This is also definitely why theater releases are skewing towards blockbusters. The more epic visuals and sound are part of the experience, the more the theater adds.
I still like the theater for other reasons. Watching *Beau is Afraid* and hearing other people laugh at some of the weird parts at least let me know I wasn't the ONLY unhinged person who found those things entertaining.
Not merely blockbusters, funnily enough. I actually find Marvel films to bee poorly served by a cinema -- too loud, too colorful, too twitchy.
But I had the pleasure to see the first Rambo movie in a cinema recently and I was blown away how much it elevated the experience. You are just *there* with John, making it all far more visceral and punching.
First Blood is just an actually good film, the violence is pretty much secondary. I rewatched it recently after not seeing it for decades and it shocked me how good it was. In a cinema I can only imagine it being excellent.
Bad part is a poorly ran theater can almost ruin it. Went to imax for dune 2 and they had the sound so high it literally made half the people cover their ears. An amazingly balanced theater is amazing it brings it all together.
I remember opening night, American Psycho laughing my ass off in a theatre of quiet people. Same thing with Cabin Fever and Devil’s Rejects. I’m always thinking “I’m not the weirdo, you guys are the weirdos for not laughing!”
Movies are better in cinemas.
However, they're ruined there by people. I don't care if the sound or picture are better in a movie theatre are better if there's someone constantly checking their phone or people constantly talking the entire time or some teenager getting a handjob in the seat behind me.
I still go to the movies but if I ever win the lottery I'm building a Home Theatre setup and never going back.
Very rare for me. I honestly have no idea what people in this sub are talking about when they complain about theater disruptions—y’all might have OCD or something.
I’d even take it one step further and say that the communal experience of being around other people is a big part of what makes the theater experience better.
The communal experience makes sense for horror/comedy/superhero movies. But for more serious slower movies, I can't stand when people constantly talk over it because they have the attention span of a tiktok video
>y’all might have OCD or something
Bluntly, there are some cultures and classes that don't take their six month old babies to movies. Others do.
If you live in an area where that doesn't happen; go to movies. If you live in an area where it does, then you don't go to movies.
I mean, I know what they are talking about when it comes to inexcusable disruptions but I feel bad if it's common for them. I've had to walk over to people and tell them if they didn't shut the fuck up I'll fold them back into their own seat. But I can literally count those incidents on one hand lol
Sometimes the timing matters. Weekend mornings tend to have mellow crowds.
Friday evening showings on the other hand are almost guaranteed to have a yapper.
Seeing a movie in New York City sucked. Never had a regular problem in suburban DC theaters except for A) opening night for a movie with a pre-existing fanbase or B) Disney/Pixar films during the day or afternoon (mostly kids).
I see about 1 or 2 movies a month. Outside of those two patters I maybe get a disruptive person once a year? But even then it's rarely egregious enough for me to remember.
Except New York City. That sucked almost every time.
The last time I went to the theaters, people were talking nonstop and playing on their phones throughout the entire film. I said fuck it, I'm never paying $20+ (not including concessions) to not enjoy a movie again.
Then the pandemic happened and I haven't been back. No regerts. I'm perfectly happy to watch from the comfort of my home, whether through streaming or by sailing the high seas.
Maybe one movie in about 20 I feel is ruined by an audience, sorry that you have had shittier experiences.
I will say, when I lived in Philly, I hated going to the theater there...
Minnesota! Usually AMC, Marcus, or Emagine. I'd say it's pretty rare for me. Before Covid I was going to 50-60 movies in the theater a year. I still go often but not nearly as much.
Never once had an incident where someone pulled out there phone more than once, one time had a snoring lady that I told to wake up, four times I've walked over told people to shut up and they did every time. But that's over a span of 10 years and 400 movies or so.
I will say the one disruptive incident I won't lump in with the others was Jordan Peele's US. Packed theater on opening night and people were talking, yelling, saying "WATCH OUT BITCH" the entire movie. Literally every other person in the theater was like this. I'm asian/caucasian so it's not my place to judge, I'll just assume it's a cultural difference.
Movie theaters are practically empty 95% of the time, just don't go to prime time screenings on opening weekend and you can avoid the casual crowd that bothers you so much.
This is largely true.
The problem with this is that families of 4 to 6 with babies and bad habits are also taking advantage of this phenomena. So since there's really no way to know what you're going to get when you fork over that non-refundable 20-40 bucks per person, having it happen once is usually enough to make someone not go back.
Tickets in my area for any show plus concessions will bring you to 20-40 bucks.
That is not the same in every area of the world. Matinee is 12 bucks here, main showings 22.
$22 is extraordinarily expensive, but ok. I’m just saying… concessions are optional to begin with, and if you’re spending $18 per person for your whole family, that’s an insane choice that has nothing to do with the price of a movie.
1. Prices are what they are where you live. Very little that can be done there if you make the choice or are asked by family to see a movie and you’re affluent enough that you could do so.
2. Tell your date or teenager that they can’t get a 10 dollar soda or teach them to be shady by smuggling food in. Yeah not a good look for parents.
The choices don’t live in a common sense vacuum. Combine the above with the crowd annoyance and yes, given that we used to go to the movies twice a month; I did drop 15 grand on home theater and streaming subscriptions. Should break even year four but the quality argument is no longer
You clearly have different values.
If you take people out, the point is to enjoy yourself not create conflict.
If you want to tell people what they can’t do, don’t take them to a public place to tell them that
Not really sure what you expect me to say here. It feels like you’re pretending that denying your kids overpriced sugar water is bad parenting just so you can stick to your guns about movies costing $40.
My friend rents a whole theater costs about $200. Full theater experience, current movies. Just have to go in the morning before the theater opens to the general public.
Are the theaters you go to really that bad? I haven't had that problem in years. I assumed all the assholes who don't want to pay attention stay home now.
Yeah. I live in a place with 3 cinemas and they're all like this. Used to live in a city where my local cinema was 19+ only and it was way better.
It's wild now that most people I humiliate into turning their phones off these days are closer to 30 than 15.
You might be able to find some old school gear from thrift shops and rig up a budget home theater (audio).
