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

[Andrew Bunk]

Another reason against going to the theater that I just remembered. Those stupid, annoying "spots" that they have on the prints now to fight piracy. I believe it's called "Cap code", or as Roger Ebert put it, "Crap Code".

This is more the studios' fault I guess. But either way it pisses me off when I see these ugly brownish dots show up 2 or 3 times in a movie.

 

[Paul.S]

Brandon:

Especially if this is a theater you frequent, you obviously need to speak/complain to the manager.

-p

 

[Jay Gunn]

I've gotten to where I only go to the theater for the really big movies that I MUST see ASAP (the last three I've seen in a theater are Return of the King, Hellboy, and the new Harry Potter, and I know I'll watch Spider-man 2).

The reason I hate going to the theater is not because of large or unruly crowds. In fact, I live in moderate sized town in south Mississippi, so the crowds don't get too bad unless it's Friday or Saturday night shows, and I don't go to those anyway. I'm a matinee guy. Of course, this also means that we never get the kind of extraordinary film-going experiences that some of you discuss, like viewing the Star Wars film and such.

Anyway, back to why I hate going to the theater. It's the quality of the presentation. We have two theaters in our town. One is six really small screens with no digital sound. Then we have a nine screen theater, but the presentations vary there so much that going to a show there is almost like gambling- you might win and get a nicely-framed, focused picture with good digital surround; or you might lose and see a film that's out of focus, misframed, and has no digital sound and/or the digital sound cuts in and out. I've always thought that this was due to the poor staff at the theatre...you know, mostly teenage kids. I will say, however, that the last three movies I've seen there, things have been fine. So hopefully they've been trying to fix the situation. (I forget...I did see "Jersey Girl" there in March, and the sound was non-surround and turned down so low you could hear people breathe over it).

Thankfully, there are now plans for not one, but THREE new multiplexes with stadium seating and full glorious digital sound on every screen. I doubt all of them will actually be built, but I know that at least one will show up. Hopefully they'll be good enough to get me back in the theaters.

 

[Vickie_M]

Yikes, threads like this really tick me off. Be so glad I haven't even opened the "Movies you hate that everyone else loves" thread. Be very glad.



You know, you guys can whine all you want with your (mostly*) pathetic excuses for not going to the movies, but this comes way too close to berating US for still loving the theater experience and supporting our local theaters.


You find it funny we pay? I see well over 100 movies a year in the theaters, in urban Chicago, and I can count on one hand the number of times I've had a problem. And if there is a problem, I deal with it. I shush people. I'll go get the manager if need be. However, I very rarely have problems. 99% of my movie-going experiences are enjoyable.

Stay home, by all means. You guys whine so much it's better if you keep your stress levels down. But don't think that YOUR experience is the norm for all movies and all showings, because it isn't. Someone like me who goes to the movies ALL THE TIME would know better than you. If someone only goes to the movies 2-3 times a year (poor soul) and has a problem at each showing, it's easy to paint the entire movie-going experience with a whine-colored brush.


Be thankful for those of us still putting ourselves through the "awful" theater experience, because we** provide the buzz and knowledgeable comments about all those movies coming out on DVD. If not for us, EVERY movie would be a direct-to-video movie. We also help people with the office Oscar pool, because we've seen the movies that are nominated. We also provide proof that yes, they really were released in theaters for all the "waahhh, I never heard of any of these movies or actors" whiners come Awards season. Most of all though, we're enjoying ourselves, loving the movies (generally) and loving the theater experience.

I'll stop going to the movies when I have no legs to walk or no eyes to see. Until then, I'll keep looking forward to days like tomorrow, where I'm seeing a triple-feature of The Stepford Wives, The Chronicles of Riddick (I have to see it, I liked Pitch Black a lot) and a sneak preview of The Terminal. I'm excited!


*people who have little kids are in a whole other world of hurt. I hardly ever got to go to the movies when I had a young child, so I understand that, not pathetic, excuse. Also, people who live in small podunk quality-cinema-free towns have a pretty good excuse.


** Ok, I don't, because I can't write worth a crap, but other people do.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Two thumbs up for Vickie.


That is the key! This thread isn't really about movie theaters vs. home theaters, it's about downtown theaters vs. suburban theaters.

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Vickie,

Out of curiosity, what theaters (or what area) do you generally frequent, and what days? (Geez just realized how stalker-ish that sounds!).

Seriously, just curious to know if that has any bearing on your overwhelmingly positive experiences.

