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So last night Mrs Grimshaw and i attended our favourite flea pit to viddy Slumdog Millionaire. I'm a huge fan of Danny Boyle's films and the reviews were great so i was rather keen on seeing and enjoying this flick.

Of course earlier this week the film won various Golden Globes so it was a packed house in the Little Theatre. The clientele of the Little are usually film lovers, they could be called a tad snobbish in their film choices i suppose, but i cant help but concur a lot of the time so i guess that makes me snobby too.

Anyway, i was most distraught last night at my fellow cinema goers. Im not a huge fan of the popcorn munchers as it is, but last night there was a constant crunch. Who wants to sit there and graze throughout a film? Then there was the crinkle crankle of sweetie bags. To really top it off, we were sat next to two spanish women who insisted on talking in their native tongue throughout the film. I lasted maybe 45 minutes before shushing them, much to Mrs Grimshaw's chagrin, but it did no good.
Surely a shush is worldwide? There's no language barrier there.

I heard that at screenings of Schindler's List they banned the purchasing of popcorn out of respect. They should ban it all together. By banning it for one movie they're admitting it's a pain in the fundament for everyone except the gluttonous oaf munchy wunching his way through it.

I try and have patience with people, and respect the fact im not the only person on the planet, but when ive payed over 6 gold coins to see a film, i want to see it, lose myself in it, and enjoy it.

Rant over.

Despite it all, the film is very very good.

Normally I'd like to get in on little rants like this but I am an ardent movie-goer myself.
I may not be as snobby as some (although I make it a point to never pay to see a film that looks like it may be unintelligent guff when I can buy the unintelligent guff on DVD for less if I want to see it later) but ban popcorn in cinemas? How absurd.

I can understand why you were upset at the Spanish ladies gabbing away next to you, that would have annoyed me too, but is it possible your popcorn hating is exacerbated by that experience as well?
When I go to the cinema I get the biggest bag of popcorn I can to share with the missus - not to spoil the film for anyone or to make deliberate noise but because it adds to the atmosphere and the overall experience of going to see a film.

If we're going to ban popcorn in cinemas why not go the whole hog and ban drinking in pubs?

And if the film was really well done you wouldn't have noticed the popcorn or sweetie bags

I had to sit through Apollo 13 next to a fat man with a nose that whistled with every breath. Not being the passive aggressive type I told him his whistling conk was annoying me and that I thought he should sniff sharply. Did he remedy the situation? Did he hellers like, the ignorant git!

Anyway, who'd have thought it. Tom Hanks has now made two great films: Apollo 13 and The Terminal. That's got to be some sort of record.

Tomo wrote:Anyway, who'd have thought it. Tom Hanks has now made two great films: Apollo 13 and The Terminal. That's got to be some sort of record.

The Green Mile?

You should have stuffed some popcorn in his whistling nostrils.

Forrest Gump?

Well, in a pub you can drink beer without ruining other people's pub experience (which, after all, will probably involve imbibing their own flavour of mildly toxic drug).

Cinemas are for watching films. It would be nice to think that most people would want to go and do that without negatively impacting anyone else's experience, but alas, such is not the case. If I was going to get all Daily Mail about it I might start ranting about lack of respect and social values falling apart in 'Brown's Britain'. However, personally I'm more and more of the opinion that most people are selfish, inconsiderate gits and always have been.

The chances of getting the multiplex to stop selling sweets and popcorn are nil since all of the snacks and beverages they purvey are shockingly overpriced and make them a packet. The nearest they're ever going to get is subjecting people to pat-down searches at the entrance to make sure they don't bring their own, more reasonably priced alternatives in with them.

I'm with Grimshaw. I tend to only visit the cinema for certain films these days i.e. those that I think just 'won't be the same' in the living room. This excludes Sundog for me and usually just means anything with a lot of sense-pulverising flash-bangery in it. Conveniently this type of film stands less chance of being spoiled by yattering senoritas.

And another thing:
Popcorn is one thing, but I'd like to see whoever hit on the idea of selling plastic trays full of sodding nachos in a cinema foyer held down while I shove a handfuls of Doritos under his eyelids (and any other sensitive flaps of skin).

*backs away slowly*

You okay there Charles?

Hmm?
Oh, yes...Just can't seem to find my tablets...

Come on now Ecko, banning popcorn in cinemas is completely different to banning drinking in pubs. You go to the pub to have a drink, if i said lets ban films in cinemas your analogy would stand up but not in this case.
I could sit there watching the greatest audio/visual experience known to man, but the constant chomping or sweetie wrapper noise would still be a constant distraction, im only human with a working set of lug holes.

The reason i visit the Little Theatre and not the Odeon or some other soul less multiplex, is because the punters there usually respect the film and it's audience enough to shut the hell up while it's on.

This isnt so much a vendetta against popcorn and it's consumption, more about ignorant people and their self-appointed license to annoy others.

And yet, in this twisted and topsy-turvy world in which we live, if you went on a berserk rampage with automatic firearms to cull the vermin it would be you who was in the wrong!

I've still got pins and needles in my arms, but once I've managed to get the straps off my legs as well I'm going to start putting things right.

I haven't been to the cinema in a couple of years now for this very reason. People are just so inconsiderate it beggars belief. I remember the last time I went to my local Odeon; not only was there the usual munching on popcorn and rustling of sweet wrappers, but people were talking throughout the film (not just whispers, but full on conversations at normal speaking volume) and one woman actually answered her mobile phone when it started ringing! She sat there for a good five minutes, actually having a conversation on her phone.

I don't belieeeeve it!



Yes, I am probably a grumpy old git, but I had the funny notion that cinemas were for watching films. Silly me.

One could argue that the purpose of a pub (or public house ) was to socialise with drinking being an add-on like popcorn is an add-on at the cinema.
But we'll leave that one there - my original comment was said more than a little tongue-in-cheek and arguing about popcorn would be the lamest thing ever

Naturally I understand why you would choose a smaller cinema rather than a bigger one and I feel your pain sitting next to two gabbing ladies - I once sat inf ront of two 16 year olds giggling away until I asked them twice politely to be quiet so I could watch the film and finally giving over when I (less politely) told them to shut the f--- up

And if the vendetta is against ignorant @rseh@les who think they are the self-appointed kings/queens of the world then I'm with you all the way - but I'll still buy my popcorn

I don't have a problem with popcorn, to be honest with you; just idiots who feel the need to talk constantly throughout the film. And talk on their mobile phones. It doesn't occur to them that someone sitting just feet away might be there to watch the film, not listen to some t*** chatting away.

dear, dear, did we all get out of bed on the wrong side this morning

I don't really understand the popcorn thing either and never have any, although an icecream before the start of the film is always nice. I can't say though that I've ever really noticed the popcorn munchers being all that noisey. The thing I can never believe though is how people managed to get through the stupidly huge bags that they sell. One of those would last me a week.