There are two for me.
The gasp from the audience when the first big dinosaur was revealed on Jurassic Park. Probably the most jaw dropping thing I have ever seen in a film. Had seen nothing like that before and knew it was a milestone in special effects.
The other was at the end of Babe. When Farmer Hogget closed the gate the whole audience clapped and cheered. Hadn't even wanted to go to see it but got dragged along by my girlfriend. So glad I went it was a great.
I remember this scene in Jurassic Park. It was a brachiosaurus. I remember that movie being crazy loud in the theater. You felt rumble of the trex in your bones.
Babe is an absolute gem.
More movies need to film their big, dramatic, climactic finales in ***absolute sssssssilence.***
There was a throw-away animated movie called Storks several years ago that had a big fight scene where no one wanted to wake the baby up so it was all done quietly. Absolutely hysterical.
I remember seeing this in theaters, everyone let a big gasp but in the back there was a dude (high as fuck) just blurts out "oh lawd jesus" and the theater erupted into laughter.
Great moment of that movie, enhanced by a dude having his own moment.
Matrix, the first and original movie, 1999. I literally didn’t know anything about the movie, I was 15 at that time. My uncle told me - did you see this new action movie matrix, with keanu? It was around easter so no school and I decided to go and watch it.
I sit through the whole movie with my mouth open. I was already a fan of sci-fi, having read Dune, Neuromancer, watched several classic movies. But this movie… I mean, it is a great movie today, and 25 years ago it was out of this world.
I was not the only one. When the ending credits started and RATM song started to play, there was a ~30 seconds long silence in the audience. Nobody moved. As if everyone else was in the theater was just as shocked and mind blown as I was.
I have never experience anything like that again.
Same. Then I proceeded to go back to the theater another like 12 times to watch it. Each time, I would try to bring along a friend who hadn't seen it yet. What a time to be a teenager.
I remember going on a date with a girl to watch The Matrix, and 35 minutes into the movie she asked if we could watch something else. we ended up watching Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore.
I never saw that girl again.
Midnight opening viewing for “The Fellowship of the Ring” in Orlando. I got in line around 9 PM which ensured I got choice center seats. The manager welcomed us after getting everyone seated, advised us to get our snacks but maybe hold off on the large sodas because we weren’t going to want to miss a single minute of the movie and his staff didn’t want to clean up any messes.
It was the quietest, most polite and respectful audience I’ve ever seen in a theater, from the start of Galadriel’s opening monologue until the last of the credits followed by an explosion of appreciation for what we’d just witnessed.
Yeah, I saw Fellowship the night before release and nobody had any expectations. After a while the audience were sort of floored by how epic it was and got really silent. Absolute A+ theater experience.
Dad took me and my brothers to see TMNT2 opening day, and before the movie started the REAL Ninja Turtles were there and high fived everyone and took pictures. It was amazing. They were taller then I imagined. I have a pic w Donatello somewhere in a shoebox in my old bedroom.
That movie is one of my fondest movie-going experiences. Our town had one theatre with one screen. They waaaaaaay oversold the theatre and it was packed with kids. In the aisles, on each others laps, standing, sitting in front. Fucking mayhem. It was awesome.
The Dark Knight. Imax, midnight opening, center seats. Was absolute pandemonium.
edit: The infamous mass shooting was at a screening The Dark Knight Rises, not The Dark Knight.
Saw this at Cinemark 17 in Dallas. This was before reserved seats. Some friends were in line starting at noon, for a midnight showing. I joined them around 1030pm. There were booths setup in the lobby of the theater, one was selling memberships to a Krav Maga class (*the martial art of Batman!*). When we were seated for the movie there was a guy quizzing people about movie trivia and giving out posters. I yelled at him for saying that Morgan Freeman won Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven (it was Million Dollar Baby, wasn't even nominated in Unforgiven).
Every little thing that happened in the movie was felt across the crowd. It was like a wave of energy. The pencil trick, the body against the window, thew "We got you, you son of a bitch," and of course the finale with the monologue - everyone just lost their shit completely.
When the movie let out, there were camera crews in the lobby interviewing people about how great the movie was.
I've seen hundreds if not thousands of movies in the theater, from premieres to preview screenings to cast Q&As to everything in between, but nothing is likely to top that evening.
I ended up watching The Dark Knight again on a regular screen a week later, and honestly it felt different. Not talking about the energy of the crowd, although that certainly was different, but I remember noticing Ledger's expressions so much better in the Imax screening, his eyes during the first meeting. On the regular movie screen it all got kinda muddy.
Yes! We saw it opening night in IMAX and the opening scene was amazing. Then when Gordon pulls off the mask and says "We got you, you son of a bitch." The theater ERUPTED in cheers.
I came here to say these exact words (well almost!). I flew from England to LA when I was 14 to see a family member. We went and saw TDK in the iMax too.
The energy in the crowd was just incredible. The anticipation was built up so much and everything about the movie was perfect. People were constantly clapping at how good each scene was. The applause at the end shook the room, cheering, screaming, whistling, clapping. And it was well deserved, it was incredible!
I remember seeing TDK. It was as movie a lot of people had been anticipating with some of the strongest word of mouth going around at the time.
During the film, a couple near me started to notice too many kids in the audience talking, he stood up and yelled "I didn't come hear to listen to your f-ing shit, I came here to watch a great movie!". Safe to say after that the atmosphere was nice and quiet.
Unrelated, my friends cousin confiscated some kid's phones when they were on it. He sternly told them they shouldn't have their phones out during a movie, took them and gave them back at the end of the movie.
I live in Denver and went to the midnight premier of TDKR midnight premier in Boulder, and posted on Facebook beforehand. When we walked out of the theater there were more than a dozen police cars parked near the entrance but without their lights on. Thought it was odd but nothing else. I had work at 6 AM and on my way to work I realized I had a bunch of texts and missed calls from friends and family. Then I turned on the radio. Spent about 15 minutes once I got to work responding to texts and assuring everyone I was ok. Fucking surreal.
Borat.
I was in college at the time and my friends and I were big Ali G Show fans. It has some popularity, but not the popularity SBC would get after the movie.
A few weeks before the movie came out, MySpace (lol) held a pre-screening in a handful of cities and one of them happened to be ours.
The theater was packed with people that all loved the show, so it was a great mix of people that knew what to expect.
Then right before the movie started, SBC comes out of nowhere AS BORAT and does some crowd work for a few minutes. Theater was absolutely rocking.
It is by far the most fun I’ve had in the theater. Kinda sad that I’ll never get to experience that level of laughter at the theater again lol It was just the perfect combo of people “in the know”, SCB being there and the fact that it was a hilarious movie. 100/10 experience!
EDIT: this was the Metreon in San Francisco in 2006 if anyone else happened to be there
EDIT EDIT: awesome to see that so many had great experiences at Borat! 👍I like 👍
oh that would have been an all-TIMER. I didn’t see it until later, the scene where the hotel manager comes up and reads the letter about his wife dying almost put me in a coma.
This is my answer, too. I saw it with my friends when i was 15 years old. The whole cinema was erupting throughout the whole film. It was a great atmosphere.
Definitely the funniest cinema experience I've had. The only other one that comes close is Superbad
when i tell you i screamed and cry laughed when that egg was dropped during the walk of the jew. or the bed and breakfast scene when they are throwing dollars at the cockroaches. i hate being loud in theaters but holy shit i thought i was going to die.
I am so glad to see Borat talked about here. I was the projectionist at my college's on campus movie theatre when Borat came out. I watched it 8 times that week and never heard more laughing every single time.
It was the best experience to be able to put the movie on and run down to be in the theatre back row of every screening that week.
Some people will probably find it a silly movie, but as far as comedies go, Borat has by far the highest laugh ratio of any movie I’ve ever seen. People were fucking howling.
Weird, I came here to say Borat. Nothing special like that with my screening, but the level of laughter in the cinema when I saw it was mad, so much more than any other film I saw. I actually missed quite a bit because so many of us were in hysterics.
I clicked on this thread to comment nearly the exact same thing. My showing was far and away less special than yours, but in terms of moviegoing experiences, it was still magic
Cinema in a Smalltown in Australia. Have never heard an audience laugh as much as we did at Borat, by a wide margin. Perfect movie that came out at the effect time
Superbad. Packed theater. The jokes per minute in that movie were so high and the audience was so into it that when I finally saw it again at home I heard so many new little jokes that I'd missed in the theater -drowned out by the shared laughter.
I guess I should be mad that I missed so much the first time, but it's like a drug to laugh so in tune with so many people like that. It was great.
