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Annoyance du jour: don't bring YOUR food in here!


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we snuck a bottle of pinot noir into Sideways. made it much more enjoyable.  even though i eased the cork out, a couple nearby heads did turn, trying to locate the source.

:biggrin:

I did that once while attending a movie with a friend. It wasn't the sound of the cork coming up that turned heads, it was the gorgeous fruity aroma...

The cheese and cut-up apples we enjoyed with the wine were sooooo good.

:biggrin:

Me, I vote for the joyride every time.

-- 2/19/2004

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I make a point of smuggling snacks into movie theatres. I take it as a personal challenge and it's become a mission of mine. Some 'rules' are just made to be broken. And ridiculous concession prices are only part of my motivation. Even if I don't foresee being hungry or thirsty, I'll bring in something just for the sport of it. And when I am in the mood for snacks, the 'official' offerings usually suck anyway.

It's also become a bit of a running gag with my family -- I love to see their reactions when I finally reveal the booty. Over the past couple of years I've smuggled in Reuben sandwiches, beef jerky, cans of pop, 25-oz bottles of San Pellegrino, string cheese, bags of potato chips, slices of pizza, etc. I'll never forget the delight on my son's face when I rolled up my pant leg and pulled 2 super-size slim jims out of my sock for us to enjoy . . . yes, they were still wrapped!

=R=

"Hey, hey, careful man! There's a beverage here!" --The Dude, The Big Lebowski

LTHForum.com -- The definitive Chicago-based culinary chat site

ronnie_suburban 'at' yahoo.com

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...I'll never forget the delight on my son's face when I rolled up my pant leg and pulled 2 super-size slim jims out of my sock for us to enjoy . . . yes, they were still wrapped!...

slim jims? Not the things you use to open a car door, I take it? I'm imagining a candy stick, like taffy, or a big Tootsie Roll, or maybe some regional Chick-o-stic? Or some sweet covered in jimmies?

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...I'll never forget the delight on my son's face when I rolled up my pant leg and pulled 2 super-size slim jims out of my sock for us to enjoy . . . yes, they were still wrapped!...

slim jims? Not the things you use to open a car door, I take it? I'm imagining a candy stick, like taffy, or a big Tootsie Roll, or maybe some regional Chick-o-stic? Or some sweet covered in jimmies?

Clickety :smile:

=R=

"Hey, hey, careful man! There's a beverage here!" --The Dude, The Big Lebowski

LTHForum.com -- The definitive Chicago-based culinary chat site

ronnie_suburban 'at' yahoo.com

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Reuben sandwiches, beef jerky, cans of pop, 25-oz bottles of San Pellegrino, string cheese, bags of potato chips, slices of pizza, etc.

What no calamari?? :laugh: Great story, Ron!

great article from Boxoffice.com

General Cinema, a pioneer in the concept of high-class moviegoing, is continually seeking out new possibilities for their in-theatre haute cuisine. "We [now can] serve a wide range of products from chicken sandwiches and hamburgers all the way to salmon and prime rib steak," says Thompson. At present, the menu at the premium cinemas' [VIP sections] is really comparable to a full-service restaurant. We have a chef in each [premium cinema]. We still serve Vogel popcorn at our premiums as well, only we give it away for free with a premium ticket."
give it away for free?? :shock:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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A STICK of MEAT! hahahaha! That's TOO MUCH! I think I've seen those in mini markets, too! I never knew what they were before, WOW! I DO hope that boy #1 doesn't figure out that I haven't eaten those. He's all over the "Get the experience of the packaged food" thing where I'm concerned.

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Now trying to play a bizarre game of Twister in a stall too small to turn around successfully, I managed to get top and straw out , stick the straw between my teeth, and waiting every moment for that chill flood of Pepper down my leg, I stood in a sidewise Mummenschantz posture, gently held the rim of the cup, and pulled upward in a careful manner befitting a member of the bomb squad in full padding.

OMG The mental picture of this bathroom stall maneuvering is priceless. My coworkers probably think I'm crazy, giggling at my computer.

Living in MN I find fall and spring the easiest times to smuggle. You have the heavier coat or scarf but it's warmed up enough that you can toss it over your arm to hide what you're holding before coming into the theater without looking insane. Smuggled DQ blizzards in that way once.