I'd say my experiences in the 'burbs are about 60/40 favoring good over bad, but in my opinion it should 100/0. And I still firmly believe it's not my job to discipline other people who act out in the theater-that's the theater's job. If they don't want to do it, they don't get my $. Maybe I'm nuts, but I think there should be an usher in every auditorium at all times.

BTW, I'd say right now I see about 12-16 films a year theatrically.

 

[Ernest Rister]

I still get a smile on my face remembering the screams in the theater when Agatha (the brilliant Samantha Morton) leaped out of the pool to grab John (the eqally brilliant Tom Cruise) in Minority Report. The scream of the audience is like an un-paid-for sound effect that enhances what you just saw.

Let me give you another example. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. Now, we all know that "laugh tracks" were common in the 70's. Why were these used? After seeing Roger Rabbit on opening night, and then again the first showing the next morning, I can tell you I saw two different movies, and I learned why laugh-tracks are used.

1) Roger Rabbit with packed opening night crowd = one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. People were laughing themselves sick just from the opening cartoon.

2) Roger Rabbit the next morning = an okay movie, nothing especially amazing. I had raved my head off at how funny this movie was to my best friend when I got home after opening night. Together we went to go see the first showing of the film at the exact same theater the next morning. There were only 30 people or so in this giant Presidio THX auditorium. I think there were like three or four times when everyone laughed in unison. My best friend said, upon leaving, "It was good, but it was nowhere near as funny as you said it was".

It was the same movie.

What changed?

Different time of day, different viewing environment, different crowd = wildy different personal reaction.

It is disconcerting for people who normally think they are in control of their emotional reactions to realize that sitting in an audience ca have a giant influence on their own emotions. It is true, through. That's when I realized why some TV shows of the past used a laugh track, and why TV sitcoms to this very day are performed in front of an audience. The experience of hearing other people laugh makes it safe for you to laugh as well -- in fact, the mass experience amplifies your own enjoyment. Same thing at a rock concert.

So, the only thing I can say to those of you who treasure the ability of being able to pause a movie so you can go pee, or who love the fact that they never have to worry about the random drunk or psychopath or nerd or over-excited couple while watching a movie t home...hey, you're right. You never have to worry about those things. But you also never get to experience the electricity of a live-crowd. Never get to hear the audience scream when Agatha jumps out of the pool. Never hears the audience laugh when Zemeckis' camera pans past a nbewpaper reading "Goofy Cleared of Spy Charges". Imagine Friends or Frasier without the audience track. Imagine Rocky Horror Picture Show without the audience.

By insulating yourself from the random aspects of life, you insulate yourself FROM life. By refusing to see the work of certain filmmakers with an audience, you are cheating yourself of the full enjoyment value of their work.

In my opinion.

 

[Malcolm R]

I don't know where all these audiences are that "participate" in the film. In all the years I've been going to the theater, other than laughs at comedy, occasional gasps at horror, and a few sniffles during emotional scenes in drama, the audiences I've been with just sit and watch the film, then get up and leave when the credits roll.

No cheering or jeering.

No clapping/applause...ever.

No booing.

No MST3K-type commentary.

Must be a city thing.

 

[Pete-D]

I just like the atmosphere as well I guess.

There's definitely a good energy in the crowd, especailly for certain films that people have been waiting a long time for.

I like going to the theater in the summer and seeing people outside and in the lobby.

To me the movie theater is pure magic, I just don't think I would even want to try and replicate that at home. I guess this is "home theater" forum after all, but I'm a bit surprised by some of the anti-social attitudes.

The theater always has (even before motion pictures) been the cultural epicenter for many socities. Movies IMO should be social experiences.

It seems like a lot of you guys are in smaller areas with crappy screens. In my area, I can say the quality of theaters has improved dramatically the past 10 years or so with many new multiplexes opening up.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Ernest,

I have a better time enjoying Seinfeld in a room with 3 or 4 friends! Or even with only ONE friend.


Malcolm,


Now you're getting the idea.



Nothing beats Silent Movie Mondays at the Paramount, with live accompaniment on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ. Although only a couple hundred seats are occupied (out of some 3,000 in the house) nothing beats the experience of sharing Buster Keaton's THE GENERAL with a crowd. We applaud the hero when he appears on the screen. Likewise, when the villain appears, there are a few loud boos, which then settle into a stream of snake-like hisses. We cheer at each of Buster's stunts (knocking the railroad tie out of the way of the oncoming train!!) and we cheer when he gets the girl at the end of the picture. We have all participated in his victory and we all share it as a group.

 

[Vickie_M]

That wouldn't be a bad idea for some theaters and times, but again, I've had so few problems it's a non-issue for me.

