Why I don't like seeing films theatrically anymore (1 Viewer)

[Josh Steinberg]

Audiences, for the most part, don't seem to want to complain about anything.

I've noticed this as well. I think a good portion of the audience simply doesn't notice or care about things like poor projection quality. It's on a screen bigger than the one they have at home. It's a movie they feel the need to see right away before someone else spoils it. That seems to be enough for a large segment of the audience.

There may be some residual feelings of, "Nothing ever happens when I complain, so why bother?" Some people just feel defeated on that front. I know I often do. On top of that, with reserved stadium seating and larger multiplexes that are often understaffed, getting up to complain may mean climbing over a dozen or more people in the middle of the movie, searching a vast, empty lobby for someone to help, and then hoping that that person will understand your complaint and be in a position to do something about it. At a couple of the theaters I go to most frequently, the entire complexes are something like six floors each, but customer service is only on the ground level. So if you experience a problem during the movie, it's not just ducking out into the hallway quickly, it's a ten to twenty minute round trip to go and find someone. So then the calculation becomes, is it worth me missing 20 minutes of the movie for something that they probably won't fix anyway? And the answer to that is usually no.

When I'm at a theater and something starts going screwy, I often feel that it's the choice between either putting up with it or leaving, unfortunately.

 

[Bryan^H]

Agreed! I can't recall if this theater was a chain or an independent theater. If it was a chain theater, I wouldn't be surprised if it happens again - the corporate policy to sell as many tickets as possible at all costs will probably prevail. But if it's an independent theater, I bet that they get a little stricter after taking that hit.

https://celebrationcinema.com/cinemas/

 

[TJPC]

I may have told this story. I once went to a theatre to see a classic movie that was in academy ratio, and part of a double bill. The first movie was in CinemaScope. I only wanted to see the second movie, so I found out when it started and arrived 15 minutes before while the wide screen movie was finishing.

I sat down and noticed that the curtains had never been opened wide enough for the movie and only the middle third was not covered by curtains. An entire audience had watched it that way without saying any thing!

When I pointed it out to the ushers at the back they quickly went to the front and fixed the problem. No one in the audience had gotten up to complain!

 

[Traveling Matt]

I was initially astonished but then remembered people watch 4:3 stretched on their widescreen TVs at home and think it's fine. So whatevs.

 

[cinemiracle]

I saw a midnight showing of Avengers last night, and a baby started crying as soon as the movie began. But here’s the unusual part: the parent got up, took the kid out, and left, without anyone needing to say anything.

What sort of idiot would take a baby to a cinema at midnight?

 

[Carabimero]

What sort of idiot would take a baby to a cinema at midnight?

What sort of idiot would take their young child to a movie at midnight?

For years I went to late shows and shook my head, not at the babies, but at the young children who should have been home in bed, children whose brains are actually still growing and forming neural connections and need sleep to do so, to give them a fighting chance at optimal intelligence and a decent life. To me, that's inexcusably negligent.

I might even call it child abuse. Just because the damage to their lives isn't evident at that moment doesn't mean it isn't cumulative and irreparable and costly to them as adults. If there was a way to measure a parent robbing their child of potential intelligence, and they did it, I think it certainly could be classified as child abuse.

 

[Sam Posten]

 

[TJPC]

For years I went to late shows and shook my head, not at the babies, but at the young children who should have been home in bed, children whose brains are actually still growing and forming neural connections and need sleep to do so, to give them a fighting chance at optimal intelligence and a decent life. To me, that's inexcusably negligent.

I might even call it child abuse.

I agree, and as mentioned before, where do all these children go to school when they can attend a Thursday matinee with their patents instead of attending?

 

[TonyD]

For years I went to late shows and shook my head, not at the babies, but at the young children who should have been home in bed, children whose brains are actually still growing and forming neural connections and need sleep to do so, to give them a fighting chance at optimal intelligence and a decent life. To me, that's inexcusably negligent.

I might even call it child abuse.

O brother.

 

[Bryan^H]

I want to see "The Shining" 4K re-release when that happens so I'm going to have to make at least one more visit to the cinema. IF there are any distractions whatsoever, I'm out of my seat, will demand a refund and storm out of the theater I'm through playing this game, and dealing with all the BS!