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It's also become a bit of a running gag with my family -- I love to see their reactions when I finally reveal the booty.  Over the past couple of years I've smuggled in Reuben sandwiches, beef jerky, cans of pop, 25-oz bottles of San Pellegrino, string cheese, bags of potato chips, slices of pizza, etc.  I'll never forget the delight on my son's face when I rolled up my pant leg and pulled 2 super-size slim jims out of my sock for us to enjoy . . . yes, they were still wrapped!

=R=

Priceless!

I think you should bring in decoys too. Possibly unappetizing ones, like packages of cheese crackers with peanut butter, or sugar-free mints.

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I really do like popcorn and a movie but the stuff that is sold in most theaters SUCKS! I like to bring a small zip top bag with slices of cheese and dried sausage. A flask of single malt scotch doesn’t hurt either.

Dave

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The trickiest sneak I've ever done was Ethopian food. A friend and I were going to go to dinner and then a movie afterward, but by the time we ordered our food we realized the movie - which would probably sell out - was going to start in 15 minutes. We needed to get there early but we'd already ordered, and we were hungry, so we just told the waitress to bring our food out in take out boxes.

We got to the theater and then realized we had no idea how we were going to get a whole Ethopian dinner in there - two different lentil stews, some dumpling like things and five or so pieces of pizza-sized injera bread.

With the help of some fellow sympathetic movie goers, we stuffed all the food underneath our shirts/pants, and somehow made it in to the theater. I will tell you this though - even if you sneak Ethopian food in, eating it in the dark is a whole different problem. I made a lot of paper towl runs to clean up spilled lentils. The smell was also pretty intense, but we sat in the very back row in the corner, so we got by undetected.

Movie theater food is a definite rip off, and I usually sneak in little things like candy or cans of soda in my pocket. I don't go crazy over popcorn, but I've always loved movie theater Sprite. I have no idea why. No other movie theater soda tastes better than its packaged equivalent, but Sprite from movie theaters always tastes different to me. Maybe it's the soda fountain thing, the water/syrup ratio is different.

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While I grudgingly comply for myself with this, I do bring in drinks and snacks for my young kids. My five year old is old enough for a small soda from time to time, and maybe some gummi bears, but when he was younger I would bring in small water bottles or juice boxes and crackers-- stuff you can't buy there but which was appropriate for a young child. I have an 18 month old as well and I'll probably take her soon to her first movie, and I pland to do the same.

Please note, I bring my kids to children's movies-- I don't inflict them on audiences for anything not rated G. :smile:

*** edited because I can't spell...

Edited by Rinsewind (log)

"An' I expect you don't even know that we happen to produce some partic'ly fine wines, our Chardonnays bein' 'specially worthy of attention and compet'tively priced, not to mention the rich, firmly structur'd Rusted Dunny Valley Semillons, which are a tangily refreshin' discovery for the connesewer ...yew bastard?"

"Jolly good, I'll have a pint of Chardonnay, please."

Rincewind and Bartender, The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett

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Here's my receipt from the concession stand last night:

1 Welch's Fruit Snacks $1.50

1 Large Popcorn $5.00

1 Small Bottled Water $3.25

Total $9.75

$9.75!! Yeah, I'm gonna have to start bringing stuff from home because that is just re-freakin'-diculous. Don't even get me started on the bottled water. I asked for a big cup of water, stating that I would pay the soft drink price, but the girl said that they couldn't do that. That would have been a $4.00 cup of water. What the hell?!

God bless Netflix.

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You are not allowed to bring any food or drinks with you into our movie theatre because, of course, we have our own concessions to sell at super-inflated prices! If we allowed outside food and drink to come in, we would be out of business very quickly. The tickets you buy to see our films pay back the film distributors apparently ...

while I fully comply and understand the command: turn off all cellphones!, the food issue annoys me no end ..and another thing:  a box of Junior Mints, which is marked up 50-75%, is also annoying ...  :angry:  and should a Hershey bar be the same price as a new Porsche???

Do you ever "sneak" in a few of your own "treats" when you go to a movie theatre? :rolleyes:

What do you take with you? (promise that I won't tell ...) :laugh:

Sidebar here: as a kid, I went to see "The Sound of Music" with my mother .. the woman next to us had 4 kids with her .. she had packed a big fragrant garlicky salami and bread to make sandwiches for her kids after the lights went down .. to this day, I can not hear "These are a few of my favorite things" without conjuring up thickly cut salami sandwiches ... maybe I am aggravated because the woman didn't make a sandwich for me ...  :hmmm:

I rarely go out to the movies these days.

