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In Reply to: Rubbish and nonsense posted by Bruce from DC on April 28, 2001 at 02:09:38:
Bruce wrote:"How 'bout with the idea that viewing a movie in a theater full of strangers is a social experience?
If we accept that proposition, we are truly in a parallel universe where parallel lines do converge."Wow Bruce, we DO live in parallel universes. I'm a film buff (Film School graduate, ack!) and my experience of movie going is so "social" that, well, I just can't possibly see what type of valid point you might be trying to make.
As I wrote lower in this thread, the "shared experience" of seeing a film with a large group - my friends and the rest of the theater audience - is a very valuable element of movie
going for me. There is nothing drier than seeing a comedy (even a funny one) in an empty theater. And horror movies? Nothing like being one of hundreds of people clawing their arm-rest - watching girls burying their face in their boyfriend's shoulder. I'll never forget seeing Jaws the first time, when Ben Gardner's head popped out of the boat hole. The entire audience jumped out of their seats and landed with a thud, followed by laughter at each other's reactions. My fondest memories of many films start before even entering the theater. I saw countless big films on their first day, and there was nothing so fun as being in a huge line-up full of film nuts, babbling away, sharing the anticipation with each other.
The buzz in the theater before the first Star Wars sequel? Fuggedaboutit! It was Awesome! How's about the sneak preview of ET? Not one of my favorite movies but an absolutely incredible audience experience - especially at the end with my girlfriend bawling on one side, and on the other a woman I didn't know gripping my shoulder, jumping up and down cheering with tears streaming along her cheeks.Movie-going not really a social experience? Speak for yourself, I guess.
Rich H.
Follow Ups:
I guess when you're in graduate school, every thing is a social experience -- even going to the bathroom.But, seriously, movie viewing can be a social experience -- with people with whom you have common connections -- fellow students, friends, family, etc. But what you see on the screen is exactly the same whether the theater is empty or filled with the entire USC and UCLA graduate film school faculty and student population. The nature of the experience can change, of course, depending upon with whom you view the film.
As to your comments about experiencing a comedy, I give you that point -- what do you think the laugh track on comedy TV shows is for? OTOH, and speaking personally, watching "American Pie" with a room full of teenagers and then watching it with one other person, not a teenager, the film did not seem all that funny the second time.
But the change is all in your perception of the event, not the event itself. That's not the case with a live performance of music or drama.
***Movie-going not really a social experience? Speak for yourself, I guess.I suppose we ALL speak for ourselves. I suppose that is given.
So you like to see the others around you scream. Many of us don't.
I don't like going to the theater because I enjoy the crowd, far from it. My best experiences have been in an empty theater with just someone I care about. I don't think this is because the Jaws or Star Wars are not my kind of movies - I simply think many things in life, movies, good books, etc, should be digested privately. Then discussed, perhaps. But I really don't care bins what that slob in the next seat thinks about the Persona, I am watching it for myself. And if the slob is not there, so the better.
I would still go to the theater if it was not too crowded. I love large screen, even though I can get one at home. But I sure as Hell don't miss the audience. At Ritz you most of the time sit in a very small company - to have perhaps ten people in the room is not unusual - and I LOVE that.
I also realize that this discussion was pointless. With very few notable exceptions (that lucky dog Doug may be one) we do NOT have choice. There is no theater that shows most of the films I want to see aroung here, so I don't lament that fact, I simply rent.
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