I was thinking about Lux, and it struck me that the main message of the story is that you shouldn’t talk in the cinema.
In the pre-titles sequence, Mr Ring-A-Ding only comes out of the cinema screen after an audience member talks during the short film. He demands to know what the viewer said, because he was rude and disruptive.
Also, Mr Ring-A-Ding’s catchphrase is "Don’t make me laugh.’ True, this is because he is one of the Pantheon of Gods, and so his laugh is the giggle, but there’s also a hidden deeper meaning. To make him laugh would mean to be disruptive in the cinema, which is against the etiquette of how a person is supposed to conduct themselves at the cinema.
This feels especially topical now after the Minecraft Movie screenings that have descended into chaos, with people chanting during screenings and throwing popcorn around.
People talking in the cinema (or theatre) is a personal bugbear especially with how much tickets cost nowadays. I’m not there to listen to you - or be distracted by the light coming from your phone screen. If you didn’t want to watch the film, then don’t buy a ticket.
It’s actually something I’m noticing more and more with my classes. They can’t sit and watch even a short video without having to share their thoughts on it as a running commentary to their neighbour. It’s hugely irritating and indicative of the continual move of society to thinking everyone cares about what you think about something and therefore having to share it all the time.
I think that might be looking a little too deep into it (though, of course, that’s what we fans are good at). Going to the cinema is and always has been a communal experience. Especially at the beginning, where it was competing with the theatre. Those old cartoons are meant to be funny, so if you don’t laugh at them they failed to serve their purpose. Laughter is infectious, which is why a lot of old sitcoms have a laugh track - they’re trying to mimic the experience of seeing something funny with alot of other people to make it even funnier.
While I agree that it can be very annoying if people are talking in the cinema, especially if they’re talking loudly and about unrelated things, some of my most enjoyable experiences watching films in the cinema have been when people started discussing the film we were watching. If I wanted to watch something in complete silence I’d watch it at home. With the quality of TVs today the only reason to go to the cinema is the community.
This especially annoys me, and my experience is that it is not just a young people thing. I see a lot of older people doing this as well; they even do it in a worse way because they don’t try to hide it as young people do. It is really distracting for everybody sitting in any row behind them. I really hate this.
I have no problem with a little whispering, but mostly I think that people should just shut up and watch the movie.
I would pay extra to have a guard at the cinema who throws anyone out that disturbs the movie.
Yeah, it’s annoying to sit in the cinema and listen to people chitchat loudly about what they’re seeing, or looking at their phones, for that matter.
Going to the movies is a bit of a luxury these days, so I’d like to do that in peace! Which is why I only go to the cinema for special occasions these days.
Laughing at jokes and cheering during an epic moment is fine if it’s a short moment, done together with others.
Another thing I’ve had to live with is kids kicking the seats in front of them (sometimes mine) or eating things deliberately very loudly just to annoy others.
That’s a fun Way to look at the Episode, honestly! I doubt it was intentional but then again, if it’s fun where is the harm with reading it as such?
As for the Topic itself, I myself really dislike unnecessary Sounds from the Audience when watching a Film. I am not too thrilled about Clapping/Cheering as well, but I get that one at least to a certain Extent. Granted the whole Clapping/Cheering and much louder Reactions are a Thing more common in the US than in Germany or frankly most European Countries. I remember when I watched Spider-Man No Way Home and that was probably the only Moment where there was a strong Reaction, even then it was just by one Person who went nuts over Tobey and Andrew being here (which is fair to an extent!).
Laughter here is much more common but honestly a different candle of worm and not one that I would put on the same Position as loud Reactions and/or talking while the Movie is on (which I do, as I said, dislike when that happens, but thankfully rarely get).
I really don’t get why this is happening. This just screams from Maturity in some ways and is a step too far. Having seeing a few Videos by passing, this Behavior is just outright childish. (I am pretty sure somebody took a real Chicken into the Theater, which is just.. do I need to say more?)
I REALLY hope this Behavior won’t become a Constant, because a.) it’s just rude and inappropriate to everybody else who wants to enjoy a Film without getting Popcorn thrown at them and b.) it just more unnecessary Work for the People cleaning those Messes up at the End.
To summarize my a bit messy rambley Post: I think having some Reactions can be fine, I cannot expect some People to not be expected with certain surprise. That said, having Discussion WHILE the film is running, that’s just a big No for me. And even more a No would just be this insane childish Behavior that those Minecraft Screenings brought in some.
The weirdest thing is some cinemas are now doing special ‘chicken jockey’ screenings where people can shout things at the screen whenever they want (although still not allowed to chuck popcorn around).
I tend to go to more ‘arthouse’ cinemas or during the week when it is less boisterous. The communal experience can enhance a movie but the Friday/Saturday night crowd are often intolerable.
