People Cheering and Screaming in the Movie Theatre

[zerragonoss]

I'd expect it maybe from a crowd for a kid-friendly movie but otherwise that is absolutely fucking unacceptable behaviour, doesn't matter how many idiots spout that 'MOVIES ARE A SOCIAL EXPERIENCE' bullshit, they're fucking wrong and stupid.

I would agree with you apart from the, um excessive emphasis, of your statement, but this is a midnight release and I kind thought they actually were supposed to be a social experience. I say this having never gone to one as the cheering and people just interacting more is what I would expect and would not really want to be part of it.

 

[viscomica]

I've only heard cheering in a movie theatre once. It was the second LOTR movie. Legolas did this grab-and-swing-onto-a-running-horse stunt and some teenage guys a couple rows back made a bit of noise.

At the time I remember thinking, "Why are they cheering at a screen?" Still haven't answered that one. It just seems weird to me. It's not a live performance, it's not as if the actors can hear your appreciation of their work.

Oh god this happened all the time in the LOTR movies... Legolas riding the troll, Legolas doing the horse stunt, Legolas skating on a shield, Legolas sliding down the mumak's trunk... every freaking time.

Don't forget Legolas competing with Gimli!

I don't recall fangirling over that to be honest. Unless you were

Hmm, no, but I did clap when the film ended. It was such a good film even if the actors couldn't hear me clapping I had to. I felt compelled to! (Which is why I think most people clap whenever a film is seriously good)

 

[JagermanXcell]

Yeah I can see how it can be annoying. I don't mind when people laugh during comedies, scream during horrors, or point out obviously stupid moments (Ex. End of Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2), but if i'm trying to watch the movie and it's on a tone where it really doesn't require blatantly dumb vocal reactions, it'd be nice to pipe down. Once had a group of teenagers never shut up about the trailers before The Dark Knight Rises, once the Man of Steel trailer popped up they thought it'd be great for ALL OF THEM to comment on it as loud as possible. Luckily that one guy decided to tell them to "Shut the f*** up!".

God bless "that one guy".

Unless it's a legitimately hype scene like this:

Spoiler

Then applaud, cheer, and sploosh to your hearts desire movie folks.
If not, be respectful and "Shut the f*** up!"
-That one guy.

 

[LostCrusader]

Nope, that never once happened to me here in the UK. The only closest thing to a crowd reaction is usually laughter from a comedy/ humour scene in a film.

Yeah, the worst we get is the odd glow of a phone and laughter at the right times.

Though in America, it seems to be the custom to applaud films, like the cast and crew are in the theater with you ... which seems silly to me, it's not like you finish watching breaking bad or game of thrones and then give a standing ovation.

I have to disagree with you on it being the custom to applaud in the US, that really only happens with the overly hyped crowd. Basically the weirdos in the crowd that go to the midnight release and maybe the first or second day after the release.

 

[Lilikins]

only time that happened in a theatre I was in (though I must admit..it fit nicely so I chuckled it off and accepted it hehe), was in LotR the fellowship when Aragorn lobbed off the head of that Urok...ai... that was shooting Boromir repeatedly? (please dont stone me donno how its spelled...) Nevertheless, that moment when he chopped it off the whole cinema roared in approval/cheered/clapped etc.
As spoken, I found it to be quite amusing and chuckled myself so I didnt mind it all too much, and seeing a whole cinema getting up and screaming at the screen in enjoyment was worth it imo hehe.

 

[ShogunGino]

To me, it does seem like an American thing (American myself), because based on everything I've heard, cheering in a movie theater seems to be frowned upon in the rest of the world.

Cheering just seems to be an accepted staple of most American live entertainment events. Sports, cinema, theater, concerts, etc.. The only exceptions to this are depending on the genre of the entertainment (you don't hear much cheering at the end of 12 Years a Slave, or inbetween movements at a classical symphony performance).

I can be annoyed with it if its too frequent, and especially if it lasts long enough to drown out whatever I'm supposed to be hearing.

Two examples, one good, one bad:

At one of the Legend of Zelda symphonies tour (I think Symphony of the Goddess), I believe Satoru Iwata of Nintendo was at one of the American performances and found it cringe worthy with the constant cheering whenever a new favorite song started to play. I can agree with that reaction, because hearing a legion of fans, male and female, whooping loudly because the somber opening to Majora's Mask started to be played REALLY pisses me off, especially because it drowns out the orchestra. (I know cultural differences also played a part, since in several Asian countries, good performances are to be responded with silence)

On the other hand, the audiences' reactions when I saw 300 in theaters with a group of friends made it so much more enjoyable. Personally, that's a kind of movie where the cheering seemed to highlight the cool parts of the movie. Yeah, it also kinda highlighted the machismo, but I honestly thought it was more fun that way for this movie. (I know tastes differ, but I think the movie is fun). The part that especially got them was when the Queen of Sparta gutted the asshole who raped and betrayed her. Everyone in the theater shouted "YEAH!!".

