cinema etiquette phone screens

jogdish

Hello,
What is the cinema etiquette regarding mobile phones on silent, i.e very bright screens.
The last three movies I have been to, each time at least once, insanely bright screen draws my attention, annoys the hell out of me.

I have politely asked them to turn it off, met with aggression and a look of amazement most times.

The screen is so bright, it is impossible not to draw you out of the movie. What is the thinking on this ?

johnny_ultimate

If you check your phone during a film in the cinema, you are being a horrible, inconsiderate person.

There are no shades of grey.

Atlantic Dawn

There should be phone signal blockers in cinemas but I think they are illegal.

endacl

There's no etiquette around phones in cinemas. There's no need for etiquette around phone use as there's no way to to describe a manner of correct behaviour in a circumstance which should never arise.

In much the same way as there's no specific etiquette around standing on a table in the middle of a restaurant, dropping your trousers, and taking a big dump in full view of all the other patrons.

warpdrive

Anyone that does that is nothing but a kunt. For them to react with aggression or even amazement towards a stranger politely asking them to stop being so inconsiderate makes it even worse

Since cinemas are basically all digital now it's possible to pause films, afaik at least, so it'd be awesome if the projectionist or someone kept an eye on the audiences and there was a system installed that could shine a huge, bright light down from the ceiling towards anyone that does something like that and meanwhile the movie gets paused. This shaming tactic would stop anyone else from doing other bullsh!t to annoy the other audience members and if it wasn't enough for some people (let's be honest, I don't need to name the certain section of society here but we all know who) then security could kick them out altogether. It'd all be hilarious

Sad Professor

Just sit as close to the screen as you can. In most decent cinemas, anywhere from the 4th row up is perfectly fine. The less people in front of you, the less distractions, the greater the immersion.

FloatingVoter

They're the same kind of idiots who munch noisily on crisps in the theatre, laugh loudly at their own jokes, have 750 Facebook friends that they've never met, bring their incontinent brats to bars where adults are relaxing.....
You mentioned etiquette - do what Downton Abbey Maggie Smith would do - ignore them or failing that, bash them over the head with a blunt object while looking innocently in the other direction.

e_e

It's the utmost ignorance and narcissism. Pretty much saying "my facebook feed is more important than the time and effort put into making/showing this movie and the people around me who want to see it".

If you're the kind of person who whips their phone out in a cinema do us a favor and jump off a cl wait for the DVD/Download to come out so you can be busy not watching the film at home.

Arghus

I'd like to get up on my high horse on this, but it would be slightly hypocritical. I do get annoyed at people using their phone to the point where it's intrusive on others, but I must admit to being less than perfect in this regard. I've never facebooked my way through a movie, but I've definitely checked a text or two in my time. If I was in a packed or even half full screening I wouldn't bother with taking my me-machine out of my pocket at all, but if there's no one within twenty yards - and when the film is doing nothing for me, then I don't feel particularly guilty about it. Sometimes it's a relief.

I know there's a lot of cut and dried, black and white THESE PEOPLE ARE SCUM commentary here. Tounge and cheek of course, it's obviously a pet hate of cinema lovers, but I do think there's a sliding scale of ignorance when it comes to phone use in the cinema. Yes, in a perfect world, we'd all like to live in a somewhere were cinema watching was a resolutely distraction free experience. Unfortunately, we all live in the real world and I'd say every single one of us here has been guilty of at least one peek at a phone at some stage.

FloatingVoter

^ oh if someone is giving birth in a nearby hospital, you're a neurosurgeon on call. Whatever. Understandable. I've done a crossword while sitting through Frozen with a junior cousin of mine. She didn't care and the clues were all wrong. None of the other little people did either. And I did watch one bloke opening a tinnie. Which made me wonder why I hadn't thought of that.
I'd imagine the OP is talking about the idiots paying scant regard to the screen and updating their twitter feed while noisily instragramming their boyfriends haircut. Point being, if the movies crap , be discreet about your disinterest or find the clearly marked exit.

