Cinema etiquette

Last updated
A 1912 silent film title card, asking patrons not to block the view of those behind them Cinema etiquette title card.jpg
A 1912 silent film title card, asking patrons not to block the view of those behind them

Cinema etiquette is a set of social norms observed by patrons of a movie theater. There are a wide variety of distractions that can hinder other patrons' enjoyment of a film, such as cell phone usage, patrons talking to one another, the rustling of food packaging, the behavior of children in the audience, and patrons entering and leaving during a screening. Cheering in cinema is not considered against cinema etiquette.

Contents

During the era of silent film, recommendations for behavior were displayed on title cards before a screening, offering advice including "Ladies, kindly remove your hats", "Loud talking or whistling not allowed", and "Please applaud with hands only". [1] [2] Modern cinemas often display a short reminder for patrons to turn off their cellphones, before the film begins. [3]

Etiquette writers Debrett's released a guide to correct cinema behavior in 2008, after research showed that 66% of moviegoers wanted to see an improvement in cinema etiquette. [1] The most common objections from those polled were having their view blocked by a tall patron in front, or having their own seat kicked from behind. [1] Debrett's five recommendations were to arrive on time, to sit still, to refrain from whispering during the film, to wait for a loud scene before eating wrapped candy, and for couples to restrain from excessive displays of affection. [1]

In 2010, film critics Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo proposed a "Code of Conduct for Moviegoers", suggesting among other things that cinema patrons should refrain from slurping drinks or eating "anything harder than a soft roll with no filling", should not use cellphones even in flight mode, and should neither remove their shoes nor rest their feet on other seats. [4] [5] The Code criticizes "irresponsible" parents who take young children to 12A certificate films they have no interest in seeing, describing it as "using the cinema as a babysitter". [4] Film blog ScreenCrush later compiled a list entitled "Movie Manners: 10 Tips on How Not to Be a Jerk at the Movies". In addition to some of the more obvious suggestions, they advise against spoiling the film for other patrons by discussing it on the way out, and recommend using the restroom prior to the film. [6] A 2012 survey of British cinemagoers found that 66% of respondents could recall objecting to another patron's poor etiquette, but had not objected to it for fear of causing a "scene". 85% of those polled favored the adoption of an official cinema code of conduct. [7]

To address the need for a code of conduct during film screenings, various theaters and cinemas have proposed special showings in response to patron complaints and requests. Vue Cinemas chain introduced adults-only screenings of films in 2008, noting customer complaints about a "hubbub of noise" from children at afternoon screenings. [8] In 2008, the Picturehouse Cinemas in the United Kingdom experimented with a ban on popcorn, partly in response to requests from patrons. [9] Empire Cinemas promoted its own etiquette guide in 2012, displaying it on posters in auditoriums. [7] The Alamo Drafthouse theater chain is known for strictly enforcing a strict etiquette code for audiences, and used an irate customer's telephone complaint about being ejected for violating it as part of their marketing. [10]

Intimacy

Even prior to the invention of motion pictures, the darkened auditoriums of opera houses were associated with physical intimacy between couples, particularly in the expensive private boxes ("loges") in the balcony, which had curtains that could be drawn. [11]

Some couples take advantage of the darkened auditorium of movie theatres to make out, such as kissing and physical intimacy, especially in the back row. [12] This applies in particular to young people living with parents who tend to monitor or forbid certain activities, and in the case of other social or even legal problems with public display of affection. Compared with being together in a room without other people, it may also be reassuring for one or both of the couple (and for parents) that the intimacy is necessarily limited. Movie theatres have been identified as one of the various locations in which "uncommitted, non-romantic sexual encounters" take place, with other locations being dance clubs, bars and parks. [13] Arm rests pose a hindrance to intimacy. Some theatres have "loveseats", which are seats designed for two, without an armrest in the middle. The most modern theaters have movable armrests throughout the theater that when down can hold a food container as well as act as an armrest or partition between the seats and when up allow closer contact. More expensive theatres may have large comfortable sofas. From an etiquette standpoint, Cinemablend states that a short kiss on the lips is almost always acceptable but to avoid disturbing other movie patrons, kissing should not go beyond ten seconds; as well, couples who wish to kiss should try to sit at the back of the auditorium and choose a sparsely attended film. [12]

