Cinema tuck shop

[Marky B]

A young man was ordered out of his local cinema for bringing his own sweets into the cinema. As money was tight,he bought cheaper sweets at a local shop rather than pay the excessive prices they charge in the cinema.

I am in a quandry over this one. I don't buy anything to eat at the cinema,in fact I don't eat anything whilst I am watching a film at the local flix. I usually go to the cinema in the afternoon,and if I have anything to eat,I'll ruin my appettite for my tea.

However,if cinemas allowed people to take their own food in,it might give people the impression they can take their own food into cafes (believe me,it happens),or their own drinks into pubs and clubs (which I had an argument with someone who brought their own bottle of wine into my club).

Yet,it could be argued that a cinema is there to show films and not cater for food,and their profits are from the sale of cinema tickets. In most clubs,whereas you are not allowed to bring in your own liquer,you can bring in your own snacks,even though they do sell crisps,nuts,pork scratchings,sandwiches,pies,toasties,because clubs rely on wet sales.

Views on this anyone?

Ta Ta

Marky B

[GRAEME]

I think this is outrageous!



What next? Are they going to start searching us as we go in?



Cinemas charge exorbitant prices for their sweets and drinks and I have always taken my own.



Now, bringing in an entire fish supper... Or a bottle of scotch... (er, both of which I've done... in my shameful youth )



You have to be reasonable - as long as it isn't causing offence to other watchers then I think it should be ok. Just banning brining sweeties because they want to sell us theirs is a con. We pay enough for the ticket!



It isn't like eating your own food in a cafe. The principla business of a cinema is showing films. It is more like being on a train - you pay your ticket price for their service and you can buy their food stuff for convenience if you want to - but they should not stop customers bringing their own.

[batman]

We take drink and sweets to the cinema simply 'cos the cinemas charge too much money. I pay to go to see a film, not to buy the sweets on sale there .

[ShirlGirl]

Yes I think that's really over the top. In fact, the theatre management very likely is in the wrong from a legal aspect. I can't see how they can dictate... "we allow our patrons to take food and drink into the cinema but we reserve the right to specify that it has to be only the food and drink which we provide on the premises and not from any other source ". Bull****! That's not democratic, it's communism!





IMO, food and drink should be banned from cinemas, because too many people make too much noise and make irritating pests of themselves. The constant rattling of confectionery wrappings throughout an entire movie can be infuriating.



Such a ban will never happen of course, too much money is involved.

[Windthrop]

name='Marky B']A young man was ordered out of his local cinema for bringing his own sweets into the cinema. As money was tight,he bought cheaper sweets at a local shop rather than pay the excessive prices they charge in the cinema.

I am in a quandry over this one. I don't buy anything to eat at the cinema,in fact I don't eat anything whilst I am watching a film at the local flix. I usually go to the cinema in the afternoon,and if I have anything to eat,I'll ruin my appettite for my tea.

However,if cinemas allowed people to take their own food in,it might give people the impression they can take their own food into cafes (believe me,it happens),or their own drinks into pubs and clubs (which I had an argument with someone who brought their own bottle of wine into my club).

Yet,it could be argued that a cinema is there to show films and not cater for food,and their profits are from the sale of cinema tickets. In most clubs,whereas you are not allowed to bring in your own liquer,you can bring in your own snacks,even though they do sell crisps,nuts,pork scratchings,sandwiches,pies,toasties,because clubs rely on wet sales.

Views on this anyone?

Ta Ta

Marky B

The big cinema chains actually go into profit via no-ticket sales (I presume you are talking about either the Stockton Showcase or Middlesbrough Cineworld) food, drink et al. The staff have it drummed into them presumably and are therefore following managment instructions. In a bizarre way the public are subsidising the cinemas by buying the food and drink. Such are the vagaries of the financial world.

[Everett Sloane]

I think it's fine to bring your own food, within reason.



When I saw Lawrence of Arabia on one of its re-releases the people in front of us went out to the local Chinese during the interval and came back with a full takeaway - sweet and sour chicken, chow mein, the lot. That was pretty distracting.

[suzepulcheria]

My local cinema, the Peckham Premier, does search for food, although this tends to be limited to teenagers. Their ticket prices are very reasonable indeed so I have some sympathy.

[Marky B]

name='Everett Sloane']I think it's fine to bring your own food, within reason.



When I saw Lawrence of Arabia on one of its re-releases the people in front of us went out to the local Chinese during the interval and came back with a full takeaway - sweet and sour chicken, chow mein, the lot. That was pretty distracting.

It would put me off as well. Anyone who brought fish and chips in with lashings of vinegar on,would make me walk out of the cinema.

Ta Ta

Marky B

[Marky B]

name='ShirlGirl']

IMO, food and drink should be banned from cinemas, because too many people make too much noise and make irritating pests of themselves. The constant rattling of confectionery wrappings throughout an entire movie can be infuriating.

Now that I do agree with. I remember many years ago (in the seventies),I went to the Classic Cinema in Stockton to watch a Peter Sellers double feature (The Return Of The Pink Panther and The Pink Panther Strikes Again) and a woman brought her two sons in. Anyway,she left them and when she was away,myself and others were forever telling them to shut up. When she finally came back,it seemed she had purchased two bottles of pop from a local shop,and then if it wasn't their chatting,it was a constant glug,glug,glug,glug,glug.

