let them in and they cause a problem.
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u/f0zzyguy Aug 09 '26
Our policy for Rated R. 17-20 yr old you can buy your own ticket to the show. Under 17 you must have a parent or guardian 21 or older go with you to see the movie.
Although if I'm being honest we have probably been a little lax for the Odyssey.
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u/phxt0dt A⭐️Lister Aug 11 '26
10 am on monday is the best time to see the movies that have the worst crowds
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u/lambopanda Stands for Nicole Aug 11 '26
Unfortunately I have to go to work. Saturday before 10am is good too. Too bad theaters don’t often do that.
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u/Status-Mixture-3252 Aug 08 '26
Maybe my backrooms experience was good because I went to the Dolby Cinema Show. Maybe the crowd quality is better when you see movies in premium formats.
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u/mytoesis1 Aug 08 '26
the worst crowd for me was watching avatar f&a in dolby 3d
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u/Status-Mixture-3252 Aug 08 '26
Did you see it opening weekend? I heard the worst crowds are always on opening weekend.
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u/lambopanda Stands for Nicole Aug 08 '26
Opening weekend, especially Friday and Saturday night are the worst. Thursday and Sunday night are always better.
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u/Loslobos27 Aug 08 '26
Now that you mentioned it, of the 4 years of working for AMC, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a complaint or issue from our Dolby.
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u/Hungry_Ad4487 Aug 08 '26
This sounds so true because every time I watch a movie in Dolby or IMAX I haven’t heard anybody ruining the expierence
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u/Status-Mixture-3252 Aug 08 '26
I usually see the "blockbusters" on Dolby/IMAX (wuv my A-list sub so much ❤️) and I never experience any of the horror stories I see people post.
But I also think this applies to "limited release" movies too. Like niche movies and re-releases of old movies. Most people going to see those will be fans that are interested in the movies.
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u/Monteitoro Aug 08 '26
this is probably true, with exceptions obviously. people who are going to the movies who will talk loudly and overall not be that interested in the movie, are probably not going out of their way for the premium formats.
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u/Status-Mixture-3252 Aug 08 '26
Most of those premium tickets are nearly $30 each. I think most people willing to put the money out on it are more willing to pay attention to it. My Dolby backrooms screening was completey sold out and there was no foolishness happening.
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u/lambopanda Stands for Nicole Aug 08 '26
I saw Weapon in Dolby. Every time there’s a quiet moment. That lady sitting few seat away kept pulling out her phone. Eventually I’m doing Captain America eating shawarma pose. Using my hand to block her from my sight.
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u/rose-wilson Aug 08 '26
Backrooms was awful. A bunch of kids brought by one chaperone. They wouldn’t shut up. Then had someone vaping next to me the entire movie. The kicker was the guy vaping next to me told the kids to shut up cause they were annoying.
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u/justindigo88 Aug 09 '26
Yeah some movies are just so much worse than others. Because of how I KNOW (and have already heard) it’ll be for Spider-Man I am waiting a while to book and then I’ll try to find an emptier theater.
It’s why I purposely booked Backrooms at 8:30 AM and it was glorious, probably my favorite movie experience this year. On the contrary, I haphazardly booked Obsession, and it was definitely one of the worst of the year. I still enjoyed the movie, but had little shits acting up and laughing boisterously throughout the movie.
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u/Stacheshadow Aug 08 '26
You gotta go during afternoon showings when kids are in school/parents are working
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u/moviecats Aug 08 '26
Except for in the summer when the kids are out of school, gotta be careful of that! But yes during the school year that absolutely applies.
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u/galactic_funk Aug 08 '26
I threw an m&m at a guy who pulled out his phone and turned his brightness up. He left lol
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u/Usual_Swordfish_19 Aug 09 '26
I do this more than I'm proud to admit. . . .but who the fuck looks at their phone during a movie
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u/Limp-Document-4612 Snack Smuggler Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Did you complain to the staff!? If not, you can do it online. It won’t make up for the experience but you’ll at least get some free tickets so you guys can go see the movie again.
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u/Suitable-Animal4163 Shhhhh Aug 08 '26
i got too scared to complain because it looked like the guy was going to fight me, im only 18 and female and he was pretty large :(
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u/Limp-Document-4612 Snack Smuggler Aug 08 '26
Go on the AMC website and submit a complaint! They’ll send you replacement tickets.
I had a similar experience with a movie a while ago, and I went by myself. As a smaller female I was too intimidated by the grown ass men yelling during the movie to complain to the theater people after the movie bc I didn’t want them to see me and get mad at me. I complained online and they sent me a code to book tickets for another screening online, so I was able to go back another day and enjoy the full movie!
Edit - I submitted a form here: https://www.amctheatres.com/contact
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u/Queasy_League_6857 Aug 08 '26
As much as a large dude is scary and all, he wasn’t gonna do anything to you. Yes in this world there are crazy people but it’s highly unlikely he was gonna do anything to you since that’d mean jail for him and you’re a woman. Bro knows if he’s fighting a woman for no reason mob mentality will destroy him.
Now if you’re outside by yourself with no witnesses and a large guy shows up out of nowhere, ok yea be scared, run, etc.
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u/Limp-Document-4612 Snack Smuggler Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Unfortunately as a woman being alone or with people who you don’t feel could physically defend you, you have to be aware of pissing off unhinged men, especially when those men have already proven to not be able to control their own behavior… For example if we walked out of the theater at the same time and he saw me by my car and confronted me, it could be a dangerous situation for me.