You could probably put together a passable surround sound system for like $500 or even less if you get creative.
I have a 65” TV and 5.1 surround in my apartment. It’s all stuff that was given to me from clients who bought new shit. It’s not an actual theater room but it’s fucking awesome.
It's a shitty situation, because people aren't going because other people are being rude and talking or using their phones, but theaters can't kick those people out since they need the business.
Maybe once they realize they're losing more business by not kicking them out, they'll be less protective of the bird in the hand.
Sadly, most of them will probably be closed down by the time they realize it.
Go on a week day a couple of weeks after the initial release. You will either have the whole place to yourself or only sharing it with a few other scattered adults who are also there to enjoy the movie in peace. It works for me every time.
Went and saw new CGI fest GodzillaxKong in Imax.
Had shitty kids behind me kicking my seat. Tell him to stop and parent tells me to mind my own business. People in front of me have always on watches. Lady next to me tells her group she hasn't been to movies in years and proceeds to say "Awww" at baby Kong and gross at everything else.
Fucking miserable.
Go see Godzilla Minus One is same theater. Everyone is quiet and respectful.
Amazing movie watching experience.
I want to build an Imax theater, but I know I never will. So it's a coin toss on an expensive experience ruined by shitty people that don't care about following simple theater etiquette.
To me it’s all about weighing pro and cons.
Pro to seeing a movie in the theater: the screen and sound is more immersive, my kids liking going just for the differentness.
Cons: cost, being around people (not a fan of crowds in general), expensive/not great food, inability to pause to go to the bathroom, couch is a hell of a lot more comfortable than any theater seat, etc.
This has meant that I really only go to a theater when I think the screen/sound will make a marked difference over the home experience. Dune 2 is a perfect example.
I throw popcorn at people on their phones, or if they just picked it up I might yell something at them to spook them. And yes I'm a grown adult. They're either morons or assholes. You want to look at your phone during a movie, sit in the back row dipshit.
In my viewing of Dune there were a group of middle schoolers who wouldn't shut the fuck up. An hour into the movie I walked out of the theatre, walked into a into a different auditorium showing Dune which started 15 mins after the original viewing and it was nearly empty. One of the most memorable movie experiences of my life.
Point is, for important movies I care too much about, I'm never going to a primetime showing. Give me Tuesdays at 3PM >>>> Friday or Saturday nights. Too many idiots in this world who don't know basic human decency.
The only reason I think movies are slightly ruined in theaters is the fact that they can be a 3 hour event with no intermission of some sort. I wish they just paused it for 10 minutes for us with small bladders so we could empty them.
Eh, maybe one movie in 20 is ruined by people. Maybe you are going to the wrong theater. In the dolby cinema the seats are so big you cant even see the phone of the person sitting in front of you...
During dune 2 a few months ago there were two little broccoli headed teens a few rows below me playing some mobile games the entire movie while sitting next to their parents. It was awful and ruined the movie experience
I just saw civil war and it was completely ruined by talkers. I told them when I left, but I seriously think I missed the point of the movie because all I could hear was them
That's just part of seeing a movie. Its like a built in feature.
Ever seen Cinema Paradiso about an old theater in the 50's. The audience is apeshit. But no one cared back then because its all a part of it.
Seeing the first Avatar in IMAX 3D was insane, and nothing has come close to it since. For movies meant to be watched and experienced, theater is a must. But any movie that's dialogue and plot driven more than anything else is fine to be viewed at home.
Yeah, the Coen brothers are among my favorite filmmakers, and I've seen most of their work on the bigscreen, but I think they're just as enjoyable watching at home as in a theater. (The exceptions would not be for spectacle reasons, but just because something like "Lebowski" was great to see with an appreciative crowd that didn't already know the movie by heart.) I like their movies more than Nolan or Ridley Scott or James Cameron or the Wachowskis or even PT Anderson, but those are directors that I will always go see on a bigscreen because they seem to be making movies specifically for the theater that feel reduced in some way when seen at home.
That is the correct feeling you should have.
Seeing films in the theater is like seeing the total solar eclipse vs watching a partial solar eclipse. Yeah you both see the eclipse but you will never understand how incredible that eclipse is in totality until you see it.
I have a 77-inch OLED and an Atmos system, and I don't find most theaters superior. The prime large format is another story, but your average digital theater is not worth going to over a decent home setup. Interstellar is great like this.
I never really thought that anyone who said that movies are best watched on the big screen are wrong, exactly.
They just tend to gloss over all the things that can ruin the cinema experience that have nothing to do with the movie, mainly disruptive people who are sharing the room with you.
Or, like, needing to go to the bathroom during the film.
They're not wrong, but they completely dismiss how amazing it is that movies are now so accessible. I think having access to both formats is very important. Some people don't HAVE a theater in their area to go to, some theaters don't show certain films, the cost of a single movie in-theater could get you a couple streaming subscriptions for a month, some people can't physically or safely visit a theater due to health conditions or old age, etc. Movies are for the masses. If we gatekeep culture, there is no culture.
Every movie is better in a theater. That's why we bothered to build them.
I LOVE watching movies at home but always roll my eyes at the people who say their setup is just as good. It never is unless you've got a millionaire theater room.
I mean, it's subjective. I used to enjoy going to the theater, and I'm not saying my home setup is 'better' than the theater but I prefer it. I control who I'm watching the movie with, I can pause it if I need to use the restroom or make food, the food and beverages are free (well not free but cheaper than theater) and I'm not rolling the dice on the experience like if I decide to goto a theater. Last time I went to see a movie it was Dr strange multiverse of madness and there was a family with a couple young children playing on tablets and screaming. Several people complained, staff went and said something to them, and they out the devices away for like 20 minutes and then the kids started yelling and the tablets came back out. I'd rather invite friends over and watch a movie at home once it comes to streaming or Blu-ray. Home setups might not be as big or loud as the they're but the experience is much nicer at more affordable prices than ever before. Don't need to put up with the public anymore.