Long ago--food in movies meant popcorn and various candies.

Then came the hot dogs (ok not too bad) soon to be followed by all manner of fast foods.

Now it seems every theatre is "dinner theatre."

Ok so the stuff available in the theatres is over priced--this is the least of the problem. It is now common to see people not "snacking" but having a full meal in their seats.

The smell the noise!

The obnoxious behavior--basically theatres decided they couldn't stop people from sneaking food in--I remember seeing Raiders of the Lost Arc back when the theatre offered only popcorn candy and maybe hot dogs. A family sat behind us and unfoiled a barbeque rib dinner when the lights went down. The smell and the slurping --not to talk about the sound of bones hitting the floor were too much!

So now--rather than beat em the movie theatres are joining them offering all manner of items at the counters in the lobby.

I mostly stay home--netflicks and Blockbuster in my living room are preferable to the once pleasurable communal experience of going out to a movie.

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The smell the noise!

The obnoxious behavior--basically theatres decided they couldn't stop people from sneaking food in--I remember seeing Raiders of the Lost Arc back when the theatre offered only popcorn candy and maybe hot dogs. A family sat behind us and unfoiled a barbeque rib dinner when the lights went down. The smell and the slurping --not to talk about the sound of bones hitting the floor were too much!

So now--rather than beat em the movie theatres are joining them offering all manner of items at the counters in the lobby.

Eating lunch and trying not to spew all over my keyboard after reading this one! BTW JohnL did you get their names? Possibly Fred, Wilma, Barney, Betty, Pebbles and BamBam? :rolleyes: "bones hitting the floor" Oh My Gawd, too funny.

Mostly I like to sneak in humongous bags or boxes of candy and maybe a canned beverage. I love raisinettes, but that ever shrinking box of them (I wonder if some company produces teeny tiny versions of candy just for theatres?) is absolutely not worth $1.50. So I'll spend the same amount or maybe just a buck more for a reasonable amount of candy. Also, I would love to buy their popcorn, but I like REAL BUTTER and not that awful butter flavored oil product.

Inside me there is a thin woman screaming to get out, but I can usually keep the Bitch quiet: with CHOCOLATE!!!

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even if you sneak Ethopian food in, eating it in the dark is a whole different problem. I made a lot of paper towl runs to clean up spilled lentils. The smell was also pretty intense, but we sat in the very back row in the corner, so we got by undetected.

No matter what anyone sneaks into a theatre, nothing can top this Ethiopian meal! Really hysterical! :laugh:

Only Mexican tacos crunching would be more problematic... :huh:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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The way I see it, if you ever paid 3$ for a drink and 5$ for popcorn (or ever had to watch a movie with Hugh Grant in it), you should be entitled to a lifetime exemption from all motion picture intellectual property laws. :raz:

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced" - Vincent Van Gogh
 

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The way I see it, if you ever paid 3$ for a drink and 5$ for popcorn (or ever had to watch a movie with Hugh Grant in it), you should be entitled to a lifetime exemption from all motion picture intellectual property laws.  :raz:

:raz:

In my defense, it was my baby's first movie, so I HAD to get popcorn for us to share. It's all about the experience. Next time I won't feel obligated.

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Here's my receipt from the concession stand last night:

1 Welch's Fruit Snacks  $1.50

1 Large Popcorn            $5.00

1 Small Bottled Water    $3.25

Total                            $9.75

$9.75!!  Yeah, I'm gonna have to start bringing stuff from home because that is just re-freakin'-diculous.  Don't even get me started on the bottled water.  I asked for a big cup of water, stating that I would pay the soft drink price, but the girl said that they couldn't do that.  That would have been a $4.00 cup of water.  What the hell?!

God bless Netflix.

Do not get me started on the price of water.

Dave

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I think we are focusing on the value/cost part of this too much.

The real problem is seems today there is no differentiation between a snack and a meal.

At some point people started to believe that they could have a full course meal in their seat. (maybe the habits developed watching TV and eating dinner at the same time).

One could always sneak a bag or box of candy in --in face of high theatre prices.

but--folks started bringing in sandwiches and then foods like chicken and ribs and....

With everything out of control the theaters probably figured they better get in on the scene and profit.

Let's remember once--people were better mannered and those that weren't were flushed out by the dreaded--movie house matrons! Nothing like a flashlight beam in one's face to get an offenders attention!

