Friday Question #59
Would you rather see a movie in the theater on opening weekend when there are big crowds, or wait and go after it’s been out awhile and the theater is more empty? Or, would you rather wait for it to release on DVD and watch it in your home?
I get really excited about some movies, and feel like I have to see them the weekend they come out – The Dark Knight, Iron Man, the Star Wars movies, and last weekend, Watchmen. It’s kind of fun to sit in the crowded theater, with a bunch of people, watching a movie. There is a different vibe then when the theater is empty.
Steven and I saw Taken a few weeks after it came out. We saw it on a Friday night. BIG MISTAKE. I think every mom in our neighborhood was dropping off 4 or 5 teenagers at the theater. Ugh, they were everywhere. The actual theater we sat in was fairly empty, but two teenage girls texted and gossiped throughout the entire duration of the previews. I don’t know who was more pissed off, me or the guy in front of me, who looked like he was going to get up a few times to go smack them. I warned Steven I might do the same.
Oops. That story was kind of unrelated. Anyway, I really enjoy the “full house” theater for some movies, but not all. And if I go opening weekend, I have to get there early to get the seat I want*. When we went to see The Dark Knight we had to sit in front… HUGE bummer.
*And I have to see the trailers! That is one of my favorite parts of seeing a movie – adding new movies to my “to see” list.
Themocracy
I’m kind of indifferent to when I see a movie. I generally don’t like dealing with the lines and crowds of opening weekend. But, so long as I get a good seat (which could be on my couch!), I don’t really care whether I see a movie in the theater or at home. Lately, though, we only watch movies at home. I think the last movie I saw in a theater was last summer on vacation.
admittedly I rarely get to see movies in the theater; but I love the experience just so long as the teens shut up the the trailers start. like you they get me excited about upcoming flicks and since I really don’t watch tv they are the only way I know what new movies are about.
if I’ve seen it before or it’s a more introspective film then home is fine by me. but I don’t have much of a home entertainment thing going on so I really need to see action flicks there ~ I’m very excited about “Enterprise” and will go to see it, maybe not opening weekend but definately there and not home on dvd!
I see approximately one movie a year in the theater. I’m VERY picky about what I decide is a “good” movie and I get irritated if I feel as though I’ve wasted my time sitting in a theater watching something I don’t like. I have walked out of a movie before and asked for my money back when the other patrons were being rude. For the most part, sitting in in a theater with other people is anxiety-provoking for me. I won’t even search out the DVD. I prefer to wait until the movie shows up on cable TV.
That being said, I do remember seeing Jurassic Park in the theater on opening night and it was a lot of fun. But I was one of those irritating teenagers so I probably had a different view of the whole theater experience.
I used to love a crowded theater. Not anymore. People are so STUPID, talking, texting, ARGH!!!!
And the worst, most horrible infraction is the morons who bring their CHILDREN to movies they shouldn’t be seeing. I sat through the third lord of the rings movie that started at 10PM, watching a four year old bury his face in a teddy bear and BEG his dad, sobbing, that he would do ANYTHING, to leave because the monsters on the screen scared him, and the selfish jerk of a dad told him to sit down and shut up. I can’t even tell you how many movies I have been to where children are in attendance and they shouldn’t be. I feel so awful for the kids that I am literally sick to my stomach (even now, just thinking about it), and I don’t know what to do. I thought about offering the dad to stand with the kid in the lobby and entertain the child while the dad indulged in his selfishness. My hubby told me not to, and instead I just sat there the whole movie wanting to throw up. It absolutely ruins not only that showing, but the movie for me in general. It’s forever tainted, even by just the moronic rather than the abusive. To this day, I can’t watch Sweet Home Alabama without hearing the nitwit teenagers who were making fun of the movie during a certain part.
I seriously just can’t take it. I think the only movies I can go see now are kids movies. You expect people to be fidgety in them, you expect children. I don’t know that I’ll EVER go see an adult movie in a theater again. I’m a dvd person. Upside? DH is such an electronics freak that we have a HUGE screened tv with surround sound. I don’t think I’m missing much, and I’m gaining the ability to wear PJ’s and pause for a bathroom break.
But speaking of movies, I’m taking a car full of kids to see Escape to Witch Mountain in about three hours. 😉
Depends on the movie, some really need to be seen in the theatre but not necessarly opening night (unless it’s a Star Wars movie I’m letting my daughters skip school to go see). I do regret not seeing Ironman on the big screen. Last couple movies I went to there were only 10-20 people in the theatre which was fine with me.
I am not big on crowds so I have become a huge Netflix fan. I sometimes use my commuting time on the train to watch the movies my wife is not interested in.
It all depends on the movie. If it’s a movie I know will be busy and I want to enjoy the film itself, Katie and I will either wait a few weeks or go see it at some off time like 11 a.m. on a Sunday. However, some films need to be experienced with the masses. This was the case with Friday the 13th (reboot) and Snakes on a Plane. I knew both those movies were going to be bad, but the crowd vibe would add to the enjoyment of each and it did. Immensely. I know I can’t really watch either of them by myself or with a dull crowd. The jacked-up nature of the crowd and their reactions to certain sequences made it all worthwhile.
OPENING WEEKEND BABY! My hubby and I have a bit of a movie obsession…we just love the whole experience. True, we end up wasting our time at some pretty stupid movies these days, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still have fun. It’s almost as fun to make fun of them afterwards, y’know? *haha*
Our theater has started a really strict no cell phone (including texting) policy. I have seen multiple kids get escorted out of the theater and it seems to be helping. I don’t get blinded my cell phones opening in the middle of the shows as much anymore.