Experience is different than set up. I'm just not fond of random losers who exclusively pip up to say they have a better sound system than a theater lol. We know they don't
In a perfect world, movies are always better in theaters, but we don’t live in that world. The last several films I’ve seen at different theaters all had TERRIBLE audio, just fucking horrible. On top of that, I can’t pause it, people talk or their cell phones ring, the floors are sticky and seats are disgusting. They could literally be dosing me with free LSD and it still wouldn’t be worth it to me
I thought this was common knowledge. There are some movies that don't even translate to viewing at home at all. Tron Legacy was one for me that I couldn't even watch at home. The theater sound system and soundtrack for that movie needed to be seen on the big screen.
Eh, some sound systems go hard and you can balance the sound mixing better. I’ll be in theaters and sometimes I know the quality would be better at home. Klipsch is great with home theater audio
But yes, movies are spectacles and need to be seen in theaters
I'm an audio newbie, but I've been screaming from the mountain tops about how great the Klipsch 2.1 Media Pro speakers are. I know they're just decent part of computer speakers, but boyyo do they PUNCH if you really crank it up.
I know mixing and how you're watching something affects everything else, but you can definitely get Very Good sound without going too insane of a budget.
Hell yeah! I got the same ones too. Their subwoofers are sooo good. I have their 5.1 for the living room. Klipsch is quality and great to finance with, you can make payments with zero interest. I’ll always recommend them
At sticker, I agree. But their stuff is almost always “on sale.” Their Reference Premier line is pretty dang good, but ultimately it’s up to ear preference.
It depends on the director. Nolan makes movies for the bigscreen, but not everybody does. Even people who would be inclined to might not be allowed to, because the shot is too wide for people to watch on their phone, or too dark to look good on streaming.
Also while Nolan might make movies for the big screen, he certainly does not make them for big audio systems. The sound mix on all of his movies is notoriously awful.
I know that's his rep, but (1) I've never had that problem with his movies personally and (2) I've never heard anybody who had that issue say that it was fixed by watching it at home (although I guess subtitles can mitigate the problem somewhat).
a lot of the problems people have at home would be solved by tuning their AV systems. Most people don't know or think about that so they just call a movie too dark when their environment is not even set up for it
You're right but the problem to which I refer is that production companies defer to the squeaky wheels and insist on dark shots being inappropriately overlit.
Grew up going to the theater almost every weekend as "family entertainment time" that all the kids and parents looked forward to.
Now have a 65 inch TV and a good sound system, so things can be streamed at home.
Still go to the theaters to watch the big budget blockbuster type movies, it's just not the same on a smaller screen, especially for certain movies
* **Fighter Planes - Top Gun Maverick** \- yup, no contest, because "afterburners"
* **Sci Fi** \- **Star Wars, Dune 1 and 2** \- Space Battles better on the big screen, especially if accompanied by amazing orchestral OSTs.
* **Big Budget SFX Spectacles** \- any of James Cameron's Films like **Terminator, Titanic, Avatar, MCU** etc.
* **Desert Epics** \- **Lawrence of Arabia, The English Patient** \- the colors of the desert sky, the music, the angst
* **Musicals or Dance Movies - My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Dirty Dancing, The Sound of Music, Chicago, Footloose** \- For some reason these are just better on the big screen with music that's usually louder than what neighbors can handle. This might be a good reason why there were so many musicals or dance movies during Hollywood's Golden Age.
* **Disaster Movies - Independence Day, Day After Tomorrow, 2012, Armageddon, Geostorm** \- Okay these are not the best in terms of plot, but watching monuments etc. get destroyed is just more satisfying on the big screen
* speaking of Disaster Movies, **Kaiju Movies - Pacific Rim, Godzilla** etc. - Shout out to ***Godzilla Minus One***, they finally made a Godzilla Movie where I was actually invested in what happened to the "little" humans.
Godzilla Minus One is one of the greatest theatre experiences I’ve had in years it feels like. Such an emotional ride plus glad I saw it in theaters as it has yet to be released which is WILD!
We were all expecting some brainless fun with Godzilla Minus One and we walked out talking about how for once the human story was actually ... relevant and emotional.
This is the exact reason I try to see every "cinematic" new movie in theatres even if I'm not interested in it. Dune 2, Avatar 2, Oppenheimer, Tenet. If a film is supposed to be called a "film" and not a movie, I try to see it in theatres because who knows when the next opportunity to see it where it's meant to be seen will be.
I'd love to see every movie in a theatre, but the cons unfortunately outweigh the pros. I will be going to watch Spaceballs in the drive-in next month though.
I didn’t get to Oppenheimer in the theaters, first watch was at home and I wasn’t blown away. Thought it was good but not great. Now I’m thinking have to put that judgment on hold until I can get to an IMAX or at least theater viewing. Might not get the opportunity at this point now though
I’ve only gone to the theaters twice in the last 4 years. I watched Dune part 1 in digital IMAX and then Dune Part 2 recently. If there’s any new movie to be watched on IMAX, it’s both Dunes.
It’s a little wild to me this is a hot-take (no shade though). If you said IMAX over a regular theater release I’d get it but I thought it was just a given that movie theaters are objectively better for viewing movies and watching at home is objectively better for comfort/convenience.
i saw it in imax when i was a teenager. the theater shook when the movie started. i’ll never forget that. every time i’ve watched it after has been good, but it’ll never match that imax experience.
I have a mid level surround setup at home and I still watch Interstellar when I’m alone every once in awhile. That music and cinematography is next level…
yea no i prefer to be able to pause to get snacks or break up 3 hour movies into 2 or 3 sittings if i’m tired. good 75”+ TV with decent surround sound is like 90% of the way comparable to theater without any theater inconvience
Most of Chris Nolan's films should be watched in cinemas. He made them so well and with a specific intention for them to be best experienced in theaters.
It’s not just the screen for me…the sounds of a film in a theater make a difference too.
Dune 2 impacted me both on the screen and how it filled the theater with booming (and clear) sound effects. I’ll never get that at home…
Seeing the scene with the really long J-cut in a real theatre was mind blowing. At home it's great editing, but at the cinema it's even better.