Firewalkwithme

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

There should be phone signal blockers in cinemas but I think they are illegal.

I hate the sight of people messing with their phones in a cinema as much as anyone else here but what do you think a "phone signal blocker" would do to stop people using their phones?

topmanamillion

Am I the only one that mutes/turns off their phone in a cinema? I'd be very embarrassed if it rang during a film!

Firewalkwithme

FloatingVoter wrote: »

^ oh if someone is giving birth in a nearby hospital, you're a neurosurgeon on call. Whatever. Understandable. I've done a crossword while sitting through Frozen with a junior cousin of mine. She didn't care and the clues were all wrong. None of the other little people did either. And I did watch one bloke opening a tinnie. Which made me wonder why I hadn't thought of that.
I'd imagine the OP is talking about the idiots paying scant regard to the screen and updating their twitter feed while noisily instragramming their boyfriends haircut. Point being, if the movies crap , be discreet about your disinterest or find the clearly marked exit.

Or give your boyfriend a blow job.

FloatingVoter

Cartoon_Head wrote: »

I hate the sight of people messing with their phones in a cinema as much as anyone else here but what do you think a "phone signal blocker" would do to stop people using their phones?

^^ Yes, my phone is always dead when i'm in a cinema. I don't even think about it....often its a day later when I remember to switch the yoke back on.

As for phone blockers, no. There are people like doctors, firefighters, police who use cinemas that need to be reachable. They're not the ones that abuse the system. If their phone is on and rings, they're grown-ups and it will be for a reason. If they're having a non-doctor day, they've probably tossed the mobile in the canal on the way.

Firewalkwithme

FloatingVoter wrote: »

^^ Yes, my phone is always dead when i'm in a cinema. I don't even think about it....often its a day later when I remember to switch the yoke back on.

As for phone blockers, no. There are people like doctors, firefighters, police who use cinemas that need to be reachable. They're not the ones that abuse the system. If their phone is on and rings, they're grown-ups and it will be for a reason. If they're having a non-doctor day, they've probably tossed the mobile in the canal on the way.

Signal or no signal there will be something you can do on a phone, e.g. play a game.

It's a bit like when I'm on the bus and some idiot decides to be the bus DJ and instead of using a pair of headphones we are "treated" to a selection of the worst quality music currently being produced today. And it's always some really sh1t music too. Someone was doing it on a bus I was on the other day and everyone, I do mean everyone was really pissed off, staring at them and so on but they were totally oblivious. This is same kind of person who uses their phone in a cinema, maybe that's where they were going...

Duggy747

When I watched Mad Max there was this guy well down the aisles on his phone playing a game from before the adverts started, through all the trailers, and right up until after the scene where Max is captured. He stood out like a lighthouse and didn't put his phone away until the cinema staff told him to, he had no interest being there.

I waited so long to see this film and wanted to bounce his head off the wall until it turned to goop!

Talking and using a phone in the cinema should incur death penalties.

I have my phone on silent and low vibrate.
It will get a glance if it I am receiving several calls in a row.

It will be one of 2 things
1. Baby sitter
2. Work system has gone down and unfortunately am on basically 24 hour call


If it is either of those numbers I will leave the room and return the call.

Other times my wife is on medical call, so she will have her phone with her.


Afraid that there are just some real world scenarios which can not be wholly avoided BUT texting/gaming/calling/browsing??? WTF like?? If you are bored then leave

People are addicted to checking their phones these days, unfortunately unless a solution comes up whereby people who check their phones get ejected with no warning, or have to leave their phone outside before entering the cinema its only going to get worse. I'm not even sure if some people can help doing it such is the level of addiction.

evil_seed

I think that Irish people avoid confrontation as much as possible. And this has caused a rise in this kind of behaviour. As a paying cinema goer you have every right to get up and remind the person on their phone to put it away as they are affecting your enjoyment. 2 seconds is all it takes. F*** em!

evil_seed

evil_seed wrote: »

I think that Irish people avoid confrontation as much as possible. And this has caused a rise in this kind of behaviour. As a paying cinema goer you have every right to get up and remind the person on their phone to put it away as they are affecting your enjoyment. 2 seconds is all it takes. F*** em!