Drive-in theater etiquette

These etiquettes include rules such as moviegoers using parking lights when parking or driving their cars inside the lot, keeping car headlights and brake lights off throughout the film to decrease distraction, having bigger vehicles moved to the back or to the side in order to accommodate for other movie viewers, as well as the prevention of littering. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Movie theater</span> Venue for viewing films

A movie theater, cinema, or cinema hall, also known as a movie house, picture house, picture theater or simply theater, is a business that contains auditoria for viewing films for public entertainment. Most are commercial operations catering to the general public, who attend by purchasing tickets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home cinema</span> Home entertainment system that aims to replicate the experience of a movie theater

Home cinema, also called home theaters or theater rooms, are home entertainment audio-visual systems that seek to reproduce a movie theater experience and mood using consumer electronics-grade video and audio equipment that is set up in a room or backyard of a private home. Some studies show that films are rated better and generate more intense emotions when watched in a movie theater, but convenience is a major appeal for home cinemas. In the 1980s, home cinemas typically consisted of a movie pre-recorded on a LaserDisc or VHS tape; a LaserDisc Player or VCR; and a heavy, bulky large-screen cathode ray tube TV set, although sometimes CRT projectors were used instead. In the 2000s, technological innovations in sound systems, video player equipment and TV screens and video projectors have changed the equipment used in home cinema set-ups and enabled home users to experience a higher-resolution screen image, improved sound quality and components that offer users more options. The development of Internet-based subscription services means that 2020s-era home theatre users do not have to commute to a video rental store as was common in the 1980s and 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drive-in theater</span> Cinema format

A drive-in theater or drive-in cinema is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars. Some drive-ins have small playgrounds for children and a few picnic tables or benches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grauman's Egyptian Theatre</span> Movie theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

Grauman's Egyptian Theatre is a historic movie theater located on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Opened in 1922, it is an early example of a lavish movie palace and is noted as having been the site of the first-ever Hollywood film premiere. From 1998 until 2020, it was owned and operated by the American Cinematheque, a member-based cultural organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AMC Theatres</span> American movie theater chain

AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. is an American movie theater chain founded in Kansas City, Missouri, and now headquartered in Leawood, Kansas. It is the largest movie theater chain in the world. Founded in 1920, AMC has the largest share of the U.S. theater market ahead of Regal and Cinemark Theatres.

Landmark Theatres is a movie theatre chain founded in 1974 in the United States. It was formerly dedicated to exhibiting and marketing independent and foreign films. Landmark consists of 34 theatres with 176 screens in 24 markets. It is known for both its historic and newer, more modern theatres. Helmed by its President Kevin Holloway, Landmark Theatres is part of Cohen Media Group.

Cinemark Holdings, Inc. is an American movie theater chain that started operations in 1984 and since then it has operated theaters with hundreds of locations throughout the Americas. It is headquartered in Plano, Texas, in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Cinemark is a leader in the theatrical exhibition industry with 521 theatres and 5,855 screens in the U.S. and Latin America as of June 30, 2022. It is also the largest movie theatre chain in Brazil, with a 30 percent market share.

Goodrich Theater NewCo, LLC. is a chain of 22 movie theaters, headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, representing a total of 174 screens in the United States. The majority of GQT Movies' locations are in Michigan, but other locations could be found in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Alabama, and Pennsylvania. The company filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection in February 2020. All employees were terminated March 19, 2020 without notice largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as many movie theaters were closed by government order in many states. In last July 2020, the company began reopening some of their locations. By the end of the year it had reopened its 22 locations.

A cam is a bootleg recording of a film. Generally unlike the more common DVD rip or screener recording methods which involve the duplication of officially distributed media, cam versions are original clandestine recordings made in movie theaters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multiplex (movie theater)</span> Movie theater complex

A multiplex is a movie theater complex with multiple screens or auditoriums within a single complex. They are usually housed in a specially designed building. Sometimes, an existing venue undergoes a renovation where the existing auditoriums are split into smaller ones, or more auditoriums are added in an extension or expansion of the building. The largest of these complexes can sit thousands of people and are sometimes referred to as a megaplex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alamo Drafthouse Cinema</span> American movie theater chain

The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is an American cinema chain founded in 1997 in Austin, Texas, which is famous for serving dinner and drinks during the movie, as well as its strict policy of requiring its audiences to maintain proper cinema-going etiquette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith-Albee Theatre</span> United States historic place

