I love going to the movies. Not only do I consider it a vital part of my childhood that has carried on into my adulthood, it is also what made me fall in love with the magical world of cinema and storytelling to the point where I want to pursue it as a career. And I'm sure that many, many others would agree. When our tickets and snacks are paid for and the house lights dim, what we want most in the world for that hour or two is to be as comfortable and focused as possible so that we can give our undivided attention to the magic that is to unfold before our eyes. However, this means that when certain distractions begin to occur around us, the excitement soon turns to frustration. To all moviegoers and especially those who do what I am about to list, this is for you.
1. Talking
This has got to be the most understandable and universal form of etiquette when it comes to watching movies, but you'd be surprised at how often people break this rule or disregard it totally. Want to talk? Whisper very quietly, step out of the theater, or just don't come. It's that simple. Also, when it comes to whispering, please do your best to make it as quiet as possible because I guarantee that while you think no one else can hear you but the person you're whispering to, a lot of us can.
2. Commentary
For the past few years, this is something that I've had the great displeasure of experiencing at almost every movie I go to: commentary. For those of you who don't know, commentary is when someone spoon-feeds to someone else the film almost action for action and plot point for plot point. Stop! If someone is confused or they cannot keep up with the pace of the film, just let it be. They can ask questions after the film, re-watch it, look for answers online, or even better, be patient enough to wait and see if the film answers their questions further down the line.
3. Noisy Children
4. Texting/Calling/Misc
If common sense wasn't enough, the theater asks the audience at the beginning of every film to put away their phones so that it cannot be a distraction to others. But being the rude people they are, people will still have their phones out, texting, playing games, and even calling other people. And even when the brightness setting has been lowered to as far as it can go, it's still very noticeable in a dark theater. Please turn it off and put it away.
5. Fishing for Reactions
Remember, back in middle school, that one annoying kid who endlessly made stupid jokes or remarks in the hopes of making the class laugh or to seem cool? Fast forward a few years and those kids have become people who I refer to as "fishers," people who repeatedly make comments out loud in the hopes of eliciting a reaction from others in the theater. Grow up.
6. Sounds from Food and Drinks
7. Kicking Seats
If you're the kind of person who can't sit still, get a stress ball or something. It's unbelievably annoying when someone kicks your seat, props their legs up on the head of your seat, or bounce their legs up and down. You might not think it's a problem, but just wait until someone else does it to you. Then you'll know.
All of these points I've listed are things that can be easily avoided. Being self-conscious enough to know when your actions might impede negatively on others, and having a decent amount of respect, maturity, and etiquette, it is up to us to make the moviegoing experience the perfect opportunity to escape from life and to lose ourselves in the magic of the movie, and not a place where we pay money only to be distracted and annoyed.
