I’ll never understand people who don’t like going to the theater. I absolutely love going to the theater, but for the most part, I go to locally owned, independent theaters. Prices are good, including for the snacks. Yes, yes, your home theater setup is awesome or whatever, but that doesn’t replicate the theater experience. All of my most enjoyable movie experiences have been at the theater. Even something as dumb as Talledega Nights was transformed by being in a packed theater. And even for more cerebral movies, the experience is just worth it. Coming back from the theater and talking about it, seeing the reactions on people’s faces, hearing others on the way out, etc. There’s also nothing else to do at the movie theater except watch.
I’m glad my independent theaters made it through COVID. I haven’t been as much as I did prior to COVID, mainly because of COVID and moving further away, but I just really love seeing a good movie at the theater. I miss being bored on a Friday night and hopping down to the local theater to see a movie. My movie theaters have really good popcorn and ice cream as well.
I see a lot of people in these comments wondering why they should favor the theater experience today. While it's true that the gap between video and audio quality at home is shrinking I think the single biggest factor for me to go to the theater is the feeling of focus and immersion that I experience.
I love forgetting about everything else for 2-3 hours and becoming absorbed in the experience. One of my favorite feelings is at the end of the film when I walk out of the theater with a mind that is empty and still after having focused for so long. I get to observe the feeling of my thoughts creeping back in along with the noise of the world. In this way it's akin to a meditative experience for me.
Of course, this can also happen at home with enough willpower, but the temptation to break focus is ever-present.
I'm completely bored by long battle scenes (e.g. in LOTR) ... seen one, seen 'em all ... some are long enough to visit the loo and go out for a smoke.
I forwent popcorn and soda for Avengers Endgame cause I didn't wanna get up to go to the bathroom. Just took tiny sips of water when my mouth got dry.
Worked like a charm.
Random but this app was founded by ex-NFL quarterback Carson Palmer's brother Jordan.
Also still requires you to check your phone during a movie which should be immediate jail time across the board.
we really are in the nightmare dystopic vision of being connected to an engagement machine and more or less drooling our way through life... How many apps does the average person have on their phone...having something so hyper specific just seems incredible to me (as someone with nothing installed on it)
There are big cultural differences in this type of behaviour. In Finland, I would estimate the percentage of peers during a movie in a theater is probably 1-2%. No one really plans around it and it's seen as quite annoying behaviour which is avoided.
In Canada, where I lived for a while, the number was probably 10-20%. It was more of a norm and just a thing that a lot of people did.
(Meta question): Is there a reason blog posts get a year, but the websites for apps that have been out for a long time do not?
Aka Intermission.
Or Interpission.
If you pull it out in the theater during the movie I hope you'll be ejected from the theater. Phones should be OFF in theaters during the movie!
I don't see why this is necessary or useful. Just press the "pause" button and go to the bathroom when you need to. While you're at it, you can grab a snack or drink from your kitchen before you unpause. Take a few minutes and brew a nice cup of tea perhaps. Then come back to your recliner and cover up with a cozy blanket while watching the movie.
The problem of going to the toilet all the time seems to be related to the bad habit of selling drinks by the bucket in theaters.
Thor: Love and Thunder - Feel free to run and pee whenever you want.
I was surprised that intermissions were not a thing in the US movie theaters.
It is pervasive in India and movies are designed to end on a high/cliffhanger before the break.
I just go pee when I need to.
Go with the flow is a better policy than subjecting your bladder to a movie’s rhythm.
Your body will thank you.
Supposedly the app/site went AWOL more or less a few years? and then got resurrected.
Isn't this several years old?
You could just use your great film sense to know when you're in an obligatory scene, or alternatively just skip the horrendously large liquid sugar infusion.
I actually used this for Endgame! It ruled.
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This is one of the reasons why I’ve all but sworn-off theaters. It used to mean a lot more to me to see something in the theater but I’ve traded that for subtitles, pausing, multi-day-viewing, picture quality, manageable volume, whatever food and snacks I want, and -surprisingly high up on the list - talking through the movie with my wife.
I guess I’ve gotten old (and also own my own house and can buy whatever equipment I want)