I'm here to admonish you.

Cracker Funk

Cracker Funk

How many of you wait for the DVD? You wanna catch it on HBO? Instant-queue on Netflix?

I'm very disappointed in you. Movies are meant to be seen in the theater. You should know better.

:weird:
 
But...

I like to watch movies in my underwear.

You seriously want to subject the movie-going public to my Homer Simpson boxer shorts?
 
As long as it's not a multiplex, I'll be there. Give me a smoke filled cinema with the secret society of wine-drinkers on the back-row. I know of one still standing, pretty sad.
 
Papertwinproductions said:
As long as it's not a multiplex, I'll be there. Give me a smoke filled cinema with the secret society of wine-drinkers on the back-row. I know of one still standing, pretty sad.
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Yes! If those PC folks didn't take smoking away from all the public places, I would go out a lot more. I've been to a bar twice since they banned smoking 3 years ago.

I personally hate getting up during a movie (if I'm not at home and can't pause it).
Popcorn runs out? Too bad.
Gotta pee? Sorry, shouldn't buy the pop.
Need a cigarette? No way, that would take way too much time.

So instead, I sit through the film, distracted from my cravings by the entertainment before me, only to find that after an hour or hour and a half, I've started to get impatient for the end, no matter how good the movie. :( eCigarettes have saved my movie-going experience, even if people do glare at me like it's real smoke.

I really hate that the government thinks it has the right to put restrictions on where I can enjoy my LEGAL habit. After all, these businesses are privately owned, shouldn't it be up to the individual proprietor to decide whether or not to allow a completely legal activity? I think so. We smokers also pay more taxes and have had more tax increases than any other demographic (in Chicago, at least, unless you count car owners and the insane parking traps), you would think we should get special privileges instead of being shunted outside like second-class citizens.

</rant>

Sorry. In conclusion, that is why I don't go to the theater much (only once every month or two).
 
I'm a big believer in the theatrical experience of seeing a movie. Even with the nicest home theater set up, it's not the same because of a few simple reasons. First, the size of the screen means the movie fills most of your peripheral vision, even in the back row. This also brings a different meaning to the words "larger than life".

This starts the whole psychology of seeing a movie at the theater. You can make things bigger than they are in the real world, get up closer to someone's face than you might otherwise in life. This enhances the whole experience and sharing of emotions with an actor. Which helps you get into the movie more, a 4 inch dinosaur on a TV or a 20 foot tall one on the movie theater screen? People who saw Jurassic Park on TV and not in the theater were unimpressed. Gee, I wonder why?

Then there's the voluntary suspension of disbelief. In a movie theater, with the lights dimmed, big surround sound, large screen, and everything caters to making it an "experience" than you won't get if you can pause the movie, see everything else in the room, take phone calls, etc. In a movie theater, you can immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the movie.

This hasn't even tapped into the mob mentality. They say laughter is infectious, and that is very true in a movie theater. A live audience of strangers affect each others reactions to the movie. A comedy is a lot funnier when the whole group is laughing. The intense action is more intense when the entire room is gasping or swaying with the movement.

Watching movies has become a religious experience for me. I want to strangle and kill people who talk during a movie or let their cell phones ring...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=havJrv6zr4o

Even at home, I have converted my basement into as close to the theatrical experience as I can. Windows blacked out, 42" 1080P, 7.1 surround sound, and blu ray/hd-dvd player. It's not the same and never will be. I want to see the movie on the big screen whenever possible.

I don't want to admonish anyone who disagrees, but you sure might not understand all that a theatrical experience entails. There's a reason movie theaters never went out of business.
 
sonnyboo said:
I want to strangle and kill people who talk during a movie or let their cell phones ring...
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You and me both! :evil:

I direct plays as well and occasionally some nitwit's phone goes off. To quote DeNiro in Untouchables:

"I want him dead! I want his family dead! I want his house burned to the ground!"
 
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Dreadylocks said:
Yes! If those PC folks didn't take smoking away from all the public places, I would go out a lot more. I've been to a bar twice since they banned smoking 3 years ago.
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I don't want to get into a smoking ban debate, but it's nothing to do with political correctness.

We have a great single screen cinema and café in the town centre, but they get films a few months after they're first released, and you usually have to book in advance. Really good for foreign language and smaller budget films compared to the multiplex though.
 
sonnyboo said:
Watching movies has become a religious experience for me. I want to strangle and kill people who talk during a movie or let their cell phones ring...
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I'm with you all the way. I can't stand that couple that chats and chats, as if nobody else is around.

I do have one exception to taking during a movie, though. There are some movies (horror, primarily) that are quite fun to watch in a crowded theater, (hmm...what's the non-offensive way to say this?) surrounded by "urban" teenagers, who like to yell at the movie. The whole experience can turn a lousy movie into a lot of fun.

Oh, and I hope everyone knows I'm just being silly when I use the word "admonish". Tone can be difficult to read in text, so just let me make that clear. Of course I know the movie-going experience is different for everybody. For me, it's just irreplaceable at home.

In fact, I'll take it a step-further. IMO, the best way to watch most movies is in a packed house. Either the Friday night 10PM show, or even better yet, the Thursday night 12:01AM (technically Friday) premiere. I find that the atmosphere of a theater full of people who are all excited to see the same thing really adds to the experience. Actually has the effect of making the movie better. Everybody laughs at the same times, jumps out of their seats at the same time, etc. Emotion is contagious.
 