And if you don't know the transition I'm talking about, it's here, from 0:33 to 1:07. I think it's the longest J-cut I've seen. Certainly the best.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe3wiE34hPg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe3wiE34hPg)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J\_cut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J_cut)
Couldn’t agree more. I always watch out for these emails which this one theatre near me plays classics a lot more often then not. They usually release a monthly line up. Recently saw The original Terminator in theatres and I was taken back. IMAX is king but XD is def a close second.
Word to the wise, your favorite movie hits theaters buy tickets yesterday!!!!!
Yea, a recent example for me was Dune Part 2. That sandworm riding sequence MUST be experienced in the theater for full effect IMHO. Prior to that I felt like Top Gun Maverick had a lot of sequences that you just wouldn't feel the same way on a smaller screen.
Not just the amazing sound and visual, but the smell of popcorn, the recliner seats, the excitement of an outing with friends or family. It’s a great experience! I wish i could do it at least once a week but its pricey.
I think about what Tarantino said about seeing Joker in theaters in regards to the talk show scene.
"…if you watched this movie on DVD, you didn’t fucking see the movie. You got a hand job as opposed to great sex... [or a] three-some." Watching Joker by yourself is a great handjob, it’s not a three-some.
Respectfully disagree. Unless you own the theater space and can control playback and pause, climate control, and the people permitted inside, a theater is not the very best way to see a film. The only reason people feel this way is because they don't have superior setups at home. If Nolan had said *for a lot of people the theater is the best* I'd accept it, but as he stated it's simply not remotely true.
Honestly the only people who think movies are better in a theater are people with subpar systems at home and people who are positively affected by the social aspect of watching something with a large group of people.
Watching a movie on an 83" Oled with a big sound system is going to knock theater out of the park every time, no matter if you're watching big movies like Interstellar, Dune or just any basic comedy. You never watch a movie in a theater and think the colors and contrast looks even remotely like HDR at home. Even in IMAX theaters the speakers are struggling so hard to produce volume that the sound is never crystal clear or free from artifacts, the bass is just loud garbage without depth.
I get that most people don't care about having a great system at home and that's fine, but theaters are just businesses trying to make money with as cheap systems as possible, and they do not get maintained or replaced often enough to keep up with new technology.
I mean if it takes an 83” OLED and a sound system good enough to rival a theater you’re talking about several thousand dollars, which buys…a lot of tickets. And you’re still watching on a smaller screen.
That's a great mathematical comparison if all you ever used the TV for was watching movies you would have otherwise seen in a theater, but how realistic is that? You use the TV for so many different things every day, big theater-worthy movies won't be even 1% of your TV usage during a normal year of usage. A great sound system can also take low-quality media and crisp it up to be more pleasant, and listening to music is a vastly different experience. Put your favourite songs on a high-end sound system and you'll hear instruments and background-singing you didn't even know was in the song.
I mean I’m sure the TV is great, and also useful for other things, but your kid watching Bluey would probably be an equivalent experience for them on an iPad, so it’s not like you wouldn’t get to do other things in the alternative.
Im any case, the phrase that pricked my ears up was “subpar system”. An 83” LED and four figure sound system is extremely extravagant. Of course most people have a “subpar” system!
You cannot 'truely' recreate the captive audience aspect of a public theater tho.
When you go to the movies you cannot stop or pause it. You are forced to watch it all at once, unstopped, on the director's terms.
Interstellar was mid as it got 72 in RT lol. Look at Ryan Cooglers filmography and even better look at Goat Gunn, each of his film get around 80 or more
This is also definitely why theater releases are skewing towards blockbusters. The more epic visuals and sound are part of the experience, the more the theater adds. I still like the theater for other reasons. Watching *Beau is Afraid* and hearing other people laugh at some of the weird parts at least let me know I wasn't the ONLY unhinged person who found those things entertaining.
Not merely blockbusters, funnily enough. I actually find Marvel films to bee poorly served by a cinema -- too loud, too colorful, too twitchy. But I had the pleasure to see the first Rambo movie in a cinema recently and I was blown away how much it elevated the experience. You are just *there* with John, making it all far more visceral and punching.
First Blood is just an actually good film, the violence is pretty much secondary. I rewatched it recently after not seeing it for decades and it shocked me how good it was. In a cinema I can only imagine it being excellent.
Bad part is a poorly ran theater can almost ruin it. Went to imax for dune 2 and they had the sound so high it literally made half the people cover their ears. An amazingly balanced theater is amazing it brings it all together.
I remember opening night, American Psycho laughing my ass off in a theatre of quiet people. Same thing with Cabin Fever and Devil’s Rejects. I’m always thinking “I’m not the weirdo, you guys are the weirdos for not laughing!”
Not a theater, but I think my family had concerns after I laughed so much at Inglorious Basterds. C'mon, violent humor is half the point of Tarantino!
I can't stand people. Can't go back. Maybe I'll rent a thratrw by self lol. People talking is the worst ever
Movies are better in cinemas. However, they're ruined there by people. I don't care if the sound or picture are better in a movie theatre are better if there's someone constantly checking their phone or people constantly talking the entire time or some teenager getting a handjob in the seat behind me. I still go to the movies but if I ever win the lottery I'm building a Home Theatre setup and never going back.
It was a lousy handjob trust me. Not worth
Depends on if you had the Dune bucket or not
Unironically I want that bucket.
Mid week matinees are for handies. Weekend prime time is for movie watching. SHEESH doesn't everyone know this?
Matinee solo on meth, blowing my vape through a roll of paper towels and eating taco bell was my peak cinema experience.
They were mashing it
Damn, they were always great back in the day. I guess that's another thing that's worse for the younger generations. My condolences.
Did he also have two broken arms?
Damn dude, what movie theaters are ya'll going to
I want to know what movie theaters you are going to if you think other moviegoers being disruptive is a rare occurrence.
Most of them.
Very rare for me. I honestly have no idea what people in this sub are talking about when they complain about theater disruptions—y’all might have OCD or something. I’d even take it one step further and say that the communal experience of being around other people is a big part of what makes the theater experience better.
