Cinema Etiquette

One of the things I love to do is go to the cinema. It's a chance to be immersed into a movie with surround sound in the dark with popcorn to enjoy. I absolutely love it but these days I find cinema etiquette has just gone out of the window. I went to the cinema last to watch the new Indiana Jones and I enjoyed watching it but what I didn't enjoy was the people surrounding me. Not all of them but some of them made themselves known pretty quickly and forgot a thing or two about cinema etiquette. 

1. Unless you've booked your seats why would you sit behind/in front of someone else at the cinema

I never understand this especially if it's a sit anywhere you want kind of cinema and there are plenty of seats and you choose to sit behind in front of someone else. I mean fair enough if there's a free row but wouldn't you at least move a little bit away from the people who are sitting in front of you or behind you just so they can't hear you breathe. I feel like it should be the golden rule: don't sit in front of someone else unless it's really busy then fair enough but when it's quiet and you have plenty of free seats to choose from. Why sit near people? I'd never understand that. 

2. Don't talk during the movie

I know people are used to watching movies at home and having a whole running commentary throughout the movie but when you're in a cinema, you need to remember there are other people there watching the movie and probably came here to escape the real world for two hours. The last thing they need is to hear a whole conversation behind them or just a running commentary as if you were at home. Fair enough if you want to talk to the person you're with but at least do it in a whisper and have the decency to sit away from other people too. Remember cinema tickets aren't cheap these days. If anything it's a treat so remember you are not alone in the cinema and other people have paid good money to watch the movie for the first time on the big screen so please just keep it quiet. 

3. Get your eating done in the first half of the film

This is an interesting one but fair enough if you have your popcorn, your nachos and chocolate plus whatever else takes your fancy but as we know these foods aren't the quietest with the crunching and rustling of packaging. I think it was common sense especially during a quiet and emotional scene where the rest of the cinema is quiet to not start eating your things especially over halfway through the movie. It definitely takes you out of the moment when all you can hear behind you is the rustling of sweets being eaten. Get your eating done before the first half of the film or better yet try not to make too much noise when you're eating. Think of how'd you feel if you were trying to watch a quiet, emotional scene and all you can hear is the rustling and crunching of someone eating. 

4. Don't use your phone

I think this is pretty obvious but some people still like to act like they are being discreet. Unless you have set your brightness to very low and are well hidden, believe me when I say the minute you check your phone in a dark cinema, it'll be the brightest thing people can see and all eyes will be on you. Now unless you sit at the very back, everyone is going to notice but it baffles me that for two hours people can't go without going on their phone. It's just very distracting when you're trying to watch a movie and all of a sudden you see the glow of the phone in the corner of your eye. As much as you try to block it out, you can't and unless it goes away your mind will be focused on the person using their phone so do everyone a favour and just don't use your phone in the cinema or sit in the back in the corner. 

5. Enjoy the moment of watching the movie

Finally, just enjoy the moment of being in the cinema and watching the movie. Just enjoy the surround sound and complete darkness while you watch the movie on the big screen. Honestly, I love going to the cinema and would always want to find an excuse to go if it's a movie I really want to see. Even if someone suggested to me a movie that I never heard of, I'd still want to go because that's how much I enjoy going to the cinema. It's just an escapism of you and the movie you're about to watch. Whether you watch it alone or with company, it's a great experience every time. Just remember that when you go to the cinema to just enjoy yourself. It's supposed to be a good time after all and as long as you're respectful to everyone by following the basics of cinema etiquette then it's going to be a good time all around.

Anyway, those are my suggestions on how to follow cinema etiquette. Let me know if there are any other things that I may have missed that you think I should add to this list and maybe we can all help to make every cinema experience a great one for everyone involved.

Thank you for reading my blog and I'll be back tomorrow with another post for you. 

See you then.

Megan x 

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