Ta Ta

Marky B

[marker]

name='Everett Sloane']I think it's fine to bring your own food, within reason.



When I saw Lawrence of Arabia on one of its re-releases the people in front of us went out to the local Chinese during the interval and came back with a full takeaway - sweet and sour chicken, chow mein, the lot. That was pretty distracting.

no wonder I no longer go to the cinema

[batman]

name='suzepulcheria']My local cinema, the Peckham Premier, does search for food, although this tends to be limited to teenagers. Their ticket prices are very reasonable indeed so I have some sympathy.

They really search people for food .... for what reason? To stop them annoying other people with it, or to make them buy even noisier food (a bargain bucket of popcorn and a gallon of fizzy pop) at three times the price.



No cinema has the right to search it's customers .... it can refuse to let them in, but to search people is well out of order!



If any cinema asked to search me to find out if I was carrying a concealed Toffee Crisp, I'd make them call the police, they are the only people who have the right to search an individual.



Ooh ... me dander is all up!

[David Brent]

name='Marky B']It would put me off as well. Anyone who brought fish and chips in with lashings of vinegar on,would make me walk out of the cinema.

Ta Ta

Marky B

What, to go out and buy your own cod and chips I suppose?



It is always a surprise to me to see how much stuff people actually consume during a film. You just have to see the piles of debris people leave on the cinema floor.



Although, with some films today running longer than 3 hours you do need a fair amount of supplies to keep you going.

I recently saw 'American Gangster' and during the last half hour I was bursting to go to the toilet (too much bottled water) but didn't want to miss the finale.

The joy I felt in the 'Gents' after the film was I'm sure heard around the cinema.



Dave.

[Dame Starry]

name='David Brent']I recently saw 'American Gangster' and during the last half hour I was bursting to go to the toilet (too much bottled water) but didn't want to miss the finale.

The joy I felt in the 'Gents' after the film was I'm sure heard around the cinema.



Dave.

Oh Dave! Now you've just made me think of Leslie Neilson in that 'Naked Gun' film!



(You weren't mic'd up, were you?)



YDSL x.

[faginsgirl]

Instead of all this food being consumed during the film, I think it worked perfectly well when films had an interval and the ice cream lady came round, that way most of the ice cream and sweets were eaten in the interval without being annoying throughout the actual film.



I think getting a take away is INCREDIBLY inconsiderate, some people dont want that smell up there noses for a start!

[suzepulcheria]

name='batman']They really search people for food .... for what reason? To stop them annoying other people with it, or to make them buy even noisier food (a bargain bucket of popcorn and a gallon of fizzy pop) at three times the price.



No cinema has the right to search it's customers .... it can refuse to let them in, but to search people is well out of order!



If any cinema asked to search me to find out if I was carrying a concealed Toffee Crisp, I'd make them call the police, they are the only people who have the right to search an individual.



Ooh ... me dander is all up!

Sorry, 'search' was shorthand. I did not mean a breach of human rights! What I meant was, the staff don't let teenagers with big bags (rucksacks, carriers, etc) in unless they open them to demonstrate they are not smuggling in cans and kebabs.

[Marky B]

name='David Brent']What, to go out and buy your own cod and chips I suppose?

Dave.

I can't stand vinegar,tomato ketchup or brown sauce.

Ta Ta

Marky B

[ShirlGirl]

name='faginsgirl']Instead of all this food being consumed during the film, I think it worked perfectly well when films had an interval and the ice cream lady came round, that way most of the ice cream and sweets were eaten in the interval without being annoying throughout the actual film.

Those were the days! Bring 'em back! Back then, it was a special treat and you'd be finished your ice-cream and your choc bar by the time the lights went down again. Nowadays many people seem to think its obligatory to munch and crunch and slurp and glug the entire time they are there. It wouldn't occur to them not to! They're on autopilot from the moment they arrive at the box office.



No, sorry! - these days you actually buy your tickets at the candy bar! No such thing as a box office in many cinemas.

I think getting a take away is INCREDIBLY inconsiderate, some people don't want that smell up their noses for a start!

I agree, but it was worse when smoking was permitted in cinemas. Not only would you get it up your nose, but you would go home with the stench permeated through your hair, through all your clothes, including your undies! Even your skin would stink, and if you didn't have a shower and wash your hair before you went to bed, the acrid stench would get into your pillow.

[ShirlGirl]

name='Marky B']I can't stand vinegar,tomato ketchup or brown sauce.

Ta Ta

Marky B

It puzzles me how anyone can put gravy and stuff like that on their chips. It makes them all soggy and yukky. I like my chips crispy and just with plain salt. (Not that I eat them often due to the unhealthy oils they are cooked in.)

[Marky B]

I have seen people put that much vinegar,ketchup,brown sauce etc on their meals,I ask them "Are you having fish and chips with your vinegar".

Ta Ta

Marky B

[batman]

name='ShirlGirl']No, sorry! - these days you actually buy your tickets at the candy bar! No such thing as a box office in many cinemas.

None ofthe cinemas in this area sell tickets at the sweet stall .. they all have proper box office areas ..... which are about half the size of the sweet stall!