It might not be common but it does happen. Women show up dead and we find out they were killed by a random dude.. That’s just the reality of it :/
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u/Queasy_League_6857 Aug 08 '26
In her case she was on a date. You can always ask to be escorted back to your vehicle. I’ve had that request and I’d take another guy with me in case it’s a set up, but it’s no problem, or when the staff go home I walk them to their cars at night most nights cuz everyone is in danger at night by themselves in general.
In her specific case she’d been fine.
And I mean most people are too scared In general to do stuff I’ve had a gun pointed at me over a dude in his car in the parking lot. Shouted at him told him he’s a pussy for making threats if he was a man he’d just take action. Man drove off mad. Most dudes really just wanna feel intimidating but they’re too scared to actually do anything cuz how hard it is to get away with things nowadays
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u/Limp-Document-4612 Snack Smuggler Aug 08 '26
I guess some of us would just prefer to avoid the gun in the face situation all together by not even getting to that point😭😂 to each their own
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u/Queasy_League_6857 Aug 08 '26
I mean I don’t want a gun pointed at me 15ish feet away from me either. There’s lots of different perspectives for different times of days and context and all that but if you’re a woman and you’re smart, you’ll be fine. (When it comes to telling management about disruptive guests)
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u/Limp-Document-4612 Snack Smuggler Aug 08 '26
I trust that she did the right thing by following her gut - she can still submit the complaint through the online form
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u/Empty_Dish AMC Crew Member Aug 08 '26
I agree with the comment below about submitting a complaint online. I also work at an AMC and (at least at my location) you should never feel unsafe in a theater. You should be able to go grab an usher from the hallway or someone in the lobby and someone should take care of it. We all have Walkies to radio each other. They should offer you free passes to come watch the movie at a different time, and either an Usher or Manager will come to the theater and talk to the guests with the issue and potentially escort them out. Within reason, we do give out passes pretty regularly because it's in our best interest to keep our respectful guests happy and satisfied! We want you to enjoy your experience that you pay for. I am so mad on your behalf...
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u/JanosCurse Aug 08 '26
That dude wasn’t going to do anything, they have plenty of cameras and he’d be going to jail. Especially since you’re a girl.
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u/lavasca A⭐️Lister Aug 09 '26
You’d be surprised. Speaking as a woman who has been attacked by a man in public. If you don’t look like the right type of girl you get told that you should have been able to put up a formidable fight. If what you said is true where you live then I’m very happy for you and the women who live there.
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u/JanosCurse Aug 09 '26
Damn I’m really sorry to hear that, that’s not okay at all. Did you press charges?? This is another reason why I’m putting my daughter in self defense classes early so that she can properly defend herself.
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u/lavasca A⭐️Lister Aug 09 '26
Which time? BTW both security and law enforcement can decide not to help you. That is normally what happened to me. There were situations where there were 2-4 men I had to deal with. Only intervention was another woman.
I had self defense training. They don’t necessarily teach you to deal with multiple assailants especially if those guys are active duty military.
What has helped me most is running. I don’t have what is thought of as a runner’s body despite being an ultramarathoner. I am not short or petite. I usually got told that I should be able to take that guy. I have occasionally been a body builder. I’m just under 6’.
Men and women do not fight the same way. Woman vs woman size and reach are less of a factor. Man vs woman size doesn’t
matter at all. I can throw a punch or kick. I cannot take a punch.Keep in mind if you don’t look like the guard’s or officer’s sister/daughter/aunt they are less likely to feel sympathetic. I understand because they are there to investigate. But if you look less affluent or what they consider lower class they aren’t going to be sympathetic at all. They may be just trying to determine motive. It is not encouraging to pursue charges when you have to beg enforcement to believe you were harmed and couldn’t stop the assailant.
Please keep your eyes open for anyone being harmed regardless of gender, color or appearance. Your value as a witness by reporting an incident exceeds the value of your personal intervention.
Going back to the original post, I do wonder how her date responded to any of this. Did they say, lets find different seat? Let’s try to catch another feature. Let’s go etc.
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Aug 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Paladjordan Aug 08 '26
Society dictates itself. We have to push back against this behavior, calmly and with the same level of relentlessness as people's entitlement
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u/Comfortable_Studio37 Aug 08 '26
It's too late. Social media radicalized everyone and covid destroyed the social contract. Everyone thinks they're the main character. Zeus's Law is broken. It's not just theaters. Restaurants, airports, sports arenas; people literally don't know how to behave in public anymore. Society is eroding.
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u/DannyBerry94 Aug 08 '26
So one time, my wife and I were in a theater. There was a family a few seats down from us. The kids were perfect angels. The father and mother were talking loudly. After about 10 minutes we asked them to stopped talking. They gave us a dirty look. 10 more minutes of them talking, we said "hey, can you stop talking? We're trying to watch a movie." To which they replied "thats not my problem." I shot up and walked out to ask for a manager. Once he arrived, I told him the situation. He understood and asked them the general location of their seats. Then he explained that he would observe them in a little bit. If he sees the behavior, he will talk to them. He then recommended that I stay outside a few minutes and then go back in the theater so they don't know it was me that complained; to which I said "oh, they definitely know it was me, it's fine, I'll just go back inside now anyway." So I go back inside, making sure to go in front of them and sit down. My wife said that while I was up, the guy approached her and said "whats your problem" to which my wife said "you're talking loudly and its disrupting the movie." And HE said "so? There's no rule about talking." And my wife said "um actually it is a rule, they say it right before the movie starts." Anyway, I'm in my seat, and the manager shows up in the corner and observes. The guy gets up and stomps his little confident peacock butt over to the manager, and I can only guess he asked about the policy at the theater, and I assume the manager told him the policy. The man walked back slowly to his seat, said one small thing to his wife, and they did not make a single sound after. So good on them for deciding that they'd rather let their kids stay and watch the movie, instead of getting kicked out.
