I went to the movies twice this past weekend, because there were two movies out which I thought I HAD to see on the big screen: Cars and X-Men 3: The Last Stand.
Wrong.
Cars was good, but not great, but it was nearly ruined for me by SCREAMING BABIES. The audience was full of very short non-voters who were BORED, and parents were continuously dragging them out to the lobby and back again.
X-Men 3: The Last Stand wasn't ruined for me. I thought it was pretty good, but there was a woman behind me who had apparently NEVER SEEN AN X-MEN MOVIE BEFORE, because she was so SHOCKED that Magneto could CONTROL METAL. She LOUDLY expressed her surprise, amusement, and disappointment, ALL THROUGH THE MOVIE. She really belongs in a test screening or on some kind of prescreening panel, because the movie producers would LOVE her. There would never be any doubt whatsoever how she feels about the movie.
During a couple of the exciting fight scenes, folks were moving about, standing in between me and the screen, either going to or from the lobby, arriving late, or changing seats.
I should have waited for these movies to come from Netflix.
And to think, you spent more than what it would cost to be on the 1-out plan.
ReplyDeleteAn even worse way to see "kid" movies such as Cars would be to see them at the sell-through/$1 movie theaters. It's a whole new dimension to movie watching.
Better luck next time.
Thanks Rachel. It really depends on the movie, and my mood, whether the audience gets on my nerves.
ReplyDeleteI learned this lesson a few years ago when I went to see Chicken Run as part of a PTA summer movie matinee series. Never again! I would have enjoyed it at home via Netflix, alone, but it was ruined for me with all the undersized non-voters who didn't understand 90% of the dialogue anyway and kept gurgling at the animation (which, of course, is really only incidental to the script these days).
ReplyDeleteBut, this thread only confirms my usual method of seeing movies in a theatre---which I realize doesn't work for everyone: first, never see a movie opening weekend, unless it's one of those must-see movies -and- you are willing to put up with every distraction mentioned in this thread. [Actually, if you see such a movie with a few friends, it can be reasonably enjoyable, plus you can always see it again later to fill in any missing blanks.] Secondly, go to the late shows, preferably the last screening of the day, and NEVER on Friday or Saturday nights. Thirdly, catch any particular film on its last few days of a local run. Odds are, everyone who wants to see it (and won't bother with a babysitter) has already seen it or isn't interested. Lastly, the best night to see most movies is Sunday--the weekend crowds are home, settling in to prepare for the week ahead and/or doing other things. Even the people who feel compelled to provide their own descriptive captioning are otherwise occupied. Many times, I have been the only one in the auditorium on Sunday nights--it's like having my own private screening!
An alternative method if you live in or travel to a large city is to go to one of the boutique theaters that screens mainly independent or 'small' films, but will often show blockbusters et al to supplement their revenue stream. Most summer matinees are sparsely attended at these theatres on weekdays, and odds are you will also share any particular auditorium with only a couple of fellow interested moviegoers.
Seeing a movie in a theatre is getting more and more challenging---and expensive, but it can still be fun, if you can dodge all the landmines that make Becky's experience all too common.