Random Movie Theater Secrets You Probably Haven't Thought About (12 items)

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  (#1) An Alarming Amount Of Moms Leave Dirty Diapers Under the Seats

  Apparently, some moms are so into getting their money's worth out of kid's movies that they aren't even up for taking their little ones to the bathroom for a diaper change. Instead, they just throw dirty diapers under the movie seat.

  Please don't do this.
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  (#2) In Korea, Dried Cuttlefish Is Often Served With Popcorn

  Unfortunately, we were unable to find any cuttlefish combos being offered in American theaters to date. Bust out the purses ladies, you're just gonna have to smuggle in your own.
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  (#3) Popcorn Skyrocketed To Its Current Popularity During WWII

  Ever wonder why we so closely associate popcorn with watching movies? It was actually a tradition ingrained into our culture during WWII - when sugar rations made candy hard to come by. Although popcorn had always been around, and was actually sold in movie theaters before you could even see feature films, it was cemented as a go-to movie snack during the conflict.
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  (#4) Theater Employees Used To Play Xbox On The Big Screen After Hours

  Although it's apparently a lot harder to set up these days, due to evolving movie theater technology, cinema employers reportedly have used their off time to play X-Box. Playing Halo on the big screen is probably just as rad as it sounds.
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  (#5) Movie Seats Didn't Have Cup Holders Until 1981

  Innovation has always been a funny thing. Leave it to the nation that figured out how to put a man on the Moon before we thought of putting wheels on suitcases. The US also introduced air-conditioned cinemas nearly 60 years before movie theaters that offered cup holders. (That's right, AC in theaters is a 1920s thing. The more you know.)

  The first cup holders didn't make it into cinemas until AMC Theaters introduced them in 1981. What, I have to just hold this soda?!
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  (#6) Americans Eat 14 Billion Quarts Of Popcorn Every Year 

  According to Popcorn.com and the Popcorn Institute (yes, that's a thing, too) - Americans chow down on approximately 14 billion quarts of popcorn per year. That's about 43 quarters per person each year.
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  (#7) There's A Right And Wrong Way To Sneak Into An R-Rated Movie If You're Underage

  While many movie theater employees admit that they don't really care if an underage kid wants to see an R-rated movie, they are a lot more likely to be cool about it if you don't risk getting them in trouble. Rather than try to present a ticket-seller with your dad's I.D. while his manager hovers nearby, just buy a ticket for another movie that plays around the same time and take a seat for the movie you really want to see instead.

  Also, if you're really serious, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has devised a 5-point guide on how teens can get into those coveted R-rated flicks.
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  (#8) Noise Levels In Theaters Can Border On The Dangerous

  According to the American Hearing Research Foundation, the noise levels in certain theaters can be loud enough to risk contributing to hearing loss, especially in theaters playing action movies. Some of these films, they say, can leave your ears feeling as stunned as if they'd just sat through a super loud rock concert. 
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  (#9) The Cost Of Digital Projectors Has Driven Some Smaller Theaters Out Of Business

  While the rise of digital filmmaking has made movies cheaper to produce, the projectors a theater needs to play them can be super expensive. As more and more movies are shot digitally, some smaller theaters have been forced out of business, as they can't afford the projection equipment to play them.
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  (#10) Some Theaters Are Experimenting With Offering Alcohol

  Some theaters chains are now offering 21 and up showings, complete with a full bar. The experience can be a lot of fun as long as you're watching something like The Hangover, but can go downhill pretty quick if you find yourself sipping along to a screening of Flight.
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  (#11) You'll Straight Up Get Arrested For Trying To Record A Movie

  While movie theater employees are generally pretty chill about most things, there are a few big no-nos, piracy being chief among them. This is one of the few instances where the theater will actually call the cops and quite possibly have you apprehended.

  Up until recently, the MPAA even gave theaters a $500 reward for foiling the attempts of anyone trying to record a movie.
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  (#12) Most Movie Theaters Make More Money From Concessions Than From Ticket Sales

  While it may seem out there, movie theaters don't make a huge amount of money off of the movies themselves, at least for the first month or two that they play. During that time, most of the profits from ticket sales go to the studio that distributed the movie. The theater only starts to take in a bigger chunk of the proceeds when the film has been out for around three months or so. This is why some of them continue to play popular movies, even after they've been out for months. 

  Theaters like AMC are helping to keep their profits high by charging more for popcorn, soda, and all that candy that you love so much.

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