Movie Theater Patron Booted for Refusing to Go to His Assigned Seat

The days of free-for-all movie theater seating is over ... something one man simply couldn't come to terms with in what turned out to be a hilarious meltdown that got him kicked out.

Check out this wild scene showing an older gent getting into a shouting match with cineplex staff ... all because he wouldn't go to his assigned seat, which he claimed was just a spot or two over from where he was in what appears to be a relatively empty screening room.

No word on where this exactly took place, or when ... but based on the video alone, you can tell the dude was not happy about the idea of pre-selected reservations -- and made a huge fuss over it.

The employees amazingly keep their cool in this tense situation -- eventually talking the guy down and convincing him to scram calmly ... even accommodating his request for a refund and a little extra. Indeed, the guy asked for a free drink ... and they said they could do it.

While it felt he was gonna have to get hauled out of there in cuffs, he ended up leaving on his own accord -- with a little help from the audience, which told him he was in the wrong.

Funny enough, he made sure to let everyone know he still felt he was correct in his stance ... saying he was the bigger person here. Finally, he turns to the room and sarcastically says he hopes they enjoy the show.

While it seems pretty cut-and-dried -- theoretically, you SHOULD sit in the seat for the ticket you bought -- some have wondered ... if there were plenty of chairs to spare, what's the big deal if he's in a seat or two over from where he should be??? In other words, who tattled???