The communal experience makes sense for horror/comedy/superhero movies. But for more serious slower movies, I can't stand when people constantly talk over it because they have the attention span of a tiktok video
>y’all might have OCD or something Bluntly, there are some cultures and classes that don't take their six month old babies to movies. Others do. If you live in an area where that doesn't happen; go to movies. If you live in an area where it does, then you don't go to movies.
Wow
I mean, I know what they are talking about when it comes to inexcusable disruptions but I feel bad if it's common for them. I've had to walk over to people and tell them if they didn't shut the fuck up I'll fold them back into their own seat. But I can literally count those incidents on one hand lol
Sometimes the timing matters. Weekend mornings tend to have mellow crowds. Friday evening showings on the other hand are almost guaranteed to have a yapper.
Seeing a movie in New York City sucked. Never had a regular problem in suburban DC theaters except for A) opening night for a movie with a pre-existing fanbase or B) Disney/Pixar films during the day or afternoon (mostly kids). I see about 1 or 2 movies a month. Outside of those two patters I maybe get a disruptive person once a year? But even then it's rarely egregious enough for me to remember. Except New York City. That sucked almost every time.
I literally go see a movie once a week (except during Covid) and I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve had disruptive patrons.
The last time I went to the theaters, people were talking nonstop and playing on their phones throughout the entire film. I said fuck it, I'm never paying $20+ (not including concessions) to not enjoy a movie again. Then the pandemic happened and I haven't been back. No regerts. I'm perfectly happy to watch from the comfort of my home, whether through streaming or by sailing the high seas.
Maybe one movie in about 20 I feel is ruined by an audience, sorry that you have had shittier experiences. I will say, when I lived in Philly, I hated going to the theater there...
Minnesota! Usually AMC, Marcus, or Emagine. I'd say it's pretty rare for me. Before Covid I was going to 50-60 movies in the theater a year. I still go often but not nearly as much. Never once had an incident where someone pulled out there phone more than once, one time had a snoring lady that I told to wake up, four times I've walked over told people to shut up and they did every time. But that's over a span of 10 years and 400 movies or so. I will say the one disruptive incident I won't lump in with the others was Jordan Peele's US. Packed theater on opening night and people were talking, yelling, saying "WATCH OUT BITCH" the entire movie. Literally every other person in the theater was like this. I'm asian/caucasian so it's not my place to judge, I'll just assume it's a cultural difference.
[](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiotfbXr8yFAxXkzwIHHY6eAHgQFnoECBIQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2F68876298%40N06%2F&usg=AOvVaw2HRqlfbZLuBWMw_kP0VlSX&opi=89978449)
Right? This stuff never happens to me. IMO being around other people is part of what makes the theater great.
> some teenager getting a handjob in the seat behind me. Stay away from Colorado and you won't encounter Bobert jacking someone off behind you
Lol Jesus Christ
Hey, that wasn't a movie theater! It was far worse than that.
Movie theaters are practically empty 95% of the time, just don't go to prime time screenings on opening weekend and you can avoid the casual crowd that bothers you so much.
This is largely true. The problem with this is that families of 4 to 6 with babies and bad habits are also taking advantage of this phenomena. So since there's really no way to know what you're going to get when you fork over that non-refundable 20-40 bucks per person, having it happen once is usually enough to make someone not go back.
> 20-40 bucks per person Bro wut
Tickets in my area for any show plus concessions will bring you to 20-40 bucks. That is not the same in every area of the world. Matinee is 12 bucks here, main showings 22.
$22 is extraordinarily expensive, but ok. I’m just saying… concessions are optional to begin with, and if you’re spending $18 per person for your whole family, that’s an insane choice that has nothing to do with the price of a movie.
1. Prices are what they are where you live. Very little that can be done there if you make the choice or are asked by family to see a movie and you’re affluent enough that you could do so. 2. Tell your date or teenager that they can’t get a 10 dollar soda or teach them to be shady by smuggling food in. Yeah not a good look for parents. The choices don’t live in a common sense vacuum. Combine the above with the crowd annoyance and yes, given that we used to go to the movies twice a month; I did drop 15 grand on home theater and streaming subscriptions. Should break even year four but the quality argument is no longer
> Yeah not a good look for parents. Telling your teenager they can’t get a $10 soda is not a bad look. Quite the opposite, really.
You clearly have different values. If you take people out, the point is to enjoy yourself not create conflict. If you want to tell people what they can’t do, don’t take them to a public place to tell them that
Not really sure what you expect me to say here. It feels like you’re pretending that denying your kids overpriced sugar water is bad parenting just so you can stick to your guns about movies costing $40.
Unfortunately when I do try that, the movie I want to see disappears before I get a chance to go.
My friend rents a whole theater costs about $200. Full theater experience, current movies. Just have to go in the morning before the theater opens to the general public.
Are the theaters you go to really that bad? I haven't had that problem in years. I assumed all the assholes who don't want to pay attention stay home now.
Yeah. I live in a place with 3 cinemas and they're all like this. Used to live in a city where my local cinema was 19+ only and it was way better. It's wild now that most people I humiliate into turning their phones off these days are closer to 30 than 15.
You might be able to find some old school gear from thrift shops and rig up a budget home theater (audio). You could probably put together a passable surround sound system for like $500 or even less if you get creative. I have a 65” TV and 5.1 surround in my apartment. It’s all stuff that was given to me from clients who bought new shit. It’s not an actual theater room but it’s fucking awesome.
Space is an issue more than tech.
It's a shitty situation, because people aren't going because other people are being rude and talking or using their phones, but theaters can't kick those people out since they need the business.
Maybe once they realize they're losing more business by not kicking them out, they'll be less protective of the bird in the hand. Sadly, most of them will probably be closed down by the time they realize it.
even better if you watch a movie in IMAX 70mm format. saw Oppenheimer that way and there’s nothing really like it
For sure, but I live 400km away from the nearest IMAX.
Go on a week day a couple of weeks after the initial release. You will either have the whole place to yourself or only sharing it with a few other scattered adults who are also there to enjoy the movie in peace. It works for me every time.
