Odd cinema experience tonight - did we all overreact?
Discussion
I popped out with a mate to watch the Resident Evil remake tonight at the local cinema, smallish screen with about 10 other people in. 8pm showing.
Half way through the film someone walked in, it's obviously dark but you could make out he had his hood up, a balaclava on, a rucksack, a "man bag" and there was a red flashing light on his chest.
A bit odd but I initially thought it might be security coming to talk to someone but he just sat in the middle on the back row after pushing past the others there (we were at the end of the row).
5 minutes later he stood up and walked out, without the bag.
The two chaps nearest his seat got up a minute later and as they passed us said he'd left his bag and they felt uneasy, they left, we followed.
Once outside in the foyer there was no sign of him but then another chap walked out of the screen across with a rucksack, looked shifty and went to the toilets.
More people were then leaving our screen and then as we explained what was going on to the utterly bemused member of staff we eventually found the fella appeared.
Hood still up, balaclava still on but looking bemused, apparently he's looking for his mate and can't understand why we're all outside, is it because of what he looks like? Is it because he's "wearing a bally", because of his skin colour? (it was dark remember, nobody really knew what he looked like).
The bag is still inside, he can't understand why thats an issue so walks back in.
Staff offer to rewind the film, others are refusing to go back in, I'm just irritated at this point, mainly by his behaviour when it was calmly explained that his actions had caused people to be concerned.
He comes back out, full of attitude, saying we are the ones at fault, the red light is his "radio receiver", he's agitated and starting to get aggressive as more people walk out so the screen is now empty and we're just collectively stood trying to make sense of things. One bloke says that he was hit on the head by the bag as he passed, another had his leg knocked despite there being loads of room.
Staff still not doing much other than looking out of their depth while everyone else feels like there's been a terror threat and the bag is still in there.
So we all just leave, he doesn't, nobody wants to go back in and sit watching a film packed with jump scares with him and his bag.
It was all so surreal but it just amazed me at how poor the staff were in this day and age. I wasn't expecting them to tie him up and call the police but just something more than offer to rewind the film.
Why are they allowing people in halfway through films anyway?
With big bags while wearing a face covering and hood?
With some kind of electrical equipment strapped to them flashing away?
We couldn't get any sense out of anyone there but I'll phone tomorrow to discuss it, just having a bit of a debrief here I guess but what would you have done in a similar situation?
I'm now wondering if he was filming the whole thing and trying to provoke everyone into the reaction he achieved but maybe my imagination is running away with me now.
Half way through the film someone walked in, it's obviously dark but you could make out he had his hood up, a balaclava on, a rucksack, a "man bag" and there was a red flashing light on his chest.
A bit odd but I initially thought it might be security coming to talk to someone but he just sat in the middle on the back row after pushing past the others there (we were at the end of the row).
5 minutes later he stood up and walked out, without the bag.
The two chaps nearest his seat got up a minute later and as they passed us said he'd left his bag and they felt uneasy, they left, we followed.
Once outside in the foyer there was no sign of him but then another chap walked out of the screen across with a rucksack, looked shifty and went to the toilets.
More people were then leaving our screen and then as we explained what was going on to the utterly bemused member of staff we eventually found the fella appeared.
Hood still up, balaclava still on but looking bemused, apparently he's looking for his mate and can't understand why we're all outside, is it because of what he looks like? Is it because he's "wearing a bally", because of his skin colour? (it was dark remember, nobody really knew what he looked like).
The bag is still inside, he can't understand why thats an issue so walks back in.
Staff offer to rewind the film, others are refusing to go back in, I'm just irritated at this point, mainly by his behaviour when it was calmly explained that his actions had caused people to be concerned.
He comes back out, full of attitude, saying we are the ones at fault, the red light is his "radio receiver", he's agitated and starting to get aggressive as more people walk out so the screen is now empty and we're just collectively stood trying to make sense of things. One bloke says that he was hit on the head by the bag as he passed, another had his leg knocked despite there being loads of room.
Staff still not doing much other than looking out of their depth while everyone else feels like there's been a terror threat and the bag is still in there.
So we all just leave, he doesn't, nobody wants to go back in and sit watching a film packed with jump scares with him and his bag.
It was all so surreal but it just amazed me at how poor the staff were in this day and age. I wasn't expecting them to tie him up and call the police but just something more than offer to rewind the film.
Why are they allowing people in halfway through films anyway?
With big bags while wearing a face covering and hood?
With some kind of electrical equipment strapped to them flashing away?
We couldn't get any sense out of anyone there but I'll phone tomorrow to discuss it, just having a bit of a debrief here I guess but what would you have done in a similar situation?
I'm now wondering if he was filming the whole thing and trying to provoke everyone into the reaction he achieved but maybe my imagination is running away with me now.
Edited by thetapeworm on Tuesday 13th October 00:13
Stick Legs said:
IMHO you did not overreact.
I have got off trains and waited at a platform for the next one over such things.
That's reassuring to read, right now I'm bouncing between "did the right thing" and "should have watched the end of the film you idiot" but it just felt wrong.I have got off trains and waited at a platform for the next one over such things.
I'm around oddballs on a daily basis, see plenty of people out looking for bother etc and it doesn't tend to bother me, this felt different.
You definitely did the right thing. As regards the cinema staff, they could well have dealt with him before and know he can kick out at them so were reluctant to get involved. Their instructions would have been to observe while calling for professional help (police etc) and affected customers would just get a refund.
Frane Selak said:
I would have walked out and rang the police/bomb squad.
ThisYou didn't intervene so why would you expect the staff?
Its unfortunate but theyre unlikely to escalate what could have been a dangerous situation
Either you find out what's in the bag and put your mind at ease or get the police to do it.
I would not expect minimum wage staff to do it in this particular situation
Remarkable that an entertainment venue(presumably corporate, but it's worrying regardless) does not have a corporate policy for this or if they do they don't bother sharing it with employees or training them in it. Blowing people up in such venues has happened often enough in the past for this to be negligence.
hidetheelephants said:
Remarkable that an entertainment venue(presumably corporate, but it's worrying regardless) does not have a corporate policy for this or if they do they don't bother sharing it with employees or training them in it. Blowing people up in such venues has happened often enough in the past for this to be negligence.
Aiui under Martin's Law they should?ETA
Yes: https://www.provarisk.co.uk/?campaign=23698493732&...
Edited by Bonefish Blues on Tuesday 13th October 07:15
thetapeworm said:
Why are they allowing people in halfway through films anyway?
I'm sure cinemas are all the same now, but you just show your ticket at the main entrance to the screen areas and you could walk into any screen you liked. And toilet visits etc, no one checks.So maybe a weird drug dealer thing as someone suggested above, not sure why he'd have a flashing light on his bag though and draw so much attention to himself.
Trying to record the screening would be my gut instinct, but if half of the film has already elapsed not sure he's in the right job.
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