History Main / MovieTheaterEpisode

* In the ''WesternAnimation/DennisTheMenace'' episode, "Dennis at the Movies!", Dennis, Joey, and Ruff go to the movie theater to see the ''Cowboy Bob'' movie. While in the theater, Dennis encounters a bully who tries to take Joey's popcorn, and when the bully catches him and Joey, Dennis calls Cowboy Bob for help. Surprisingly, this works, as Cowboy Bob leaves the film screen and tells the bully to leave the theater.

* The ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' cartoon "Cruise Cat" has Tom chase Jerry aboard a luxury cruise ship. The ship has a theater, so the cat and mouse scurry into it, where they stop to watch a clip from the cartoon "Texas Tom", which is an earlier Characters/TomAndJerry short.

** "The Pancake Batter Anomaly" - Leonard skips taking care of a sick Sheldon to attend a ''Film/PlanetOfTheApes'' movie marathon.

If you want your series to have a ShowWithinAShow, one way to achieve this is by having an episode where the characters go to a movie theater. Often, they will go through many mishaps. They may have trouble getting tickets, finding good seats, buying snacks ([[{{Snacksploitation}} or bringing their own]]), and more. They might also have to put up with [[DisruptingTheTheater a very disruptive movie patron]], who does such things as talk during the movie, eat or drink loudly, kick the seat in front of them, or [[TheWorstSeatInTheHouse block the view of the patron behind them]].

This also includes cases where the characters go to a DriveInTheater, where they may have troubles such as finding a place to park.

If you want your series to have a ShowWithinAShow, one way to achieve this is by having an episode where the characters go to a movie theater. Often, they will go through many mishaps. They may have trouble getting tickets, finding good seats, buying snacks ([[{{Snacksploitation}} or bringing their own]]), and more. They might also have to put up with [[DisruptingTheTheater a very disruptive movie patron]], who does such things as talk during the movie, eat or drink loudly, kick the seat in front of them, or block the view of the patron behind them.

If you want your series to have a ShowWithinAShow, one way to achieve this is by having an episode where the characters go to a movie theater. Often, they will go through many mishaps. They may have trouble getting tickets, finding good seats, buying snacks ([[{{Snacksploitation}} or bringing their own]]), and more. They might also have to put up with a very disruptive movie patron, who does such things as talk during the movie, eat or drink loudly, kick the seat in front of them, or block the view of the patron behind them.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' episode "Popcorn Pandemonium", Rocko and Heffer treat Mr. Bighead's big-screen TV like a drive-in. After they inadvertently destroy the TV, they go to another theater, where every movie playing is ''[[Film/LethalWeapon Lethal Odor]] [[SequelSnark IX]]''. Along the way, they try to find a good viewing room, and watch trailers for upcoming movies, including ''The Little Poots'', ''Garbage Strike: The Musical'', and ''Dracula: Done to Death''.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''FanFic/TommyPicklesVsTheTerribleTwos'' is a fanfic set one year after the events of ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}''. In the chapter, "Tommy Talks", the Finster and Deville families take their children, as well as Tommy and Dil to see a ''Goober the Gopher'' movie. Not wanting to see the movie due to his dislike of Goober, Tommy sneaks out to see a ''Reptar'' movie. When Kira finds Tommy, Tommy tells her that he wants to see the ''Reptar'' movie, and when she refuses to let him see it, he throws a tantrum that results in the Finster and Deville families having to leave the theater early.

[[folder:Film]]
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'' is about Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny sneaking into an R-rated movie.

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/{{Weenies}}'': ''The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies'' had a story in which a kid sneaks into a movie theater to watch a horror movie. But when he learns there's a new feature that lets the audience feel the same physical pain as the characters in the movie, he gets more than he bargained for.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ComicStrip/{{Curtis}} and his little brother Barry routinely take in a feature in the neighborhood movie theater. Curtis has a fondness for the horror genre, and a knack for smuggling in foodstuffs unavailable at the concessionary.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Stand-up Comedy]]
* One skit by ''Creators/CheechAndChong'' has their characters Pablo De Paco and Man visit a drive-in theater, while smuggling some extra dudes in the trunk. Being hopeless stoners, nothing about their visit goes smoothly.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Video]]

** "The Solder Excursion" - Leonard and Howard go to a sneak preview of ''Film/SuicideSquad'' when they should be making errands for the girls.

* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': In the WesternAnimation/BugsBunny cartoon "Box Office Bunny", a multiplex is built over Bugs' burrow, and he has to evade usher WesternAnimation/ElmerFudd, who thinks he's sneaked into the theater, along with WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck, who did sneak in.

