Moviegoers were left “choking and crying” after unruly teenagers set off a fire extinguisher inside a cinema in Melbourne’s east.

Melbourne mother Mel told 3AW her kids were left “terrified” after teenagers pulled the pin on a fire extinguisher inside a dark cinema.

“It scared a lot of children, a lot of grandparents,” Mel told hosts Mark Allen and Jimmy Bartel.

“You couldn’t breathe, you couldn’t swallow, the kids were choking, my kids were crying, their eyes were burning.”

Footage of the fire extinguisher incident was also shared on TikTok.

Mel said Hoyts checked the bags of some moviegoers and confiscated items such as flour and toilet paper.

She claimed several teenagers later snuck out to grab the fire extinguisher mid-film.

“I don’t know where they got it from,” Mel said. 

“And then, bang. We were completely doused in it.”

Hoyts staff moved the innocent attendees to another room where they continued playing the film.

Usually, fans respond to a scene titled ‘Chicken Jockey’ by throwing popcorn, clapping and screaming.

This has become a viral trend on social media, filled with videos of overblown reactions to the popular Jack Black film.

Another mother of a Hoyts employee told 3AW her son had been a regular witness to this disruptive behaviour.

“Everyday he comes home with a new story about what kids have smuggled in their bags to try and throw at the screen,” Helen* said.

“Yesterday there was roast chicken, some flour.. They’ve got longer shifts and more cleaning to do.”

Helen said workers have been asked to check bags before people enter the cinema for A Minecraft Movie.

“They’re not security guards, they’re 15 and 16-year-olds, and this is their part-time job,” she added.

9news.com.au has contacted Hoyts for comment.