I can't stand theaters.... (1 Viewer)

[Ernest Rister]

Yup. Same thing with Star Wars. If you've never heard a deafening roar from the audience when the Death Star exploded, you've never experienced Star Wars.

 

[BarryRR]

I agree with how great a group experience in a big theater can be when seeing a film, classic or not--but it's like bottling lightning. I saw SNOW WHITE twice in theaters over the years and the audience just wasn't an inspired lot, but I liked the film anyway--and since getting it on DVD I have really immersed myself into it. One can hope and depend on an electrifying theater experience, but to me it's usually the exception. I was wildly surprised though when I saw THE OTHERS--a quiet, spooky film that had teens in the audience. I expected the worst from them but it proved a wonderful showing! The simplest effects created delighted screams. Also, during TITANIC three teenage girls behind me delivered hilarious commentary among themselves during the film--ordinarily I'd be annoyed but they actually enhanced the movie (when old Rose held jewelry out over the water, one said "If she drops it I'll hate this movie!"). If the audience is >with< the movie, I don't care how raucous it can be. That's what half the fun is.

 

[Holadem]

Heck, back in my college days in NYC (OK OK, that was only 3+ years ago), I even enjoyed waiting in line before the movie. That's how much I loved the crowd. Most of the time, they enhanced the movie so much that months later when they were released, I often found comedies and action movies, less appealing at home.

Aahh... Memories...

--
H

 

[Kevin Grey]

Guys I don't think anyone in this thread is arguing that the theatrical experience is inferior to the home experience given ideal conditions for both. People are complaining about rude people who do things in the theater that have nothing to do with what's happening on screen. These things specifically take away from that electric feeling everyone is talking about. How does listening some guy jabber into his cell phone help me experience Star Wars better?

 

[Ernest Rister]

No sane person would risk their own well-being by keeping a cel phone on during the opening weeks of a Star Wars movie.

 

[RyanAn]

First of all, Thumbs Up for the Summer School poster! I had a couiple in Troy that were really drunk. "loud whispers."

Ryan

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Hey Dennis,

I was at the Ziegfeld in 1997 for all 3 Star Wars SE midnight showings-that was an excellent time indeed. I loved that the seats were assigned too although I still waited in line with everyone else along 6th Ave. Those viewings are what opened my eyes to widescreen and OAR since it was the first time I had see the films in OAR since I was a kid.

 

[Sebastien S]

I have no problems with people cheering or laughing at the apropriate times. However, I do have a problem with people talking/yelling at the characters on the big screen like they can actually hear you...

I remember going to see "Star Trek: First Contact" on opening night, first representation (looking back now, I guess I was really asking for it!)...

I guess all the "die hard" ST fans came out that night too. The movie starts and right away this loud mouth starts to interact with the characters on the screen. The characters would say or do something and he would yell out (loud enough for everyone in the theatre to hear his coments) a response... Like:

"Yeah! You go Data, you da man! Yeah, wooooo"

His buddies soon joined in and did this for the ENTIRE movie!!! It was like having a really bad and anoying "comentairy track".

Here's a recent experience:

I live in Canada right next to the boarder between the provinces of Quebec & Ontario. Because of this, the population is pretty well mixed (half French speaking, the other half English speaking)... Some like myself are fully bilingual and speak both, but most people here in this perticular region are just too dumb or lazy to speak two languages... Heaven forbid they should actually speak both languages!

Anyway, theatres here adapt and will usually have 3 of the same recent movie. 2 in English and 1 in French, to satisfy everyone.

Recently, I went to see "TROY" (in English) about a week after it opened. It was a Monday evening, about 8:20 PM.

As the movie starts, this guy and his girlfriend (French Canadian couple) sit down next to me... The girl was the one right next to me. Now keep in mind that they are showing this movie in French as well. I guess the guy spoke or understood English and didn't want to see the movie dubbed in French... Which I totaly undertsand. However, the problem was that his girlfriend did not speak or undertsand a single word of English! Durring the entire movie, she kept turning to him and asking:

"What did he say"? "What did she say"? "What's going on"? "Why is he/she/they doing that"?

She also kept comenting on how "fine" Brad Pitt looked right up until (in the movie) he slaps a woman to calm her down (I think?) and then she spent the next 35 min. bitching about how Brad Pitt was the scum of the earth and that "someone" should really teach him a lesson... With a bat, crowbar or preferably, a chainsaw! NO JOKE!!!

After the movie, I just felt sorry for her boyfriend...

As a teenager, I remember going to see both the first "Batman" and "Jurrasic Park" movies. Both times I lucked out and this woman in her mid to late 20's came to the movie with about 8 or 9 children ALL in ages of 5 or 6 years old (no older)!

Now I have nothing against children and undertsand that kids will be kids but really... Children that age have no buisiness seeing either of those movies. Forget about the violence for a sec. at 5 years of age you just don't undertsand the dialogue and full plot of the movie... 5 year olds don't get that the "Joker" used to be a mobster and that his boss tried to have him killed because he was sleeping with his girlfriend...