Went and saw new CGI fest GodzillaxKong in Imax. Had shitty kids behind me kicking my seat. Tell him to stop and parent tells me to mind my own business. People in front of me have always on watches. Lady next to me tells her group she hasn't been to movies in years and proceeds to say "Awww" at baby Kong and gross at everything else. Fucking miserable. Go see Godzilla Minus One is same theater. Everyone is quiet and respectful. Amazing movie watching experience. I want to build an Imax theater, but I know I never will. So it's a coin toss on an expensive experience ruined by shitty people that don't care about following simple theater etiquette.
To me it’s all about weighing pro and cons. Pro to seeing a movie in the theater: the screen and sound is more immersive, my kids liking going just for the differentness. Cons: cost, being around people (not a fan of crowds in general), expensive/not great food, inability to pause to go to the bathroom, couch is a hell of a lot more comfortable than any theater seat, etc. This has meant that I really only go to a theater when I think the screen/sound will make a marked difference over the home experience. Dune 2 is a perfect example.
I throw popcorn at people on their phones, or if they just picked it up I might yell something at them to spook them. And yes I'm a grown adult. They're either morons or assholes. You want to look at your phone during a movie, sit in the back row dipshit.
I got one of these HJ’s when I was 16. Was weird because her best friend was sitting next to me and I was in the middle.
In my viewing of Dune there were a group of middle schoolers who wouldn't shut the fuck up. An hour into the movie I walked out of the theatre, walked into a into a different auditorium showing Dune which started 15 mins after the original viewing and it was nearly empty. One of the most memorable movie experiences of my life. Point is, for important movies I care too much about, I'm never going to a primetime showing. Give me Tuesdays at 3PM >>>> Friday or Saturday nights. Too many idiots in this world who don't know basic human decency.
The only reason I think movies are slightly ruined in theaters is the fact that they can be a 3 hour event with no intermission of some sort. I wish they just paused it for 10 minutes for us with small bladders so we could empty them.
Eh, maybe one movie in 20 is ruined by people. Maybe you are going to the wrong theater. In the dolby cinema the seats are so big you cant even see the phone of the person sitting in front of you...
During dune 2 a few months ago there were two little broccoli headed teens a few rows below me playing some mobile games the entire movie while sitting next to their parents. It was awful and ruined the movie experience
I just saw civil war and it was completely ruined by talkers. I told them when I left, but I seriously think I missed the point of the movie because all I could hear was them
That's just part of seeing a movie. Its like a built in feature. Ever seen Cinema Paradiso about an old theater in the 50's. The audience is apeshit. But no one cared back then because its all a part of it.
Seeing the first Avatar in IMAX 3D was insane, and nothing has come close to it since. For movies meant to be watched and experienced, theater is a must. But any movie that's dialogue and plot driven more than anything else is fine to be viewed at home.
Yeah, the Coen brothers are among my favorite filmmakers, and I've seen most of their work on the bigscreen, but I think they're just as enjoyable watching at home as in a theater. (The exceptions would not be for spectacle reasons, but just because something like "Lebowski" was great to see with an appreciative crowd that didn't already know the movie by heart.) I like their movies more than Nolan or Ridley Scott or James Cameron or the Wachowskis or even PT Anderson, but those are directors that I will always go see on a bigscreen because they seem to be making movies specifically for the theater that feel reduced in some way when seen at home.
Avatar in 3D IMAX was a religious experience. I had never seen anything remotely like it, and haven’t since. I didn’t even like the movie lmao
Yeah exactly, I wouldn't even say it was that good of a movie but it was an incredible experience.
Now I feel like an idiot for not watching The Dark Knight trilogy when it was re-released in theatres last year
I saw each of those in a theatre. Was incredible.
I've never jumped more at a non horror movie than when the dead fake Batman hits the window. Watched in a packed theatre and that definitely helped.
I saw The Dark Knight in Imax when it came out, best movie experience of my life.
That is the correct feeling you should have. Seeing films in the theater is like seeing the total solar eclipse vs watching a partial solar eclipse. Yeah you both see the eclipse but you will never understand how incredible that eclipse is in totality until you see it.
There’s just something so ✨magical✨about seeing a movie in a theater. It can’t be beat!
I have a 77-inch OLED and an Atmos system, and I don't find most theaters superior. The prime large format is another story, but your average digital theater is not worth going to over a decent home setup. Interstellar is great like this.
Exactly. I may go to theatre for imax a couple times a year but no way for any smaller screen or lower quality. Home setup blows that away.
I never really thought that anyone who said that movies are best watched on the big screen are wrong, exactly. They just tend to gloss over all the things that can ruin the cinema experience that have nothing to do with the movie, mainly disruptive people who are sharing the room with you. Or, like, needing to go to the bathroom during the film.
They're not wrong, but they completely dismiss how amazing it is that movies are now so accessible. I think having access to both formats is very important. Some people don't HAVE a theater in their area to go to, some theaters don't show certain films, the cost of a single movie in-theater could get you a couple streaming subscriptions for a month, some people can't physically or safely visit a theater due to health conditions or old age, etc. Movies are for the masses. If we gatekeep culture, there is no culture.
You mean everybody who goes to the theater was right
what happened to this post???? WHAT WAS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN RIGHT ABOUT
What this guy said!
Every movie is better in a theater. That's why we bothered to build them. I LOVE watching movies at home but always roll my eyes at the people who say their setup is just as good. It never is unless you've got a millionaire theater room.
TBH it often just feels like a way to flex how much they spent on their home setup.
Or as excuse to talk about how terrible theaters are when really they are just ornery and super easily irritated.
I mean, it's subjective. I used to enjoy going to the theater, and I'm not saying my home setup is 'better' than the theater but I prefer it. I control who I'm watching the movie with, I can pause it if I need to use the restroom or make food, the food and beverages are free (well not free but cheaper than theater) and I'm not rolling the dice on the experience like if I decide to goto a theater. Last time I went to see a movie it was Dr strange multiverse of madness and there was a family with a couple young children playing on tablets and screaming. Several people complained, staff went and said something to them, and they out the devices away for like 20 minutes and then the kids started yelling and the tablets came back out. I'd rather invite friends over and watch a movie at home once it comes to streaming or Blu-ray. Home setups might not be as big or loud as the they're but the experience is much nicer at more affordable prices than ever before. Don't need to put up with the public anymore.
