Midweek Mumble – 20 Things I love about going to the Cinema
After weeks of bashing the cinema and the patrons it entertains for their poor etiquette I felt it time to bring some love back in the room, here are the 20 things I love about going to the Cinema
I must admit I have come across as a bit of a grumpy pants over the past few weeks. I have been ranting and ranting some more about the state of the public and cinemas. All the things I hate about going out to the multiplex and then some. But I am a film fan at heart. OK I am blessed with a good Home Cinema set up, but there still nothing as pure as seeing a film in the setting it was made for. So to start bringing the love back in the room, here are my 20 things that I love about going to the Cinema.
20 – The Big Screen
19 – The Rumble of the sub woofer through your stomach (Jurassic Park I am looking at you)
18 – Sharing the film experience with a group of friends.
17 – Being in a huge audience all laughing (at the correct moments).
16 – Horror films are more scary and thrilling in a cinema
15 – IMAX
14 – Drinking a soft drink that would keep a small family hydrated.
13 – Followed by playing BLADDER Chicken…. I can make it I can make it!!
12 – Seeing new trailers – OK we all see them now on the internet, but they are so much more exciting on the BIG screen. Seeing The Dark Knight Rises trailer at IMAX was awesome!!!
11 – Being anal about finding the correct seat for my taste.
10 – Watching every patron arrive and willing them with my brain waves NOT to sit near me!
9 – Eating a HOT DOG (before the film of course) that is the size of a samurai sword
8 – Ushers Torches – I would love one of those, they are like mini light sabers
7 – Early Morning Screenings
6 – My daughters face when they watch a film.
5 – The vertigo inducing feeling of being at the top of Stadium Seating (not that I go that high any more)
4 – The nostalgic smells of popcorn and dust that bring me back to a child watching The Jungle Book at Duke of York’s when I was 4.
3 – Listening to other people talking about the film in the traffic jam queue trying to leaving the screen – “Oh it was amazing!!” I kid you not that is a quote from the screening of Cowboys and Aliens I went to…..:-/
2 – The ‘SPECIAL’ feeling you get when you arrive for a free screening. “Er yeah i have this bit of paper, I am a big deal”
1 – Finding a wife that loves film as much as me and puts up with my OCD ways in correct etiquette at the cinema, and still enjoys the film with me.
There we are. Remember these are in no particular order.
About The Author – Scott Lawlor
Chief Editor of FRC. A self confessed geek with an unhealthy thirst for all things Home Cinema. Whether it is the latest Action film or Subwoofer. Check out his home set up HERE
What are your favourite elements of going to the cinema? Comment below…
Scott Lawlor
Happy to read there are some things you do like about movie going…I was already slowly getting worried
HAHA I know. I was starting to worry myself!
I love all of these things…I wish I could go to the cinemas more often!
I would go everyday if I could guarantee a good experience! Thanks Stevee for the comment
Yay what a happy and delightful post! So glad that the experience isn’t completely ruined for you! I can’t wait to have kids and introduce them to the joys of cinema! Now you’ve just got to convince them that no reality TV can ever compete with a good movie!
HAHA I think the reality TV is a lost cause, I am going to have to just join them and stop moaning!
I don’t mind your grumpy ranting as I’m like that often, but it is nice to see lovely lists like these. I too love the cinema for more reasons than I could possibly list. Great work my friend!
HAHA we can be Grumpy old Gits (or not so old in your case) together.
Nice words Scott, I I agree with the majority of these sentiments. I’m just annoyed that Adelaide lost its IMAX cinema a while ago. It truly was epic in every sense.
About the only one of your choices I can’t claim to have is #1. My wife doesn’t have the same love of cinema that I do, and it does cause a few moments of friction from time to time.
Aw Rodney, that is a shame. I guess I am blessed to find someone who is into the same things as me!
Excellent post. It’s a two hour drive to the nearest cinema, but I assembled my kids and saw The Avengers a few days ago, popcorn and all, and it was magical!
Hello sir!
That is brilliant. I bet they loved the experience. Oh to feel that again!
My cinematic rituals don’t include hot dogs, but apart from this I agree about most things. I really really prefer watching movies in cinemas. But then I don’t have a homemovie arrangement like you have. The TV I have doesn’t compare in anyway at all.
I am lucky to have such a large and loud home cinema. But still the thrill of seeing a film in a cinema beats it!
Hotdogs are awesome!
Wonderful list! I love the feeling of sitting in the cinema before the lights go out, waiting for the film to start.
Ooh nice one Sati, that is a definite LIKE for me too!
Great list, Scott. It’s nice to see the flip side of your previous grumblings. My favorite part of going to the cinema is experiencing an amazing movie with a great group of people. Sometimes it’s a crapshoot as to whether or not the crowd will be behaved, but it can be something special when everyone gets into the movie with proper etiquette as well.
Indeed Eric, it can be a slight lottery, but worth it if it all goes right!
Thanks matey
awwww, number one was just precious
Thanks Dezzy, thing is she didnt even notice….
Disagreeing with : 16 – Horror films are more scary and thrilling in a cinema
hehehe at home is much better as I tend to laugh when hearing someone screams
At home…it was quite and scary
Yep same here. Agree with everything except 16.
At home, alone, and late at night is the best way to watch a horror film.
I watched that Liv Tyler film The Strangers at home – and it scared the bejeebers out of me. I’m so glad I didn’t go to the cinema to see it! I would have pooed myself.
HA! I think I might have laughed my way through The Strangers when I watched it at home. But then again, I was with a big group of friends and I made them watch it with the curtains to my patio door open. I was having fun watching them poo themselves!
That is plain nasty! Remind me never to accept an invitation to watch a horror at your house!