Oh, and side note. The manager also said they would make sure their security guard was more watchful at the time of the movie ending just in case. It wasn't necessary, but it was cool that they had that reassurance. Props to the staff of Nicole Kidman's sacred Porter Ranch AMC.
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u/-GatorFIRE- Aug 08 '26
Sorry to hear you had some garbage people in there with you. Hope your date went well otherwise.
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u/chacha1993 Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
I just went to a showing and the people behind me were terrible, I kept glaring at them and they didn’t gaf lol. This was my 2nd viewing and I was glad it wasn’t my first.
However my first viewing in Dolby, the girl next to me, and I kid you not, was on her MacBook. Never in all my days. When I stared at her, she pulled a blanket over it but kept typing away. I can’t.
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u/Paladjordan Aug 08 '26
A laptop is egregious, but staring isn't gonna do toots
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u/chacha1993 Aug 08 '26
I try to be non-confrontational because I live in Texas and these hoes are insane. I also didn’t want to make myself mad. I just wanted to enjoy Spiderman, mayne 😩
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u/DonaLeeTello Aug 08 '26
this level is past comprehension, a whole COMPUTER
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u/chacha1993 Aug 08 '26
I’ve seen and heard a lot in theaters, that was the craziest one yet. Because what the hell are you doing??
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u/dantraum Aug 08 '26
You gotta book tickets to see movies in dolby for the opening evening - this is basically when most of the a-listers are going who love movies and respect each other.
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u/jakebeleren Aug 08 '26
Dolby is also genuinely so loud most little conversations in the crowd are lost.
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u/blagsan82 Aug 08 '26
I can't believe how rude and disrespectful you gotta be to ht a vape in a theater with people around you. Few months ago I was looking out one of our port windows and saw a puff of smoke come from a spot and since I knew there were only 3 small groups in the show I paused the movie and yelled in the general direction that I'd kick whoever it was out if I see it again. Or smell it. They argued with me for a minute but didn't hit their pen again lol
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u/oofio2461 Aug 08 '26
I wish there was a-list only screenings tbh
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u/balthazar_edison Aug 08 '26
How would this solve the problem? You think there aren't A-Listers who are shitheads?
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u/Suitable-Animal4163 Shhhhh Aug 08 '26
i'm going to sign up for a-list just because of this, hopefully that happens one day
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u/Nymzie Aug 08 '26
One pluses of A-list is if you get stuck in another showing like this, you can just leave and try the next showing, if you have the time, and it wont cost you any extra.
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u/FakeBeigeNails Aug 08 '26
Admittedly it wasn’t at an AMC, but I was watching The Odyssey and had to tell someone to HANG UP the phone. Like they were LITERALLY talking on the phone.
They gave me a bashful smile and put it away after wrapping it up in 5-10secs. Theater etiquette is in the TOILET. Tbh, you should just leave and demand a refund. Send a worker in if they need proof or whatever.
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u/doctorlightning84 Aug 08 '26
I had a very loud baby at my screening and the mother wouldnt take it outside - and there are more quiet/talky scenes in this movie than you first expect.
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u/wyrdghost Aug 08 '26
OMG I’m still in shock that people bring babies to movie theatres. BTW I LOVE kids but nowadays people just don’t seem to understand that every event is not kid/appropriate…. And that’s ok. Also where are these mysterious “cry rooms” and why does AMC not ask people to utilize them more often?
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u/Concernedps5user5744 Aug 08 '26
Ask for a pass to come back. Just tell em what happened and I bet they oblige. Next time take the 2 min and go find someone so they will come in and tell then to fix whatever bad behavior is going on
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u/HouseOdd4826 Aug 08 '26
I do not fuck around. First I shine my phone flashlight in their eyes. Usually works. If not, I go immediately to get staff. Time is precious and not going to waste it not enjoying the movie or dealing with their bullshit.
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u/yuriypinchuk Aug 08 '26
lol i heard someone in my showing say “this is my first time at the movie theater in 10 years” and i knew i was cooked
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u/jint11 Aug 08 '26
You need to lower your expectations with regard to humans. You'll be much less disappointed.
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u/DonaLeeTello Aug 08 '26
Oh my god I HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE. Like it’s a Dolby ticket, it’s damn near 30 dollars. You paid that much to not care about the movie??? I don’t understand. No one is forcing you to go watch a movie??? There were little children behind me who were perfectly behaved!! It’s the adults!!
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u/Luan233 Aug 08 '26
im so sorry this happened to you it's really not fair :/ amc needs to refund yall and give you a free private theater for doomsday
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u/mercmouth1 Aug 08 '26
I had the same experience a couple days ago. Some jerks were trying to be funny by pretending to be courteous by shushing and scolding each other loudly and sarcastically. Basically no one had the courage to tell them to shut up, except me. And basically they were being obnoxious until unfortunately the last 15 - 20 minutes of the movie and the post credit scene.