 

[Ubiquitous Duck]

I don't tend to hear many outbursts from when I have attended the cinema.

Mostly the only loud activity is laughing, which you can't really complain about.

OK, I complain about it depending on context actually! I remember I was watching Django Unchained and there is one scene where there is a man hanging upside-down, naked (as a form of punishment/ridicule for 'misbehaving' as a slave). And then this one guy started laughing and nudged the girl he was with and was like "you can see his balls!". She looked at least as unimpressed as I was, maybe more so, because she was associated with this guy.

The point was it was a dramatic scene, not a funny one and it was a very juvenile source of humour - especially when you are considering this is an age 18+ audience in UK cinemas for Django Unchained.

Other than very few isolated incidents though, normally someone who has become bored with the film and starts chatting, I can't really say loud outbursts are more than a rarity. Especially group ones, I've never seen that.

I don't know if it makes a difference, but this is UK audiences to cinema.

I'll 1-up your story. I was watching 12 Years A Slave, and some stupid bint next to me started laughing during the long shot when the protagonist is hanging from a tree and trying to breathe. Closest I've ever come to hitting someone to make them shut up.

Latest one of these experiences I had during a screening of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. When the very last scene (the one with the twins) ended, a girl screamed aloud in the theatre. Didn't bother me, since those scenes are usually meant to evoke that kind of reaction, and the movie was basically over.

I don't know about Cap as I haven't seen that yet.

But similar happened to me with 12 years. I think it was a bit of nervous/anxious laugh though, almost at how uncomfortable I guess they felt. So it didn't annoy me, seemed a fair reaction. But a belly laugh would've been a ruiner, I understand that. So.. I guess I am bested.. sad panda.

Also, I bloody love that film.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I've only heard cheering in a movie theatre once. It was the second LOTR movie. Legolas did this grab-and-swing-onto-a-running-horse stunt and some teenage guys a couple rows back made a bit of noise.

At the time I remember thinking, "Why are they cheering at a screen?" Still haven't answered that one. It just seems weird to me. It's not a live performance, it's not as if the actors can hear your appreciation of their work.

Oh god this happened all the time in the LOTR movies... Legolas riding the troll, Legolas doing the horse stunt, Legolas skating on a shield, Legolas sliding down the mumak's trunk... every freaking time.

Don't forget Legolas competing with Gimli!

I don't recall fangirling over that to be honest. Unless you were

Hmm, no, but I did clap when the film ended. It was such a good film even if the actors couldn't hear me clapping I had to. I felt compelled to! (Which is why I think most people clap whenever a film is seriously good)

I don't remember the last movie where people clapped... I think Scott Pilgrim maybe?

 

[Username Redacted]

Hell is other people. Or at least other people in theaters. Seriously the theater experience has at this point been almost completely ruined by a combination of those who cheer/shout during movies and those who feel the "Turn you goddamn cell phone off" announcements don't apply to them. If I didn't need my shoes to go home I would be throwing them at such individuals.

Also, while not nearly as common as the types mentioned above, non-English speaking families who bring their kids with them to the movie in order to translate the (entire) movie for them can fuck right off as well.

 

[Cerebrawl]

As a Swede... theater crowds are usually quiet here. There's the occasional laughter, especially for unexpectedly funny stuff, I remember essentially the entire theater laughing when the derp kid dies in Stargate, the original movie, or more recently Bombur's barrel fighting in The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, but that's about it for the mostpart.

 

[Verlander]

Nope, that never once happened to me here in the UK. The only closest thing to a crowd reaction is usually laughter from a comedy/ humour scene in a film.

Same. Think it's a US thing

 

[Drake the Dragonheart]

Well I remember going with some friends to see The Hills Have Eyes. We spent most of the movie laughing and poking fun at it, and instead of being told to shut up, the rest of the theater was laughing with us. That's how you know it was a bad movie!

 

[djl3485]

Last time I went to see a movie, the entire theatre was deathly silent for the whole film.

Admittedly, I was watching Vampire Academy, so I was the only one there.

(That movie is not nearly as bad as it's made out to be)

I love going to matanee movies and being the only one in there. Quiet, best seats available......I've gotten flack from friends for doing it but I don't care.

As for cheering crowds and such when it does happen it usually at midnight releases for me. And that's usually the die hard fans who goes to those releases, especially for the Marvel/X-Men type movies.