* One episode of ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' is straightforwardly titled "Movies". Here, Alex Russo makes friends with one of her older brother Justin's friends and tries to get into a theater with them that's showing a horror movie, ''Night of the Halloween Sorority Party Disaster 2'', even though she is too young for it. Tired of being treated young by her parents and Justin, she accidentally uses her magical power to transport herself into the movie itself, forcing Justin to save her.

* Chapter 3 of ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' follow Kaguya and Shirogane as they go to the movies (itself a followup to the events of chapter 1). They end up having a BattleOfWits where they try sit side by side without asking where the other is sitting (and failing miserably). Chapter 2 of spin-off series ''We Want to Talk About Kaguya'' showed the events from [[ShipperOnDeck Karen's]] perspective.

* ''Series/{{The Middle}}'' had an episode where the Hecks realize they've never taken Brick to the movies.
* An episode of ''Series/MrBean'' has him and his girlfriend go to a theatre to watch a horror flick. He brings a big bucket of popcorn only for himself and a rubber knife in attempt to scare his girlfriend. Hijinks ensue when the movie starts, and he ScreamsLikeALittleGirl at every ScareChord. He tries to bail out, but the others watching the movie prevents him from doing so; he tries to cover his head with a sweater, which promptly scares his girlfriend; then he uses the bucket that he emptied from the constant shaking, which succeeds from scaring him out while his girlfriend and the others did so. After the movie, both he and his girlfriend were scared out of their wits when he thought that there was no hand from her jacket.
* On one episode of ''Series/That70sShow'', the gang to a drive-in on the last night before it closes.

* The B-Plot of the ''Series/GoodLuckCharlie'' episode, "Blankie Go Bye-Bye" involves Gabe taking Bob and Amy to the movie theater to see ''Star Exploders 2: Kickin' Asteroids'' for their anniversary while Teddy and P.J. throw them a Moroccan feast and Teddy searches for Charlie's missing blanket. Gabe and Bob are more interested in seeing ''Star Exploders 2'', while Amy is more interested in seeing ''The Willow Weeps Tomorrow''.
* Episode 991 of ''Series/BaalVeer'' is about Manav, Meher, and Ballu going to a movie theater to watch ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBirdsMovie''. The Angry Birds help Baal Veer to deal with Tauba-Tauba when he brings them into the real world.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "[[Recap/RugratsS1E3AtTheMoviesSlumberParty At the Movies]]", the parents take the kids to see ''The Dummi Bears in the Land Without Smiles''. While the adults are engaged in the movie (save for Grandpa, [[PeripheryHatedom who hates the movie's]] [[TastesLikeDiabetes saccharine tone]]), the babies wander off to see a ''Reptar'' movie, making a mess of the snack bar and the projection room along the way.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' episode "Popcorn Pandemonium", Rocko and Heffer treat Mr. Bighead's big-screen TV like a drive-in. After they inadvertently destroy the TV, they go to another theater, where every movie playing is ''[[Film/LethalWeapon Lethal Odor]] [[SequelSnark IX]]''. Along the way, they try to find a good viewing room, and watch trailers for upcoming movies, including ''The Little Poots'', ''Garbage Strike: The Musical'', and ''Dracula: Done to Death''.
* ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'' had "Shush Ninjas", where the bears go to a movie theater and end up getting tasked to keep the audience in each room quiet.

* At the start of "Wash and Werewolf", the second-season opener of ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleRascals'', the boys have dragged Darla to a 3D horror film, even though she wanted to watch a romantic film at a different theater. After they take their seats, Alfalfa plays a prank that scares Darla badly enough that she leaves the theater before the feature begins. During the movie, Alfalfa remarks that it seems so real that he actually feels wet. Spanky replies that it's because Alfalfa spilled his soda in his lap.
* In the WesternAnimation/BugsBunny cartoon "Box Office Bunny", a multiplex is built over Bugs' burrow, and he has to evade usher WesternAnimation/ElmerFudd, who thinks he's sneaked into the theater, along with WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck, who did sneak in.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatiansTheSeries'' episode "Film Fatale", the main pups want to go see the [[ShowWithinAShow Thunderbolt]] movie at Cruella's movie theater, the Cruellaplex, but can't because the theater won't allow dogs. As a result, they try to sneak into the movie theater without Cruella or her henchmen finding them.
* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/JeanLucAndDondoozat'', the two are watching a movie, and Dondoozat is making a lot of noise eating his movie snack, much to Jean-Luc's annoyance. [[spoiler: It turns out to be [[AllJustADream a dream Dondoozat was having]]. He [[CatapultNightmare woke up screaming]] from Jean-Luc hitting him.]]
* WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls go to a theater to watch a silent movie and wind up getting involved within it in "Silent Treatment."
* Scrappy Mouse goes to a theater to watch vintage Terrytoons ''WesternAnimation/MightyMouse'' cartoons in the 1988 Bakshi episode "Scrappy's Playhouse." His constant commentary becomes very disruptive to another young patron.