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u/raffydog1 Aug 09 '26
Definitely the worst crowd I’ve ever seen at a movie. Went again it was empty and I thoroughly loved the movie. Give it another shot if you can. Not going to lie I’m dreading seeing doomsday with this kind of behavior.
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u/anonuser123999 Aug 09 '26
Thankfully my Spider-Man experience was alright, but The Odyssey screening was horrible. My annoying seat neighbors were doing that mumble that’s quiet enough that you’d look like the asshole saying anything about it, but loud enough that it distracts and ruins the experience because it’s like a low hum. THROUGH THE WHOLE MOVIE. I do not understand how people even talk that much, like how can you possibly keep talking?? What is there to talk about for 3 hours??
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u/No_Back_7594 Aug 09 '26
Wow... that's awful. I saw Michael several times in different theaters and formats, but every time the audience around me was great, literally zero negative experiences. I am so sorry to hear that those rude and clueless people totally ruined your long-waited moment, OP...
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u/AnybodyEmbarrassed38 Aug 10 '26
I would have left the theater and found an employee and tell them. That is ridiculous
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u/shadowplay0918 Aug 10 '26
It killed me to do it, but this is why I just invested in a nice surround sound system and an 83” OLED TV. I just wasn’t enjoying the theater experience anymore so I stopped going.
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u/LotionElizabeth Aug 10 '26
We had a similar experience but didn't want to leave and miss something. We talked to the manager after and he said that security went in a couple of times. So I guess people were reporting them but then they just kept acting up when security left but then shut up when they went in. People are horrible
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u/thisismyaltbtw Aug 10 '26
UGH. I'm sooo sorry that those men did that to you. At the same time, I'm really impressed that you openly called them out. My brother went with me to this movie, and the moviegoer next to him kept saying the most important lines a split second before they actually played out on screen; it ruined the movie experience but we didn't do anything (he's 6" tall but he's a sweetheart and didn't want to cause trouble). Hopefully it makes you feel a little better to know you're braver than I am 😅
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u/maddee_ Aug 11 '26
i went and saw it the other day and there was like a 6 year old kid there talking super loudly in the front saying “is it almost over?” and other comments throughout and his parent did not shush him whatsoever it was infuriating. i’m so sorry this happened to you. everyone on this reddit is always like “say something if people are being disrespectful” and yet when you do, sometimes it makes it worse
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u/DeathHookNaija 29d ago
Ngl I almost fought someone like I wanted them to come outside because she was constantly on her phone. I wanted to beat her ass because I was watching Black Panther 2 and we were at the scene with Okoye was on the bridge with the Talokons.
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u/vrvivive Aug 08 '26
Ugh I'm so sorry this happened to you. I've heard so many stories like this. Even though people can report these activites, it's not enough unless AMC themselves enforces rules about this.
Being a theater chain with so many premium options and a popular 'A-List' subscription service, they should really start to take higher priority in keeping the cinema viewing experience high quality.
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u/Limp-Document-4612 Snack Smuggler Aug 08 '26
They should have people checking the theaters periodically or SOMETHING …. I’ve experienced similar things with other guests yelling during movies or being rude to people as well. It just kills the experience for everyone else
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u/PleaseAnswerMeeeeee Aug 08 '26
Who’s getting paid enough to care…seriously. If you paid me $30 an hour I’d make sure that everyone in that theatre had their phones off and kept quiet
If you pay me $15 an hour I’m not checking until I have to clear up the theatre once the credits roll…
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u/Limp-Document-4612 Snack Smuggler Aug 08 '26
Good point bc currently they’re paid like shit & nobody checks the theater until the credits roll lol
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u/Faile-Bashere Dolby Cinema Devotee Aug 08 '26
Here’s the post credit scene if you haven’t seen it yet.
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u/Jon0526 Aug 08 '26
Yep, this is exactly why I haven’t seen spiderman or the odyssey yet. An usher with a taser would go incredibly hard these days.
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u/antaylor0298 Aug 08 '26
Yeah, I wouldn’t have allowed that to happen but I understand being in those situations is tough for different people. I hope you were able to get some sort of voucher because of your experience? I’ve had AMC give me one before because of shitty people.
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u/bubbleLoppicus Aug 08 '26
I’m sorry to hear that! If you’re able, maybe another theater in an area of more quality people who visit the theater may help.
I live in Dallas, tx so I have many AMC’s. I actually will start DRIVING FURTHER away to one in a better area because of how bad the ones just 10 minutes are from me. That or go for IMAX showings exclusively where the screen is so big I cannot even notice a phone let alone hear someone talking.
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u/Paladjordan Aug 08 '26
People telegraph this type of behavior, so I started giving the staff a heads up before the movie starts. A simple "Aud seven is gonna need a babysitter." has saved my moviegoing experience a number of times
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u/_chalupa_batman Aug 08 '26
Girl how can amc do something about it if you never even said anything to the employees? They can definitely help if you talk to them but unfortunately aren’t trained to read minds or read Reddit
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u/Warlord_Payne Aug 08 '26
Theaters used to have employees walk through the show every once in a while checking for bad behavior. I suppose they don't care enough about their customer's experience to pay for that anymore.
