Have you ever been watching a movie while someone talks through an important plot twist? Not okay. Same goes for opening a squeaky packet of Maltesers or salt & vinegar chips after the ads have finished rolling.
Open your crinkly snacks early
Can you bring food and drink into the cinema?
A trip to the movies is always a good idea. The squashy seats, the smell of popcorn in the air, the drama of your new favourite film. But as with any public space, a little bit of housekeeping goes a long way. There are the obvious ground rules like turning your phone off and keeping conversation to a dull roar. Then there are more subtle nuances. Which leads us to some cinema dos and don’ts that need to be addressed.
Stop it with the slurping
People, seriously – do you really need those last few microlitres of that post-mix drink? I appreciate that you probably had to remortgage your home in order to afford a medium Fanta at the movies, but if you keep slurping noisily on those icy, watered-down dregs, someone is likely to get hurt.
Don't bring hot food
When your snack of choice is hot food, it’s going to smell. Yes, it might smell good to you, but it could be totally distracting for all the other people sitting in that recirculated air for upwards of two hours. If it ain’t popcorn, we don’t want to smell it. A quick survey of the delicious. office revealed some firsthand accounts of cinema snacks that span from ‘a bit iffy’ to borderline anarchistic. Some of the wildest include a bowl of ramen, fried chicken with mashed potatoes, multiple curries, and gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce. Yikes.
Chew with care
This could easily have gone in the ‘open your crinkly lollies’ category, but I feel that loud chewing is in a league of its own. Scientists are still baffled as to how corn chips can break the sound barrier once they’re consumed inside a movie theatre, but it’s widely accepted as fact. Probably. Chew your chippies quietly, please.
Be discreet
Now, I’m not condoning this sort of behaviour, but if you do feel compelled to sneak booze into the movie theatre, be discreet. The cracking of a fresh tinnie is far less subtle than the quiet popping of a screw top. Meanwhile, popping a bottle of champagne will get you booted out, immediately.
Put your rubbish in the bin
People who don’t put their rubbish in the bin when they’re leaving the movie theatre are a curious breed. You’re walking past a bin on your way out, anyway. So why not use it? It’s a small act of public service that can make a cleaner’s life a whole lot easier. There’s not a huge turnaround time between movie sessions, after all. Leaving your rubbish on your seat, or in the cupholder? Just as bad.
