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SocialMediaRefugee ,

Food in general is one reason I haven’t been to a theater in decades. I hate listening to the endless crinkle of wrappers, the shoveling in of popcorn, etc. I really don’t want to smell the stink of the burger and fries you brought in or the crunching of the bag. It is bad enough when someone brings their smelly meal onto a plane and I have to smell it for an hour.

Leg ,
@Leg@sh.itjust.works avatar

Damn, I’m sorry to hear that. Food has always been my favorite part of the experience.

grrgyle ,

Yeah I’m like even if the movie sucks, I’m sitting in the dark eating, so it’s not all bad

Psythik ,

Yeah seriously, smelling all the delicious food is part of the movie-going experience. The local theaters at in my city sell real food now so these days it’s more than just popcorn and hot dogs.

RavenFellBlade ,
@RavenFellBlade@startrek.website avatar

Popcorn, specifically. I used to go to our local theater for the popcorn. They have a ticket plus large popcorn and drink for $9, it’s a great deal. Then I figured out how to make my own popcorn that tastes just like the theater stuff with ghee and fine salt, so now I’m more inclined to just stay home and make my own.

Still gotta do the drive-in at least once a year, though.

ealoe ,

It sounds like you have a sensory perception disorder, that is not most people’s reactions to those situations. A good home theater system will probably be more comfortable for you.

SocialMediaRefugee ,

People who chew with their mouth open are maddening lol

ikidd ,
@ikidd@lemmy.world avatar

I grew up in theaters as my dad was a projectionist. You couldn’t pay me to go into a theater again since I was 18, what a miserable experience it had been every time I’ve broken that rule since. People in public are fucking annoying in so many unique ways.

FinishingDutch ,
@FinishingDutch@lemmy.world avatar

Misophonia; it’s fairly common. My local cinema usually does one or two special screenings for people with autism. I imagine those are quieter overall.

Personally, I don’t mind- it’s part of the whole ‘going to the movies’ ambience for me. As long as it isn’t terrible smelling or people are intentionally annoying with it.

Mr_Dr_Oink ,

In rhe UK (at least the part i live in), they dont stop you from bringing your own food in. I think that staff know that no one wants to pay the crazy prices for the food they sell. If i could buy the snacks they sell for the prices that the shops across the road are selling them, then i wouldn’t need to go to the shops across the road. Maybe thats not possible for them, maybe they need to find a new revenue stream.

Tekkip20 ,
@Tekkip20@lemmy.world avatar

Yeah, in my entire time of going to the cinema and sneaking snacks in a backpack, not a single member of staff asked me or other movie goers about it.

I think it’s only questioned if you openly bring in say, a bag of minstrels of a share bag of doritos.

I mean shit, the smaller hotdogs that VUE sell are like a fiver which is an absolute rip off. You’d think with popular films coming out they’d make a killing with the revenue from the tickets being sold so food prices wouldn’t be that shite.

chonglibloodsport ,

Movie theatres make almost nothing from ticket sales. They have to pay a huge lump sum (upwards of $100,000) up front just to be able to get the movie and show it for a month. Often they simply lose money on it! So the crazy price of snacks is an attempt to recoup their investment faster and hope to get some profit.

The other model is for the theatre to simply pay 95% of ticket sales to the movie studio for the first week (and a bit less as the weeks go on). This essentially guarantees the theatre loses money on the film (due to all the other overhead that easily eat up that 5%) but it’s less risky if the film is a failure. Either way, they only make money on food!

Mr_Dr_Oink ,

So they need another revenue stream. If i am forced to pay high tickey proces and high snack prices, im going to wait for the film to come out on a streaming platform and watch it then.

Lots of people do the same. Its the reason most films ive been tonsee recently are in empty cinemas where i basivally get a private screening.

The industry at large is failing and has been for a while.