I had a disturbing experience at a theater:

I think I was watching The Ring and I had a pack of sour patch kids.

I was eating them one by one out of the package and I didn't realize I made so much noise taking each one out with the plastic.

I was about 15 and sitting down the isle was an older guy and I glanced at him for a moment and turned back to the movie and the next thing I hear is someone's breath on my neck and ear and he whispers into my ear "Take more than one out of the package at a time!" I jumped about 4 inches out of my seat and he walked back to his seat -

Was scary. I agree with being annoyed about people chattering and making noise during the movie - I learned my lesson...
 
Best experience I had was at Jurrasic Park. The house was packed and everyone was into it - yelling, laughing, screaming, clapping after big triumphant parts etc... It was fun.

Not been in a theater like that since.
 
ROC said:
I had a disturbing experience at a theater:

I think I was watching The Ring and I had a pack of sour patch kids.

I was eating them one by one out of the package and I didn't realize I made so much noise taking each one out with the plastic.

I was about 15 and sitting down the isle was an older guy and I glanced at him for a moment and turned back to the movie and the next thing I hear is someone's breath on my neck and ear and he whispers into my ear "Take more than one out of the package at a time!" I jumped about 4 inches out of my seat and he walked back to his seat -

Was scary. I agree with being annoyed about people chattering and making noise during the movie - I learned my lesson...
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Golden. The thought of your sudden surprise, and the visual image of this guy leaning over almost threatening you over sweets, is hilarious. The fact he got out of his seat has kept me laughing for five minutes.
 
LOL. Yeah. It was scary at the time but I laugh about it now.

There was also some idiot sitting in front of me when I'm watching Valkyrie and I was trying to read the subtitles in the beginning and he was holding up his cell phone lit up like a christmas tree right in front of me to get attention of his family who got the snacks. I asked if he could sit down nicely and he said "Shut the f*** up" immediately. My brother threatened him and he shut up... But, the family finally got to him and it was an 8 year-old overweight kid with a extra large coke and large popcorn and an especially plump wife. I'd be disgruntled if I were him... Gotta love Los Angeles...

Anyway... I hate distractions like that at the theater.
 
Cracker Funk said:
In fact, I'll take it a step-further. IMO, the best way to watch most movies is in a packed house. Either the Friday night 10PM show, or even better yet, the Thursday night 12:01AM (technically Friday) premiere. I find that the atmosphere of a theater full of people who are all excited to see the same thing really adds to the experience. Actually has the effect of making the movie better. Everybody laughs at the same times, jumps out of their seats at the same time, etc. Emotion is contagious.
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I love seeing movies with the fanboys. I wasn't that into Harry Potter movies, but went to a midnight screening of the 3rd one and all the dorks in school uniforms and the enthusiasm, reactions, and just plain old fun is incomparable to seeing a movie at home on DVD alone. I always try to go to the midnight shows of big movies because people there are seriously into the movie, and therefor as a group, you will all enjoy the experience of SHARING the movie together having never seen it before. even the craptacular SPIDER-MAN 3 was more enjoyable in that atmosphere, although it didn't make it a good movie, just a better viewing experience.
 
I think the most ridiculous thing is trying to watch a movie on your cellphone or iPod. Are they kidding? Do you really want to see them destroy the Deathstar on a screen 2 inches wide?? I am considering getting a Droid with a larger screen and I still will refuse to watch a movie on it.

I went to the movies recently with my mother and my cousin. They talked through the entire movie!!! UGH! I pretended to have fallen asleep so they wouldn't talk to me. That has worked a couple of times.

I will admit to going to a movie, when I was in college, we went to see the original Night of the Living Dead. There was no one in the theater but us, about 10 of us. We Mystery Science Theater-ed that film to death and it was so much fun. But we NEVER did that when there were alot of people there. I will also say there are times when I went to see some action flick when everyone was into the movie, not talking back, but when something good happened or when the big actor came out, everyone cheered or jumped. That's cool.

-- spinner :cool:
 
spinner said:
I think the most ridiculous thing is trying to watch a movie on your cellphone or iPod. Are they kidding? Do you really want to see them destroy the Deathstar on a screen 2 inches wide?? I am considering getting a Droid with a larger screen and I still will refuse to watch a movie on it.
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If you hold the screen 10 millimeters from your face it's just as big as a theater screen. Hell, hold it 5 millimeters away and you've got the imax experience.

I think the iPad isn't too bad. 15 inch laptops aren't bad on a plane...

What I do is watch the good sound flicks (Transformers, Alice in Wonderland, Avatar, Toy Story 3, etc.) in the theaters on the best sound system possible. The talky movies I wait until they are on DVD to watch at home on my system.

I must say Transformers 3 in IMAX was amazing because of the sound.

I can't stand bad sound systems in theaters. I've actually gotten my money back because the sound was so bad.
 
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I'm with most of you, I see pretty much every big movie at midnight at the first showing. I absolutely love a packed house (unless I'm late I HATE sitting in the first 10 rows).

Was just wondering what you guys think of the film movie experience compared to the new Digital Projection?
 
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