I basically don't want to sit next to anyone in the theater because I don't trust the average movie goer to act right. For some reason, the idea of sitting and actually paying attention without using their cell phones, gabbing to their friends, disturbing the row to get up for bathroom breaks and snacks is inconceivable. And don't get me started about people who talk back to the screen. I guess ADHD is contagious.

I've even gone with a group of friends and they couldn't resist the temptation to criticize the movie out loud, as if they were watching it in their own living room. Another time I went to the show and a friend of a friend came with her boyfriend. The entire time he was talking at the screen, telling the people what to do or what was going to happen, and she was acting like a 12 year old who had just seen a sex scene for the first time and was all giggly and stupid about it. I was so bothered by their spectacle that I told my friend I was leaving.

My worst movie experiences, as far as other movie goers are concerned, were when I saw 8 Mile and The Passion of the Christ. At the former, there was this guy in the theater sitting in front of me who thought he was at a concert and kept waving his hand during the music segments. At the latter, man -- some people thought it was a revival. That's why I don't like to see popular movies on opening weekend.

I don't like sitting next to ANYBODY during a movie, unless I go with them. I usually look for an empty seat in the top balcony row, alone I can take the one right at the head of the stairs where I like it.

Chris wrote:

My worst movie experiences, as far as other movie goers are concerned, were when I saw 8 Mile and The Passion of the Christ. At the former, there was this guy in the theater sitting in front of me who thought he was at a concert and kept waving his hand during the music segments. At the latter, man -- some people thought it was a revival. That's why I don't like to see popular movies on opening weekend.

Yep. And if it's some kind of must see, then I wait until the matinee show. I hardly ever going to a popular hood movie after 11 am/before 9 pm.

Yep, I mainly only do matinees. I saw "Unstoppable" about 2 weeks ago at the 5:30 show in Times Square of all places and it actually was a good experience but I always try to catch a flick earlier than that. I tried to be slick and catch the very first show showing at the theater that when I went to see "For Colored Girls" but I wasn't the only one who had the same mindset. It was pretty full. And I then I was getting pissed at this damn woman about 3 seats down from me making her little side commentary. Everytime somebody did or said something she was like "that's right!" "Yes!" "right on" "uh huh" "praise the Lord" "God is good". I wanted to smack her.

guess nobody would like to sit next to me...im one of the ones that talk to the screen

cheaps wrote:

guess nobody would like to sit next to me...im one of the ones that talk to the screen

I admit that sometimes I may "react" to what's happening on screen and may spout some quick comment, but that's basically me thinking out loud. I don't act like I'm at church receiving the holy ghost.

I just don't want to be around anyone who's coughing and sneezing.

AtownPeep wrote:

I admit that sometimes I may "react" to what's happening on screen and may spout some quick comment, but that's basically me thinking out loud. I don't act like I'm at church receiving the holy ghost.

true... im same way..

I don't want to sit next to someone who's sick or someone who keeps up a running commentary. A few years back when one of the Harry Potter movies came out, my friend and i went to a 9:00 PM showing. We thought that would mean there weren't as many little kids. Some idiot sat three seats over form us and had his 6 or 7 year old son with him. Throughout the entire movie, the kid was clearly terrified and every few minutes he'd ask in a loud voice "Can I look now Dad?". This went on the ENTIRE movie! We should have complained, but neither of us wanted to get up and leave the theatre. The Dad didn't even bother to apologize or leave the theatre when it was clear his son couldn't handle this movie.

I remember when I saw Soul Food at the theater when it was released, there was this group of teenage girls sitting behind me, playing Roper and Ebert; they would loudly huff and be all like "so?!" whenever the Teri character would speak. The scene when Total's "What About Us" started to play, they could barely stay in their seats, and when Bird said she had to go to the bathroom..."Oooh, she pregnant!" Duh. Shut up and watch the damn movie. Black folks. We just get overexcited and reactionary when something grabs our attention, I guess. I won't say I, like Atown admitted, never made a mouth reaction or spoke under my breath during a movie, but all that talking back at the screen and basically showing out wasn't something that my mama went for when she'd take us to the show when we were kids. If we said anything during the movie, she was quick to whisper or motion to us to shut up.

I would rather not sit next to anyone in the movies, who I didn't come with. If you're not in the party, and the theater isn't crowded, then the polite thing to do is to leave a handful of seats in between you and the others in the row.