How Many of You Don't go to Commercial Theaters Anymore? (1 Viewer)

[Aaron Garman]

Hello all. After reading this thread, I've thought of a couple things to say. First of all, YOU PEOPLE COMPLAIN TOO MUCH! Now I mean not to start a war here, but come on. Honestly, a movie theater is a place that brings together many people and many different types of people. Can you expect perfection everytime you visit one? I still think a movie theater is the best place to see a movie for various reasons. First, it was meant to be seen on that huge screen, in great sound, and with many people. Film-going has a very community like feel to it. I actually prefer to see a film opening weekend because of the excitement of going with a huge crowd. I ask this question: is it more fun to see a baseball, basketball, football, or whatever your fancy is in an empty stadium or in a packed stadium with huge fans?

AJ Garman

 

[Alex Spindler]

I kind of disagree on that point. You can have an exceptional communal experience without having people talking in a theater. I find this happens during most of the really good films, most recently during LotR and Black Hawk Down. Whether its as outgoing as clapping and cheering when Lurtz loses his head to the subtle gasp when Boromir falls, it can be a most satisfying addition to an already great film.

On a technical note, attending a theater chain like AMC has provided me with generally good theatrical experiences. With only a comparitively few number of audio and visual missteps, they've been consistently good. Their theater design also helps to keep the cattle car effect at bay.

I love HT, but I also love the theater experience. I don't know if it's representative of the community that attends my theaters, or my choice of times, but more often than not, I have a wonderful time at the theater.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Hey! I fully advocate widescreen, I have a 58" 16x9 Pioneer. As to "director's intent" you seem to have a problem with my pausing or reviewing scenes etc. That's fine for you, but I can think of it more as reading a book, something rarely done in one sitting. As long as I am following along and everything tracks for me, I get it. Don't get me wrong, I really try to keep the breaks to a minimum. But it's much better to have the option than being forced to run out to the bathroom and miss a couple minutes of the movie.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Hey! I fully advocate widescreen, I have a 58" 16x9 Pioneer. As to "director's intent" you seem to have a problem with my pausing or reviewing scenes etc. That's fine for you, but I can think of it more as reading a book, something rarely done in one sitting.

And this is apparently said without irony. Apparently some forms of messing with a movie's presentation (pacing) aren't as sacrosanct as others (framing).

 

[Norm Lalonde]

I for one have lost interest in going to the theaters. I have a very good home theater that in my opinion is better in every way (except for size) than a commercial theater.

The last three movies that I went to see are The Matrix, Star Wars Ep1, and X-Men, and I was so disappointed with sight and sound than I haven't seen another since.

Although I am considering going to see Spider-Man and Star Wars Ep2 in May here in town since they've built a new Galaxy theater. I may give it one chance to impress me. If they don't, I'll most likely never go again.

Norm

 

[NathanP]

I'm totally with the people who support HT's.

Last time I went to the movies:

Saw LOTR, great movie.

Thing is I showed 40 minutes early and there were ony 10 or so seats left all in the very back or in the very front.

Same thing happened when I saw Behind Enemy Lines a couple a week earlier.

So, what does bad seating mean? terrible "surroundege" I heard only the fronts, it was like I was sitting behind the surrounds.

And the subwoofers were so freakin distorted it sounded just like sitting behing Uncle Freddy (600lbs) after a bean burrito.

And all these teenagers making out!

There is no better place to make out then an HT, never in a movie theater.

Money:

I'd rather spend my cash on an HT. Spending money going to a movie theater is totally against what I believe when all I do is live for my HT.

Nathan

 

[JasonKrol]

funny..my wife and I were just discussing this topic. For the average trip of a couple to goto the movies being around the 30.00 price range...id rather just buy it on DVD and watch it as many times as I want.

and I basically dispise the theater experience..i hate all of the loud obnoxious people, the uncomfortable seating..sticky floors..smell..loud obnoxious people..

whining yes..but Im more than glad I spent the investment in my HT. Its probably already paid for itself since the last movie I went to see was Fast and the Furious..and I cant really recall the sound/picture being that much better than my HT (Not that im bragging about my ht, at any means, just that I wasnt that much more impressed with the theater)

 

[John Tuttle]

After going to see Black Hawk Down this past Sunday I had this same conversation with my cousin. We went from my house to the theater and both looked at each other after about 15 minutes of the film. After looking back on how bad the sound quality was and obvious problems with the film, I realized that I need to go to a newer theater.

I will probably go see BHD again in a newer theater, but as of right now my opinion on commerical theaters is not grand. This week I am searching and asking people what theater they like to go to and why. I do believe I just picked the wrong theater to watch a film in. I will never make that mistake again.

