To expect people to not chat during a film.

I read somewhere they were thinking of making films shorter because viewers could not concentrate for two hours!

I do think that the availablility of so much choice on TV and on line means that people do find it difficult to focus on one thing anymore. And they do treat the cinema as if it was their home, frequent trips out to the loo or to buy more food. Programmes like Gogglebox have the viewers talking all the way through, and I guess at home we do talk over the TV because it is on such a lot.

I think you have to make it a different experience, we have a newly refurbished art deco cinema which has huge revolving armchairs set round tables, only food available is a selection of roast nuts in a glass dish, and drinks are small ones, soft or alcoholic and do not come with straws! No-one talks, because they have paid more than usual to see the film, and for the experience.

It is not just the cinema though, is it? It is beginning to affect theatre performances too, this constant fidgeting, talking, and going out and coming back in again.

I find, when I take GD to the cinema, that the children are usually quiet and are just engrossed in whatever Disney/ Pixar film is being shown. The mothers usually sit with their smart phones, although the light from them is distracting it is not as bad as loud chatter.

Have rarely been to the cinema in recent times as I get so annoyed by the talking, lights from phones and the horrendous eating! My most hated food is super smelly nachos. At first I thought someone had taken their shoes off and was stinking the place out. Disgusting! Much prefer our 'home cinema' even if we do have too small a screen for my failing eye sight.

I love the cinema but usually dread our trips as invariably we get next to the chatterers, the drunks or the incessant sweetie wrapper fiddlers.

Recently a Mum and Dad sat with a teen son in-between them right in front of us. They talked at a high pitched volume throughout the very loud Pearl and Dean adverts and I still could hear them the most. My teeth were grinding and it was only the adverts. I took the bull by the horns and stuck my head between the Mum and lad and asked politely if they could keep the noise down to a reasonable level please, all of them. Surprisingly they nodded in agreement and didn't say another word. They distracted themselves though by eating junk and slurping their slush puppies throughout a two hour film. I was intrigued that they could keep at it without feeling sick but they were masters.

We did enjoy the film in relative peace though.

I do love having my own home cinema experience too and then I only have to tut at my DH as he stops the film for a loo break!

Just to add - a gentle male relative got so wound up by talking behind him that he rolled up his newspaper, leapt to his feet, smashed the paper down on the back of his own seat and yelled 'I have NOT come here to listen to you!' As he sat down there was a ripple of applause from other seats and complete silence thereafter from the noisy people.

(Not to be recommended!)

Like some other contributors we wait for a film to come out on DVD and then enjoy it at home. My latest was 'The Lady in The Van' - excellent! Selfish people talking really winds me up and ruins the evening so I too haven't been to the cinema for about five years. The other bonus is that buying the DVD means you can watch again if you wish and it costs a lot less than two cinema tickets.

A work colleague was 'really annoyed' that her daughter and a friend had been given their ticket money back and made to leave the local cinema because they were sending ringtones to each other on their mobiles and wouldn't stop even when asked! Obviously the film had been spoiled for everyone present, but hey, why worry about other people.

Also - why do people need to eat? That one always gets me - rant over now.

I love our little local cinema in converted old market hall, but films can be marred by noisy sweet unwrapping throughout. Why do people have to be constantly chomping? There is also a nice licensed cafe and you are able to take wine into the cinema which can be a problem when lulled by the alcohol and warm atmosphere folk drop off and start snoring loudly. Crikey, it's as bad as being at home! Culprits are mainly elderly I have to say.....

I suppose it's the gogglebox mentality ......or autism. Think I would have moved noisily.Qwest

If the cinema wasn't busy I would have moved. Or said something sooner. The ladies were out of order definitely. We must be lucky we've never had a problem with chatterers.
H and I went to the theatre recently to see Motown Story we were in the balcony so the rows in front were lower but someone got up and complained to a member of staff that the people in front were dancing in their seats and spoiling the show they weren't waving their arms in the air just jigging to the music. H and I thought they were right bores ?

Hands up, I was that talker! I used to do this all the time when I went to the cinema with my ex partner, which we did often. He threatened in every film we watched that he would never go with me again if I didn't shut up. But he always did. We had a great time going and I have some lovely memories.

Why don't you just move seats? I do now if I go and someone is annoying for whatever reason.

This is why DH never goes to the cinema. The combination of talking and eating and rustling drives him insane.

DH and I try to see films that are at the end of their run and then go to morning show, if you go near to lunch time people carry in half a cow in a bun and a bucket of chips and I find their chomping nauseating, like feeding time at the zoo.

That is one reason why I have not been to see a film at a cinema for over 14 years. The last time there was a young lad translating everything to his mate (s) behind my friend and myself and it drove us crazy because we could not concentrate. I did say something but it fell on deaf ears.

You are so right. I think some people forget they are not at home in front of the television. We are very lucky in our local cinema and theatres because the audiences are very civilised. They behaved very well last week when someone was taken ill in the theatre and the show simply stopped. Lots of understanding and help.

Last night we watched Alasdair McGowan live and he felt the same. First he asked the guy using his phone if he wanted to contribute to the joke then told a woman her rustling of sweet papers was very annoying. He kept referring back to her after saying if was one of his pet hates. I think the audience was on his side. I hasten to add it was not our local theatre!

YANBU - this is why we wait for the films to be released to Love Film and watch them in the peace of our own living room!