Maalus ,

Rent-a-cinema, just let dudes rent the entire screen for bachelor parties or something so they can play on it or watch whatever they want. Make it in the hours the cinemas aren’t showing anything and bang, free moneys

Mr_Dr_Oink ,

I guess. Skeleton crew, someone to see you in, someone to serve you drinks and snacks and someone to work the projector. bring a data pen with your videos on it and give to them to plug in and play.

Or log into your streaming servitheand hook your device up to the projector.

It would need all kinda of restrictions and protections for the cinemas but its not like that couldn’t be worked out in a room somewhere. Private parties would be great.

If it became lucrative then pay more staff and capitalise on it.

SpaceCowboy ,
@SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca avatar

Movie theaters already do that here in Canada. Though it’s usually rented out to companies to have movie nights for their employees.

But this is usually only offered on weeknights. Weekends they probably won’t do this because they tend to have more ticket sales those days.

So not sure how this would work for a bachelor party. Would you have one on a weekday? And they may not be able to permit people to drink alcohol in most places for legal reasons. They also wouldn’t be able to show whatever people wanted without approval from the copyright holders. Fair use covers you showing your friends whatever movie you have in your collection when you’re at home, but it doesn’t cover a business doing this.

OneCardboardBox ,

I did this in my town. It was a local theater though, not a big chain

  • Went on a Wednesday night and rented access to a screening room for ~5h. We had to pay extra because they normally close earlier on a weeknight
  • Showed up early to meet the projectionist and get a technical rundown
  • Setup was a friend’s laptop plugged into HDMI running up to the projector booth
  • Nobody complained when we brought out a disk full of torrented movies
  • The theater already had a license to sell alcohol, so we had that covered
  • We brought a small bit of outside food, and nobody complained

It was absolutely the best time I ever had at a cinema. When the evening wound down, the projectionist invited us into the back area for a tour of the projection equipment.

I think that because we were a private event the rules about screening copyrighted materials to public audiences did not apply.

cass24 ,

We have a local cinema that offers bookings for events here, too. There’s a lot of behind the scenes jank to get through that many people don’t even bother.

Professorozone , (edited )

Personally I like going to see movies in a theater. I even run a little movie group. We go out and talk over food , then hit up a movie. It’s a nice night out. I don’t want to see them go away entirely. The theater I go to is independent and the people who run it are cool. They gave my group a free tour of the projection area where they not only have new projectors but some old equipment they preserved. Fun fact: the bulbs got so hot that they could be dangerous and a special leather vest was worn whenever they worked on the projector in case it exploded.

The group only goes on Tuesday nights because the movie is $5.00. so yeah, in a time when everything is so expensive it feels like you can’t do anything, I understand to complaints. Tipping is like that too. It’s gotten out of hand.

But honestly, this is nothing new. I’m pretty old and it’s been this way for as long as I can remember. But calling the cops? Come on! The stupid thing is, movie theaters survive mostly on regulars like me and that woman. She’ll probably never go back there again. So they’re just shooting themselves in the foot.

cass24 ,

$5 movies? Where is this, I’ll be there right away. (most of the cinemas in my country start at like $10 USD per ticket…)

Professorozone ,

Yeah, it’s only on Tuesdays. Must be their slowest night or something. Wednesday also has $5.00 classic movies, stuff like Jaws and The Shining and that even comes with a free small popcorn. Pretty cool. I really like that place.

It’s in central Florida. I know …Florida. who da’ thought?

reversedposterior ,

This is also mentioned in the article

Mr_Dr_Oink ,

So it is!

UselesslyBrisk ,

It is standard policy in New Zealand for cinemas to ban food brought in from outside and the Herald reported that Cinema 3 has five signs posted around the premises stating this.

“The exact wording is: ‘No outside food or drinks allowed’,” the cinema’s operations manager, Robert Greig, said, the paper reported.