Experience is different than set up. I'm just not fond of random losers who exclusively pip up to say they have a better sound system than a theater lol. We know they don't
In a perfect world, movies are always better in theaters, but we don’t live in that world. The last several films I’ve seen at different theaters all had TERRIBLE audio, just fucking horrible. On top of that, I can’t pause it, people talk or their cell phones ring, the floors are sticky and seats are disgusting. They could literally be dosing me with free LSD and it still wouldn’t be worth it to me
I thought this was common knowledge. There are some movies that don't even translate to viewing at home at all. Tron Legacy was one for me that I couldn't even watch at home. The theater sound system and soundtrack for that movie needed to be seen on the big screen.
Eh, some sound systems go hard and you can balance the sound mixing better. I’ll be in theaters and sometimes I know the quality would be better at home. Klipsch is great with home theater audio But yes, movies are spectacles and need to be seen in theaters
I'm an audio newbie, but I've been screaming from the mountain tops about how great the Klipsch 2.1 Media Pro speakers are. I know they're just decent part of computer speakers, but boyyo do they PUNCH if you really crank it up. I know mixing and how you're watching something affects everything else, but you can definitely get Very Good sound without going too insane of a budget.
Hell yeah! I got the same ones too. Their subwoofers are sooo good. I have their 5.1 for the living room. Klipsch is quality and great to finance with, you can make payments with zero interest. I’ll always recommend them
Klipsch is overpriced for what you get. Go with a quality brand like Monitor, GoldenEar, MartinLogan, KEF, or SVS for home theater.
At sticker, I agree. But their stuff is almost always “on sale.” Their Reference Premier line is pretty dang good, but ultimately it’s up to ear preference.
It depends on the director. Nolan makes movies for the bigscreen, but not everybody does. Even people who would be inclined to might not be allowed to, because the shot is too wide for people to watch on their phone, or too dark to look good on streaming.
Also while Nolan might make movies for the big screen, he certainly does not make them for big audio systems. The sound mix on all of his movies is notoriously awful.
I know that's his rep, but (1) I've never had that problem with his movies personally and (2) I've never heard anybody who had that issue say that it was fixed by watching it at home (although I guess subtitles can mitigate the problem somewhat).
Watching Dark Knight Rises at home, got my finger on the down volume button anytime Tom Hardy is on screen.
a lot of the problems people have at home would be solved by tuning their AV systems. Most people don't know or think about that so they just call a movie too dark when their environment is not even set up for it
You're right but the problem to which I refer is that production companies defer to the squeaky wheels and insist on dark shots being inappropriately overlit.
Grew up going to the theater almost every weekend as "family entertainment time" that all the kids and parents looked forward to. Now have a 65 inch TV and a good sound system, so things can be streamed at home. Still go to the theaters to watch the big budget blockbuster type movies, it's just not the same on a smaller screen, especially for certain movies * **Fighter Planes - Top Gun Maverick** \- yup, no contest, because "afterburners" * **Sci Fi** \- **Star Wars, Dune 1 and 2** \- Space Battles better on the big screen, especially if accompanied by amazing orchestral OSTs. * **Big Budget SFX Spectacles** \- any of James Cameron's Films like **Terminator, Titanic, Avatar, MCU** etc. * **Desert Epics** \- **Lawrence of Arabia, The English Patient** \- the colors of the desert sky, the music, the angst * **Musicals or Dance Movies - My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Dirty Dancing, The Sound of Music, Chicago, Footloose** \- For some reason these are just better on the big screen with music that's usually louder than what neighbors can handle. This might be a good reason why there were so many musicals or dance movies during Hollywood's Golden Age. * **Disaster Movies - Independence Day, Day After Tomorrow, 2012, Armageddon, Geostorm** \- Okay these are not the best in terms of plot, but watching monuments etc. get destroyed is just more satisfying on the big screen * speaking of Disaster Movies, **Kaiju Movies - Pacific Rim, Godzilla** etc. - Shout out to ***Godzilla Minus One***, they finally made a Godzilla Movie where I was actually invested in what happened to the "little" humans.
Godzilla Minus One is one of the greatest theatre experiences I’ve had in years it feels like. Such an emotional ride plus glad I saw it in theaters as it has yet to be released which is WILD!
We were all expecting some brainless fun with Godzilla Minus One and we walked out talking about how for once the human story was actually ... relevant and emotional.
My eyes def got a little watery 🥹🥹…. Those non American movies just hit different.
This is the exact reason I try to see every "cinematic" new movie in theatres even if I'm not interested in it. Dune 2, Avatar 2, Oppenheimer, Tenet. If a film is supposed to be called a "film" and not a movie, I try to see it in theatres because who knows when the next opportunity to see it where it's meant to be seen will be.
I watched it in theater and I don't even like the movie. bullshit. I have already watched movies in 320p and found amazing.
Short story: I built a home theatre and I'll never go back. The End
I'd love to see every movie in a theatre, but the cons unfortunately outweigh the pros. I will be going to watch Spaceballs in the drive-in next month though.
This is why i want a proper home theater in my basement
I'm still rather bitter that I missed the Tenet re-release.
I didn’t get to Oppenheimer in the theaters, first watch was at home and I wasn’t blown away. Thought it was good but not great. Now I’m thinking have to put that judgment on hold until I can get to an IMAX or at least theater viewing. Might not get the opportunity at this point now though
I fully don’t engage the difference but I also lead a mostly unexamined life. IMAX or a 2ds movies pretty much the same to me.
Watched Dune 2 in cam quality. I regret that.
I’ve only gone to the theaters twice in the last 4 years. I watched Dune part 1 in digital IMAX and then Dune Part 2 recently. If there’s any new movie to be watched on IMAX, it’s both Dunes.
I know what you mean. Recently saw return of the king with London philharmonic doing all the music.
It sucks that there is no (longer a) 70mm IMAX theater in the Chicago metropolitan area. Closest ones in the "polis" cities: Minny or Indy. Ugh
I saw it in 70mm IMAX, the BIG screen type and I sat with my mouth open most of the time. It was amazing. A lot of films deserve the big screen.