You wanting to smack those girls reminds me of a story, though. We were once sitting in a stadium theater and I kept feeling like I was seeing something flying by me…little dots of something. Then at one point, I got smacked in the lap – with an ice cube. Then the lady next to me got hit with an M&M…and in front of us. There were clearly some morons tossing crap from the back of the theater. (Clearly morons, WHO would waste an M&M? *haha*) My feisty husband turned around and pinpointed where the pellets were coming from, got up and went back to the kids, said something to the effect of “Stop it now before I MAKE you!” and came back to his seat. All the women sitting around me were looking at him with such admiration, and I know wishing their husbands would have been as brave. *hahaha* Eventually I guess someone had reported them because the management came and got ’em.
We NEVER go opening weekend, unless we’re dying to see the movie and leave work early in the afternoon before the crowds go. For me, there is nothing worse than a crowded theater, sitting right next to some stranger, and listening to teens talk and seeing their bright cell phone screens as they text – after paying $$$ for the ticket!!
I do like to go to the theater, mainly for the popcorn 😉 but we always waite until it’s been out a few weeks. However, except for a few movies throughout the year, we watch most at home from Netflix.
i usually avoid opening weekend like the plague – canNOT deal with that many people when it’s supposed to be my relaxing time! – but there are some movies that absolutely must be seen big screen. 300, the dark knight, the matrix, star wars, lord of the rings… epics, i guess i’m saying 🙂
It is a rare movie that will bring me out on opening weekend. I hate crowds. But I do love going to the movie theater, especially for matinees during the week when I can have any seat I want.
Not only is it rare for me to need to go to a movie on opening weekend, it is also rare for me to need to go to a movie in the theater at all. There are some movies that I see in the theater usually because I am so excited about them or a group of people are going. But really…I have a huge flat screen HDTV and a both a blu ray and dvd player…things will look just as good on DVD. 🙂
I hate the crowds. (and their noise)
During the times when kids are in school I’ll try to catch the matinee. In summer I’ll generally wait a few weeks…
i used to love going to the movies but now it seems everyone is talking, cutting up, texting, being loud, and disturbing ME!!!! hello?!?! am i not the only there to see the movie?? i know, i know… i’m working on that… it seems that the older i get the more crowds just really get to me, well, when i think they’re being rude anyways… (i think this means i am getting old!)
=^..^=
I can be such a homebody so I perfer the DVDs to opening weekend. However, there are a few movies that I want to see opening weekend. But more than likely you will find me on my couch eating truffle popcorn.
DVD!! I am not a fan of the movie theatre 🙂
Nowadays if there’s something I really want to see on the big screen, I’ll try to catch it as a matinee after opening weekend to avoid crowds and see it before it moves to a smaller screen in the theater.
Hi, Kyle and I just saw Taken and I thought it was okay. There was only two other people in the theater, an older couple. I like it when its empty like that because I get really irritated if people are noisy or in my way.
I really want to go see Confessions of a Shopaholic.. But Kyle won’t go with me… :'(
I just could NOT wait to see “He Is Just Not That Into You” so I went on opening weekend, and it was miserable. I don’t like sitting by strangers, they take the cup holder and the arm rest all for themselves. I like going to weekday matinees.
Like a lot of people have mentioned, it depends on the movie. Movies that are big “happenings” are fun, and you better believe I will do my best to see T4 on opening day just because I am that excited!!!
I really don’t like watching most movies at home unless I am sick or totally in the mood to veg. But then, as I mentioned, I have a really crappy tv. Ha!
But like Kyra, the one thing that pisses me off most in public movie theaters is children dragged to inappropriate films. Blah. Oh, and people eating really loud. GAH!
For me, it depends on the movie. If it’s one I REALLY want to see, I’ll go on opening weekend but otherwise I wait a few weeks 🙂
I’m getting in on this one a little late, but I prefer a mid-week matinee the week after opening weekend, if you’re schedule allows for that.
If it’s a movie that I’ve really been looking forward to than I will go opening weekend (i.e. Spiderman *love love love*) but just like you said, it’s essential to get there early to get good seats. I sure as heck don’t want to sit in the front row, or separated from my family because we got there late. Other than that, I wait until it comes out on DVD and get all my rentals from REDBOX. $1 per night – blows Blockbuster prices out the window. Btw, I will usually always tag along to the theater just for the popcorn alone. I’m a popcorn girl. As a matter of fact, I’ll go as far as to say, it’s all about the popcorn!
Some movies, I do like to see opening weekend, but normally not opening night. We normally wait till Sunday to go, since there is a lot less people and we get to pick our seats.
I’m like you. There are certain movies I feel like we have to watch in theaters. I don’t *need* to watch it with a big crowd — in fact, I’d prefer there not be a crowd.
I knew with Dark Knight, for instance, people I know and podcasts I listen to were going to spoil the hell out of it. I knew I had to see that one early. I wanted to see the Oscar-nominated films before the Oscars too.
I also like a movie to be part of “going out.” I love movies. It makes for a good night, a good discussion topic.
Other than that, it wouldn’t bother me to watch everything else at home.
Depends on the movie. Some movies I need to see before I hear anyone else’s opinion on it. Other movies I can wait till the crowds die down.