We asked you for your best and worst experiences in British cinemas.
Er, you might need to sit down to read some of these…
Earlier this year, we surveyed you and got thousands of replies!
on your thoughts on the state of British cinemas.
The light from mobile phones, the noise, people updating their social media status.
That, children in 12A screenings, and the smell of nachos were the big themes.
There was a group of younger ones sitting midway down, their behaviour was atrocious.
Even though other people were telling them it wasnt us they were adamant we were to leave.
I have never been back.
And
I was once reported to the manager for repeating asking a woman to put away her mobile phone.
Look who it is!
12 year old kids on the row behind shouting Shit!
when watchingBatman Vs Superman.
before gassing the entire audience with a CO2 fire extinguisher hed torn from the wall.
This blurred the line between a good and bad experience for me.
Just yuck
Worst includes a man taking shoes and socks off to pick his feet.
I was watching the firstAvengersmovie.
During the film, the guy next to me was repeatedly checking his phone, much to my annoyance.
Should know better
Most annoying was being able to hear ushers discussing their weekend plans outside of the screen.
It wasnt overly intrusive, only slightly distracting, but it got to me because they should know better.
I thought it was a tad inappropriate for a kids film though.
Choose your battle
Being threatened after asking man in front to stop talking throughout the film.
He jumped over seat to start a fight.
I stood up and at 6ft 3 was 6 inches taller.
On the same note
Went to see the originalLet The Right One In.Cinema to myself.
In walk two couples of forty somethings.
Could be worse I think.
I have enough and politely, yet maybe slightly menacingly ask them to be quiet.
Im big, I shave my head, I have tattoos and a Scottish accent.
Why would we want to pay money to listen to an old lady talk about her bowels?
There had been a mistake in the computer, and they actually started showing the remake ofCarrie an 18!
When visiting my local Odeon I was the only person at a screening of a film.
I questioned this and was offered the chance to watch another film instead.
So it was an issue with the focus of the projector.
They said no, you stay and watch the film then no refund of any sort.
That may not sound much but it is certainly distracting.
Reserved seating
We had lots of people unhappy with facets of reserved seating.
Here are a few examples.
Some likes reserved seating, some didnt.
Particularly when it is a popular showing which causes disruption, annoyance and general chaos.
With Cineworld its selected seating.
Stank the place out, made plenty of noise and left a real mess.
Carried on despite being asked to stop by several people.
I wish popcorn was issued in cardboard cartons like they used to.
Paper bags may be cheaper (for the cinema) but too noisy.
She did and I got a cheer and thanks lol.
I admit I was a bit harsh.
Plainly we need more hipsters with tote bags north of the border.
Family of six or seven took their seats and dished out a full, pungent-smelling curry/casserole on paper plates.
I sat next to a couple who took up six seats with the whole picnic they brought.
We had a man eating see home made food in the screen.
It smelt so bad it made people feel ill. Also, his eating mannerisms werent the most pleasant.
I had to leave for some air and a staff member asked me what was wrong.
I told her, she followed me into the screen and couldnt believe the smell.
She then left and did nothing about it!
Sat next to a hipster couple who brought hummous, apples and celery as their picnic forFrances Ha!
He decided to chomp his way through his items.
I turned and looked to the individual and asked kindly to stop and if he could eat quietly.
In return he told me to F off and naturally I said the same.
He moved one seat further away and the film basically ended.
And, echoing what dozens of people wrote…
Nachos!!!!!
Why on Gods earth are these sold.
Drink
A guy drinking a full bottle of wine and laughing his way throughFences.
Someone once vomited on the person in front of them duringThe Matrix Reloaded.
Think theyd been drinking, it ruined the screening for everyone because of the smell.
Despite repeated attempts to get staff to intervene, nobody would assist.
The staff told us that they could not leave the refreshments counter and help because they were understaffed.
This isnt the only time Ive had issues in cinemas due to a lack of staff or ushers.
Films starting sometimes 45 mins after the time given due to 30 mins of adverts.
It is too much.
Previous cleaning happening too close to the start of the next screening.
Once stood outside due to the cleaning barrier being up and listened to the start of our trailers.
Odd complaint
A family complaining they could not sit in the bigger seats!
When they had not paid for them!
I attended a Cineworld with my dad.
A woman was with two children misbehaving.