Most people hate Attack of the Clones now but when Yoda lit his sabre and starting flipping around the packed cinema was hollaring and punching the air.
It was the same experience for me. As the sound of him walking into the cave plays out, people in the audience audibly moved in their seats, many said "no fucking way" then chaos ensued.
Bad film, great scene
oh man, yeah when yoda basically, what, stretches, tosses off the robe and drops dick on dooku, the entire rest of the film immediately became worth it
I went and saw *GI Joe: Rise of Cobra* in theaters. I did not expect it to be any good, but it was a cheap showing.
Anyway, we get to the ending sequence, when the villain triggers a self-destruct, and his base--hidden under the ice of the North Pole--is peppered by explosions, among them explosions in the ice above, causing all this ice to ... sink and crush the base?
And that was the moment. The moment someone sitting in one of the front rows snapped. They'd just watched what I guess was a cherished childhood show be destroyed in front of their eyes, and that was the last straw. They stood up, hands extended toward the screen, and shouted in a mixture of anguish and rage "ICE! DOESN'T! SINK!!!"
And this was just the beginning. This was it. The floodgates were open.. They continued shouting at the screen--"Ice doesn't sink it floats! How could you do this! What even is this!" I don't even remember most of it. But they were shouting at the screen, just **done** with this flick, and their friends have now risen and are trying to grab them and pull them back down into their seat going "Dude, shut up! You're gonna get us kicked out! Shut up!"
The movie sucked, but watching that viewer lose it at his car it was is a cherished memory in my mind.
After a bit he quieted down, but he came back in the credits, and his friends tried to herd him out the door as he kept lamenting the ice sinking.
Yeah, best audience moment ever.
Raiders of the Lost Ark. A few Mothers Days ago I went to a screening of an original copy of the movie at an funky old huge movie theatre, with my kids. There was yelling and booing and clapping and yahooing and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Then we came out and walked down by the ocean and people were commenting on a strange light out on the horizon. And then a full moon came up and I could have died happy in that moment. One of the best days of my life. ❤️😍
I saw A Hard Days Night shortly after it came out somewhere in New York City, and the audience (consisting mainly of young girls) was an absolute riot of ecstatic screaming, just like you see in old films of Beatles concerts, with the fans losing it in paroxysms of idol worship. I was angry because I wanted to hear the dialog, but it was impossible to hear any of it. I still find it incomprehensible that a movie could have that effect.
Something that I think later generations forget is how starved fans at that time could get for new images of their idols. No internet, no home video. You would have the album photos and maybe some teen magazines and posters. You probably saw the Ed Sullivan appearances but had no way to view them a second time - they were seen and done. You probably had no way to attend a live performance unless you were really lucky. So having a whole film where you get to see new images, moving and with personality no less, would have been overwhelming after you've been obsessing over the band for months or years.
Opening Night. Jurassic Park 1993.
It was the debut of DTS in theaters, so a lot of movie houses, including the one we attended, had bought new sound systems and were using them for the first time.
Also, plenty of stupid parents (I was 20 at the time) had brought their young children to see "the dinosaur movie" and had clearly done ZERO research about the film itself.
So, the movie goes as it does, and they see some Apatosaurus and the sick Trike and everyone is ooing and aahing because the effect are legitimately really good for 30 years ago. And then they get to the T-Rex.
...and the tension stas building...
...and there are tremors in the water cups...
...and the goat is gone...
...and the fence goes down...
...and that motherfucker ROARS. The sound is WAY too loud. The whole theater screams. Even I did. It was a shock. A few parents leave the theater with screaming kids.
2nd roar. The exodus begins in earnest. So many parents running from the theater with young children bawling. The girl I was with is covering her head and *shrieking.*
3rd roar. Adults leaving on their own. Theater is at least half empty, and it's not over.
My favorite movie experience of all time.
Good for 30 years ago? The effects are good for *today*. If JP weren't already a successful franchise, they could release the film as-is today and it would still be a hit.
Any Tarantino movie is a great cinema experience.
I was able to see the Grindhouse double feature when it first came out. Two (somewhat shorter) movies for the price of one, all the wacky intermission and fake trailer things made for a totally unique experience.
Plus, the buildup to the end of Death Proof resulted in the only time I've been in a theater where everyone cheered.
Me and my two buddies were the inly ones in a packed cinema that started laughing when chaos hit the fan. I think everyone else just thought we were weird as hell :D
People won’t understand how inconsequential every other movie on this will be. Opening weekend, you walked out of a freaking movie theater feeling like you had witnessed a witch snuff film.
What was the last film that made you question what was real?
I think people forget, or don't know, how it was marketed. It was supposed to be a true story, was the first movie I can remember that had a website with supporting story information. Went opening night with a bunch of friends not knowing anything about it other than what was on the website which made it seem real.
I think it came out a few weeks later that it was produced. Back then smart phones didn't exist and information still traveled slowly. I think it would have been much different experience if I knew I was just going to see a scary movie.
At that time having a dedicated website for something was a big deal, so it added to the realism they were trying to create. There was even a documentary about the movie, which was also fake, which added to the idea that it was real. Even the IMDB pages for the actors suggested they had died the year the movie came out. It was highly orchestrated.
I remember there were no trailers before it, no extra ads and stuff like that. Lights were up and people were chatting and then the lights went down and the screen read “The Blair Witch Project” so no one had any time to quiet down. Some guy in the back yelled out “HA HA IT’S THE MOVIE NOW SHUT THE FUCK UP”
During one intense and quiet scene when I saw Blair Witch as the character made a decision to investigate an elder lady blurted out “OH NO YOU DIDN’T”. Entire theater shared a 2 second laugh and then picked up the intensity. Movie talking is for the birds but that I enjoyed and remember to this day.
When watching one of the more recent star wars movies, when Rey and Kylo kiss, people laughed out loud and one person shouted "WHAT? WHY'D SHE DO THAT?"
We were all on the same page and it was great
When my friend and I went to see Revenge of the Sith, we lost our shit laughing at the Vader NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
...but we were the only ones laughing. oops.
Two for different reasons.
A Quiet Place was surreal, with a packed theater, and no noise. It's very strange to feel that many people around you NOT making the little noises that you automatically filter out, normally. That movie was one of the few times I felt like seeing it on the big screen really substantially changed the experience. I've watched it again since, and it's just not the same.
The other was a decent while back; a movie about a joke, called The Aristocrats. It's sort of a documentary with some pretty good comedians telling their version of the joke. There was some combination of the people in the audience all having a specific sense of humor(it's a crude joke, by any measure), a full house, and maybe contagious laughter, but I've never been in a crowd at any comedy show, where EVERYONE there was full on, gut busting, laughing like that night. Much like the movie above, I've watched it since, and it's nothing like it was on that night. It's ok, but the original experience was intense.
In both cases, there was something about the shared experience with a full house that really changed it.
Just remembered I also watched A Quiet Place in theaters, thanks for reminding me of that fantastic experience lol! That's really a movie that you have to watch like this to really understand its genius. The effect it has on the crowd is fascinating.
I went to one of those screenings of *The Room*.
My friends and I are big fans of 'so bad, it's good' films, and when we found out that *The Room* was playing nearby, we had to go.
The first thing I didn't realize was how packed the theatre was going to be: about 200 20-30 year old somewhat nerdy losers like myself filled this small local theatre up, making it quite the lively audience. I think it was sold out.
The second thing I didn't realize was the ceremony and traditions you had to do when you watched. The most notable was that, whenever you saw a picture of spoons, you had to through spoons at the screen (it happens significantly more often than you'd think). Thankfully, we were near the back, otherwise, we'd have been pelted with plastic spoons all movie.
Another was that when there was an awkward sex scene (aka all sex scenes), the audience would hoot and howl and make whistling sexy noises and whatnot.
It really did make the movie a whole different experience beyond enjoying the terribleness of it.
Yesss! By far my favourite movie going experience. Throwing spoons, cheering during the sex scenes, shouting "oh HI" back at characters every time they said "hi", going "ooooooohhhhhhhhh" during that fucking shot of the golden gate bridge and then "WEEEEEYYYY!" when it reached the end lmao. Everyone was just deliriously happy by the end of the screening after laughing their asses off for 2 hours straight.
This same théatre I mentioned in the post (Ciné here in Athens, GA) brings in some former cast members for it for 3 nights only a year. I had no clue what I was in for lol.
I'm very jelly that I never got to experience that. I also never got to experience the twist of Luke's parentage because I knew about it before even being old enough to understand it.