Thus, once again, one of the oldest arguments in the world has been pushed back into the limelight: should you be allowed to take your own snacks into the cinema?

private businesses can do what they want. But the prices they charge for food is outrageous. So i just dont go to those places. For the cost of a few movies and snacks now, you could buy your own large screen TV and surround system that will annoy your neighbors if thats what you need.

slightperil ,

Should private businesses really be allowed to dictate to us what and when we can eat or drink? If you consider that human right, I’m not sure they should.

NikkiDimes ,

No one is forcing you to interact with those businesses…

GBU_28 ,

Water? No. Everything else on their property? Of course. It’s theirs, not ANY flavor of “ours”

viking ,
@viking@infosec.pub avatar

Access to food and clean water are human rights, not limitless consumption of either wherever you are.

So you either smuggle it in and don’t get caught (my go-to was always a bag of chips stuffed into the sleeve of my jacket, and then sling that over my shoulder), or avoid the place altogether.

ayyy ,

Taking a shit is a human right but you can’t do that in a theater either.

captain_aggravated ,
@captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works avatar

Actually my local theater has a special room just for that.

Azzu ,

They are actually legally required to have bathrooms…

ayyy ,

In case English is a second language for you I will explain:

“in the theater” = the dark place with a screen/stage and amphitheater seating.

“at the theater” = the building/collection of buildings that support the screen/stage, such as ticket booths, food and drink vendors, and bathrooms

Please do not shit in the theater or you will be arrested.

nomous ,

Should private businesses really be allowed to dictate to us what and when we can eat or drink?

Don’t they always do that with, ya know, menus?

scutiger ,

They can’t stop you from eating or drinking what you want, but they can’t be forced to allow you to bring it into their business.

However, if their business isn’t sustainable without egregiously-priced food, perhaps it should be allowed to fail. And if they all start to fail, perhaps the studios would start to lose money, and maybe they would eventually understand that it’s due to their own greed. But we all know the blame would get passed on to the consumer.

Kusimulkku ,

This is like Freemen of the Land/Sovereign Citizen shit about movie theater snacks lmao

lichtmetzger ,

I like movies and I like the atmosphere at my local cinema. I’m going there almost every week. Most of the time I bring my own snacks. I think they just ignore me because I’m like…their best customer, lol. :D

I do order a drink every time. But eating popcorn or nachos every week sounds like a nightmare, and that’s all they have there.

mightyfoolish ,

I actually go to the theater for the popcorn but stay for the movie. I may have a popcorn problem.

Alenalda ,

if you talk with some of the workers, they will often toss out the popcorn at the end of the nigh. Ive been know to take in a trash bag and fill it up.

mightyfoolish ,

That’s halirious. I’m going to have to try that one day.

visnae ,

Di du Di du didudo Di du Di du didudo Do du didudido didudido didu dodido

seth ,

What have been your favorite films in recent history, and which ones would you say to pass on?

lichtmetzger , (edited )

These ones I really enjoyed in the last few years:

  • The Whale (whole room was crying at the end)
  • The Quiet Girl (surprise Irish movie that made my emotions come out)
  • Spy x Family - The Movie (great humour)
  • Civil War (shocking images, the mood change was brutal)
  • The Boy and the Heron (my first Miyazaki experience, what a wild ride)
  • Wonka (I’m not into musicals, but this was awesome as fuck)
  • Inside Out 2 (great orchestral soundtrack, well-written and relatable)
  • No Hard Feelings (worst trailer of all time, but the movie was very wholesome and funny)
  • Furiosa (I’ve watched that in IMAX with Dolby Atmos. FUCKING awesome.)
  • Robot Dreams (Cute animation + Twin Towers, nice combo)
  • Encanto (Disney + great plot + emotions)
  • To Catch a Killer / Catch the Killer (great crime movie!)
  • Barbie (they criticize Mattel and it’s really empowering for women, I liked it)
  • The Batman (dark, gritty, brutal - that’s how it’s supposed to be)
  • Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (I can’t even describe how awesome this is)
  • Dungeons & Dragons (I never played DnD, but this was well-written, creative and entertaining)
  • The Super Mario Bros. movie (great humour and Jack Black does an awesome singing performance)