HAHA Maybe this is where I am going wrong with the genre
Ow…so nice to know someone with same opinion. Late at night and home alone will make even the not so scary movie feels like the scariest movie in the world
Yea all movies are more immersive at the theater, but IMO horror flicks are at the top with comedies.
Ah Castor, a man after my own heart!
But then you don’t have that scary walk home HAHAH
Thats a nice list of positives. However I have become accustomed to getting my weekly hate on your site
HAHA I am sure the HATE will be back next week!
Can’t say I disagree with any of these – but let’s get together so it’s only nice people who go to the same screenings as us. If I have to share a cinema with more coke slurpers once more I might scream.
HAHA The group screenign sounds cool.
I am surprise though when I go to press screenings and you get the people with lightpens writing notes….I thought we were there to enjoy the film??
I was really angry last night. I wanted to see the new Amazing Spider-Man trailer in 3D so I bought a ticket to the 3D showing of The Avengers. The trailer never showed! I was really upset since I probably would’ve seen the film in 2D again.
I try to never purchase concessions when I’m at the movie theater. That stuff will kill you.
Oh my gosh. That is shocking matey. That trailer cost you a fortune!!
Nice list matey! I agree w/ a lot of these, especially #19 and 20, no way my home theater can compete w/ the sound system of the cinema!
I’m like Iba though, I almost never buy anything at concession, I usually go to dinner before hand.
Thanks Ruth, I am glad you enjoyed the post. It was nice to share some love rather than moaning all the time!!
Great list Scott! I am there with you on the obvious ones – exceptions being:
- wife and daughter bits
- I don’t eat hot dogs
It begs repeating I LOVE FREE SCREENINGS
And I am only recently gotten OCD about the theater seats.
Nice to see I am not the only one who HAS to have the correct seat!
Yup, I love me some IMAX and the lossless surround sound. Even though I do have a pretty nice home theater, I still prefer seeing films at the theater, the last few years I’ve only seen films at the IMAX theater. Once in a while I’d go see movies at the regular theater but most of the theaters around here are all using digital projectors and most of them aren’t bright enough for my liking.
Yes I still remember seeing Jurassic Park for the first time in theater with DTS sound and it blew me away. Also, hearing the tumbler roar in the IMAX theater was just amazing, I’ll be checking out The Dark Knight Rises on the giant screen a few times this summer.
What about the tanks in Saving Private Ryan? That was immense! I thought my fillings were going to fall out of my teeth!! HAHAHA
I agree with so many of these Scott. Particularly the smell of popcorn and seeing a bunch of new trailers. I am also obsessed with finding the right seat and enjoying the sound of those booming sub woofers.
We seem to be like peas in a pod my friend!!
Great post Scott, nothing beats a perfect experience at the cinema when there are no disturbances. It’s just a shame it isn’t like this every time!
Indeed my friend. It would be nice if I could check off this list with every visit.
I think I might be one of the few people who aren’t all that in love with IMAX. The one in Waterloo, I find, just horrible. Bad seats and just not nice if you don’t have that “perfect” seat!
Apart from that (and the one about your wife!) I said yes to all of this. Especially the one about eyeing up patrons and wishing them not to sit in the seats next to me!
Oooh some Anit IMAX loving? cool.
I love doing the brian wave thing… it works most of the time too!!
Nice list.
I too play Bladder Chicken. It can often be more exciting and suspenseful than the film I am watching.
Shamefully, I’ve never been to an IMAX cinema. I’ll remedy that this year, not sure which film though… (not a Batman fan)
To those 20 things in your list, I would add –
Sneaking booze into a screening,
Booking a Premier seat at the Odeon and arriving just in time for the film – inevitably someone will have nicked my seat, but I can smugly show them my ticket number and they’ll have to shuffle off to the cheap seats.
I kinda miss the ice cream ladies, who would serve cornettos and other snacks during the interval (not that we have them anymore, jeez I’m showing my age now).
Come with us to see Prometheus in Crawley… they have an IMAX now (of sorts)
I am actually playing Bladder chicken now whilst replying to these comments…. must finish… must finish!!
The ice cream girls were awesome!!
Prometheus in Crawley…. Yes, let’s do it! Have you booked already?
20 great reasons to love the movie theater Scott! I love it most for being out with friends and for that chill that goes through my spine when I know I’m watching something special!
Ooh nce addition Castor.
I remember watching WARRIOR last year and being on the edge of my seat with emotion.
Aw I love you and your funny cinema ways. Xxx you forgot how great it is when people translate films to their wife throughout the film. ; ) thank you for including me in your cinema journey. Shane I did not know you when I worked as an usher at a cinema. Could have got you that torch. Xxxxx
Great list, I agree with most of them. I couldn’t stop going to movies for some of the reasons you mentioned: the smell of popcorn, the big screen, the trailers before hand, mentally begging people not to sit next to me or in front of me(when it’s traditional cinema) and so on. The cinema experience will never get boring for me, either!
Love reason 4. I think for me it would be seeing Ghostbusters in the old Wrexham Hippodrome! The building was torn down years ago
I’m glad that you do actually still enjoy going to the cinema!
Hi Scott, great list. I’d probably agree with most of those. I’ve never been to IMAX before but I really want to go. There is one a bit of a drive away from where I live so we might take a trek out to see Prometheus or TDKR if they are showing. I love cinema concession stand fare but because it’s so darn expensive and we’re usually on a budget, I never really indulge in it. That Hot Dog looks so good though. Did it taste as good as it looks?
Ha, I finally read this! Lolz, I’m so late.
Loving no. 5, that would be number 1 for me, sadly more a nostalgic fave cos I haven’t been in a truly vertigo inducing cinema in about 13 years. I miss teh old fashioned huge, two cinema ones with no lights embedded in the stair floor in Cardiff that got ripped down and replaced with a HMV…