Latecomers to screenings and other cinema nuisances

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tarantinoed
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Latecomers to screenings and other cinema nuisances

#1 Post by tarantinoed » Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:13 pm

I get very irritated when latecomers are still admitted to screenings even half an hour or more after the film has started. It's not too bad if it is quite empty but when nearly full ushers keep shining their torches, discussing possible seats with the latecomers and attempt to make people move up to free up seats - it's really distracting. Only some cinemas in London (& even here it seems to vary to some extent) enforce the Seefilmfirst blurb about non-admittance after the film has started. I keep going but sometimes wonder if it's worth the aggravation!

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Re: Latecomers to screenings.

#2 Post by SimonV » Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:17 pm

Its a free preview, you are not p*ying for your seat..
Accept that people will always be late and dont worry about it
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Re: Latecomers to screenings.

#3 Post by kevinknapman » Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:20 pm

It is an irritance but a minor one I think, but I still don't understand why people would start watching a film that's been on for over 30 mins, which has happened a few times recently. I hate it if I miss a couple of minutes.
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Re: Latecomers to screenings.

#4 Post by Beate » Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:23 pm

Yes but it really is distracting, especially if they block your view or squeeze past you. I accept the fact you can't always be on time but a lot of people still don't seem to know or care that previews usually don't have trailers and start bang on time. Also, I find it incredibly grating when they arrive late but still expect to sit together and loudly ask you to move up while the film is already running - they get short shrift from me, I can tell you. I have actually never seen ushers help latecomers find seats and I'd appreciate it if they would as people are just totally clueless in the dark!

And hey, that doesn't only happen in free previews, even in pa*d for films people arrive once the film has already started - and they had at least 20 minutes of ads to arrive in!
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Re: Latecomers to screenings.

#5 Post by SimonV » Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:27 pm

It doesnt help though when people take up all the seats next to them with their bags and coats trying to make sure they dont have no one at the side of them.. I dont like selfish people.
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Re: Latecomers to screenings.

#6 Post by Beate » Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:29 pm

No but if we take our seats first and later people leave empty seats next to us, it's not our responsibility. I don't see why I should give up my preferred seat for latecomers. They should sit where they find seats, I find it selfish to expect others to move for them - I was here at least half an hour earlier BECAUSE I want a good seat.
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Re: Latecomers to screenings.

#7 Post by tarantinoed » Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:35 pm

Now I think about it, it is only in the Odeon Richmond showings that I have experienced ushers getting involved but they get quite pushy about making people move up to free up seats. Whether the tickets are free or not I think there should be a limit as to how late people are admitted because it's difficult to ignore people wandering up and down the aisles using their mobiles for lighting and blocking the screen when they eventually go into the middle of a row of seats!

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Re: Latecomers to screenings.

#8 Post by a_person » Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:39 pm

SimonV wrote:Its a free preview, you are not p*ying for your seat..
Accept that people will always be late and dont worry about it
Disagree with you there mate. So what if you aren't p*ying for it? It's also about respecting other people who made the effort to come on time and are trying to watch a film without the nuisance of being bothered by flickering lights, loudness and then having the audacity to ask one to move up because their royal arse has finally arrived. Abit of common courtesy doesn't go amiss. You know the time the film starts, get there on time or don't bother just because it's free.

I generally cannot stand lateness whether it's for a film, to work, meeting up etc. I hate being late too. I've never attended a preview where I've been late out of courtesy of not disturbing other users and because I hate missing even a couple of minutes of film.
SimonV wrote:It doesnt help though when people take up all the seats next to them with their bags and coats trying to make sure they dont have no one at the side of them.. I dont like selfish people
I hate that too. Agree there with you! I take up one seat for myself, there might be a spare next to me but I don't use it but I do feel annoyed when I'm asked to move (like when I went to Sherlock Holmes and someone came 30 minutes into the movie and asked me to move from my seat with good view to some shit seat with hardly any view :angry: purely because he didn't want a shit view). The point of coming early is you get to choose the best seats. You're not p*ying extra for seating location so you don't really have the right to ask someone to move up just so you can have a better view or sit with your friends. Come late, accept the crap seats and that you might be sitting alone away from friends.
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Re: Latecomers to screenings.

#9 Post by priamia » Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:42 pm

I have to admit there have a few times where I have been late to a screening, but I am not one to dilly dally, I always go straight to the front (if there are no aisle seats available) bent over and quickly find myself a seat. :rolleyes:
I too find it annoying when late comers expect others to move along so they can sit :nono:
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Re: Latecomers to screenings.

#10 Post by Spanner » Fri Feb 19, 2010 7:47 pm

hmmm I'm wondering if this is something that happens more in London (I only say that cos most of those who have discussed this seem to be from London)

I've only twice ever been asked by the ushers to move along a row to make room but in both instances that was before a screening started and it was at films which the cinema were obviously expecting a high turn out for. apart from that I can't say i've been particularly plagued by latecomers, although i've noticed the odd one or two zombie looking people roaming round with a wass-eye box of popcorn looking for a seat now and again but they mostly tend to wander to the front cos they know there'll be nowt left at the back where the bad boys n girls are sitting.

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