The Keith-Albee Theatre is a performing arts center in downtown Huntington, West Virginia, United States. It was named after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corporation, one of the leading traveling vaudeville performance companies of the early 20th century, in an effort to convince the corporation's directors to make Huntington a regular stop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mainstreet Theater</span> United States historic place

The Mainstreet Theater, also commonly referred to as The Empire Theater, is a historic theater in downtown Kansas City, Missouri in the Power & Light District. The theater was landmarked and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in February 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadway Theater District (Los Angeles)</span> United States historic place

The Broadway Theater District in the Historic Core of Downtown Los Angeles is the first and largest historic theater district listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). With twelve movie palaces located along a six-block stretch of Broadway, it is the only large concentration of movie palaces left in the United States. The same six-block stretch of Broadway, and an adjacent section of Seventh Street, was also the city's retail hub for the first half of the twentieth century, lined with large and small department stores and specialty stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex in film</span> Sex in mainstream film

Sex in film, the presentation of aspects of sexuality in film, specially human sexuality, has been controversial since the development of the medium. Films which display or suggest sexual behavior have been criticized by religious groups or have been banned or censored by governments, although attitudes have changed much along the years and a more permissive social environment has developed in certain parts of the world, notably in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. In countries with a film rating system, films which contain explicit sex scenes typically receive a restricted classification. Nudity in film may be regarded as sexual or as non-sexual.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of cinema in the United States</span>

This article delineates the history of cinema in the United States

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricardo Montalbán Theatre</span> Theatre in Hollywood, opened 1927

The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre is a theater in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitehawk Cinema</span> Cinema in Brooklyn, New York

Nitehawk Cinema is a dine-in independent movie theater in Brooklyn, New York City. It operates two locations, in the neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Park Slope. The theater, which offers a menu of food and drinks that can be ordered and consumed while patrons view films, was the first liquor licensed movie theater in the state of New York, and the first movie theater in New York City to offer table service.

Virtual cinema is a video-on-demand streaming service facilitated by independent film distributors and art-house theaters to release new films and share profits. Under the service, part of the admission price supports a physically located theater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Theater (New York City)</span> Former movie theater in Manhattan, New York

The Metro Theater is a defunct movie theater at 2626 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was designed by architecture firm Boak and Paris and built between 1932 and 1933. The theater is designed in the Art Deco style and originally contained 550 seats. Although the theater's interior was demolished after it was closed in 2005, the original facade remains intact as of 2023 and is a New York City designated landmark.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Cockcroft, Lucy (18 August 2009). "Debrett's release guide to cinema etiquette". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  2. ↑ James, Andrea (21 January 2015). "PSAs for movie theatre jerks from a century ago". Boing Boing. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  3. ↑ Casti, Taylor (9 October 2013). "Because of iPad, 'Little Mermaid' Will Never Be the Same". Mashable. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Ten annoying breaches of cinema etiquette - BBC News". BBC News. 13 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Wittertainment's Code of Conduct" (PDF). BBC Radio 5 Live. 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "Movie Manners: 10 Tips on How Not to Be a Jerk at the Movies". ScreenCrush. 2012-07-24. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  7. 1 2 "Cinema Etiquette Guide". Empire Cinemas. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  8. ↑ Mark Brown (7 November 2008). "Vue to offer over-18 only screenings". the Guardian.
  9. ↑ Stephen Adams (10 August 2008). "Cinemas to trial popcorn free film screenings". Telegraph.co.uk.
  10. ↑ Bierly, Mandi (6 June 2011). "The Alamo Drafthouse has a way more effective anti-talking/texting warning than 'Silence is Golden'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "Opera House Seating Chart" . Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  12. 1 2 "Ask Cinema Blend: Is It Okay To Make Out At The Movies?" . Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  13. ↑ Reay, Barry. "Promiscuous Intimacies: Rethinking the History of American Casual Sex". In Journal of Historical Sociology, Volume 27, Issue 1, pages 1–24, March 2014
  14. ↑ Fox, Mark (2020). "Drive-In Theatres and Audience Rules of Conduct: Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic". Journal of Audience and Reception Studies. 17 (2): 10 – via Indiana University South Bend.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.