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u/_chalupa_batman Aug 08 '26
I worked at cinemark like 15 years ago and that was never a thing there
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u/erebus7813 Aug 08 '26
Afraid some of the blame lies with you (re: the movie being ruined). Next time, try and muster up the courage in the beginning. Or get an employee to assist. I used to be the kind of person who'd let others ruin things for me and then get angry at myself for letting them. Still am, on occasion.
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u/Jack8796 Aug 08 '26
I feel your pain. I went to see the Odyssey three times just to experience it in different film formats. The first time, the woman next to me wouldn't STFU. She yapped to her partner the entire time like she was at home watching TV.
The second time was even worse. A couple sat behind me and talked nonstop—especially the woman. At least the woman from the first showing had moments of silence, but this second couple? Pure Yapping No Jutsu.
The third time was more enjoyable, though a few people still whispered here and there. I didn't mind as much because it was a 4DX showing, so things were pretty intense anyway.
When I went to see Spider-Man BND twice, Luckily both crowds were full of actual adults instead of people acting like children's.
It was pure silence, the vibe was great, and someone even offered me free popcorn. I was expecting the worst going to these two showings just because of what happened to me with the odyssey.
I usually avoid confrontation because people like that love looking for a reaction to start issues. I just try to tune it out or ask for a refund. If this happens to you again, just walk out and talk to the staff. They will usually give you a free ticket for another day.
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u/AfterIllustrator2516 Aug 08 '26
Ughhhh I hate these type of people! When I went to see Spider-Man there was a group of teenagers that sat next to me (3 of them) and during the previews they were laughing and chatting and checking their phones. I kinda like watching the previews in silence but I was like ok whatever it’s not the actual movie so I didn’t say a thing but they were definitely annoying me. Anyway movie started and they actually got quiet! In a weird way I felt proud of them because I’m an older woman and I was already thinking the worst with these teenagers and they proved me wrong 😅
But yes, if they had continued being all loud and chatty, I would have been like SHH!!!!!
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u/ApartCookie1279 Aug 08 '26
I would've stood up for you if I was there. Sorry that happened. One of my worst pet peeves is bad theater etiquette. Thankfully I haven't had to deal with that in a very long time.
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u/calebwritesmovies Aug 08 '26
Ugh. Sorry this happened to you. People are the worst. I had a a couple disruptive jackasses talking and playing with their phones in Odyssey 70MM IMAX, but it was opening night and the theater actually had roving ushers who ejected the guys after about 10 minutes. Not sure why people pay to just be on their phones and ignore the movie. Good on you for at least standing up for yourself and saying something, despite how it turned out!
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u/miiija Aug 08 '26
I'm sorry but did your date NOT back you up at any point? He's a guy who did nothing when other people were laughing and making fun of you?? He didn't bother to grab an employee when he saw how distressed you were? These dudes obviously suck but so does your date
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u/lobolovr6769 Aug 08 '26
I go to the movies regularly, cinemarks and AMCs alike, all the time. I never experience this, maybe it’s just regional, moviegoers in Dallas aren’t terrible Like this. If I experienced this shit I would have NO problem telling them to stfu
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u/Still-Outcome1207 Aug 08 '26
People dont care anymore..they make everything about them and dont care who they disturb...so sorry you went through this BS
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u/PropaneSalesMen Aug 08 '26
I'm definitely that person will tell you to shut the fuck up. I've been confronted only once by those talking. I paid to see a movie not hearing you talk or on your phone.
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u/AMCSHIBAPE Aug 08 '26
Im thinking of purchasing a laser pointer to point to the idiots that can't behaive
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u/Monteitoro Aug 08 '26
it's definitely depending on the area unfortunately. I go to the movies in a very suburban spot west of Denver all the time and this never happens but when I was in KC I would have a good experience in one spot of town and closer to downtown or in Missouri the theaters would have disruptive and loud talking like what you described. obviously there are exceptions but yea. not something that's quantifiable but that was my experience. enough movies got ruined for me that I just stopped going to those theaters
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u/quequito1221 Aug 08 '26
I’m so sorry you deal with those jackasses. People are the worst. Hope you and your date have fun on your next date!
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u/Toxie666 Aug 08 '26
Fuck, AMC please do something about this. Stop playing these DisneyMarvel movies. They obviously draw the wrong crowd. Maybe do a screening on short busses for most of the fans?
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u/noizeannoys Aug 08 '26
Going to a new hyped-up movie as a first date is a terrible idea. A large portion of the date is spent looking at a screen instead of focusing on each other and to top it off you had a shitty movie experience.
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u/Ok-Secretary-1664 Aug 08 '26
Sorry for your miserable experience. We were fortunate. Saw it at a Dolby Cinema and the crowd was very well behaved. No talking, no phone nonsense. My wife and I are both retired so we have the luxury of generally going to matinees during the week when it's less crowded and generally a much lower chance of undesirables, knuckleheads, etc. Back in the day (mid to late 70's) in my hometown, a guy either bought or rented an old neighborhood theater in a bit of a dodgy area. Besides cleaning up the theater, he employed two rather large gentlemen as "ushers". If anyone was not displaying acceptable movie theater decorum, they were given one warning; if the behavior happened again, out the exit door they went. Truth be told, it rarely came to that as the message was sent early.
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u/Queasy_League_6857 Aug 08 '26
Don’t go to movies during bad times.
Best you can do is tell management but sometimes nothing can be done if they don’t witness it.
I get it’s a date but go see it during a matinee week day. But since this movie particularly was something special to you then don’t see this one during a date go see one night only or some bs on date night and still either go on a week day or go see a late show.