 

[Ricardo C]

And miss a fairly large part of the film.

The best theater in the city is 40 minutes away. The screens are the largest in town (about 70 feet), the seating's to die for, and the sound is heavenly. At least once a month, I make the drive out there to try to properly enjoy a given film. But sh*t happens, because regardless of the quality of the establishment, people are savages.

During "The Last Samurai" earlier this year, this couple was sitting behind my party. The guy was apparently very proud of his ability to speak English, since he kept repeating the dialogue to his date. And when he caught a stray Japanese word? Hoo-AH! He would repeat it several times, in an exaggerated accent that would make Mr. Miyagi cringe. I shushed him. I politely asked him to be quiet. I pleaded. I told him to "shut the f*ck up". His reaction was worse than the petulant offer to "step outside". He did nothing. Didn't look at me, didn't quiet down, didn't get angry. Nothing.

Then there was the couple during PoA that kept chatting about what they would eat once they got home. Would they get takeout, or were they in the mood for something fancier? Was the fridge stocked, or should they make a run to the supermarket? I kept wondering how many bones they would break if I threw them over the balcony. Ok, not really.

How about laser pointer guy during Shrek 2? That was my "free additional special effect", Ernest. I enjoyed the film very much, but it would have been so much nicer if I could have actually focused on it for more thn half an hour without the digital Picasso doodling all over it.

A proper theatrical experience is wonderful. But some of us don't seem to ever get them, regardless of which theaters we frequent. Maybe I'm too demanding, and expect too much of the average audience. But I enjoy movies much more when I can watch them by myself. And since I can't afford to buy out every screening I attend, I'm investing in a quality home theater room.

No, DVD doesn't have the resolution of film. But it does have a cleaner picture than the average commercial print, and often, better sound. And a 12-foot screen may be dwarfed by the 50 foot-plus screens in commercial theaters, but when the lights are off and you sit 15 feet away, you really, really don't care.

And I don't pause DVDs when they're playing. I make sure to go potty before the film, and not to drink more than one soda throughout the film, to avoid unexpected trips to the restroom. Works in the theater, and works at home

 

[Ernest Rister]

How many sporting events do you attend a year?

When was the last time you took your wife or girlfriend to a nightclub?

What is your reaction to lines at Disneyland or Walt Disney World?

 

[Ricardo C]

You do realize that you've presented two scenarios in which audience-originated noise is not only allowed, but encouraged, right? And that you cited a third in which there are no particular restrictions regarding chatter and other assorted noises?

But whatever, let's play along...


I've managed to avoid that particular rite of passage so far.

 

[Ernest Rister]

Good! Glad to see you're getting out of the house. Most people I know who hate audiences are "shut in" types, glad to see you're not one of them.

 

[Ricardo C]

Nah, not a shut-in. Just an arrogant pr*ck

 

[Andrew Bunk]

Thanks for the info Vickie! I have a feeling the city theaters are better. I lived in NYC for a couple years, and I don't remember having too many bad moviegoing experiences in Manhattan.

My thinking on disciplining audience members is more like Ricardo, in that these days you never know who's looking for a reason to "go off". I've been told I can be physically imposing, but I still don't want to be the type to invite confrontation. I won't really sit there and fume though-I'll deal, and then as a result (consciously or unconsciously), I'll just decide to go to that theater less and less.

 

[Andrew Priest]

Wow. I guess the local theater is just a whole lot quieter and less obnoxious than what some of you have. Or perhaps it's just us civilized Canadians. I'd go to the theater more often if it didn't cost me over $20 just in gas and involve driving for a couple hours.

But I will admit I don't like being in theaters that are overcrowded. One reason that I never, ever, go on 'cheap Tuesday'. I hate being packed in like sardines.

 

[Brent Bridgeman]

Unfortunately for us South of the border, you may not be so far off the mark there. But, my wife and I still manage to get to the movies 3 or 4 times a month.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Great series of posts Vickie.

Rob (and Andrew) have an interesting idea that city theaters might be better places to see a movie than suburban ones. While Dallas is no Chicago, NYC or LA, we are largish and the vast majority of the movies I attend are just north of the inner city. I only occasionally go to select ones in the suburbs, more because of the travel time than preference. But my experiences at the couple that I do attend is positive as well.

Still, there have been DFW residents in this thread (and other, similar ones) who have reported bad experiences.

I have to agree with Ernst that each live experience is not repeatable nor do I wish it to be—I love the variability in live theater and concerts and the buzz of the crowd as they react to what is happening.