 

[The Drifter]

When I used to go to films theatrically, I also dealt with issues regarding poor projection(s), etc. When this happened, I usually went out & tried to find someone that could correct this - unless someone else did this first. That being said, this is a hassle & is yet another irritation we have to deal with when watching films in the theater.....and is yet another reason why seeing movies theatrically is a huge pain in the @$$.

 

[Carabimero]

Studies with rhesus monkeys, our closest biological ancestors, conclusively demonstrate that young monkeys, deprived of sleep during their formative years, invariably suffer more developmental disorders and lower intelligence than those who get their sleep.

Just because the damage being done is invisible at the time doesn't mean it isn't irreparable and serious over the long term.

 

[Wayne_j]

Most of the time when I complain about the presentation at a theater they fix it eventually as long as it is something that is fairly obvious. I do always seem to be the person complaining however.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Most of the time when I complain about the presentation at a theater they fix it eventually as long as it is something that is fairly obvious. I do always seem to be the person complaining however.

My experience varies depending on the specific theater and the issue involved.

One issue that I’ve had multiple times at various multiplexes and premium screens is the theater showing the wrong version of the film, i.e., the showtime is listed as being the 3D version and is priced accordingly, but the 2D version is played instead. That has happened to me at both regular and IMAX theaters and they have never once corrected that. I’ve gotten refunds and free passes and excuses, but never had it fixed, even though it’s a simple matter of selecting a different file to play back. That’s actually caused me some anxiety because it’s now happened to me enough (maybe once or twice a year since the current 3D revival began) that I’m now always worried that the film won’t be in 3D until it actually starts.

Slightly separate from that, AMC has had presales for multiple films where the listing was for the higher priced IMAX 3D when the onsale begins, but then is changed to a lower priced IMAX 2D showing after tickets have already been sold. That happened with Black Panther and it just happened again with Spider-Man: Far From Home. Bought 3D tickets when they went onsale and then the theater changed it to 2D the next day without any communication. If I hadn’t checked on the showtimes just to see how they were selling, I wouldn’t have had a way to know until I showed up.

If it’s something more simple like the projector being out of focus, they’ll usually fix that. I’ve found it’s harder to convince people at the theater that a 3D showing is out of focus; they usually just say it looks bad because I’m not wearing the glasses, which is of course ridiculous.

Problems with sound levels are rarely addressed in my experience.

Problems with disruptive patrons are rarely addressed in my experience.

 

[Wayne_j]

My experience varies depending on the specific theater and the issue involved.

One issue that I’ve had multiple times at various multiplexes and premium screens is the theater showing the wrong version of the film, i.e., the showtime is listed as being the 3D version and is priced accordingly, but the 2D version is played instead. That has happened to me at both regular and IMAX theaters and they have never once corrected that. I’ve gotten refunds and free passes and excuses, but never had it fixed, even though it’s a simple matter of selecting a different file to play back. That’s actually caused me some anxiety because it’s now happened to me enough (maybe once or twice a year since the current 3D revival began) that I’m now always worried that the film won’t be in 3D until it actually starts.

I was at the opening night Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 3D RPX. The movie started and it was in 2D. I went out to complain and within 5 minutes they started the movie again in 3D.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I was at the opening night Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 3D RPX. The movie started and it was in 2D. I went out to complain and within 5 minutes they started the movie again in 3D.

Awesome!

When some people say they don’t like 3D and say that it looks exactly the same to them as 2D, I always wonder if they saw a 2D movie at a screening that was listed as 3D.

 

[DFurr]

Awesome!

When some people say they don’t like 3D and say that it looks exactly the same to them as 2D, I always wonder if they saw a 2D movie at a screening that was listed as 3D.

LOL....that's a funny thought!!

 

[Wayne_j]

I think part of the reason that we are the only people who are complaining is that audiences still think that each screen has a projectionist who must be currently working on solving the problem.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think part of the reason that we are the only people who are complaining is that audiences still think that each screen has a projectionist who must be currently working on solving the problem.

I hope that’s it. I tend to think people don’t notice, and if they do notice, they don’t care.

 

[TJPC]

The problem I have had twice is with the theatrical “live” showings of Broadway plays. The last problem occurred when we went to see Follies.

After the first 15 minutes there was no sound! We had to come back a month later for another showing. Many people from the audience did go up to complain.

We were told it was a satellite feed, and that can’t be re-started.