 

[Derrick_Ellis]

I still go to the theaters, but not nearly as much as I used to. Rising prices (but not a rise in quality), and rude people keep me from the theaters. A couple of a examples come to mind. A friend and I wanted to see 'The Glass House' when it was in theaters. We sat through the first 10 minutes of the movie before walking out. The reason being was because of several groups of loud abnouxious teenagers ruining the film. (Which they should not have been in anyway since it's an R film. I know, I know, that's a different topic.) We promptly left and told the management. Another instance was with the same friend. I forgot which movie we watched, but there were four teenage girls, and one guy from what I can remember to our left. The group was pretty much conversing like they were at home, while the movie was playing. A very stern "I didn't pay $20.00 to hear you guys talk through the movie..." from me was enough to shut them up. But the fact that I had to do it at all bothered me. Now something built out of need for adults to see movies in an adult environment has been built by my house. It's called Premium Cinema and so far there are only two of them that I know of. (Chicago burbs, and Boston) The price is twice the amount of most movie tickets, but it's something that I plan on doing very soon. (It reminds me of how I would like my home theater to be one day.) You can check it out at here.

 

[Ted Lee]

hmmm...basically, imo, it's a toss-up.
advantages
i love going to a theater and seeing the movie on the big-screen. you still cannot beat the picture and sound, especially in a well calibrated theater. as soon as i hear the thx/dts/dd trailer, i'll know if i'm going to enjoy the sound. and it's kind of fun to be there with other people...it can be fun if you're in the right crowd.
disadvantages
do i even need to say it? stupid people talking, cell-phones ringing, baby's crying (who would bring a baby to see a movie...just doesn't make sense), pagers going off, people kicking the back of my chair, etc.
overall, i'd have to say the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, but if i really want to see the movie, i'll take the plunge. i try to select seating next to people who look normal, but that's a crap-shoot if i ever heard of one.

 

[RAF]

I find it ironic that a major reason being used in this thread for going to the theater is the "communal experience" while we have a 3+ page thread about people talking in theaters. You can't have it both ways. The communal experience requires that people talk and interact with the movie and each other. If everyone just sat and watched the movie in silence then its like no one else is really there.

Chuck,
You misunderstood what I was saying. The "communal experience" that I was talking about has absolutely nothing to do with people talking during the movie. (This rude practice I abhor as I trust most of you do.) Neither does it have anything to do with watching the movie in total silence. I was referring specifically to the communal reaction to what's going on up on the screen in a "civilized" way. The laughter, the common gasps at an exciting point, the emotion felt during a tear-jerking scene. Granted, a lot of these "communal experiences" are out of the control of the patron and, I feel, this is one of the reasons why many people now eschew commercial theaters when there are other alternatives.
And, on a completely different matter (and not directed at Chuck), some people answering this thread need to lighten up a little. Much of what is being discussed is either subjective (as to which is the better experience) or is something that when measured clinically produces data that just doesn't hold up in real world situations. Let everyone have their own opinions without others challenging the veracity of their statements. You may disagree with another member's opinion and state your own reasons for this, but making blanket statements that sometimes border on personal attacks is not to be tolerated here.
We can agree to disagree as long as we don't start taking pot shots. I believe my posts in this thread explain my position on the issues raised here and I stand by them. Since there is such a wide variance in the format and capabilities of the HT's here on the HTF I would also expect differing opinions as well. That makes a lot of sense and should also make for some lively discussion.
Obviously, everyone has their own answer to the original question, and there is no one absolute answer. It all depends on what's available to each person involved.

 

[Shad R]

Well, my modest home theater sure SOUNDS better than the local theaters around here (Greeley colorado). Even ones in Loveland don't sound as good as mine. In fact, I saw Orange County, and my friend turned to me and said "you should offer to bring your sub" There was also huge lack of bass during Rush Hour 2. When I HAVE to see a film, I will travel an hour to see it at the Continental or Colroado Center(on the IMAX). And, I have friends in Denver that I stay with. NOTHING, in my opinion, can beat a huge screen(the continental's screen is like 4 stories tall!)

