Thanks for the earplug recommendation—just purchased! I have to bring earplugs to the movies now. Maybe it's me, but the audio in some movies is so absurdly loud that I want to just get up and walk out.
I second the Etymotic's earplugs suggestion. They are really great to have and pretty inexpensive. For around $20 you can get hearing protection that is great for cutting the grass, going to concerts, or just getting some peace and quiet around the house. Plus they're not the cheap disposable kind, so it's not a recurring purchase. You can just toss them in the carrying case and take them where you need them.
I just bought some earplugs for that same reason (In the DnD movie I was like "That's it, I need to get earplugs"). The ones I'm trying are not supposed to block noise necessarily, just dampen and take the harshness out of the sound. Going to take them to the next movie or bar I go to and see if it makes it more manageable, because my ears can't really take the noise anymore.