The Theater Experience

[Shorty]

How important is the theater experience to you? Do you think that watching a film on a big screen with high resolution projection and premier sound effects can alter your opinion of the film itself?

Seeing films like The Avengers and Avatar in theaters was worth it to me because I don't think I'd have cared about them nearly enough to watch them at home. Some films like The Hobbit and The Dark Knight Rises I would have liked to see either way, but obviously the theater provides a more enjoyable setting. I don't think I'd have cared about Flight as much if I didn't see it in a theater.

I suppose for me, being in a theater leaves much less room for distraction during a film and that's a problem for me in a non-theater setting.

What about you? Important or not?

[Jinx]

I honestly don't care, as long as I get to the theatre on time to see previews.

[Araciel]

Must go to theatre for big releases - anything fantasy/sci fi and big budget i gotta go and see.

comedies etc i will NOT go to theatre for... It just seems silly.

[Ouch!]

I have a 5.1 surround sound system and a 40" TV at home. I would much prefer to sit on my couch and watch a movie than deal with theater distractions (get the smurf off your cell phone). I can pause the movie at home if I have to go to the bathroom. I can eat whatever I damn well please and don't have to pay absurd concessions or try to sneak it in (easier said than done as a man without a purse or a bag on me at all times). I can adjust the volume, rewind, and in all ways be entirely in control of my viewing experience. I would gladly trade away a larger screen and more impressive sound system for this type of enjoyment.

As I have many friends currently in the film industry, you may not be surprised to hear that movies are big discussion topic in a number of my circles. I enjoy participating in these discussions, but that generally means that I can't wait for things to come out on Blu-Ray. So long as theaters get movies several months in advance of a home release, I will continue to begrudgingly attend theaters.

[Formalhaut]

When you said theatre I was think "Oh, fine, real-time acting in plays, great". Then I realised for some people theatre = cinema...

For me, I always prefer a film on the big screen, I just really enjoy the experience of surround sound, a dark large room, popcorn etc. I hardly ever watch films at home, mainly because to really enjoy the film, you need peace and quiet, something you rarely get in a house with people in it. Besides, watching a film by yourself is terrible, and no-one ever bothers watching films in my family anyway...

[Sephex]

I am going to say this before anyone else does, but I know I have the opposite opinion on this issue than most people.

Clapping during a movie.

Doesn't bother me. In fact, people who are irate about are usually the annoying ones to me. "The movie can't hear you!" No ****! You have to be a moron to think people are clapping thinking the makers of the movie are going to hear them. They are showing signs of appreciation towards the medium. That's it.

I get that if clapping combined with cheering can get out of hand and you may miss a line or two, but try not going to the midnight show. But if you feel that you want to see the midnight show (or just be there during a busy time/opening weekend), then be prepared to deal with rowdy people off all races and cultures packed together in a single room.

Basic. ****ing. Logic.

This message has been brought to you by Sephex's bad day at work.

[Pumpkin]

It doesn't change the movie for me. I just like going to the theatre for the experience of it all. Not just the movie.

1. I don't go very often, so when I do, it makes it special for me.
2. I get all dressed up and excited to go. Then I get to feel pretty.
3. It gets me out of the house.
4. Movie theatre popcorn, which most people don't like but I absolutely love.
5. Cuddling in a dark theatre.
6. It's pretty neat to see the movie on that big of a screen, with the surround sound.

There are advantages to staying home too, like it's cheaper if you're streaming it on Netflix or catching it on TV, you can pause for bathroom breaks, you can stay in your PJs, and have a blanket and pillow for comfort. You can make a frozen pizza or your own popcorn which makes the whole experience cheaper.

So either way, I enjoy myself.

[Clo]

I like it when everyone gasps at the same time, or laughs at the same, or oohs at the same time. I get a kick out of that trout.

This stems from an event from when I first saw Spiderman in theatres; this old man got hella excited and yelled out, "GET HIM SPIDERMAN!" during a fight scene.

[Shorty]

Aww, that's actually adorable.

I cheered pretty loudly in the theater when a certain face reprised in DKR that I was not expecting to see.

[Shauna]

I love going to the cinema. It's a hugely different experience than just sitting on the couch at home, for me at least.

[Chris]

I actually timed how long it took from the moment the previews and commercials started, to the moment the actual movie began. 17 minutes! Is that crazy or what? 17 minutes of previews and commercials. I love going to the movies, but what a pain in my rockin' ass.

[Quindiana Jones]

I thoroughly dislike IMAX. It's too big, and I don't like it.

I watch films at the cinema with friends as a social experience first, and to fulfil the desire to watch a particular film second. I'll watch pretty much anything in the cinema.

[Shlup]

The only time I care about going to the theater is when I'm so anxious to see a movie that I have to see it ASAP. If I could watch it at home that soon, I would. Though I still insist on watching them in HD.

[Formalhaut]

The only time I care about going to the theater is when I'm so anxious to see a movie that I have to see it ASAP. If I could watch it at home that soon, I would. Though I still insist on watching them in HD.

I don't think I've ever known a film I was desperate to see.

[Raistlin]

I generally only go to theaters if I really want to see a movie. Seeing something in theaters is nice, and the atmosphere and quality does add something, but it's not very important to me. Hell, most of my TV/movie watching is done on my laptop (I have an HDTV now, but don't always bother hooking up the HDMI cable to watch stuff on that).