These movies are solid. Not great, but still very enjoyable:

  • The Fall Guy (cool stunts!)
  • Challengers (a bit weird, but I liked the message at the end)
  • Fly Me to the Moon (solid acting, interesting premise, not every joke works)
  • The Bikeriders (a movie about a biker gang. Cool.)
  • Dune Part I + II (great SciFi flicks, but veeery long)
  • The Teachers Lounge (we produce one good movie per year here in Germany. This is one.)
  • The Holdovers (good acting, but the plot was stolen from someone else, sooo…)
  • Migration (very well written for a childrens movie)
  • Next Goal Wins (funny soccer movie)
  • The Creator (omg, those visuals!)
  • A Haunting in Venice (good mystery crime movie, but don’t expect to be able to solve the riddle by yourself)
  • M3GAN (another murder puppy movie, but pretty modern)

And these movies are pretty bad or just disappointing:

  • Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Family Drama: The Movie)
  • Problemista (I wanted to like it, but it’s just weird, unfunny and incoherent)
  • Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (the disappointing fourth entry of a great trilogy)
  • Miller’s Girl (this movie is just an excuse to put Jenna Ortega in tight outfits)
  • Demon Slayer: Hashira Training movie (half of the movie is just a rerun of the last episodes, fuck you)
  • Madame Web (bad writing, bad CGI, bad everything)
  • The Beekeeper (Jason Statham kills everyone, but it was just boring)
  • Wish (all bad things about past Disney movies combined into a soulless new one)
  • Killers of the Flower Moon (way too long, laziest fucking ending I’ve ever seen)
  • The Equalizer 3 (Walking around and nothing happens - The Movie)
  • Falling for Figaro (an opera movie with the most cliche romance plot ever, total garbage)
  • The Little Mermaid (all underwater scenes are dark as fuck, what is this?)
  • 65 (Jurassic Park with no budget and Adam Driver)

…and then there’s also “The Zone of Interest”. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it, but it’s definitely an experience. You could’ve heard a hairpin drop at the cinema and it was packed with people. No one bought popcorn. I wish every fascist here in Germany would be forced to watch that one and think about their stupid beliefs.

seth ,

Wow you do watch a lot of new films! I didn’t expect such a detailed reply but it’s great, I am going to add a few from your list to my backlog based on your summaries. Thanks!

lichtmetzger ,

I wasn’t lying when I said that I go to the cinema almost every week! :D Tomorrow I’ll watch the new Deadpool movie.

NormalPerson ,

Sounds like they can benefit from a partnership with a local pizzeria

SpruceBringsteen ,

Handled properly? No.

But your local theater doesn’t make money on ticket sales, the studios do. If you like your local theater, support them. Buy a drink.

SteveFromMySpace ,

Give me a fucking break. They brought some snacks for their kids and the theater called the cops. Just saying “it wasn’t handled properly” is an absurd understatement. That was irresponsible and shitty. Did you even read the article? Look how the staff acted. That was a deranged thing to say to a kid. They literally laughed and said the cops might kill their mom. All because after putting the food away a little kid finished a single skittle in his hand.

They didn’t see adults lighting up a crack pipe. It was snacks for kids at a kids movie. This wasn’t just an overreaction/handled poorly, it was a sociopathic reaction.

“But this is how they make money” isn’t remotely enough to excuse this behavior. That only explains why you can’t bring snacks. Not the wild shit I just read.

SpruceBringsteen ,

Maybe I should have been clearer so you didn’t have to write a story.

Fuck this cinema in particular.

Support your local cinema.

SteveFromMySpace ,

Sorry I shouldn’t have flown off the handle. I’m just so shocked at their behavior and taking it on you

SpruceBringsteen ,

No, it’s too late now, we’re fighting. Draw your steel.