You have, up to a point. Like it or not the cinema is a social experience and not everything is in your control.

I would not be too bothered by someone glancing at the screen once, as there are actual real world reasons as to why they may need to.

Decuc500

Deleted User wrote: »

You have, up to a point. Like it or not the cinema is a social experience and not everything is in your control.

I would not be too bothered by someone glancing at the screen once, as there are actual real world reasons as to why they may need to.

Can people not leave 'real world reasons' behind for 2 hours? If you're more concerned with being contacted than actually watching the film you shouldn't be in the cinema at all.

So parents should forget kids?
A lot of IT people are on constant call, for emergencies.

Doctors and nurses are often on call.


I've been on call over Christmas, for giving platelets.

Yeah let's see those things forgotten

e_e

Deleted User wrote: »

So parents should forget kids?
A lot of IT people are on constant call, for emergencies.

Doctors and nurses are often on call.


I've been on call over Christmas, for giving platelets.

Yeah let's see those things forgotten

Sit near the door, put vibration on high and step out once you get a call or text.

Everlong1

Deleted User wrote: »

So parents should forget kids?
A lot of IT people are on constant call, for emergencies.

Doctors and nurses are often on call.


I've been on call over Christmas, for giving platelets.

Yeah let's see those things forgotten

What did all these people do BEFORE THE INVENTION OF MOBILE PHONES ?

Everlong1

Everlong1 wrote: »

What did all these people do BEFORE THE INVENTION OF MOBILE PHONES ?

Systems didn't exist to be on call all the times.

Nurses and Doctors had pagers for decades.


Society has changed and work permeates our lives now, get used to it

e_e

e_e wrote: »

Sit near the door, put vibration on high and step out once you get a call or text.

Which is what I said I do.
Except, I will glance at the screen (only if I receive several attempts at a call), to see if it is worth walking in front of people as a quick flash of a screen is far less distracting than someone standing up in front.

Answering a text is not cool at all

spurious

Such important people Ireland is full of, everyone needing to be contactable within seconds.

spurious

spurious wrote: »

Such important people Ireland is full of, everyone needing to be contactable within seconds.

Just more important than you it would seem.


I think that you will find that the people here state it was a minority or people who actually have responsibilities which, may, call for a glance at a screen. No one has condoned texting, playing games or browsing

Liam O

I'd equate it to the people who walk into a place of business mid call, when there would have been nothing stopping them staying outside for a few extra seconds and when the person greets them they put up their hand in the most rude way imaginable. Just some head in the clouds arseholes out there.

Liam O

Liam O wrote: »

I'd equate it to the people who walk into a place of business mid call, when there would have been nothing stopping them staying outside for a few extra seconds and when the person greets them they put up their hand in the most rude way imaginable. Just some head in the clouds arseholes out there.

If someone is, obviously, on the phone why do you think that you can interrupt?

Simply fact is that some people have more responsibilities than you. As long as they don't pull the piss, get over it.

Of go off and buy a home projector and surround sound theatre set and be as finiky as you wish

spurious

Deleted User wrote: »

Just more important than you it would seem.


I think that you will find that the people here state it was a minority or people who actually have responsibilities which, may, call for a glance at a screen. No one has condoned texting, playing games or browsing

More important? I doubt it.
More ignorant? Definitely.

If they were that important they'd be in their car, revved up ready to go, at all times. We're not talking about world leaders here - get a grip.

Ageyev

Can't understand these people who the brightness on their screen up full blast.

spurious

spurious wrote: »

More important? I doubt it.
More ignorant? Definitely.