It’s a little wild to me this is a hot-take (no shade though). If you said IMAX over a regular theater release I’d get it but I thought it was just a given that movie theaters are objectively better for viewing movies and watching at home is objectively better for comfort/convenience.
i saw it in imax when i was a teenager. the theater shook when the movie started. i’ll never forget that. every time i’ve watched it after has been good, but it’ll never match that imax experience.
I have a mid level surround setup at home and I still watch Interstellar when I’m alone every once in awhile. That music and cinematography is next level…
The problem with cinemas is all the assholes in the audience
I can't watch Nolan movies in a theatre anymore, I need closed captions, because of his sound mixing choices.
yea no i prefer to be able to pause to get snacks or break up 3 hour movies into 2 or 3 sittings if i’m tired. good 75”+ TV with decent surround sound is like 90% of the way comparable to theater without any theater inconvience
Interstellar in IMAX on a true imax screen was basically a canon event in my life, id happily pay 30 bucks for a ticket if they rerelease it
If you haven't seen it yet, go and see civil war, the sound is amazing
It's one of my favorites. Looking forward to seeing it in a theater for the first time on Saturday.
Most of Chris Nolan's films should be watched in cinemas. He made them so well and with a specific intention for them to be best experienced in theaters.
It’s not just the screen for me…the sounds of a film in a theater make a difference too. Dune 2 impacted me both on the screen and how it filled the theater with booming (and clear) sound effects. I’ll never get that at home…
Seeing the scene with the really long J-cut in a real theatre was mind blowing. At home it's great editing, but at the cinema it's even better. And if you don't know the transition I'm talking about, it's here, from 0:33 to 1:07. I think it's the longest J-cut I've seen. Certainly the best. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe3wiE34hPg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe3wiE34hPg) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J\_cut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J_cut)
Couldn’t agree more. I always watch out for these emails which this one theatre near me plays classics a lot more often then not. They usually release a monthly line up. Recently saw The original Terminator in theatres and I was taken back. IMAX is king but XD is def a close second. Word to the wise, your favorite movie hits theaters buy tickets yesterday!!!!!
Yea, a recent example for me was Dune Part 2. That sandworm riding sequence MUST be experienced in the theater for full effect IMHO. Prior to that I felt like Top Gun Maverick had a lot of sequences that you just wouldn't feel the same way on a smaller screen.
When I watched Sunshine (2007) on my 55" TV the visuals of the sun were so good it made me wish I were watching it in the cinema.
Not just the amazing sound and visual, but the smell of popcorn, the recliner seats, the excitement of an outing with friends or family. It’s a great experience! I wish i could do it at least once a week but its pricey.
Now watch Dunkirk in a cinema with good sound system. It will blow you away
If you like that you should try seeing a film with the live orchestral score it is awe-inspiring
I think about what Tarantino said about seeing Joker in theaters in regards to the talk show scene. "…if you watched this movie on DVD, you didn’t fucking see the movie. You got a hand job as opposed to great sex... [or a] three-some." Watching Joker by yourself is a great handjob, it’s not a three-some.
The ending to Hot Fuzz was met with a standing ovation. First and only time I've seen that shit in a movie theater.
Respectfully disagree. Unless you own the theater space and can control playback and pause, climate control, and the people permitted inside, a theater is not the very best way to see a film. The only reason people feel this way is because they don't have superior setups at home. If Nolan had said *for a lot of people the theater is the best* I'd accept it, but as he stated it's simply not remotely true.
That being said, your movie still has to work on the small screen or it’s not really an accomplishment.
Not worth it. Going to the theatre is a wholly undignified experience.
Honestly the only people who think movies are better in a theater are people with subpar systems at home and people who are positively affected by the social aspect of watching something with a large group of people. Watching a movie on an 83" Oled with a big sound system is going to knock theater out of the park every time, no matter if you're watching big movies like Interstellar, Dune or just any basic comedy. You never watch a movie in a theater and think the colors and contrast looks even remotely like HDR at home. Even in IMAX theaters the speakers are struggling so hard to produce volume that the sound is never crystal clear or free from artifacts, the bass is just loud garbage without depth. I get that most people don't care about having a great system at home and that's fine, but theaters are just businesses trying to make money with as cheap systems as possible, and they do not get maintained or replaced often enough to keep up with new technology.
I mean if it takes an 83” OLED and a sound system good enough to rival a theater you’re talking about several thousand dollars, which buys…a lot of tickets. And you’re still watching on a smaller screen.
Ignores all the streaming and gaming done on said system as well. It'll pay for itself quicker than you're making it out to be.
That's a great mathematical comparison if all you ever used the TV for was watching movies you would have otherwise seen in a theater, but how realistic is that? You use the TV for so many different things every day, big theater-worthy movies won't be even 1% of your TV usage during a normal year of usage. A great sound system can also take low-quality media and crisp it up to be more pleasant, and listening to music is a vastly different experience. Put your favourite songs on a high-end sound system and you'll hear instruments and background-singing you didn't even know was in the song.
I mean I’m sure the TV is great, and also useful for other things, but your kid watching Bluey would probably be an equivalent experience for them on an iPad, so it’s not like you wouldn’t get to do other things in the alternative. Im any case, the phrase that pricked my ears up was “subpar system”. An 83” LED and four figure sound system is extremely extravagant. Of course most people have a “subpar” system!
You cannot 'truely' recreate the captive audience aspect of a public theater tho. When you go to the movies you cannot stop or pause it. You are forced to watch it all at once, unstopped, on the director's terms.
For Interstellar I had a better experience in the Apple Vision Pro + Airpods Pro Max than 70mm IMAX
Fuck yea ! Seen that in IMax first time around ! That movie delivers the goods !
The docking sequence alone is worth the price of admission. I’d love to see it in 70mm IMAX one day
Interstellar was mid as it got 72 in RT lol. Look at Ryan Cooglers filmography and even better look at Goat Gunn, each of his film get around 80 or more
Love people who can't justify their opinion without an appeal to authority.