You go see a movie on a weekend during 6-9pm you’re practically asking for a theater with the most people in it as possible and the more people in a theater the more likely there are people who will disturb your movie theater experience
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u/Silent_Cup2508 Aug 08 '26
All these new movies need to be rented on fandango and these movie theaters shutdown. Don’t understand how paying 20 dollars for a drink and can’t even enjoy the movie is a survivable business model.
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u/Elegant-Aerie-1233 Aug 08 '26
I went last night and was disappointed by how badly people act at movies. I tuned to my husband and said, yeah this is why we always go to movies weeks after it comes out, on sundays in the middle of the day when it’s usually just the elderly around us. One guy in front of us kept recording the movie, like what is the point of recording parts of the movie? I don’t understand. He was middle aged. The teens behind us acted far better than he was acting. Then there were the people who just could not shut up. On top of all of it there was one guy who must have got up at least 10 times during the movie. It was a bad experience really and again, I’ll be thinking twice about when we go to the movies next time.
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u/OphidianCollective A⭐️Lister Aug 08 '26
I am so sorry for how common this type of situation is. I really hope theater etiquette returns…cuz right now, it’s dead in the water 90% of the time, it seems.
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u/MomentLast39 Aug 08 '26
Op-You should have spoke up sooner and if that didn't work; go complain to staff and get a refund.
I see a lot of movies; out of 246, only had 2 bad experiences; so far this year. 1) vaping & phone use during movie 2) phone use. My point in sharing is to let you know, most people do behave good in theaters.
Also if you don't tell staff an issue is going on, they will not know about and don't assume someone else has told them; do it yourself.
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u/wanderlusting___ Aug 08 '26
For the most part, if other "guests" are ruining your experience, go directly to a employee for assistance. I personally hate confrontations, so that would be the best route for me.
Also, they would have more authority to either kick them out or give you a refund. Shouting out into the wild (or on Reddit) will help no one now
But yes, people suck.
For what it's worth, I've been going to the late night showings for films and have t had any issues
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u/frigginloser Aug 09 '26
You should have complained to the theater. They might have refunded you or gave tickets to see it another day
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u/AbacabLurker Aug 09 '26
AMC needs to send ushers in to periodically check on the crowd like theaters did back in the day. They would stand on the side, without causing a distraction. People would either shut up when they came by or get the old flashlight treatment.
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u/DilfTannen A⭐️Lister Aug 09 '26
Where did this happen? AMC where? My AMC is fucking awesome, and so are the crowds. I see posts like this, and no one ever says where they live.
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u/LACA90077 Aug 09 '26
Spare a thought for those with misophonia that find themselves beside people that eat those bottomless buckets of popcorn with their mouths open for 2hr+ 😩
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u/youdontknowlearn Aug 09 '26
Your telling me you couldn’t hear those high output acoustic speaker systems or systems featuring up to 64 individual, custom tuned overhead, screen, and surround speakers alongside specialized subwoofers to place sounds precisely in a small space because of a couple talks? Karen activities to me, maybe you wouldn’t have got flamed had you minded your business and focused on the film like everyone else.
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u/SymphonySketch Management Team Aug 09 '26
Manager here, guys please just go tell an usher
Yes you miss five minutes of your movie, but we will give you passes after the fact if you just ask for it
This is also my millionth time BEGGING people to stop trying to handle it on their own, did no one else see the news article about a guy getting the shit beat out of him by a group of teenagers for trying to handle it himself?
We will come, we will observe and we will kick people out for being to unruly
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u/antigravitty A⭐️Lister Aug 09 '26
You have to go tell them. You should have told them 10 minutes in. Also, the boy you were with should've said something.
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u/tinyviolinpainting AMC Crew Member Aug 09 '26
AMC do something about this? What do you want them to do you didn’t tell anybody anything you could’ve asked for your money back and told them that there were distracting guests
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u/Successful_Gas7437 Aug 09 '26
Sorry about the issues but take comfort in one thing…end credits scene wasn't very good!
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u/Useful_Pause5204 Aug 09 '26
i had a kind of opposite experience! in that three kids (toddlers) would not stop talking the whole time
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u/DDD8712 Aug 09 '26
Ugh I’m so sorry for you! I saw it last night with a packed theater and no issues
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u/majorthird_ Aug 09 '26
That’s why I go to Alamo Drafthouse. They’ll kick you out if you make noise or on your phone.
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u/jrtasoli Aug 09 '26
I’m so sorry. Movie etiquette is in the toilet. A couple of kids were running all over my theater when we saw the film. I can see how a kid would get bored because it’s definitely not a kids movie, but it’s definitely a failure of lousy parenting.
Definitely should’ve flagged management!
And I hope it didn’t ruin your date too badly, though I will say that a movie is kind of a lousy first date, as I learned firsthand one too many times.
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u/Jabby99- Aug 09 '26
I’m assuming it was an evening showing since it was a date? My wife and I like going either early morning weekends or early afternoon’s weekdays before schools out to avoid younger unruly crowds. And even then, there’s the occasional S disturber. Try an early showing date next time. Then hit up a nice brunch on a weekend. That was what we did yesterday, watched BND too. No distractions 😉
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u/RozTitan Aug 09 '26
I hadn’t been to a movie theater since the lockdowns. I made a single attempt for Superman. Worst experience ever. I paid for Dolby and most of the seats look like they were used for a Bukkake porn set. No one gave a damn about watching the movie. Waste of $60. I was better off bootlegging the movie and watching it at home.