If they were that important they'd be in their car, revved up ready to go, at all times. We're not talking about world leaders here - get a grip.

I was just being as snarky as the comment that I quoted.

So you are saying that a doctor/nurse, on call, should not be allowed to leave the hospital?

I wonder if you would think the same, if your payroll sysadmin did not bother even glancing at his phone, out of hours, and your pay does not come in?

3102derek

if see some clown with the phone out during the film, i head out to the staff and say there is a guy recording the film on his phone.
there always straight in ,works everytime.

3102derek

3102derek wrote: »

if see some clown with the phone out during the film, i head out to the staff and say there is a guy recording the film on his phone.
there always straight in ,works everytime.

Be careful, you are accusing someone of piracy and you would only need one douche to cause you trouble

esforum

FloatingVoter wrote: »

^ oh if someone is giving birth in a nearby hospital, you're a neurosurgeon on call. Whatever. Understandable. I've done a crossword while sitting through Frozen with a junior cousin of mine. She didn't care and the clues were all wrong. None of the other little people did either. And I did watch one bloke opening a tinnie. Which made me wonder why I hadn't thought of that.
I'd imagine the OP is talking about the idiots paying scant regard to the screen and updating their twitter feed while noisily instragramming their boyfriends haircut. Point being, if the movies crap , be discreet about your disinterest or find the clearly marked exit.

I would hope that you didnt think of it because your not a careless and pathetic drunk who cant even spend 2 hours with his children without alcohol

This may sound bad on me but people on the phone or talking pisses me off so much I only go to the VIP / Mezz films now as its less prominent there however I did witness about 7 scumbags come in, constantly sit in the wrong seats until teh correct people arrived instead of just simple sitting in their own ****ing seats. they all opened cans, they were all on the phone and one actually made a phonecall during the film

And thats not the finish, they all took their shoes off and put their feet up on the seats in front!

esforum

esforum wrote: »

I would hope that you didnt think of it because your not a careless and pathetic drunk who cant even spend 2 hours with his children without alcohol

Drinking in front of kids is pushing it indeed.
I have seen people open 1/4 bottles of wine in an age appropriate film and not had much issue with it

esforum

Deleted User wrote: »

Drinking in front of kids is pushing it indeed.
I have seen people open 1/4 bottles of wine in an age appropriate film and not had much issue with it

well its illegal for starters but just for me personally I cannot understand why people need to have alcohol with everything but then its unlikely to effect me either way

Technocentral

jogdish wrote: »

Hello,
What is the cinema etiquette regarding mobile phones on silent, i.e very bright screens.
The last three movies I have been to, each time at least once, insanely bright screen draws my attention, annoys the hell out of me.

I have politely asked them to turn it off, met with aggression and a look of amazement most times.

The screen is so bright, it is impossible not to draw you out of the movie. What is the thinking on this ?

The etiquette is only selfish, narcissistic, inconsiderete scumbags do it.

Technocentral

FloatingVoter wrote: »

They're the same kind of idiots who munch noisily on crisps in the theatre, laugh loudly at their own jokes, have 750 Facebook friends that they've never met, bring their incontinent brats to bars where adults are relaxing.....
You mentioned etiquette - do what Downton Abbey Maggie Smith would do - ignore them or failing that, bash them over the head with a blunt object while looking innocently in the other direction.

Tells is what you really think.

esforum

esforum wrote: »

well its illegal for starters but just for me personally I cannot understand why people need to have alcohol with everything but then its unlikely to effect me either way

I said that I have no bother with it, not that it's illegal or not (talking about a non kids movie mind)
Why do people drink with dinner, at matches or concerts?

I would hate to be someone who gets so upset about trivial things

FloatingVoter

Technocentral wrote: »

Tells is what you really think.