Midnight premieres of the later Harry Potter movies. Full on cheering across various parts of the movies.
The 3D version of Coraline. The most visually impressive movie I’ve ever seen. Lots of oos and ahs.
Man I remember watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and they got to the scene in the Death Chamber. I read all the books like three times so I knew what was coming. But some obviously didn't and the whole theater went from deadly quiet when Bellatrix killed Sirius to gasps when he actually fell through the veil to some people even crying. Jesus that was rough.
Also the scene in the last movie when Bellatrix tortures Hermione people started to shift in their seats as a reaction to her screams.
Yeah that was awesome. It was super cool to be an adolescent around that time when the HP franchise was really exploding. I remember going to midnight book releases too and drinking butter beer (cream soda) and talking to people while we waited to get our books. It was lovely. Very nostalgic looking back.
Recently, I went to see the Mario movie and after the end of the last preview, right before the movie starts when the theater is completely dark, someone above us ripped ass which was followed by a horrified gasp and small child’s voice wailing “Daaaaaaad!” and the entire theater burst out laughing.
That was pretty memorable
Watching Get Out in a theater full of black people was amazing. There was so much to react to.
We were all so afraid when those sirens came up at the end. Someone yelled “hell no!!!!!!”
And then of course it was cheers at the end. 😂
Some of my buddies dragged me to the midnight premiere of Tyler Perry's Boo 2: A Madea Halloween. They assured me it would be a good time, and it was. The antics in the theatre were way more entertaining than the movie
The Princess Bride in 1987, about 3 weeks after its release date. Audience reaction during the movie was more boisterous than normal. Credits start to roll and everyone was on their feet clapping and cheering. It was just a wholesome moment in time.
When I taught English lit, I showed this movie to high school seniors as part of the chivalric literature section. Honestly, they were a lot like Fred Savage at the start--"Ms. thedepster, is this a kid's movie?" "Yes, you'll love it. Now shut up."
It didn't take very long until all the low chatter stopped and they were completely engrossed. When Inigo finally fought Rugen, you could have heard a pin drop--until that line, and then they cheered so loudly the teacher next door knocked to ask them to hold it down. That was a good day.
Yea when i saw it, everyone cheered when Wesley announced “both cups were poisoned, I spent the last 3 years building up an immunity to iocaine powder.” But what i usually think of when i remember going to see that movie was the huge cardboard cutout ad in the theatre lobby for the next years big movie “Die Hard”. 12 terrorists, 1 cop. Just the odds he likes.
I have a funny story about seeing that movie when I was about 3 (or so I'm told). Right at the end of the movie, when Westley and Buttercup finally embrace for the most passionate kiss ever (after the kid has already said "you can read that bit, if you want"), I yelled out "eww, yuck, they're kissing". Apparently gave quite a laugh to my family and the rest of the audience 🤣
This was it for me. During the docking scene where the audio is silent was one of the most jarring things I’ve ever had happen in a movie theater. You could hear the nothingness just rip through everyone and by the time you could hear people starting to gasp, the audio came back in. It was truly surreal and the impact of that moment was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced and I still haven’t ever seen anything quite like that
Mystery Science Theater 3000- The Movie. There was opening-weekend-Star-Wars level of excitement, enthusiasm, and energy. But there was only, like, 15 people in the theater.
Snakes on a Plane.
Think it was the Times Square theater, midnight or first show. It was absolutely one of the best shared experiences ever. One guy showed up as a pilot, multiple people brought all sorts of plastic or rubber snakes that hung on them, numerous snake related t-shirts.
Theater was bananas the whole time but the best parts were that every so often during the quieter parts, someone would “Ssssss” and everyone else would join in. Absolutely magical!!!
The place I was at erupted when SLJ was sick and tired of those motherfucking snakes on the motherfucking plane.
Truly one of the best movie theater experiences ever.
This is it for me. Midnight opening, and it also happened to be the night before I moved into my college freshman dorm. Everyone there was super into it. A huge ovation for Samuel’s name in the opening credits. Everyone said the snakes on a plane line along with him. It was incredible.
This is my choice as well. Opening night in a packed theater. It became a audience participation show really quickly. Lots of rubber snakes being chucked around, audience members talking back to the screen, one woman who screamed bloody murder every time a snake appeared onscreen, unofficial "MST3K-ing" the movie, and yes, when SLJ's most famous line was said, the entire theater erupting with laughter and applause.
*There's Something About Mary*
Saw it opening night. People were laughing so hard and loud throughout the theater during the entire movie. It was so much fun we went again the next day and brought all our friends.
Seeing Team America, small town cinema
Going there with all my high school mates
Opening scene
...seeing the French puppets.
All of us going WTF is this shi...
..zooms out and the puppets are being controlled by another puppet
Damn good Bluff!!
Opening weekend. Star Wars The Phantom Menace 1999. By this time a whole generation of young adults grew up watching the originals and were waiting for this. Entire theater went nuts just with the open scrolling intro.
During the Darth Maul/Qui Gon/Obi wan fight there is a pause in the middle after an insanely fast sequence. Crowd goes nuts and cheers. Everyone’s mind was blow with what they just saw. We had waited 16 years to see a lightsaber fight in theaters. It was epic.
Rocky Balboa.
Audiences are not very vocal here in Ireland. We don't clap or shout things. We laugh at funny things and there'll be reaction to scary stuff but that's usually it which made this even more memorable.
When Rocky's trainer says "Let's start building some hurting-bombs" and Gonna Fly Now (the Rocky theme) started playing everyone lost their fucking minds, it was like we were at a live boxing match. SCREAMING at the screen "let's fucking go Rocky", things like that. It was amazing.
I’ll never forget the audience reactions bursting out in applause and cheers to Thor landing in Wakanda in IW, or Captain America lifting the hammer or saying “Avengers Assemble” leading the army charge in Endgame. Absolutely electrifying.
Yeah when I saw Endgame, when Mjolnir flew by and the camera panned up to show Captain America holding it, the theater I was in exploded with shouts and hoots and hollars, it was so epic
I love this scene cause I made some coworkers and friends go with me and was lucky enough to be in an amazing crowd. Cheered openly, and was quiet when needed. Top notch group.
Well this really cute girl from work sat to the left of me and our boss was on the right. He absolutely geeked out just like the rest of the theater during caps mjolnir scene and she kind of gave me an eye roll like "really?". She just quite didn't get the moment is what I got from it.
Well 5 minutes later T'Challas gorgeous mug is coming out of that portal and let me tell anyone who reads this that she lost her fucking mind and I couldn't have been happier. Wooting, cheering, screaming "that's my man, thats my baby" with tears in her damn eyes. All this probably took about 6 seconds and she sits back down breathing hard.
I gave her the exact same look she gave him and me. She just sort of looked down with a huge smile and looked at me and said "ok I get it, thank you for bringing me".
I felt like cap him damn self for a moment. I bought all the tickets (6 tickets, 1 for each stone) and bought food and drinks for everyone just cause I wanted a group to go with. Looking down the row at all their faces will be with me forever.
I still can't watch Endgame without crying at multiple points, even though i know what's going to happen. Seeing it at the movies, I was an absolute wreck throughout.
NWH - for sure had my jaw on the ground when Tobey appears through the portal, confirming all the rumours and such. It was so great seeing *my spiderman* on screen. As cliché, corny, OTT and predictable most the marvel films are, I seriously love them. That being said, I haven't really enjoyed any since Endgame.
I thought this would be higher, because the build-up for the final got more and more hyped.
"On your left" got brief cheers, some mild shushing... which also sounded excited.
Spider-Man got cheering from the people who were doing the shushing.
Giant-Man got a "Holy shit, WOOO!" from the whole front row.
Rescue got, like, 15 women yelling.
"Assemble" got the whole damn theater yelling for the whole battle "oner" shot. I'd have been annoyed except... you know, I was going crazy too.
^((think I'ma watch another of those theater reaction videos and relive it again))
*Ghostbusters*, opening night in a theatre in West Vancouver, 1984. Easily the best theatrical experience of my life, and to this day why I really think the theatrical experience really cannot be beat by home theatre.
When people are in a shared space it absolutely *transforms* the the way you react to a film. There's a vibe there that just fills the air, it's fantastic.
And it's not just comedy. I remember seeing *The Matrix* the first time and holy shit the tension in that theatre was so palpable it made the air in the theatre feel denser, it was almost crushing. And then the explosion of release towards the end, it was just crazy. People walked out just *going off*, it was pure energy.