Guntrigger ,

Now this is getting good. I’ll just take out my popcorn I brought from home.

Cadeillac ,
@Cadeillac@lemmy.world avatar

I’ve got a camel pack (is that still a thing?) full of Baja Blast. Wanna share?

MellowSnow ,

I’m calling the police (unless you share with me too).

Cadeillac ,
@Cadeillac@lemmy.world avatar

Oh for sure, I get free refills at the Taco Bell in the parking lot

SexualPolytope ,
@SexualPolytope@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

You’ve done it now. You get 3 months of electric chair.

SteveFromMySpace ,

sigh Fiiiiiiiine

cybervseas ,

Random movie theater employee doesn’t even make more money because of snacks, only the owner does. This guy cares about something that won’t affect him materially. It’s just a power trip.

ogeist ,

The price and margin for the movie theater of the tickets is decided by the movie studios. I agree that everyone that can buy a drink to support the movie theater should do so but if you are bringing your stuff it should not be punished like this.

SteveFromMySpace ,

The dude literally told a kid the cops might kill his mom. Deranged behavior.

SzethFriendOfNimi ,
@SzethFriendOfNimi@lemmy.world avatar

Yeah. That sounds like the theater hired a psycho.

If they knew then I say this is on them. Otherwise sounds like they just happen to have an employee who thought “This makes me feel like I have the slightest bit of power over somebody and I’m going to use it”

People like that are just scary but sadly they’re not as rare as I’d like.

Feathercrown ,

I’m amazed there’s no system to keep track of these behaviors. They’re highly indicative of future problems.

linearchaos ,
@linearchaos@lemmy.world avatar

Maybe we could all stop the BS and charge what it takes to run a theater then charge what the food really costs? $1 bag of popcorn, $1 soda, candy near cost.

If a ticket needs to be $25 make it $25

rand_alpha19 ,

If you charge at cost then you don't make a profit, you only generate revenue that isn't sufficient to cover expenses. I'd be fine if a regular popcorn and drink was $10, it's when it's $15+ that you've lost me.

biggerbogboy ,

Ah yes, buy the food and drink that costs more than the ticket itself… My local cinema is thriving currently, they even have super cheap tickets and don’t give a damn if you bring snacks with you. There was never one time where they removed features of the cinema or made it more expensive, so I am theorising that no, you don’t need to buy the extras to keep the cinema afloat.

MonkderVierte ,

That’s house rules, not law. No way the police has to be involved here.

stoly ,

There is a place for it if viewed from the trespassing angle. I.e. “you brought food, now get out!”. That said, this person seems to have done roughly the same as people calling the police on black birdwatchers and such.

cass24 ,

If you have a private property and someone refuses to leave after being asked to leave, that is trespass and they may call the police for it.

I personally think it’s ridiculous to escalate this situation over food, of all things.

padge ,

My real question here is, do they really pay the employees enough for them to actually care?

diffusive ,

I suspect some employees (like the one of this article) are happy to do it for free… just for the fun

madcaesar ,

I’m honestly baffled by people busting their ass for shitty jobs for shitty corporations. It’s like people being exploited by Walmart risking their lives trying to prevent theft… Like why?

paddirn ,

So what next, are they going to start going after people who fill up before they arrive at the theater? Going into the theater on a full stomach is theft, you should thank them for the overpriced food they slave over for you (or at least the hourly workers who are treated like slaves).

Summzashi ,

No, nothing is next. You can’t bring your own food in some places. It’s really not that hard.

mriormro ,
@mriormro@lemmy.world avatar

This is not something that should involve the police.

EatATaco ,

They didn’t call the police on them for bringing food in, they called the police on them for refusing to leave.

