An Unadulterated Cinematic Movie Viewing Experience - Is this concept to much to ask for?
I recently attended a theater viewing of the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth (3D) and had the pleasure of sitting directly in front of a, shall we say, vocal audience member...
Approximately 15 minutes into the movie, I decided that since someone else was paying for me to see this particular movie, and since I knew that I would probably not need to devote a large portion of my attention to the plot, (this is not a comment on the quality of the movie,) I would document my experience.
Over the course of the remaining 77 minutes of the movie, I tallied 22 uses of the word "cool," 34 uses of the word "whoa," 7 uses of the word "dude," all very audible, and exclaimed in very repetitive arrangement such as "Huh huh, whoa, that was cool." In addition, I was provided with in theater audio commentary of the type where, if, say, a bird were on screen, the audience member would proclaim "huh huh, bird!" or if one character asked another a question, the audience member would voice the answer over the top of the responding character's answer. When the credits rolled, I stood up and walked several feet away so that I could turn around and observe the audience member's interaction with his party, and subsequently rule out mental disability or immaturity based on age.
Obviously, this situation is an extreme, as I was attending a 3D movie, (ohh and ahh,) and was dealing with a particularly braindead variety of movie patron, but still, I have noticed more and more that some people have no regard for the movie experience or the artistic integrity of film at all. It's as though going to movies is like going to the bar or something. People yak, or text message, or even worse, play on their PSP, and, I'm sorry, but it really pisses me off.
I, personally, am not ready to give up going to movies in theaters, but I am curious to read other peoples opinions and experiences, whether similar or contradictory.
Approximately 15 minutes into the movie, I decided that since someone else was paying for me to see this particular movie, and since I knew that I would probably not need to devote a large portion of my attention to the plot, (this is not a comment on the quality of the movie,) I would document my experience.
Over the course of the remaining 77 minutes of the movie, I tallied 22 uses of the word "cool," 34 uses of the word "whoa," 7 uses of the word "dude," all very audible, and exclaimed in very repetitive arrangement such as "Huh huh, whoa, that was cool." In addition, I was provided with in theater audio commentary of the type where, if, say, a bird were on screen, the audience member would proclaim "huh huh, bird!" or if one character asked another a question, the audience member would voice the answer over the top of the responding character's answer. When the credits rolled, I stood up and walked several feet away so that I could turn around and observe the audience member's interaction with his party, and subsequently rule out mental disability or immaturity based on age.
Obviously, this situation is an extreme, as I was attending a 3D movie, (ohh and ahh,) and was dealing with a particularly braindead variety of movie patron, but still, I have noticed more and more that some people have no regard for the movie experience or the artistic integrity of film at all. It's as though going to movies is like going to the bar or something. People yak, or text message, or even worse, play on their PSP, and, I'm sorry, but it really pisses me off.
I, personally, am not ready to give up going to movies in theaters, but I am curious to read other peoples opinions and experiences, whether similar or contradictory.
Tags: experience, movie, patrons, theater
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Wretched on -
The kind of experience you describe above drove me out of theaters entirely. I don't have the personality type to sit silently, and have yelled down people many times in the past, which is not a comfortable exchange for anyone, therefore I choose to stay away. It seems, based on anecdotal evidence, that this is an ever-growing trend. There are a number of other issues which drove me away, commercials, for example, and blatant lying about the start times of films, price of tickets, price of food/drink, the MPAA, but it is the lack of simple consideration that annoyed me the most. I gave up. I can wait to see any film, and I am quite comfortable at home. My wife is not nearly as large a fan of movies, and will take our son to the theater for the kiddie movies. I stay away.
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Permalink Reply by macroman on -
Before getting my 1st VHS player about 20 years ago, I used to go to the movies a lot. Now I prefer to watch a movie at home unless there is something extra-special I want to see right away.
Overall, I think independent and repertory theatres attract a better class of patron, although there aren't as many of those theatres around as before.
Also, the food and drink at theatre concession stands is terrible and probably all of it is genetically modified. So I'd rather stay home so I have control over my food source.
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Permalink Reply by Will on -
I don't want to say this for fear of a re-enactment of the conclusion of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" in this community, but I am afraid that, in large part, the medium of home video is very much to blame.
I am sure that in many American homes, there is a running dialogue among the viewers. Given the level to which our society has tobagganed, people have conditioned themselves to this kind of behavior and forget that they are in public; they react in the theater as they automatically do at home.
My classic theater moment, in a theater in a somewhat upscale community, was seeing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. If you recall there is no dialogue for a while once the film begins. When the first subtitles hit the screen, a woman behind me said, rather loudly, "Oh, shit, George, we have to read this goddamned thing!"
I, too, do not want to give up the "big screen" experience for any film in which I have an interest. I have adapted my behavior to ensure that I do not get annoyed while in a theater:
A. If the film is popular, avoid matinees like the plague.
B. If it is of the "must see" type (overhyped by studios), I have no problem waiting to see it after several weeks into the release.
C. Mostly, however, I go to foreign and independent (the crowd for the latter can be problematic, too) films, and the problem rarely exists.
In honesty, for film types "A" and "B" I will usually wait for a dvd release and rent through NF.
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Permalink Reply by Microwaved on -
Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery"
Geez now I'm having flashbacks to High School. Thanks!
:)
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Permalink Reply by Signfire on -
When the first subtitles hit the screen, a woman behind me said, rather loudly, "Oh, shit, George, we have to read this goddamned thing!"
LOL... How do these people find themselves at movies like CTHD?
I sometimes wish for the stoic, fear-laden, paranoid politics of the WW2 era to come sweeping across the nation again - the kind of xenophobia that makes mothers yank their children's arms out of the socket when a stranger walks by...
Just so that people will shut up during movies.
I want to blame talking during movies on Reagan... who's with me?
(although it could have been MTV... or those robots that narrate classic movies in a funny way on Comedy Central...)
And LOL at Microwaved's comment below... I didn't get to that story until college though...
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Permalink Reply by Microwaved on
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And LOL at Microwaved's comment below... I didn't get to that story until college though...
Muchas Grabiass.
Does anyone remember the really bad film you had to watch after reading the story?
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Permalink Reply by Scott P on -
I can't stand when people talk during a film I am watching at home, either.
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Permalink Reply by Drom John on -
I had been taking my then youngish kids to a lot of foreign movies. After watching Crouching Tiger my middle kid said she liked it because there weren't many subtitles.
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Permalink Reply by kristi_b on -
That would have driven me nuts.
I love to watch movies on the "big screen," but I usually try to avoid the most crowded times, which means I rarely see anything on a Friday or Saturday night, and almost never on opening weekend. Occasionally I'll make an exception at the "art house" theatre, which isn't as popular, not only for the films they show, but also because of the lack of fancy interior and stadium seating.
Because of that, I haven't had too many bad experiences, other than cell phones ringing, which is bad enough (one of my BIGGEST pet peeves). I've had some friends have terrible times lately, though.
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Permalink Reply by ewd76 on -
stadium seating.
That is not the first professed aversion to stadium seating I have encountered. I like it, as I think most people do. I can understand being apathetic about it, but out of curiosity, why is it that you don't like it?
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Permalink Reply by kristi_b on
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oh. I do like it. I just meant that most people don't like going to the art house theatre here because it doesn't have it. Therefore, it's less crowded, which I like. If I'm going to a more mainstream movie, I'm all about the stadium seating.
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