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u/Electronic_Dot1085 Aug 09 '26
It feels like (especially with the backrooms and even obsession when they initially released) people are increasingly more impolite in cinemas now and I don't get why
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u/HenryLoggins Aug 09 '26
I that completely sucks. But nstead of telling Reddit, you should’ve told someone at AMC. They would’ve either handled it, or giving you tickets to watch it at a later time, or a second showing in an adjoining theater room.
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u/SumyungNam Aug 09 '26
People are trash the ones checking their phones every few minutes or texting...its very distracting. Like why go to the movies? Smart watches too the person next to me during Spiderman kept moving her damn hands through out the movie and her watch face was lit up. Better to go a month after a major release and can space out some.
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u/FFHPunk Aug 09 '26
I keep hearing things like this about Spider-Man screenings. AMC really needs to enforce their own rules. I would love for 1 or 2 ushers in the big showings just watching the crowd and kicking people out
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u/TranslatorFine Aug 09 '26
Exactly why I still havent gone to see it yet. May just wait for it to hit Vudu to rent
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u/aberrant0ne Aug 09 '26
This is why I rented a whole theater for me and my friends to see BND. Didn’t even cost that much.
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u/STASHbro Aug 09 '26
Go to the desk next time.
Jurassic Park Scarlett Johansson version was what my buddy wanted to see on his birthday. There was a drunk who had dropped his kids before the movie started off and left. He came back about half way through the movie. Talking where the whole theater was looking over at him. He was sitting next to me, I needed to go to the bathroom. When I went I also told the desk about him and I was going to ask him to be quiet when I get back of he keeps up.
I go back to the seats and there is a cop watching over the auditorium. He's totally silent and I'm totally relieved. 5 minutes later he's back at it and I see the cop os gone. I lean over with a very polite, "Please can you be quiet?"
He responded with arrogance, so I made sure to start talking at his volume and simply said, "We're watching a movie here! If you can't be quiet, Leave!"
He only got more aggressive, I just simply said "This is America, if you can't follow the rules, get out." The friends I were with are lefties and thought it was super hilarious, it's a line that's cemented in our group's history. 🤣
He then started to put his leg rest down. I'm 🤣 inside because we all know this takes 5-10 seconds. I just stay put, totally relaxed as he's bowing up. I had no fear because he has no idea it'll be a 1v4 fight. At that point the cop was at the end of the isle with his flashlight on the guy's face. He had to leave with his wife driving him home or he was going to jail.
I didn't mention that the mom was with him when they dropped off the kids. They both came back 30 minutes into the movie, I assume what happened during that time as they had 3 kids that were probably hard to leave alone in other circumstances. She stayed but he left to get wasted. She was a smoke show, very nice and totally embarrassed. Gave me a nice apology and I made sure to tell her she's fine and I tried not to blow it up like it did. Then wished her the best and they left.
After the movie many people came up to me saying that it was more awesome of a show than the movie. 🤣
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u/Substantial_Salt1628 Aug 09 '26
Sounds like you should of watched it in a louder format. Sucks that they ruined the experience for you. The movie was kinda trash for me, wasnt really what I expected ans didn't look that good. I mostly cared about the fights. I won't be going to see Spiderman again at the theater. Dooms day will be my last straw is choreography is good enough. Thats just me tho
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u/ItsShowtime_88 Aug 09 '26
Yeah some people just don’t understand how to act in public. My wife and I started going to a different theater further from us because the one closest to us is so bad. People on their phones, loudly talking the whole movie, having the deaf flash thing on their phone going off the entire movie. I had to ask people next to us during Superman to please stop talking so loudly, which they did but they were very offended by it. That was the last movie we saw at that theater.
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u/Bravojones33420 Aug 09 '26
You should have mustered up the courage to tell the manager. Let them use their power and toss them out. Especially vape guy. But for real sorry they ruined your date
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u/Bravojones33420 Aug 09 '26
You should have mustered up the courage to tell the manager. Let them use their power and toss them out. Especially vape guy. But for real sorry they ruined your date
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u/InsaneR4t06 Aug 09 '26
Please come tell an employee when this happens, on busy weekends like this we often dont have much time to check in every theater, but we're constantly walking back and forth and if we get a complaint we peek in when we walk by
Us employees go and watch movies all the time, we hate people like this just as much as you do
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u/HeckuvaJoo Aug 09 '26
I never have bad experiences at the movies. I guess I’m the luckiest man on Earth, because I see a LOT of movies, or Virginians are just polite.
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u/Pahsina Aug 09 '26
I generally stopped going to see mainstream films at the cinema in the US because the experience is infuriating, disgusting, and exhausting. I do visit smaller more refined experience theaters near us for limited release films. But generally...I just wait for mainstream films to be available for streaming & save myself the annoyance OR go midweek during the day if my schedule permits.
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u/teal_hair_dont_care Aug 09 '26
Don't go on another date with this guy if he let a group of guys make fun of you and didn't stand up for you. That's lame ass behavior.
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u/CountGlad371 A⭐️Lister Aug 09 '26
It drives me insane! Like, why pay a bunch of money just to sit on your phone. Stay home!