These kids went on to rummage through one mans bag and attempted to do it to my dads.
He said What are you doing?
Manager was a nice woman who gave us complementary tickets.
you might never find staff and if you question a parent you will get yelled at!
Staff dont stop this behaviour unless told even if they see it which is very annoying.
Sully 10pm screening at my local Showcase in Leicester.
A family had brought along their children aged around 7 and 4.
The film started, and the kid started murmuring again so the dad took her out.
But not completely out he stood with her in the corridor still watching the film.
3 minutes of silence then the kid starts talking again.
Nice try mate, you completely ruined that.
I wanted to cause an incident.
Popcorn head
A drunken fool attempted to climb up to the screen during a showing ofJason Xat Odeon Southampton.
A very common problem in British cinemas, Vue especially, is a severe lack in temperature management.
Lights too bright are still an issue, especially if Im unfortunate enough to be watching something in 3D.
Once a guy in my row kept flicking a lighter on and off.
The staff members acknowledged it and said someone would be in.
No one ever came into the cinema.
The guy flicked his lighter to the end of the film.
Mice
I was watchingWorld War Z, sitting by the wall and I noticed two cockroaches scuttle up.
Jumped half a mile and changed seats.
Also had mice running around my feet forRiddick, but at least it was a distraction.
More lights
The Odeon in Weston-super-Mare insists on keeping the house lights on throughout the movie.
Not sure how we survived all those dark cinemas during the last 100 years of cinema!
I once saw a phone physically wrestled out of someones hand duringLes Miserablesbecause they refused to stop using it.
Im not saying its the right thing to do.
A confession
I accidentally got some kids chucked out of one of theHunger Gamesmovies.
It turned out they werent accompanied by an adult and so were immediately ejected.
My own family asked what Id said to the cinema staff to affect such drastic action.
I told them I asked for the children to be dragged away and sent to the real Hunger Games…. guy gets seated at the end of our row and behaves oddly from the outset.
He keeps muttering, and sighing, and shuffling in his chair.
He perks up and says the name whenever the character has been off screen for a while then reappears.
I shall avoid opening nights in future.
The parents joined in by loudly asking him questions about the dinosaurs.
He was frequently wrong about the dinosaurs, which didnt help.
Theres a fly in my film!
I think it just escaped eventually.
So sneaky and purposely done during quiet emotional scenes…
A ticket counter yo!
Buying seats at the confectionary counter.
WHY?!?!
What happened to ticket booths?!
I once shushed someone at the cinema.
It was terrifying and I was uncomfortable for the rest of the film.
I felt the situation should have been monitored to provide safety for their patrons.
Audience policing
Once during a screening ofJurassic Worlda group of teenagers were causing a lot of trouble.
Repeated calls for them to be quiet by multiple patrons resulted in nothing, staff were called.
During this chaos, two huge guys came in.
One of them dragged one of the troublemakers out of his seat , threatened to rip his nuts off.
They were quiet for the rest of the film.
[lots of people have told us this technique]
Went to seeRogue Onewith my wife and 12-year old.
Reached a point where Id had enough, so told my young friend to cover his ears.
from the covered single at the front where we were sitting, I screamed: SHUUUUUDDDDUUUUUPPP!!!!
The offenders fell deathly quiet and didnt pipe up.
Some people were talking at the start of a film.
Turned around and called them the C-word.
After that they were very respectful of the cinemagoing experience.
Two visits to my local Cineworld in a month, both showings full of foreign exchange students behaving awfully.
Being 62 and threatening the ring leader quietly to his face… worked.
DuringIron Man 3a guy next to me exclaimed Oh my God he flies!
How has he got to the third film (four includingAssemble) and not known that?
Phones
Just a small flavour of the phone-related complaints weve received…
Legitimately had to tell someone turn the torch on his phone off yesterday.
Recently a guy got bored and whipped out his laptop duringThe Girl With All The Gifts.
Then looked genuinely baffled when asked to put it away.
When I sawThe Hateful Eight, I saw the 70mm roadshow version in Leicester Square.
Super fun event cinema.
Technically, I guess the film hadnt started, even though technically it really had.
The worse part is that the third person took a picture of the screen… At a 70mm screening!
I had to laugh, it was amazing.
The one woman who I scared the living daylights out of when I tapped her on the shoulder.