 

[You Can't Take the Sky From Me]

I think the closest thing I've ever experienced to this was when I saw The Incredible Hulk, the Ed Norton one. During the Lou Ferrigno cameo and when they played the "Sad Walking Away" music from the old TV show, the only people who laughed were me and the two fifty-or-so year old geeks next to me. No one was annoyed, but we did get some strange looks.

 

[sandangel]

SPOILERS!!!!


When I first saw the Avengers, I couldn't hear Hulk's "puny god" line because the audience was too busy laughing itself stupid. Similarly, when I saw Thor 2, Chris Evans' cameo was inaudible to the point I didn't realize he was doing a Hiddleston impression.

 

[FPLOON]

I remember seeing the first Chronicles of Narnia movie with a youth christian group... There was A LOT of cheering for Aslan, if you know what I mean...

Hearing people talk and shit (heh heh) throughout Jackass 3 was to be expected, in my perspective...

During a 10pm showing of Pacific Rim (before the midnight premiere showing), one of the scenes in the movie made a group of us yell "Oh, hell yes!", which made the rest of audience start clapping "on que", basically...

While watching Evangelion 3.0 in a packed theater, whenever Shinji and Kaworu were together [alone] on screen, there was A LOT of people reacting like we were watching a "softcore yaoi" flick... ("Just kiss already!")

I took my friends to see The Lego Movie with me, and the theater we went to was filled with parents and their children... To me, it was awesome hearing the kids (and adults) laughing, cheering, and eventually start applauding throughout the movie...

Anyway, stuff like that doesn't bother me all that much... Depending on the time the movie starts, let alone what the movie actually is, stuff like that should be expected when you think about it...

 

[shootthebandit]

This is why I hate the cinema and I just wait and download it or get the DVD. It so much more relaxed in your own home. You dont have noisey eaters or people who dont know what a shower is sitting near you in a sweat enducing room

I also hate people who clap and cheer when a plane lands. You dont applaud a bus everytime it stops so why applaud a plane every time it lands

 

[Jaeke]

I don't mind anything that isn't warranted, whether it be laughter or cheering or crying, as long as it's understandable. For example, I don't tend to laugh when suspenseful or high tension scenes use comedy to kinda lesser it but I don't mind when someone else does because it's reasonable. My most simple rule is this: Don't detract other peoples' experiences, but especially don't let them detract yours. If someone else has different ways of getting into the movie, whether it be whooping or cheering, I'm fine with that as long as it's for a reasonably corresponding scene.

Basically the only thing I'm paranoid of is a phone going off during an emotionally charging scene. And that really obnoxious laugh my father does when he finds something REALLY funny. But I usually tend to be pretty lenient with strangers. The closest I've gotten to irritated was when a group of 12 year olds went to go see the first Hunger Games (I was dragged along) and they would not shut the hell up about things that had NOTHING to do with the movie. I stood up to say something but luckily the 240 pound dude sitting in front of me with his 8 or so year old daughter had similar ideas.

This one hilarious instance was when I went to go see the premiere of The Half Blood Prince with my brother and a friend and there was an adorable older couple next to us where man was wide eyed and completely enwrapped in the movie, but unfortunately for the rest of the crowd it included him chewing ice nervously and asking his wife what was going on every half hour or so. I found it sincere and I barely noticed but the bald man in front of me with the scowl his hand furiously buried in his right hand did. He finally snapped and turned and said "YOU WANT TO CHEW THAT A LITTLE LOUDER?!" and accompanied his voice with a slam of the chair. The old man played it off adorably with a slight nod and the faintest "Sorry" you've ever heard (or not) with his bug-eyed stare still glued at the screen. Of course, he continued to chew the ice as if nothing ever happened and a lot of the people around him were laughing. The angry bald man just turned and continued to be pissed. I think that was when I realized, you can't change the way people naturally enjoy movies so just don't let them bother you and have all the more fun with them.

 

[Random Argument Man]

There's two occasions that I remember fondly.

I remember when Lord of the Ring the Return of the King was in theatres. We sat in the back, but some parents brought their kids. The kids were bored and they decided to play tag in front of the screen. I have never seen a more glorious use of the words "SHUT UP" ever since. The Kids cried. The parents took them and exited the premises.

Second occasion was during Skyfall. There was a giant Bond nerd that kept clapping whenever a Bond gadget was presented and he kept yelling "finally". He stopped when he realized he was alone in this.

 

[Ender910_v1legacy]

I've experienced this almost every time I've been to the theater in the last few years. Maybe not throughout the whole movie, but at least during the opening of the movie. It's tiresome as hell.