 

[Jeff Koch]

We seem to have come full circle here. Back in 1952, television was the rage and more and more people stayed away from movie theaters. The studios had to come up with something to get people back into theaters, something that could compete against television. CINERAMA exploded on the screen in all it's three panel, 146 degree, seven channel stereophonic glory. Then came 3-D, CinemaScope and a host of other processes. Now the competition is coming from home theaters. The studios are going to have to come up with something that simply cannot be duplicated in the home. Cinerama made a bit of a comeback in a few theaters such as Dayton and Seattle. Now the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles is being retro-fitted with the three projector process for presentation of three panel films in the future. I can't wait to see these films in the original Cinerama process. It's going to take new technology to compete with home theaters. Hollywood, you're back where you were in 1952. Time for some drastic new movie going innovations!
Jeff

 

[Chuck Anstey]

RAF,

My point about the communal experience is there are many memebers here who think that watching a movie in total silence is the only way to watch (remember those "I had friends over..." threads). Plus a few think that chapter stops or pausing a movie for a potty break are against the "director's intent". The disdain for those statements are basically non-existent but there is quite a bit of backlash for those of us who choose to stay home and avoid "the public". Personally I do not like to watch a movie by myself and almost always watch with my wife. And for those mindless action/chick-flick movies, a little audience commentary is fun.

I have been trying to find research into the resolution of film and it has led me to believe that the practical resolution of 35mm release prints to all but the specialty theaters is closer to 1200x700. This takes into account that it is in color (75% loss of total "pixels" over B/W), matting, soft-focus, motion, 24fps as opposed to a still camera for long exposure, 2 generations away from the original, etc. From an anecdotal point, whenever I see true HDTV on a set capable of displaying around half of the resolution I recognize it immediately and am very impressed. When I saw X-men and LOTR in a THX theater I thought "nice transfer". Plus those who have seen digital projection at theaters were watching 1280x1024 and they weren't complaining "Where did all the resolution go?"

Chuck Anstey

 

[Damin J Toell]

i find it a bit humorous how, when discussions like this happen, some people include the price of popcorn & soda in the theater price and with the same breath leave out the cost of A/V equipment in the home price.

DJ

 

[Daniel Schenk]

I still go to the movies but not as much as i used too. When movies like Moulin Rouge or Princess Diaries are released on DVD (RC 1) before they even hit the big screen it`s easy to just buy the DVD and forget about the theater. Sure this doesn`t happen in the States but here in Europe it`s always an important point.

 

[Duncan Harvey]

Maybe this is a cultural thing, but when I’ve been to the cinema in the US, I have been shocked at the “noise” in the cinema. There’s the talking and phone calls of course, but mainly it’s the “dialogue” that people have with the films. My wife and I walked out of a screening of Scream 3 in Washington DC as we were appalled by this – ie people screaming, shouting “don’t open the door” etc. If this is the communal aspect of watching a film, then frankly you can keep it.

In the UK we tend to be a lot more reserved when it comes to watching a film. But even over here, I just cant see myself going to the cinema much anymore. I know this doesn’t sound very good, but I’m just no longer willing to risk having my enjoyment of a film spoiled by “the rabble” that you generally get in a cinema.

Add the transport costs and general hassle and it becomes a much better prospect to wait for the DVD (usually R1 which sometimes co-incides with, or pre-empts the UK cinematic release).

I’ve got quite a good system – 56 inch 16:9 TV and a high quality player and amp, so for me I’ll stick to my home cinema.

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

Working in the film industry, I see at least one movie a week in the theaters (tax-deductible, too, thank God) and a bunch of screenings. In L.A, I know which are the good theaters and which aren't and complain when things are bad-- fortunately, I'm lucky enough to live near The Bridge, the new complex near LAX, which has almost uniformly wonderul sound and picture-- Black Hawk Down was amazing there.

But visiting my folks in Toledo is another story. While Lord of The Rings exceeded my modest expectations for the theater we were in (except for the morons who brought their 1-year-old to the theater-- naturally the kid started crying), taking my Mom to Amelie was a mess. She didn't seem to notice, but the projector bulb was dim and occasionally we could hear the sound from the theater adjacent to us.

Glad to hear that the new Mann complex at Hollywood-and-Highland is good, though. Anything has to beat the crappy Galaxy! And while I don't make it to the Valley that often, the new Pacific Theaters complex in Sherman Oaks is amazing-- we went to the employee screening of Lord of the Rings and the sound was stunningly detailed and powerful.

 

[Terrell]

No movie coming out this year warrents going out to the theater, but most will make great DVD purchases.

Good Lord Ron. This year is absolutely loaded with films that were made for the big screen.
Star Wars: AOTC
Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets
Lord of the rings: TTT
Spiderman
Men in Black 2
And those are just the really big ones I can think of. I thought this place was full of movie and film fans. How can you not enjoy the cinema? Sure, every little thing is not gonna be flawless, but c'mon. By the way Ron, these comments are not solely directed at you.

 

[Frank]

I will go to a commercial theater if it's an IMAX-3D, otherwise forget it.

When I buy a DVD movie to watch on my home theater screen, I prefer not to have seen it before. It's more enjoyable the first time obviously.

Frank