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Tips for avoiding this that have worked for me: Go early in the morning. The 10:00 am Sunday showing of Oppenheimer is likely full of movie buffs. Go midweek.

Tips for avoiding this that have worked for me: Go early in the morning. The 10:00 am Sunday showing of Oppenheimer is likely full of movie buffs. Go midweek. An emptier theater reduces the impact of phone screens if someone uses one. Go to nicer theaters with higher numbers of staff. Go to niche theaters. The non-profit place with the weird snacks is likely filled with movie buffs. Go to classic movies you missed the first time around.

vladvasiliu 3y ago
> Go to niche theaters. The non-profit place with the weird snacks is likely filled with movie buffs. > Go to classic movies you missed the first time around. YMMV. I did this in a nice little theater with a single room. They didn't even sell any kind of snack, just drinks, if that. Went to see an older movie, but a fairly long one (children of paradise). It was a nicer day, too, so not one where people didn't have much else to do. Cue a bunch of insufferable twats eating a truckload of chips during the whole show, complete with the noisy bags and everything.
theshrike79 3y ago
I pay extra for a theatre that serves alcohol you can bring to the movie with you. That drops out everyone under 18 right at the door and helps a lot.
- citizenkeen 3y ago
  Yeah, 21 and over in my country, and I almost exclusively go to alcohol theaters because it self selects into an older crowd willing to pay a premium.
- scruple 3y ago
  ArcLight in SoCal was the best movie viewing experience I've ever had. My wife and I, when we were dating, would go to opening nights probably a dozen times a year for different movies. It was 18+, reserved seating, and they had strict policies about disturbing the movie and would enforce them very quickly, with employees standing in the theater for the duration of the movie. Sadly, they went out of business (the pandemic crushed them) and I am not sure that anything has really replaced them. Actually, it looks like the one in Sherman Oaks has survived relatively tact under new management (now known as The Culver Theater) but I haven't been so cant comment on the experience.
slothtrop 3y ago
matinee is certainly more quiet, usually an old crowd
scruple 3y ago
I took a PTO day to see Oppenheimer mid-week. Another colleague did the same. We both have young kids, so getting to the movies is a heavy lift. We live pretty close to each other and there is a theater about a mile from my house. We decided that we'd definitely do it again for the right movies.

vladvasiliu 3y ago

> Go to niche theaters. The non-profit place with the weird snacks is likely filled with movie buffs. > Go to classic movies you missed the first time around. YMMV. I did this in a nice little theater with a single room. They didn't even sell any kind of snack, just drinks, if that. Went to see an older movie, but a fairly long one (children of paradise). It was a nicer day, too, so not one where people didn't have much else to do. Cue a bunch of insufferable twats eating a truckload of chips during the whole show, complete with the noisy bags and everything.

theshrike79 3y ago

I pay extra for a theatre that serves alcohol you can bring to the movie with you. That drops out everyone under 18 right at the door and helps a lot.

citizenkeen 3y ago
Yeah, 21 and over in my country, and I almost exclusively go to alcohol theaters because it self selects into an older crowd willing to pay a premium.
scruple 3y ago
ArcLight in SoCal was the best movie viewing experience I've ever had. My wife and I, when we were dating, would go to opening nights probably a dozen times a year for different movies. It was 18+, reserved seating, and they had strict policies about disturbing the movie and would enforce them very quickly, with employees standing in the theater for the duration of the movie. Sadly, they went out of business (the pandemic crushed them) and I am not sure that anything has really replaced them. Actually, it looks like the one in Sherman Oaks has survived relatively tact under new management (now known as The Culver Theater) but I haven't been so cant comment on the experience.

slothtrop 3y ago

matinee is certainly more quiet, usually an old crowd

scruple 3y ago

I took a PTO day to see Oppenheimer mid-week. Another colleague did the same. We both have young kids, so getting to the movies is a heavy lift. We live pretty close to each other and there is a theater about a mile from my house. We decided that we'd definitely do it again for the right movies.