Dinner and a movie is a social staple that can be experienced all over the world, where friends meet for a meal then watch a movie, or vice versa. Cinemas in the UAE, however, have embarked on a variation in which these two events occur simultaneously so patrons are served food while the movie is playing.
But as Arts & Life reviewer Rebecca McLaughlin-Duane discovered while trying Vox Gold Cinema's movie and food night, eating in the dark is not easy. She and her companion ended up aggravating those around them by having to resort to using cellphones to illuminate what they were eating. And then there is the prospect of the waiting staff interrupting the movie while bringing each course and clearing away the empty plates.
For the thousands who concurred with The National's columnist Fatima Al Shamsi's recent eloquent tirade against the blight of disruptive movie audiences in the UAE, this could make going to the cinema seem an even more taxing experience than usual.
But there are also options for those who crave an even more boisterous cinema encounter. Boy band One Direction's latest movie, Where We Are, debuts tomorrow. Expect legions of screaming teens, making the average UAE cinema experience seem like attending a meditation class.