I'm a huge fan. You have carried almost every movie I've wanted to see in the last two years. A-List may be the best iteration of MoviePass we'll ever see. Your reclining chairs are like thrones compared to what used to be the norm.
I go to my local AMC 2-3 times a week, and I generally buy a second ticket and concessions. I know I'm not your biggest customer in the world, but I'm certainly in a top percentile of visitors to your fine establishment. But despite all of this, I must say I've been terribly disappointed during my last handful visits.
You know how after the previews there's a clip about movie etiquette? Don't talk, don't text, don't post, etc. After that we watch people like us, sitting in the theatre, holding hands or drinking a soda. There's a guy who has popcorn. He's munching on it until he is suddenly startled. He jumps and throws his popcorn! Or he did, anyway.
The popcorn throw takes corporate stock footage from bland to entertaining, and portrays the human element of a theatre visit. We see a man unafraid to bare his emotions in right there in his cinema seat. What startled him so much in the film that he was watching, that made him react so physically? Is that what I can expect from my moviegoing experience? Well now what can I expect without seeing a grown man throw popcorn all over himself? The brave inhibition of the actor has been cut from the footage, and my patience for sitting through previews has left along with it.
The brief moment of joy this second of film brought me is only matched by the depths to which my heart sinks when I don't see it happen. How much longer will this go on? How long, AMC? Will you forget him forever? How long will you hide his popcorn throwing from us?
AMC, I implore you; bring back the popcorn throw.
Short of that, I'll take some free food or something.
Jacob is a film critic, and co-host of the podcast Three Guys One Movie.
How Bad Is The Happytime Murders?