I already have twice. Incontinent use of mobile devices in a movie theatre is unacceptable, impolite and unless the person involved is under 10 or 11 years old a sign of immaturity. I used the quaint phrase theatre for a reason. The same numbskulls twittering away down the Savoy wouldn't dare in the dress circle of the Abbey. Pacino reading the riot act from a Broadway stage has gone into legend already. Helen Mirren taking the Queen to the street buskers was a more recent example.
I also believe blocking phones wholesale is idiotic as people attending the theatre with you may be on the receiving end of an important call. If they receive the call on silent vibrate that the transplant is en route, will it disrupt your mediation as Adam Sandler pretends to have the same dilemma in the latest Terence Malick. If it does then you may have the reality issue.

jogdish

Hi OP here,

Wow lots of replies, and pretty much everyone is on the "leave the phone alone for the 2hrs "
I will feel happy again to say " Excuse me but your phone is extremely bright and very distracting, would you mind switching it off please. "

I personally don't buy the on call thing, if it's that! important why are you in the cinema, and is there really anyone is never off work! maybe it explains the constant traffic of people in and out during a movie - another thing I will never understand.- If so, suppose blu ray is for you.

Thanks for all the replies.

FloatingVoter

FloatingVoter wrote: »

I already have twice. Incontinent use of mobile devices in a movie theatre is unacceptable, impolite and unless the person involved is under 10 or 11 years old a sign of immaturity. I used the quaint phrase theatre for a reason. The same numbskulls twittering away down the Savoy wouldn't dare in the dress circle of the Abbey. Pacino reading the riot act from a Broadway stage has gone into legend already. Helen Mirren taking the Queen to the street buskers was a more recent example.
I also believe blocking phones wholesale is idiotic as people attending the theatre with you may be on the receiving end of an important call. If they receive the call on silent vibrate that the transplant is en route, will it disrupt your mediation as Adam Sandler pretends to have the same dilemma in the latest Terence Malick. If it does then you may have the reality issue.

Nope, real world is to remain at the door. You must NOT have your phone on at all, regardless of your situatuon. Don't you know this!

jogdish

jogdish wrote: »

Hi OP here,

Wow lots of replies, and pretty much everyone is on the "leave the phone alone for the 2hrs "
I will feel happy again to say " Excuse me but your phone is extremely bright and very distracting, would you mind switching it off please. "

I personally don't buy the on call thing, if it's that! important why are you in the cinema, and is there really anyone is never off work! maybe it explains the constant traffic of people in and out during a movie - another thing I will never understand.- If so, suppose blu ray is for you.

Thanks for all the replies.

Say that to people awaiting transplant, doctors, nurses, rescue staff, lifeboat staff that there is no on call.

jogdish

Deleted User wrote: »

Say that to people awaiting transplant, doctors, nurses, rescue staff, lifeboat staff that there is no on call.

Suppose, but come on that is a handful, and in no explains the amount of people you see checking their phone however briefly.

jogdish

jogdish wrote: »

Suppose, but come on that is a handful, and in no explains the amount of people you see checking their phone however briefly.

I totally agree, I was pointing out the insanity of people saying that ALL those who glance at the screen are scumbags.

FloatingVoter

The people causing the nuisance are not important. Long before the invention of mobile phones, the noisiest person in the room had the least to say. I'm guessing the quieter monkeys got down off the trees for a bit of piece and quiet and went on to invent nuclear weapons.

But using tech to block tech is idiotic. If you're old enough to get into see a movie all by yourself you should be old enough to police yourself. I see someone twittering during a flick, or mid-conversation down the pub and I wonder if they wear nappies still. Playing with shiny objects is the thing of cats. And most of my cats never fell for tinfoil on a string anyway.

Perhaps a little kiddie pen could be set up in all multiplexes - those who want to see the movie turn right...those who need to play with their toy turn left. Raffle for an iCloth or whatever to entice them. All manners of perverts and clueless in the left queue.

Agent Coulson

I've seen a man get hit and the Gardai called for asking someone to turn off there phone during a film.