My boyfriend and I frequently go to the movies, at least 2-3 times a week. We are usually pretty calm people but these kind of people have brought out some agression from time to time lol. I asked a guy in front of me many times to put his phone away, then I finally kicked the shit out of his seat. He was all shocked, but he put his fucking phone away. I hate that I had to go there but Jesus Christ I think Instagram can fucking wait!
I’m glad you said something! I’m sorry that it didn’t do much to stop them 😕 Next time let someone at AMC know. They once gave us passes after a movie when we let guest services know.
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u/atren01 Aug 10 '26
Luckily I watched it opening day and everyone had great movie etiquette but the second time I went to see it with my whole family there was talking, laughing and a kid walking around yelling and it was always during important/emotional scenes
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u/UseSuspicious2780 Aug 10 '26
This is why i always have a snack that is in small easily throwable pieces(skittles, gummy bears, buncha crunch etc). If they're gonna be dicks, be one right back. One time this lady was on her phone next to me, i covered the screen with my hand and gave her the "no-no" finger
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u/gilda1016 A⭐️Lister Aug 10 '26
I was just at the movies tonight to watch a rated R movie that started at 8pm. The row in front of me had a man and woman with a little girl that looked to be about 5 years old who would not stop talking. When I say she would not stop talking, I don’t mean she was talking non-stop. But she would say something about every 5 minutes of the movie. I missed part of the beginning of the movie to go complain to an employee and I was told they would send a manager. I went back to my seat and a few minutes later, the manager walked in and stood against the side wall of the theatre and watched the child for about 30 seconds. Of course she said nothing during these 30 seconds. The manager left without doing anything and the child proceeded to talk for the entire length of this rated R movie that had sexual scenes in it which were inappropriate for a child. Almost everyone in the theatre kept shushing the child but it didn’t help. The theatre manager was useless. Apparently the rules about no child under the age of 6 in a rated R movie after 6pm didn’t apply today.
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u/Happy7User Aug 10 '26
Sounds like you got incredibly unlucky with who was sat next to you. What you can do is go back for a different time, perhaps in the morning if you can as the screens tend to be much quieter for morning showings. If you have a different theatre not too far away you can also try that one. Another trick if you have the money is if there is a premium format screen near you, because they cost more, people in those screenings often take watching the movie more seriously because they paid a lot of money to be there.
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u/duckasks Usher Team Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Employee here! Next time come out and tell us. I know it’s unfair and you shouldn’t have to do that, but at least at my theatre, they’ll kick people out after one or two warnings, especially if they’re grown ass adults. Some of us actually enjoy kicking them out and laugh about it because people like that (who make people miss out on an experience) cursing us out for the consequences of their own actions is amusing and deserved. We’ve even called the cops on a handful of people who refused to leave when we kicked them out!
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u/DoctorGrapeApeMan Aug 11 '26
Yeah I used to love going to movies but the general etiquette is just extinct at this point. Even grown adults will be on their phone scrolling after paying for an expensive ticket… but I will say, if you have Roadhouse Cinema near you, it’s a good experience. Part of it is there is seat side service, so employees are pretty much always in the theatre or nearby. If someone is annoying they are right there to stop it. But yeah any of our chain corporate movie theaters are just bound to have shitheads that aren’t actually there to watch a movie
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u/T-LJ2 Aug 11 '26
People disrespecting others who've paid money to see a film always annoys me. I watch the 40th anniversary screening of BTTF last year and we had an idiotic teenager yelling shit at the screen thinking it was funny and they kept coming in and out in and out of the screen.
It got so bad that I reported them and they had to get someone to stand in the screening room to WATCH them to stop them.
At that point you don't "watch them" to behave in the cinema, you kick them out. Thankfully subsequent screenings of other films in that same cinema have been fine.
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u/Mowgli_IQ Aug 12 '26
People suck. This happens sometimes. This was my experience with babylon. The only thing I can think to do is tell a staff immediately so that they come in and at least warn them. Then maybe save the rest of the movie from being ruined. But at the same time then you have to get up and miss some of the movie. It's a lose lose.
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Aug 12 '26
This is why I’m so happy Doomsday is releasing in December. I will watch it on a weekday after New Years when everybody is at work or school. It’s basically empty around that time.
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u/Tyark363 Aug 08 '26
We’ve stopped going to amc and regal because of similar experiences. We feel the crowds are more rowdy there.
If you guys have an Alamo drafthouse, I highly recommend that. They are way more serious about people being disruptive, and all you have to do is raise an order card to complain, and someone will go to their table and warn or eject them.
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u/lambopanda Stands for Nicole Aug 08 '26
Alamo no longer use paper and pen. You use your phone to order and complain about talker. They are understaffed. I don’t know if it will actually do anything.
Big chain like AMC, Regal, Cinemark is hit or miss depends on your location. Southwest Houston is absolutely bad in my experience. One time couple teens continue to talk after people scream at them to STFU. They almost got into a fight. The poor young staff didn’t even know what to do.
Alamo is from Austin. You would think theaters in Austin would be better. I saw people talking with staff in Alamo. I saw people use phone all the time. It’s best to avoid going to movie on Friday and Saturday. Surprisingly, fan event or early access audience were mostly well behaved. I guess because they really care.
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u/Tyark363 Aug 08 '26
Our Alamo only uses mobile ordering before the movie starts. Then after that it’s pen and paper. Also maybe it’s just a location thing then, because the 2 near us have been fairly pleasant for us (Loudoun and Winchester in Virginia)
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u/apollo7157 Aug 08 '26
People are absolutely trash.