Worst/Best Moviewatching Experiences

diebitter · #1 12-22-2006, 06:27 AM

I only have worst at the moment:

At the cinema - Reservoir Dogs - Took the wife to go see some really awful chickflick she really wanted to see, something like Sister Act 2 - and it was full. Res Dogs had just come out, and I persuaded her it was meant to be very good. Anyway, we settle down, all okay, then we get Tim Roth covered in blood, and she starts looking green, holding her hand over her eyes etc. She's squeezing my hand, looking at me daggers, so I offer to leave, but nope, she decides to martyr up and stick with it. She's like this the whole time and goes into overdrive when the ear gets cut off. I keep asking if she wants to leave, cos while I like the film, I can't just relax and enjoy it, but - no - she insists on seeing it till the end. And still, to this day (+10 years later), she talks about the horrible film I took her to see. meh.

DVD - Blazing Saddles. Put it on with some friends, and one proceeded to recite every line just before the actor said it, and laugh his head off at even the smallest jokes... We had to stop it after 20 minutes, cos we were ready to kill him. He just wouldn't shut up, no matter how many threats were made.

kitaristi0 · #2 12-22-2006, 07:39 AM

The best experience that I can think of was the first time I saw Lost in Translation. There were I think three of us in the movie theater and that to me gave it a much more intimate feel and made it seem like I had discovered this beautiful movie that only a handful of other people knew about. Of course that's not true but that's what it felt like at the time.

Worst experience, hmm. Probably when I went to see either Shrek or Shrek 2, and there was this young couple with a small child sitting next to me and the father had to translate every single line of the movie into Finnish. What really pissed me off was that they could have just gone to see a screening of it with Finnish subtitles or the version that was dubbed in Finnish but for some reason they had to see the original in English with no subtitles and then translate every line of it to the kid.

MrMon · #3 12-22-2006, 10:54 AM

Worst in a theater has definitely got to be Lord Of The Rings. I know these movies have lots of fans, but I've never been into the books and the movies are worse. But, my wife and I always try to see all the Oscar nominated films each year, so off we went to the first one. About an hour and a half into the film, I realized we were only halfway through the first of what was to be 3 films and I was bored silly. I really wanted to go, but it was a Best Picture nominee. Surely my wife wouldn't want to leave, as we NEVER walk out of films. When it ended, my wife told me she was really hoping I would get up and leave, because she was so bored, but thought I was enjoying it, so she didn't mention it. Arrrggh!

So, we skipped the second one, then decided to go to the third when it bacame apparent it was going to win everything. And it's still boring or whatever, I just don't care. It's not three films, it's one nine hour film and I just don't find it engrossing enough to invest that amount of time. My wife and I threaten each other with the "super-extended editions" as gifts every now and then, but I just refuse to ever look at those things again. Fanboys are welcome to them, but I am Bored Of The Rings.

kitaristi0 · #4 12-22-2006, 11:25 AM

[ QUOTE ]
but I am Bored Of The Rings.

[/ QUOTE ]

Zing!

Mr. Orange · #5 12-22-2006, 01:18 PM

Worst-
I have to agree with Lord of Rings. I never read the books but heard good things about them. I'm a big sci-fi fan and I also tend to be a fan of long, epic, mythology laden stories but these movies bored me to death.
They seemed like movies that I would enjoy and I really wanted to like them so bad but just couldn't get into them.

Best- It may sound lame but watching Star Wars Episode II in the theater was great. I didn't care for the whole movie but the part that made it for me is when Yoda whips out his light saber and starts fighting. The whole theater went crazy. Maybe I'm just limited in my experiences but I haven't seen many movies in the theater where people clap and cheer during the movie. (sometimes at the end which is rare but never during the actual movie)

Fishmonger · #6 12-22-2006, 02:08 PM

Best is definitely Jurassic Park at the cinema with my family. Maybe the first film I saw at the cinema, certainly the first non-animated one. I felt really grown-up too, because my little sister wasn't allowed to come with us. I was quite interested in dinosaurs at the time and I thought the film was great, and one that really should be seen at the cinema to get the full feel of it.

SoloAJ · #7 12-22-2006, 03:20 PM

I have two best experiences that I can think of...

Snakes on a Plane midnight showing was a fantastic atmosphere. People were cheering throughout and everyone was in the mood to just laugh at the film and have a great time. It was hilarious.

The other great movie experience was Meet the Parents. I went to this with my dad when I was in high school. I think it was opening weekend or the 2nd weekend. There were high school dances in ALL the cities in the area on the same night...so the theatre was PACKED with all adults and a pretty healthy dose of 40+. It made Meet the Parents so much better because all of the elderly people were laughing at the smallest stuff that you wouldn't have necessarily found funny if you were too young (like I was). It made it fun to get in the mood to watch that movie...good stuff.

My worst movie experience was probably when I went to see Remember the Titans...but that was because we had high school girls talking on their phones behind us...during the movie. Eventually we went and got workers and they came in and told the girls to leave if they couldn't stay off their phones.

They were quiet for a while, but then about 20 mintues later just started talking to each other. Ugh. Worst experience ever.

MrMon · #8 12-22-2006, 03:45 PM

[ QUOTE ]
...the theatre was PACKED with all adults and a pretty healthy dose of 40+. It made Meet the Parents so much better because all of the elderly people were laughing...

[/ QUOTE ]

Okay, which one of you "elderly" types wants to take someone out back and smack him around a bit. I would, but my rheumatism is acting up...

Young whippersnappers - probably don't even realize Courtney Love was once married to some guy.

Dominic · #9 12-22-2006, 03:59 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
...the theatre was PACKED with all adults and a pretty healthy dose of 40+. It made Meet the Parents so much better because all of the elderly people were laughing...

[/ QUOTE ]

Okay, which one of you "elderly" types wants to take someone out back and smack him around a bit. I would, but my rheumatism is acting up...

[/ QUOTE ]

i know! This elderly guy will beat you in tennis, run a faster mile, pick up hotter, younger chicks than you, AND look better doing it.

[img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

yellowdoyle · #10 12-22-2006, 04:09 PM

My favorite movie experience was V for Vendetta.

I am a projectionist at a local movie theater, a 16 screen. When V for Vendetta was coming out, I wasn't too amped even thought I knew it was by the W. Brothers and based on Alan Moore's GN. I hadn't read V for V, but did really enjoy Watchmen by him.

Anyway, I built the movie up, and then watched it alone, in a 300 seat auditorium. I came into this movie with NO expectatations; like I said I was just doing it as a test run. I had the sound up loud, which is something somewhat unlike me, and sat towards the front. (<-- IMO the very best seats are more towards the front than people would guess!)

So, I watch the movie, the intro scene with the alliteration rules, the storyline rules, Natalie P. looks absolutely gorgeous, the sound is awesome, Hugo Weaving's voice sounds great, the music at the end sounds great, blah blah blah, it was just awesome overall. Being alone and having no distractions of any kind, even a gf or good buddy, allowed me to just get completely sucked into the film. I had all the benefits of a private at home "blockbuster" night, but the huge screen and nice sound of a movie theater.

One thing did keep it from being perfect though: in the final fight scene, the main confrontation, the sound completely cut out for about 3 minutes. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be that way or not, but I guessed not. Good thing for me though, a fellow projectionist had started another print about 30 minutes after mine, so I just walked over to the next theater and watched the final 30 minutes, with no sound cut outs, again. It still ruled.