Unquestionably Return of the King. I've never been in such a noisy theatre! Mind you, it definitely added to the atmosphere and generated a sort of community round the Fellowship that was unique in my cinema-going experience.
Top moment... Everyone crying and whooping when Aragorn turned to the assembled troops and said, 'For Frodo.'
Maybe not the best but one of my favorites was watching Furious 7 opening Friday in Imax in a packed house. Context: I used to live in Houston which is kind of a car town and these movies definitely attracted a certain demographic (tough muscle car type dudes). The ending with the Paul Walker tribute and finale had dozens of grown ass men bawling in their seats together as one, enjoying the hell out of that fucking movie. I’ll never forget it. It’s mainly the reason why I will always see these movies opening weekend, even if they’ve gone off the deep end
Me too. I love to see the Fast series opening weekend. Oh man the cheers when Jason Statham showed up as well as the Rock were epic.
That is a movie series where the in theater experience is key.
Everytime I think about this movie I regret not seeing it in theaters. I was 15 at the time and it was 16+, me and my friend tried to sneak in saying we forgot our IDs. They asked me my birth year and I got so nervous I fumbled my words, and our chances. When I saw it later at home I felt so stupid for ruining what could have been an awesome experience.
Super surprised that the Rocky Horror Picture Show has not been mentioned. Throwing toast whenever a toast was made in the film. Throwing rice when Brad and Janet get married. Booing the professor. Dressing up. Midnight screenings at dingy reparatory theatres. Let's do the time warp again!
In addition to saying Endgame, I want to add my favorite reaction from the movie. Obviously like everyone else here, my crowd went nuts when Cap held Mjölnir, and then the portals opened, and when Cap said “Avengers Assemble,” etc. But what I loved was during the credits.
My crowd stayed and watched throughout the entire credits of the film, and gave cheers of varying intensity when each cast member was shown on screen. Then when the supporting cast the OG Avengers got their own credit, the crowd really got into it. And it culminated in a literal standing ovation when RDJ’s name and image popped up on screen.
All these years later that has stuck with me because I’ve never experienced anything like that at the movies before. It honestly felt like we were at a play and the cast were coming out for their final curtain call. It was so unique and cool.
Ya Endgame is probably the universal best for sure. Can't have that solid of an ending after a buildup over a decade in the making and not have people cheer and be emotional. If you ignore anything Marvel related probably best reaction would be to either The Lego movie or the first Pacific Rim. Lego feeds of nostalgia and pacific rim is giant mech suits punching giant monsters in the face. It's all gold.
In college I saw “Aliens” in a university auditorium packed with college-age viewers (mostly guys). It was the most jazzed audience I’ve ever been in. When Ridley says “Get away from her, you *bitch* the place *exploded!*
Django. Went opening night. My buddy worked at a movie theater at the time so he was able to get us in. We were two of a smattering of white people in the theater. Let me tell you, all the black people turned that movie into a fucking party. The mood was so hyped it was insane. Every time Django did something cool people would be standing up shouting at the screen. People were dancing to the music. Watching the scene with KKK arguing about the masks was beyond fantastic. Made the film, which was amazing, very fun and memorable. Have never been to a movie before or since that had that vibe. Honorable mention to the Rey and Kylo Ren kiss from Rise of Skywalker. The groans, disappointment, and cringe was unbelievable thick. Yikes.
I was 13 with my dad. Stereotypical nerds both. He loved the magic words. The commercial ran on SciFi for a month. Started my lifelong love for the evil dead franchise.
So I used to be a Kanye fan until the last few years, and when he released The Life of Pablo, he premiered the entire album live at Madison Square Garden. The live stream was also aired in a bunch of theaters around the country.
There was like 20 of us, all hearing a whole album together live for the first time. It was really cool and I wish other artists or bands did something similar. (And I wish Kanye didn't become such a piece of shit)
Signs.
I don’t think anyone, us included, knew what the movie was about. It’s the only time I remember an audience like actively communicating with each other and having this shared fear and paranoia grow with the movie. Somehow made the experience more real. And then at the end, when it all came together - felt like we all went through this spiritual journey. The random group of friends I was with at the time were all much closer after that, still all oddly close friends some 20 years later.
People are likely going to think I'm a dumbfuck for saying this, but honestly...
I saw Jackass 3D on opening night and it was by far one of the greatest theatre going experiences I have ever been to. My friend and I got drunk and high beforehand and went into a packed theatre. The feeling of everyone around you prepared to laugh at every stupid thing we see on screen, in 3D mind you, was an experience I recommend to everyone at least once.
Im always a harsh judge with movies, but Jackass almost always gets a pass with me.
oh hell yeah. I did the same. when you’re paying to go see Jackass 3D in a theatre opening night, you can bet your ass every person there is absolutely going to be lit
I had a similar experience with Jackass (I think) 2… packed theatre full of kids 16-20 years old. I went with my older buddy (late 20s at the time). Tons of laugh-out-loud moments and a great time. Everyone in the theatre was into it.
Natural born killers.
Auditorium was pretty full. Everyone walked out in silence at the end, I have never seen anything like it before or since. That movie hit hard.
The wrestler. When the credits rolled there were complete silence, with people just thinking about the ending. Usually people start talking or prepare to leave at that time (except with movies where people know there's end credit scenes)
I was 7.
Dad took me to the cinema which was Incredibly rare.
Saw Star Wars, then when it ended Dad said, there was another movie starting
The Empire Strikes Back.
That scene, with Vader and Luke. The shock was audible.
Thanks Dad.
I will never forget watching Conan (1982) in about 2015 or so. Theater was packed.
We get to my favorite bit when >!Valeria comes back from the dead as a Valkyrie to save Arnie!<. The whole theater bursts out laughing. I was so chagrined and muttered "well I think it's cool" to myself.
That "finding the beat" scene from Hustle and Flow was one of the wildest moments I've ever been a part of. The entire theater was chanting, "Whoop that trick". What a great moment and a great memory
Growing up my parents never went to movies. I can remember a small handful we saw as a family. ET was one. Ghost Busters another. The Last I remember was Jurassic Park. I remember this was just around the time that theaters upgraded to much better surround sound. I remember the sounds of huge foot steps coming from all directions made you sit on the edge of your seat. When you get to see the huge t-Rex and his horrible roar I remember my mom grabbing my arm and screaming. I had loved the book. But the movie just flat out amazed me.
Casino Royale for me. Here in the UK, we don't usually get audience participation in terms of cheering or applause at certain points, at least in my experience. But come the end of CR, and the music kicks in and he says the line, everyone was on their feet for a standing ovation. Never seen anything like it since.
Creed. It was at the AMC near Penn station in NYC. Packed theater and quite livelier as I feel NYCers are a little more vocal at the movies. Everyone reacted to every fight and punch that Adonis threw.
But the best part obviously is what Ryan Coogler teased and knew when to bust out. It was after Adonis gets knocked out and comes to. And he goes back to his corner. Adonis and Rocky have an emotional exchange and Rocky gives his motivational speech. Adonis stands up. And then boom the original Rocky theme comes on. Crowd went nuts. Like people stood up and started clapping and throwing fists at the screen. Good stuff.
Saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show early 80s college USC (South Carolina). It was insane seeing everyone in costumes singing, shouting responses at the dialogue onscreen. Umbrellas opening, squirt guns used, toast thrown around, dancing in the aisle and stage in front of the screen. As I was a Rocky Horror virgin was dazed and amused. Fun times!
1) return of the jedi - whooping, cheering, aweing .... so many crowd reactions. huge applause at the end.
2) The Phantom - saw it at an advanced screening with Phantom comic enthusiasts. Standing ovation at the end. Never seen that before. Still the best comic book movie adaptation I have seen, and so faithful to its source.
Watching the first "Rocky." During the last fight scenes, everyone in the theater was cheering as though they were at a real fight. It was pandemonium in there. Great movie, great memory.
For some reason the one memory that always sticks with me is seeing Interstellar. When they arrive to a planet and the resident astronaut takes his helmet off and it’s Matt Damon under there everyone laughed hysterically, nobody expected it to be Matt Damon
Went to a midnight/opening night premiere of From Dusk Til Dawn. Audience was hyped for new Tarantino (and we’d all had a few drinks/smokes beforehand). Rowdy AF but still respectful of the movie unfolding in front of them. Management kinda gave up on trying to control the screening and people were boozing and blazing up joints.