The kids were all board because "Batman" wasn't on the screen often enough and as a result, they raised hell! (x8 or 9)

And even though I watched many horror/killer and slasher movies in my youth (age 10 and up) and it never bothered me, if I had seen JP at the age of 6... I would have had nightmares! Not to mention that I'm sure children that age REALLY understood the full concept of "cloning"!

Oh, and this wasn't a case of "We have no baby sitter"... This was one woman taking her kids and her kids friends to see a movie.

I don't blame the children in this case but the parents! They need to exercise "good judgement" and "common sense" in these cases and know which movies are appropriate for children, and which ones are not.

 

[Nathan V]

Rob,

No, I actually missed the opportunity to see Star Wars at Cinerama. Talk about a big mistake. I'll bet that must've been incredible. I also haven't seen any of their 3-strip showings (what's wrong with me?!), but seeing Lawrence of Arabia and 2001 there, both in 70mm, both sold out shows, were experiences I will never, ever, forget. Seeing Apocalypse Now Redux there is arguably my favorite cinematic experience- 2.35:1, finally, with restored picture and sound, with an absolutely riveted audience.

Funny how the trajectory of this thread has almost completely reversed.

"I Love Theaters!"
-Best thread crap ever.

 

[steve_jk]

Had the worst movie experience of my life when taking the kids to see Shrek 2. I was there just 30 minutes early and was the 1st one in line to get into the theatre so I was glad to think that it may be a quiet theatre. I do like a packed theatre when everyone 'behaves'. The collective laughter, ooh/aaahs etc add to the experience, but not when there's always a level of 'ambient' noise.

The theatre became almost full by the time the show started. For the entire length of the show there was always some baby crying - loud. At least 3 times parents pulled kids screaming out of the theatre, only to bring them back 5 minutes later and have them start screaming almost immediately. That plus the constant talking out loud by the pre-teen crowd made it actually hard to pick up the one-liners the characters were throwing out. $25 in matinee tickets for 4 plus $20 in food down the drain.

 

[todd s]

The screen is not done yet. I will take a pic of it tonight and post it. Here is a pic of the enterance. The mylar lightbox was built by my dad.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attac...chmentid=23251

 

[Malcolm R]

You can also keep an eye out for local theaters that are remodeling or closing. I know when our local theater remodeled and changed out all the seats, they advertised in the newspaper to sell all the existing seats. I think they were ridiculously cheap, just to get rid of them.

Unfortunately, I only had a small apartment and no room for a dedicated HT space so I couldn't take advantage. :frowning: Though when I do have a dedicated theater room, I think I'd rather have something like this:

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Malcolm,

Thanks for showing me the chairs I will eventually buy!

 

[Paul.S]

Props to your Pops, Todd--tres kool!

NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience--nice! How'd you get an IMAX-size screen in your house?!

-p

 

[Jose Martinez]

I still prefer seeing a movie at a theater than watching it at home. However, I must say that the experience has been deteriorating over the years. A lot of kids and even adults nowadays have no respect for others in a movie theater. Either they can't keep their cell phone's ringer off (or if they do, they can't keep it from flashing and actually answering it!) or they reek of alcohol or they can't stop talking, etc. I usually prefer seeing a movie on opening day (1st showing) or during a preview screening since most fans tend to respect each other during these times. My best experience so far at the theater was during the LOTR Trilogy Tuesday. Not a single cell phone or smirky remark during the entire 12 or so hours but lots of cheering! I saw Return Of The King ten more times at the theater and a number of those times, some people in the audience just were disrespectful.

 

[Jose Martinez]

Hmmm....

Some of those movies are still in theaters. Hope you aren't one of those Piraters.

 

[todd s]

Most I was able to get from my local theater for free. The others from a dealer online. I know you are joking. But, with the speed movies are going from theater to dvd. Why would anyone get a bootleg, especially with the usual poor quality.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Funny someone mentioned the last Snow White reissue, because that was one of the WORST moviegoing experiences of my life! I worked at a theater during the time but they didn't get Snow White, so I went to another theater (UA Market Square, which has been open for over 10 years and I have NEVER seen a good presentation there) to see it since that was when Di$ney was adamant about not putting their classics on video, so I thought this was the only chance I'd have to see it for a while. Audience was parents and kids and they were mostly behaved, but the presentation was godawful- print was scratched due to carelessness, sound was turned down so low you couldn't make out the dialogue, AND the framing was off (nobody bothered to check it) so you had black space at the top of the screen and the bottom of the picture was cut off. I complained to a manager afterwards and they were indifferent- didn't even offer passes or anything. Thankfully Di$ney relented and put Snow White out on laserdisc a few months later, and I enjoyed it 100 times more at home. Nothing beats the theatrical experience when it's done right, but it's done WRONG so often lately that it's barely worth it anymore.
BTW I did fly to Seattle last year to see This Is Cinerama and How The West Was Won; if every theatre were like that one the world would be a much better place!

 

[Mike Graham]

When I catch an episode III showing in 2005, I'm expecting it to be very geeky, rowdy and even a bit drunken, or I'll be very disappointed!

 

[Andrew Bunk]

I assumed Todd meant he just got the title cards for the movies for free, not the movies themselves.