EatATaco ,

They don’t control the rules outside the theater. Suggesting there is some slippery slope from them not allowing outside food in the theater to them controlling your life before going is just absolutely absurd.

uis ,

But they control rules of who comes in theater. At least in beastly capitalism they do.

cass24 ,

Suggesting theaters are going to check people for a full stomach before entry is absurd stuff that should probably stay in the bounds of black mirror-esque science-fiction works.

HelloHotel ,
@HelloHotel@lemmy.world avatar

them controlling your life before going is just absolutely absurd

This is why I assumed they were joking but everyone responding is being serious.

EatATaco ,

Poes law. But whether they are joking or not, you can read the other poster responding to me who seems to defend the claim.

HelloHotel , (edited )
@HelloHotel@lemmy.world avatar

On this post, someone said somthing like: well, your talking to a moron. And the guys name was “a moron”. (Edit) The replies didnt notice the joke

Poes law is just really strong on this post.

EatATaco ,

It’s funny because that was me and I was going along with what I thought was the joke there, although still poking fun at the a random idiot because they did say something stupid.

Hyphlosion ,
@Hyphlosion@donphan.social avatar

Oral surgeons already want you to fast for a time before going in. It’s only a matter of time before movie theaters make you do it too.

Ulrich_the_Old ,

I will eat and drink whatever I like and I pirate all the movies I watch. If I am responsible for the demise of the film industry you are welcome.

WhatYouNeed ,

Quick! Eat the evidence!

Nuke_the_whales , (edited )

The theater near me is staffed by teenagers who couldn’t care less. I always stop at the dollar store or even grab a burger and put it in my backpack. I haven’t been asked about the contents of my bag in like 10 years

NikkiDimes ,

Some guy checked my bag once, loaded with snacks, looked me dead in the eye, and shrugged while waving me in haha. That man’s a G.

InternetUser2012 ,

We’d go every Friday to the movies and would get ridiculous on what we’d bring in. There was three of us and we’d take in bags of taco bell with the large drinks, one time we stopped at the grocery store and got a whole cooked chicken, six pack of beer, baked beens, and corn. Plates and silverware. Good times.

ripcord ,
@ripcord@lemmy.world avatar

The concept of a movie theater doing bag checks is really fucking weird.

tfw_no_toiletpaper ,

If its US theaters, maybe they check for guns

occhionaut ,

mmm delicious delicious gun 😋

Honytawk ,

https://i.imgflip.com/1vccja.jpg

echodot ,

I’m sorry, but you can’t enter without a gun, this is Texas.

GlendatheGayWitch ,

Before the 2012 Aurora Theater shooting, I would have agreed with you.

curiousaur ,

Yeah same. I’ve brought burritos, burgers, beers.

My favorite was during the opening scene of the Great Gatsby when they’re glamorizing all the champagne flowing at these elegant parties, I popped my bottle of champagne I brought in for my girlfriend and I to share and this other guy was like “aw fuck you”, in an envious tone.

Snapz ,

Attack your few remaining customers… Bold strategy.

_edge ,

Most UK cinemas are perfectly happy when audiences bring in their own snacks.

And they still make money. From selling snacks.

Because people are lazy and want a good time.

I wouldn’t say that a buy drinks or nachos to support “my” local cinema – it’s still a chain --, but if I feel like it I’m buying from the venue. Many people do. There are always queues for popcorn.

sunzu ,

Is this UK or us lol

elgordino ,

New Zealand.

sunzu ,

wow... i guess US culture really is going global lol

SharkEatingBreakfast ,
@SharkEatingBreakfast@sopuli.xyz avatar

Believe it or not, being a cunt is not limited to the US.

atomicorange ,

Nah but we’re really good at it.

sunzu ,

Yeah but calling police over trivial shit is?

I don't know tbh but I never heard about this clown shit out of us. Maybe I am wrong and Karen's calling police every where lol

Ilovethebomb ,

Americans really do think they run the world.

MajorHavoc ,

It’s weird that things could go so wrongly under the careful supervision of an underpaid child worker. (/Sarcasm)

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