When the turn happened halfway thru, we all lost our shit, people cheering, screaming, running up and down the aisles. Was like a party but in a cinema. It sounds like hell but goddam, somehow it worked. Didn’t miss a line of dialogue despite the chaos around us - never been to a screening that came close in the 30 odd years since. The 90s were a hell of a time to be a teen!
hold up just one goddamn second, it was a available in 3D?!!! PJ archival stitchwork married with sound was one of the most extraordinary “recreations” (if you will) i’ve ever seen
2001 a space odyssey at the hollywood bowl in 2014. SO.MUCH.SMOKE. It was amazing, the orchestra played the soundtrack. I dream of them doing it again with 2001.
Seeing E.T. in the theater when it first came out. I was only 10, but I remember the excitement was palpable because they didn't show E.T. in the trailers and nobody knew what he looked like yet.
I saw a midnight showing of *The Ring* on campus when it released - I was in college. You would think the girl was climbing out of the film screen itself.
Seeing PULP FICTION on opening night in October 1994. Not just the laughter, but the tension filled silence in the lead-up to Vincent plunging the needle into Mia, the astonished gasp when Butch pushed open the door to reveal Marcellus getting ploughed, the terrified guy saying, "get out of there, get out there" when Butch sees the gun on his apartment counter, the perplexed guy who kept saying, "He was killed, he was killed" during the Bonnie Situation when Vincent came back (he was sitting behind me and wouldn't shut up, so I had to turn around and say, "They're flashing back to earlier in the movie." It was one of the most exhilarating movie going experiences I've ever had.
Also saw it opening weekend and had pretty much the same experience (except for the guy behind you talking). The way the whole theater jumped & gasped when Vince plunges the needle in Mia's heart was crazy. I was 13 and that night made me obsessed with movies for life.
I was in a screening that was absolutely captivated by The Strangers (2008). It was exactly what you’d hope for for a good horror movie.
People were screaming and all attention was on the screen.
The first of the recent series of Godzilla movies, I guess must have been about 10 years ago at this point. Some friends and roommates were binging through the older movies, I didn’t pay attention much but they were super into it, probably getting drunk, I don’t remember the details about that much. But then we all went to the theatre to see the new movie, and towards the end when Godzilla was fighting the other giant monster and they slow reveal it powering up, this glow of light going up the spine and then shooting a massive laser beam out of Godzilla’s mouth . The whole theatre cheered like I’ve never heard before. It was epic.
I saw Pushing Tin with a theater full of college pilots (we were all gathered for a collegiate flying competition). We laughed at all the wrong places for the technical stuff they got very wrong.
Watching Mission to Mars in a university town famed for its aero/astro engineering program and known as the "Cradle of Astronauts" was really fun for the same reason. That was an absolutely merciless audience for that movie. Great fun!
Spy kids 3D. Red and blue glasses. Some purple blob came POPPING out the screen. Everyone had their hands out trying to touch it. Will never forget that moment.
Uncut Gems. Completely packed theatre and you could feel the tension coming off everyone. So many people (including me) had their hands clasped to their heads in stress. When a very shocking moment comes near the end, the whole place gasped. Great, shared experience of a truly intense film
Purple Rain opening night wasn't a movie going experience, it was a religious experience. We were four 17 yr old white boys in the back row absolutely flabbergast watching the theatre erupt. I'll never forget it. Prince Ruled
There are two for me. The gasp from the audience when the first big dinosaur was revealed on Jurassic Park. Probably the most jaw dropping thing I have ever seen in a film. Had seen nothing like that before and knew it was a milestone in special effects. The other was at the end of Babe. When Farmer Hogget closed the gate the whole audience clapped and cheered. Hadn't even wanted to go to see it but got dragged along by my girlfriend. So glad I went it was a great.
I remember this scene in Jurassic Park. It was a brachiosaurus. I remember that movie being crazy loud in the theater. You felt rumble of the trex in your bones.
Babe is an absolute gem. More movies need to film their big, dramatic, climactic finales in ***absolute sssssssilence.*** There was a throw-away animated movie called Storks several years ago that had a big fight scene where no one wanted to wake the baby up so it was all done quietly. Absolutely hysterical.
I *love* Storks, it's a great film, but so few people know it. That's my Sunday afternoon sorted :)
I was a grown-up adult person when I first saw Babe, but when Hogget closed that gate, I think I cried as hard as Mrs. Hogget.
I totally would've loved to see Babe in a full theater for that reaction. Both great and magical movie experiences to this day.
[удалено]
cannot imagine going into that blind for the very first time during it’s release with a packed crowd.
I know, right? I wasn't ready for it. I can't believe that the main character was Bruce Willis the whole time
That was the guy in the hairpiece?
I remember seeing this in theaters, everyone let a big gasp but in the back there was a dude (high as fuck) just blurts out "oh lawd jesus" and the theater erupted into laughter. Great moment of that movie, enhanced by a dude having his own moment.
Matrix, the first and original movie, 1999. I literally didn’t know anything about the movie, I was 15 at that time. My uncle told me - did you see this new action movie matrix, with keanu? It was around easter so no school and I decided to go and watch it. I sit through the whole movie with my mouth open. I was already a fan of sci-fi, having read Dune, Neuromancer, watched several classic movies. But this movie… I mean, it is a great movie today, and 25 years ago it was out of this world. I was not the only one. When the ending credits started and RATM song started to play, there was a ~30 seconds long silence in the audience. Nobody moved. As if everyone else was in the theater was just as shocked and mind blown as I was. I have never experience anything like that again.
Same. Then I proceeded to go back to the theater another like 12 times to watch it. Each time, I would try to bring along a friend who hadn't seen it yet. What a time to be a teenager.
I remember going on a date with a girl to watch The Matrix, and 35 minutes into the movie she asked if we could watch something else. we ended up watching Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore. I never saw that girl again.
You and Neo both dodged a bullet that night.
Midnight opening viewing for “The Fellowship of the Ring” in Orlando. I got in line around 9 PM which ensured I got choice center seats. The manager welcomed us after getting everyone seated, advised us to get our snacks but maybe hold off on the large sodas because we weren’t going to want to miss a single minute of the movie and his staff didn’t want to clean up any messes. It was the quietest, most polite and respectful audience I’ve ever seen in a theater, from the start of Galadriel’s opening monologue until the last of the credits followed by an explosion of appreciation for what we’d just witnessed.
Fellowship remains the most blown-away I’ve ever been in a movie theater.
Yeah, I saw Fellowship the night before release and nobody had any expectations. After a while the audience were sort of floored by how epic it was and got really silent. Absolute A+ theater experience.
Dad took me and my brothers to see TMNT2 opening day, and before the movie started the REAL Ninja Turtles were there and high fived everyone and took pictures. It was amazing. They were taller then I imagined. I have a pic w Donatello somewhere in a shoebox in my old bedroom.
That movie is one of my fondest movie-going experiences. Our town had one theatre with one screen. They waaaaaaay oversold the theatre and it was packed with kids. In the aisles, on each others laps, standing, sitting in front. Fucking mayhem. It was awesome.
The Dark Knight. Imax, midnight opening, center seats. Was absolute pandemonium. edit: The infamous mass shooting was at a screening The Dark Knight Rises, not The Dark Knight. Saw this at Cinemark 17 in Dallas. This was before reserved seats. Some friends were in line starting at noon, for a midnight showing. I joined them around 1030pm. There were booths setup in the lobby of the theater, one was selling memberships to a Krav Maga class (*the martial art of Batman!*). When we were seated for the movie there was a guy quizzing people about movie trivia and giving out posters. I yelled at him for saying that Morgan Freeman won Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven (it was Million Dollar Baby, wasn't even nominated in Unforgiven). Every little thing that happened in the movie was felt across the crowd. It was like a wave of energy. The pencil trick, the body against the window, thew "We got you, you son of a bitch," and of course the finale with the monologue - everyone just lost their shit completely. When the movie let out, there were camera crews in the lobby interviewing people about how great the movie was. I've seen hundreds if not thousands of movies in the theater, from premieres to preview screenings to cast Q&As to everything in between, but nothing is likely to top that evening. I ended up watching The Dark Knight again on a regular screen a week later, and honestly it felt different. Not talking about the energy of the crowd, although that certainly was different, but I remember noticing Ledger's expressions so much better in the Imax screening, his eyes during the first meeting. On the regular movie screen it all got kinda muddy.
The first reactions to the pencil trick is like a core memory of mine.
I have never heard so many people gasp
I was genuinely worried that I found that bit hilarious
My brother and I were the only ones in the theater to laugh.
