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Please stop with the clapping... (1 Viewer)

Britton

Screenwriter
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Jun 3, 2001
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I'll go along with this as long as I still get to laugh out loud at unintentionally funny parts of a movie like the final line of The Order.
 

Chris Farmer

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Aug 23, 2002
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Fellowship of the Ring also had a great clapping moment towards the end.

Lurtz getting beheaded brought down the house when I saw it opening night
 

Richard Kim

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I agree. People went nuts during the Yoda vs Dooku duel in the priemere of Attack of the Clones. Absolutely electric, especially when he finally whips out his lightsaber. The most applause I've ever heard in a movie theater. Also people applauded wildly at the end of every fight in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
 

Malcolm R

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I think there's a difference between responding to an engaging film naturally versus pretending that you're in your own personal episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000." If people are attempting to "entertain," and compete with the film on the screen, it's disrespectful and irritating. But laughter, screams, or some applause at an appropriate rousing moment, is entirely appropriate, IMO.

That said, this behavior is the main reason why I cannot watch "Emeril Live" on Food Network. All the stupid numbnuts in the audience who think they have to applaud every "BAM!" or hoot and holler everytime he adds an alcoholic beverage to his recipe. F-ing cretins. :angry:
 

Johnny Angell

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Boy, do I agree with you. However, I would blame the show's producers for that problem not the audience. They probably encourage that behavior, and if they didn't want it, they could stop it.
 

Joel C

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Generally I like to hear an audience react to a film, as long as it's working for me, too.

So everyone cheering when Jodie smacks the guy in the face with the hammer in Panic Room? Good.

The weird adults clapping in the nearly empty midnight screening of the first Harry Potter, following the Quidditch match? Made me feel extra lame for staying up to see it instead of waiting to go the next day with friends.
 

Ray Chuang

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When it came to people clapping in the theater, I remember vividly how the crowd cheered loudly during the showing of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at the following points:

1. When Gandalf knocked out Lord Denethor with his staff and took over the defenses of Minas Tirith.

2. When Eowyn slew the Fell Beast and then slew the Lord of the Nazgul. :emoji_thumbsup: (The whole place erupted when that happened. :D )

3. When Legolas brought down that Oliphant.

4. After Frodo returns from Mount Doom, the scenes of Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn and Samwise entering the room.

5. When King Elessar (neé Aragorn) embraces Arwen.

6. When everyone at Minas Tirith bowed in front of the hobbits.

7. The end of the film.

I saw the film again three days later and the reaction was pretty much the same. :)
 

Joel C

Screenwriter
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Oct 23, 1999
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Ray-

#4 on your list has always oddly elicited loud retching around these parts. And by "these parts" I mean, basically, me. ;)

My brother and I refer to it as the pillow fight scene.
 

Joe Karlosi

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Clap away! That's part of the experience of going to the movies with an appreciative audience. Some of the greatest times I've had seeing movies in theaters were when the audience responded properly, and either laughed, applauded, or screamed in all the right places.
 

Kevin M

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One of my favorite "applause" moments was back in 1980 during The Empire Strikes Back when ,after Luke cut's into the belly of the walker and tossed in an explosive, the walkers head exploded and it fell over.....the place when nuts! I loved that, felt great to know everyone around me was as exhilarated at that moment as I was. :emoji_thumbsup:
 

Beau

Supporting Actor
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Jan 24, 2002
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I HATE audience reaction at movies. It's every bit as annoying as cell phones, talking people, crying babies, etc. I don't go to the theaters so I can hear other people yelling and screaming. I like the isolation of theaters so the movie can suck me in and block out the rest of the world; a dark open space, with a big freaking screen in front of me does the trick perfectly (I usually sit in the first 5-10 rows). Watching a movie at home can be dangerous with interuptions from family, the phone ringing, or noise from outside, even, if something is loud enough. Nothing beats watching great films at the theater. And luckily for me, the audiences I'm with usually remain pretty quite whenever I go. I have a great movie experience 95% of the time. Even on the few occasions when I see a movie on opening night the experience isn't nearly as bad as I expect it to be. Though, I guess the AK-47 I have slung around my back may have something to do with it.
 

Mike Brogan

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Sep 12, 2002
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So I re-read my initial post from yesterday and thought; 'wow, what a bitter prick'! So let me apologize for going a tad overboard and explain what lead me write it in the first place.
The other night I saw King Kong and loved it. It's one of those films that I was happy to see on the big screen with an audience that laughed, cried, gasped, and some times checked their watches at. Don't get me wrong I actually enjoy the communal experience and audience reactions that a theater inspires. Showing emotion at a film is a good thing; participating in it, not so much.
So anyway, at said show there's one guy a few rows behind me who decides that he's going to be the audience cheerleader. Maybe if there were 20 people clapping it wouldn't have been so bad. But one guy all by his lonesome felt the need to clap and yell out "yeahs! and alrights" any time Kong was on the screen. Don't be "that guy". I hate "that" guy.
Also I guess I don't mind as much at the end of a show, or even at the beginning of a highly anticipated one. It just seems silly during the actual show and I'd rather not hear it when I'm trying to immerse myself into whatever is happening on the screen. And where does it stop? If it's alright to clap, is it alright to standup and give your friends hi-fives? Is it alright to yell for an encore? Is it alright to whistle and throw streamers? I just don't get it.
And don't get me started with people that clap at their TV during sporting events or the guy at a concert that decides he's going to be the only person to standup and sing along with every frickin' song.
 

MichaelBA

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Oct 19, 2005
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Mike, how come I didn't see you at the last meeting of The Bitter Prick Society?:D

Don't apologize for nuthin'!

HTF is only fun when members let go...!
 

Mike Brogan

Second Unit
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Sep 12, 2002
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275

Now that's a great idea. The only place you can go and not have to hear happy people and their damn clapping! We just sit around with our arms folded whilst complaining about everyone else.
Thanks.
 

MichaelBA

Supporting Actor
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Oct 19, 2005
Messages
747
And we bitter pricks also complain why nobody ever gives us a nice round of applause for not applauding.

I saw NARNIA the other day and some douche was laughing out loud at every moment where a character was either hurt or sad or in danger. And Aslan being killed was especially giggle-inducing, with lots of follow-up commentary in a mumbled foreign language. It made a not so good movie even worse.:frowning:
 

Colin Jacobson

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Is Bitter Prick Society a sequel to Dead Poet's Society where we discover all those kids grew up and had miserable lives?
 

Michael Reuben

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For all the ribbing you've taken, I think you do have a point. As some people here already know, I attend a lot of live performances, and audience reaction at those is an essential part of a two-way communication. Stage actors routinely cite the immediate feedback from an audience as one of the allures of performing live.

In a movie, audience reaction isn't so much about communication as self-expression. And that quickly turns into self-indulgence, as many threads here about rude movie audiences can attest.

M.
 

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