Johnny Carson told a story once about being in a movie and on screen there was a knock at a door. A woman seated behind him loudly asked "I wonder who that could be?"

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I think we are focusing on the value/cost part of this too much.

The real problem is seems today there is no differentiation between a snack and a meal.

At some point people started to believe that they could have a full course meal in their seat. (maybe the habits developed watching TV and eating dinner at the same time).

One could always sneak a bag or box of candy in --in face of high theatre prices.

but--folks started bringing in sandwiches and then foods like chicken and ribs and....

With everything out of control the theaters probably figured they better get in on the scene and profit.

Let's remember once--people were better mannered and those that weren't were flushed out by the dreaded--movie house matrons! Nothing like a flashlight beam in one's face to get an offenders attention!

Johnny Carson told a story once about being in a movie and on screen there was a knock at a door. A woman seated behind him loudly asked "I wonder who that could be?"

Good points JohnL. I too miss the movie house matrons except where I grew up they were usually guys (what exactly is the male form of the word "matron?"). I agree that folks can get carried away sometimes. I remember on many occasions being pretty grossed out by stepping/sliding on someone's discarded chicken bones as I was getting a seat. Disgusting. One answer would be for theatres to offer regular and "dining" theatres in the same locations. Thank goodness we at least have this in our area:

Arlington Cinema 'N' Draft House

Wine Night, Bring Your Babies Night, Oscar Night................. Ah, civilization. :smile:

Inside me there is a thin woman screaming to get out, but I can usually keep the Bitch quiet: with CHOCOLATE!!!

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Mmm ethiopian food! I agree, that's got to be one of the most challenging foods to consume in a theatre--and hide too, boy is it smelly!

I don't have many stories to tell, although at home in Seattle, I always bring water with me whenever I go shopping (and whenever I see a movie, I usually have been shopping) so I unconsciously bring in water to the theatre... I guess that is sneaking stuff in! :o

We have this great bakery at the Market... Le Panier or something like that, which sells all shapes and sizes of french bread. I went to see 'Fellowship of the Ring' at the Cinerama (Paul Allen's baby), and the friend I went with has this tradition of bringing a FULL SIZE baguette to movies, and passing it down the row of movie-goers (we went in a large group to see LOTR). Granted, it's great bread, but I was still quite shocked at the sight of it being smuggled into the theatre!

For those of you interested in theatre etiquette, you might want to check out the movie "A Guy Named Joe" for some laughs. It's a WWII-era flick, but there is a short before the main film starts, and it's about how to dress and behave at a movie theatre. It's a bit slapstick, and terrible funny... I recommend it! I can't imagine someone bringing in a sloppy sandwich in the 1940's, my how times have changed!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I worked in a movie theater for 6 years during highschool and college. Normally we didn't mind if people brought in "outside food" as long as they were not blatant about it, cleaned it up, etc. When we cleaned up the theater after each show, we would always find chicken bones, beer bottles, fast food containers. But the worse thing to find was a spit cup for chewing tobacco, and half of the time it was fallen over so we had to clean up the whole mess.

I ate the theater popcorn for years and still love it. I never buy sodas or candy, but always popcorn with flavored topping.

Once a really small little boy, probably 7 or 8 years old came in with a giant bag of chips under his t shirt. I could clearly see the outline of the bag of chips, it was so cute. I felt bad telling him that he couldn't bring it in. He left the lobby and came back with his dad who had the chips in his coat and were much less visible.

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  • 4 months later...
I make a point of smuggling snacks into movie theatres.  I take it as a personal challenge and it's become a mission of mine.  Some 'rules' are just made to be broken.  And ridiculous concession prices are only part of my motivation.  Even if I don't foresee being hungry or thirsty, I'll bring in something just for the sport of it.  And when I am in the mood for snacks, the 'official' offerings usually suck anyway.

It's also become a bit of a running gag with my family -- I love to see their reactions when I finally reveal the booty.  Over the past couple of years I've smuggled in Reuben sandwiches, beef jerky, cans of pop, 25-oz bottles of San Pellegrino, string cheese, bags of potato chips, slices of pizza, etc.  I'll never forget the delight on my son's face when I rolled up my pant leg and pulled 2 super-size slim jims out of my sock for us to enjoy . . . yes, they were still wrapped!

=R=

I love it! :laugh::wub:

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