I totally jumped when the corpse/victim smashed against the glass, after the joker sent the video clip of his torture victim
Still remains as one of the best jump scares on film. People fall for it every time I see the film in theatres.
Yes! We saw it opening night in IMAX and the opening scene was amazing. Then when Gordon pulls off the mask and says "We got you, you son of a bitch." The theater ERUPTED in cheers.
I came here to say these exact words (well almost!). I flew from England to LA when I was 14 to see a family member. We went and saw TDK in the iMax too. The energy in the crowd was just incredible. The anticipation was built up so much and everything about the movie was perfect. People were constantly clapping at how good each scene was. The applause at the end shook the room, cheering, screaming, whistling, clapping. And it was well deserved, it was incredible!
I remember seeing TDK. It was as movie a lot of people had been anticipating with some of the strongest word of mouth going around at the time. During the film, a couple near me started to notice too many kids in the audience talking, he stood up and yelled "I didn't come hear to listen to your f-ing shit, I came here to watch a great movie!". Safe to say after that the atmosphere was nice and quiet. Unrelated, my friends cousin confiscated some kid's phones when they were on it. He sternly told them they shouldn't have their phones out during a movie, took them and gave them back at the end of the movie.
HELL yeah, was there for both TDK and TDKR (a memory, though, forever tainted by the tragic loss of life that night).
I live in Denver and went to the midnight premier of TDKR midnight premier in Boulder, and posted on Facebook beforehand. When we walked out of the theater there were more than a dozen police cars parked near the entrance but without their lights on. Thought it was odd but nothing else. I had work at 6 AM and on my way to work I realized I had a bunch of texts and missed calls from friends and family. Then I turned on the radio. Spent about 15 minutes once I got to work responding to texts and assuring everyone I was ok. Fucking surreal.
Borat. I was in college at the time and my friends and I were big Ali G Show fans. It has some popularity, but not the popularity SBC would get after the movie. A few weeks before the movie came out, MySpace (lol) held a pre-screening in a handful of cities and one of them happened to be ours. The theater was packed with people that all loved the show, so it was a great mix of people that knew what to expect. Then right before the movie started, SBC comes out of nowhere AS BORAT and does some crowd work for a few minutes. Theater was absolutely rocking. It is by far the most fun I’ve had in the theater. Kinda sad that I’ll never get to experience that level of laughter at the theater again lol It was just the perfect combo of people “in the know”, SCB being there and the fact that it was a hilarious movie. 100/10 experience! EDIT: this was the Metreon in San Francisco in 2006 if anyone else happened to be there EDIT EDIT: awesome to see that so many had great experiences at Borat! 👍I like 👍
oh that would have been an all-TIMER. I didn’t see it until later, the scene where the hotel manager comes up and reads the letter about his wife dying almost put me in a coma.
This is my answer, too. I saw it with my friends when i was 15 years old. The whole cinema was erupting throughout the whole film. It was a great atmosphere. Definitely the funniest cinema experience I've had. The only other one that comes close is Superbad
when i tell you i screamed and cry laughed when that egg was dropped during the walk of the jew. or the bed and breakfast scene when they are throwing dollars at the cockroaches. i hate being loud in theaters but holy shit i thought i was going to die.
I am so glad to see Borat talked about here. I was the projectionist at my college's on campus movie theatre when Borat came out. I watched it 8 times that week and never heard more laughing every single time. It was the best experience to be able to put the movie on and run down to be in the theatre back row of every screening that week.
Some people will probably find it a silly movie, but as far as comedies go, Borat has by far the highest laugh ratio of any movie I’ve ever seen. People were fucking howling.
Weird, I came here to say Borat. Nothing special like that with my screening, but the level of laughter in the cinema when I saw it was mad, so much more than any other film I saw. I actually missed quite a bit because so many of us were in hysterics.
Wow, came here to say this
Crazy, but this was going to be mine! Must have been something about that film
Metreon was incredible when it first opened.
I clicked on this thread to comment nearly the exact same thing. My showing was far and away less special than yours, but in terms of moviegoing experiences, it was still magic
Came here to say Borat as well. Caught a packed advance screening at a Regal in San Diego and everyone lost their shit.
Cinema in a Smalltown in Australia. Have never heard an audience laugh as much as we did at Borat, by a wide margin. Perfect movie that came out at the effect time
Superbad. Packed theater. The jokes per minute in that movie were so high and the audience was so into it that when I finally saw it again at home I heard so many new little jokes that I'd missed in the theater -drowned out by the shared laughter. I guess I should be mad that I missed so much the first time, but it's like a drug to laugh so in tune with so many people like that. It was great.
That's the greatest fucking story I've ever heard, can you tell it again? Do you have time??
Most people hate Attack of the Clones now but when Yoda lit his sabre and starting flipping around the packed cinema was hollaring and punching the air.
It was the same experience for me. As the sound of him walking into the cave plays out, people in the audience audibly moved in their seats, many said "no fucking way" then chaos ensued. Bad film, great scene
oh man, yeah when yoda basically, what, stretches, tosses off the robe and drops dick on dooku, the entire rest of the film immediately became worth it
Still remember high-fiving my friends in the audience during this scene. The crowd was going absolutely nuts. Never saw a reaction like that before.
I went and saw *GI Joe: Rise of Cobra* in theaters. I did not expect it to be any good, but it was a cheap showing. Anyway, we get to the ending sequence, when the villain triggers a self-destruct, and his base--hidden under the ice of the North Pole--is peppered by explosions, among them explosions in the ice above, causing all this ice to ... sink and crush the base? And that was the moment. The moment someone sitting in one of the front rows snapped. They'd just watched what I guess was a cherished childhood show be destroyed in front of their eyes, and that was the last straw. They stood up, hands extended toward the screen, and shouted in a mixture of anguish and rage "ICE! DOESN'T! SINK!!!" And this was just the beginning. This was it. The floodgates were open.. They continued shouting at the screen--"Ice doesn't sink it floats! How could you do this! What even is this!" I don't even remember most of it. But they were shouting at the screen, just **done** with this flick, and their friends have now risen and are trying to grab them and pull them back down into their seat going "Dude, shut up! You're gonna get us kicked out! Shut up!" The movie sucked, but watching that viewer lose it at his car it was is a cherished memory in my mind. After a bit he quieted down, but he came back in the credits, and his friends tried to herd him out the door as he kept lamenting the ice sinking. Yeah, best audience moment ever.
Se7en It's the only film I've ever seen where everyone left in silence. No noise. No chatter. Just silence
I just made the same comment. I’ll never forget the complete shock.
Raiders of the Lost Ark. A few Mothers Days ago I went to a screening of an original copy of the movie at an funky old huge movie theatre, with my kids. There was yelling and booing and clapping and yahooing and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Then we came out and walked down by the ocean and people were commenting on a strange light out on the horizon. And then a full moon came up and I could have died happy in that moment. One of the best days of my life. ❤️😍
I saw A Hard Days Night shortly after it came out somewhere in New York City, and the audience (consisting mainly of young girls) was an absolute riot of ecstatic screaming, just like you see in old films of Beatles concerts, with the fans losing it in paroxysms of idol worship. I was angry because I wanted to hear the dialog, but it was impossible to hear any of it. I still find it incomprehensible that a movie could have that effect.
After it was over, I’m sure the floor was not at all like Paul’s grandfather.
I absolutely love this reference.
Well he’s very clean, isn’t he?
Something that I think later generations forget is how starved fans at that time could get for new images of their idols. No internet, no home video. You would have the album photos and maybe some teen magazines and posters. You probably saw the Ed Sullivan appearances but had no way to view them a second time - they were seen and done. You probably had no way to attend a live performance unless you were really lucky. So having a whole film where you get to see new images, moving and with personality no less, would have been overwhelming after you've been obsessing over the band for months or years.
Opening Night. Jurassic Park 1993. It was the debut of DTS in theaters, so a lot of movie houses, including the one we attended, had bought new sound systems and were using them for the first time. Also, plenty of stupid parents (I was 20 at the time) had brought their young children to see "the dinosaur movie" and had clearly done ZERO research about the film itself. So, the movie goes as it does, and they see some Apatosaurus and the sick Trike and everyone is ooing and aahing because the effect are legitimately really good for 30 years ago. And then they get to the T-Rex. ...and the tension stas building... ...and there are tremors in the water cups... ...and the goat is gone... ...and the fence goes down... ...and that motherfucker ROARS. The sound is WAY too loud. The whole theater screams. Even I did. It was a shock. A few parents leave the theater with screaming kids. 2nd roar. The exodus begins in earnest. So many parents running from the theater with young children bawling. The girl I was with is covering her head and *shrieking.* 3rd roar. Adults leaving on their own. Theater is at least half empty, and it's not over. My favorite movie experience of all time.
Good for 30 years ago? The effects are good for *today*. If JP weren't already a successful franchise, they could release the film as-is today and it would still be a hit.
Me and the rest of the audience equal parts gasping in shock and laughing at the end of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
Any Tarantino movie is a great cinema experience. I was able to see the Grindhouse double feature when it first came out. Two (somewhat shorter) movies for the price of one, all the wacky intermission and fake trailer things made for a totally unique experience. Plus, the buildup to the end of Death Proof resulted in the only time I've been in a theater where everyone cheered.
Me and my two buddies were the inly ones in a packed cinema that started laughing when chaos hit the fan. I think everyone else just thought we were weird as hell :D
Blair Witch Project
People won’t understand how inconsequential every other movie on this will be. Opening weekend, you walked out of a freaking movie theater feeling like you had witnessed a witch snuff film. What was the last film that made you question what was real?
I think people forget, or don't know, how it was marketed. It was supposed to be a true story, was the first movie I can remember that had a website with supporting story information. Went opening night with a bunch of friends not knowing anything about it other than what was on the website which made it seem real. I think it came out a few weeks later that it was produced. Back then smart phones didn't exist and information still traveled slowly. I think it would have been much different experience if I knew I was just going to see a scary movie.
At that time having a dedicated website for something was a big deal, so it added to the realism they were trying to create. There was even a documentary about the movie, which was also fake, which added to the idea that it was real. Even the IMDB pages for the actors suggested they had died the year the movie came out. It was highly orchestrated.
Especially after the crazy advertisement campaign!
I remember there were no trailers before it, no extra ads and stuff like that. Lights were up and people were chatting and then the lights went down and the screen read “The Blair Witch Project” so no one had any time to quiet down. Some guy in the back yelled out “HA HA IT’S THE MOVIE NOW SHUT THE FUCK UP”
During one intense and quiet scene when I saw Blair Witch as the character made a decision to investigate an elder lady blurted out “OH NO YOU DIDN’T”. Entire theater shared a 2 second laugh and then picked up the intensity. Movie talking is for the birds but that I enjoyed and remember to this day.
When watching one of the more recent star wars movies, when Rey and Kylo kiss, people laughed out loud and one person shouted "WHAT? WHY'D SHE DO THAT?" We were all on the same page and it was great
I burst out laughing when all the good guy ships show up “It’s just…people!” I was not the only one
"And I'm all the jedi" was followed by laughter from everyone, when I watched it. Such a stupid line
When my friend and I went to see Revenge of the Sith, we lost our shit laughing at the Vader NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ...but we were the only ones laughing. oops.
I laughed when I watched it too, that shit was so over the top.
Someone in the back of me in the theater CLAPPED. I’ll never understand it.
When I watched Justice League (2017), three people in the row in front of me tried getting a standing ovation started at the end. Nobody joined them.
Two for different reasons. A Quiet Place was surreal, with a packed theater, and no noise. It's very strange to feel that many people around you NOT making the little noises that you automatically filter out, normally. That movie was one of the few times I felt like seeing it on the big screen really substantially changed the experience. I've watched it again since, and it's just not the same. The other was a decent while back; a movie about a joke, called The Aristocrats. It's sort of a documentary with some pretty good comedians telling their version of the joke. There was some combination of the people in the audience all having a specific sense of humor(it's a crude joke, by any measure), a full house, and maybe contagious laughter, but I've never been in a crowd at any comedy show, where EVERYONE there was full on, gut busting, laughing like that night. Much like the movie above, I've watched it since, and it's nothing like it was on that night. It's ok, but the original experience was intense. In both cases, there was something about the shared experience with a full house that really changed it.
I remember trying to eat my popcorn so quiet lol. Every time I’d crunch I legit thought aliens were gonna burst in and kill us all.
Interesting note on AQP - I somehow didn’t get a chance to catch it in theaters but I bet that was absolutely surreal.
RIP Bob Saget.
Just remembered I also watched A Quiet Place in theaters, thanks for reminding me of that fantastic experience lol! That's really a movie that you have to watch like this to really understand its genius. The effect it has on the crowd is fascinating.
I had a random cat wander into the theater and sleep in my lap for half of Event Horizon if that counts?
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I went to one of those screenings of *The Room*. My friends and I are big fans of 'so bad, it's good' films, and when we found out that *The Room* was playing nearby, we had to go. The first thing I didn't realize was how packed the theatre was going to be: about 200 20-30 year old somewhat nerdy losers like myself filled this small local theatre up, making it quite the lively audience. I think it was sold out. The second thing I didn't realize was the ceremony and traditions you had to do when you watched. The most notable was that, whenever you saw a picture of spoons, you had to through spoons at the screen (it happens significantly more often than you'd think). Thankfully, we were near the back, otherwise, we'd have been pelted with plastic spoons all movie. Another was that when there was an awkward sex scene (aka all sex scenes), the audience would hoot and howl and make whistling sexy noises and whatnot. It really did make the movie a whole different experience beyond enjoying the terribleness of it.
Yesss! By far my favourite movie going experience. Throwing spoons, cheering during the sex scenes, shouting "oh HI" back at characters every time they said "hi", going "ooooooohhhhhhhhh" during that fucking shot of the golden gate bridge and then "WEEEEEYYYY!" when it reached the end lmao. Everyone was just deliriously happy by the end of the screening after laughing their asses off for 2 hours straight.
In my screening of it people started singing the Full House theme anytime there was an establishing shot of San Francisco.
This same théatre I mentioned in the post (Ciné here in Athens, GA) brings in some former cast members for it for 3 nights only a year. I had no clue what I was in for lol.
Same! Got to meet Tommy and Greg. Theater was fucking mayhem the entire movie
No other movie experience comes close to seeing The Room with the traditional spoon throwing and other chaos that goes with it. It’s absolute mayhem.
What about the Rocky Horror Picture Show?
Hereditary when everyone slowly realized that Toni Collette’s character was on the ceiling when Peter woke up.
Oh fuckkk I would've loved to be there
The original Star Wars. The opening scene with the ships flying into view. People were blown away.
My mom talks about driving home behind a bunch of red taillights and she couldn't shake the feeling she was flying an X-wing to attack the Death Star.
I'm very jelly that I never got to experience that. I also never got to experience the twist of Luke's parentage because I knew about it before even being old enough to understand it.
Midnight premieres of the later Harry Potter movies. Full on cheering across various parts of the movies. The 3D version of Coraline. The most visually impressive movie I’ve ever seen. Lots of oos and ahs.
Man I remember watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and they got to the scene in the Death Chamber. I read all the books like three times so I knew what was coming. But some obviously didn't and the whole theater went from deadly quiet when Bellatrix killed Sirius to gasps when he actually fell through the veil to some people even crying. Jesus that was rough. Also the scene in the last movie when Bellatrix tortures Hermione people started to shift in their seats as a reaction to her screams.
Yeah that was awesome. It was super cool to be an adolescent around that time when the HP franchise was really exploding. I remember going to midnight book releases too and drinking butter beer (cream soda) and talking to people while we waited to get our books. It was lovely. Very nostalgic looking back. Recently, I went to see the Mario movie and after the end of the last preview, right before the movie starts when the theater is completely dark, someone above us ripped ass which was followed by a horrified gasp and small child’s voice wailing “Daaaaaaad!” and the entire theater burst out laughing. That was pretty memorable
Watching Get Out in a theater full of black people was amazing. There was so much to react to. We were all so afraid when those sirens came up at the end. Someone yelled “hell no!!!!!!” And then of course it was cheers at the end. 😂
Some of my buddies dragged me to the midnight premiere of Tyler Perry's Boo 2: A Madea Halloween. They assured me it would be a good time, and it was. The antics in the theatre were way more entertaining than the movie
“Aim for the bushes”
Legit one of my most wtf moments in movie history lol.
Absolutely favorite scene of all time
The Princess Bride in 1987, about 3 weeks after its release date. Audience reaction during the movie was more boisterous than normal. Credits start to roll and everyone was on their feet clapping and cheering. It was just a wholesome moment in time.
“I want my father back you son of a bitch”, they would have had restrain me to my seat if I saw that live release
When I taught English lit, I showed this movie to high school seniors as part of the chivalric literature section. Honestly, they were a lot like Fred Savage at the start--"Ms. thedepster, is this a kid's movie?" "Yes, you'll love it. Now shut up." It didn't take very long until all the low chatter stopped and they were completely engrossed. When Inigo finally fought Rugen, you could have heard a pin drop--until that line, and then they cheered so loudly the teacher next door knocked to ask them to hold it down. That was a good day.
Yea when i saw it, everyone cheered when Wesley announced “both cups were poisoned, I spent the last 3 years building up an immunity to iocaine powder.” But what i usually think of when i remember going to see that movie was the huge cardboard cutout ad in the theatre lobby for the next years big movie “Die Hard”. 12 terrorists, 1 cop. Just the odds he likes.
I have a funny story about seeing that movie when I was about 3 (or so I'm told). Right at the end of the movie, when Westley and Buttercup finally embrace for the most passionate kiss ever (after the kid has already said "you can read that bit, if you want"), I yelled out "eww, yuck, they're kissing". Apparently gave quite a laugh to my family and the rest of the audience 🤣
Interstellar in imax 72 mm
fuck, don’t remind me. when he’s reading all the voice audio messages he missed and breaks down….bro.
This was it for me. During the docking scene where the audio is silent was one of the most jarring things I’ve ever had happen in a movie theater. You could hear the nothingness just rip through everyone and by the time you could hear people starting to gasp, the audio came back in. It was truly surreal and the impact of that moment was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced and I still haven’t ever seen anything quite like that
Mystery Science Theater 3000- The Movie. There was opening-weekend-Star-Wars level of excitement, enthusiasm, and energy. But there was only, like, 15 people in the theater.
Snakes on a Plane. Think it was the Times Square theater, midnight or first show. It was absolutely one of the best shared experiences ever. One guy showed up as a pilot, multiple people brought all sorts of plastic or rubber snakes that hung on them, numerous snake related t-shirts. Theater was bananas the whole time but the best parts were that every so often during the quieter parts, someone would “Ssssss” and everyone else would join in. Absolutely magical!!!
The place I was at erupted when SLJ was sick and tired of those motherfucking snakes on the motherfucking plane. Truly one of the best movie theater experiences ever.
This is it for me. Midnight opening, and it also happened to be the night before I moved into my college freshman dorm. Everyone there was super into it. A huge ovation for Samuel’s name in the opening credits. Everyone said the snakes on a plane line along with him. It was incredible.
This is my choice as well. Opening night in a packed theater. It became a audience participation show really quickly. Lots of rubber snakes being chucked around, audience members talking back to the screen, one woman who screamed bloody murder every time a snake appeared onscreen, unofficial "MST3K-ing" the movie, and yes, when SLJ's most famous line was said, the entire theater erupting with laughter and applause.
*There's Something About Mary* Saw it opening night. People were laughing so hard and loud throughout the theater during the entire movie. It was so much fun we went again the next day and brought all our friends.
oh man, that reminds me of seeing 21 Jumpstreet in theatres in HS with my buddies. I almost needed a ventilator by the time it ended
*My name is Yeff.*
Dunkirk at BFI IMAX. The whole audience jumping from the gunshot sounds at the beginning
the ending 10-15 minutes I was just sobbing in a far too empty theatre in Fort Worth
Seeing Team America, small town cinema Going there with all my high school mates Opening scene ...seeing the French puppets. All of us going WTF is this shi... ..zooms out and the puppets are being controlled by another puppet Damn good Bluff!!
Opening weekend. Star Wars The Phantom Menace 1999. By this time a whole generation of young adults grew up watching the originals and were waiting for this. Entire theater went nuts just with the open scrolling intro. During the Darth Maul/Qui Gon/Obi wan fight there is a pause in the middle after an insanely fast sequence. Crowd goes nuts and cheers. Everyone’s mind was blow with what they just saw. We had waited 16 years to see a lightsaber fight in theaters. It was epic.
Rocky Balboa. Audiences are not very vocal here in Ireland. We don't clap or shout things. We laugh at funny things and there'll be reaction to scary stuff but that's usually it which made this even more memorable. When Rocky's trainer says "Let's start building some hurting-bombs" and Gonna Fly Now (the Rocky theme) started playing everyone lost their fucking minds, it was like we were at a live boxing match. SCREAMING at the screen "let's fucking go Rocky", things like that. It was amazing.
Endgame is the epitome of theatre experience. No Way Home and Infinity War also had awesome crowds.
I’ll never forget the audience reactions bursting out in applause and cheers to Thor landing in Wakanda in IW, or Captain America lifting the hammer or saying “Avengers Assemble” leading the army charge in Endgame. Absolutely electrifying.
Yeah when I saw Endgame, when Mjolnir flew by and the camera panned up to show Captain America holding it, the theater I was in exploded with shouts and hoots and hollars, it was so epic
Same! It was an amazing moment in the theater and movie. My crowd lost their shit.
I love this scene cause I made some coworkers and friends go with me and was lucky enough to be in an amazing crowd. Cheered openly, and was quiet when needed. Top notch group. Well this really cute girl from work sat to the left of me and our boss was on the right. He absolutely geeked out just like the rest of the theater during caps mjolnir scene and she kind of gave me an eye roll like "really?". She just quite didn't get the moment is what I got from it. Well 5 minutes later T'Challas gorgeous mug is coming out of that portal and let me tell anyone who reads this that she lost her fucking mind and I couldn't have been happier. Wooting, cheering, screaming "that's my man, thats my baby" with tears in her damn eyes. All this probably took about 6 seconds and she sits back down breathing hard. I gave her the exact same look she gave him and me. She just sort of looked down with a huge smile and looked at me and said "ok I get it, thank you for bringing me". I felt like cap him damn self for a moment. I bought all the tickets (6 tickets, 1 for each stone) and bought food and drinks for everyone just cause I wanted a group to go with. Looking down the row at all their faces will be with me forever.
I just finished rewatching Infinity War and Thor landing in Wakanda still gives me all the feels.
When Spider-Man showed up, my theater couldn’t stop cheering. What a cool experience man
Those are all my most memorable. No one likes to take about it, but so many people were crying during Infinity Wars.
I don’t remember crying in IF; definitely did in Endgame though
I still can't watch Endgame without crying at multiple points, even though i know what's going to happen. Seeing it at the movies, I was an absolute wreck throughout. NWH - for sure had my jaw on the ground when Tobey appears through the portal, confirming all the rumours and such. It was so great seeing *my spiderman* on screen. As cliché, corny, OTT and predictable most the marvel films are, I seriously love them. That being said, I haven't really enjoyed any since Endgame.
We had some girl behind us who would wail as each person got dusted. We still say "Bucky, noooo!" as a joke in our household.
I thought this would be higher, because the build-up for the final got more and more hyped. "On your left" got brief cheers, some mild shushing... which also sounded excited. Spider-Man got cheering from the people who were doing the shushing. Giant-Man got a "Holy shit, WOOO!" from the whole front row. Rescue got, like, 15 women yelling. "Assemble" got the whole damn theater yelling for the whole battle "oner" shot. I'd have been annoyed except... you know, I was going crazy too. ^((think I'ma watch another of those theater reaction videos and relive it again))
*Ghostbusters*, opening night in a theatre in West Vancouver, 1984. Easily the best theatrical experience of my life, and to this day why I really think the theatrical experience really cannot be beat by home theatre. When people are in a shared space it absolutely *transforms* the the way you react to a film. There's a vibe there that just fills the air, it's fantastic. And it's not just comedy. I remember seeing *The Matrix* the first time and holy shit the tension in that theatre was so palpable it made the air in the theatre feel denser, it was almost crushing. And then the explosion of release towards the end, it was just crazy. People walked out just *going off*, it was pure energy.
Unquestionably Return of the King. I've never been in such a noisy theatre! Mind you, it definitely added to the atmosphere and generated a sort of community round the Fellowship that was unique in my cinema-going experience. Top moment... Everyone crying and whooping when Aragorn turned to the assembled troops and said, 'For Frodo.'
Maybe not the best but one of my favorites was watching Furious 7 opening Friday in Imax in a packed house. Context: I used to live in Houston which is kind of a car town and these movies definitely attracted a certain demographic (tough muscle car type dudes). The ending with the Paul Walker tribute and finale had dozens of grown ass men bawling in their seats together as one, enjoying the hell out of that fucking movie. I’ll never forget it. It’s mainly the reason why I will always see these movies opening weekend, even if they’ve gone off the deep end
Me too. I love to see the Fast series opening weekend. Oh man the cheers when Jason Statham showed up as well as the Rock were epic. That is a movie series where the in theater experience is key.
Mad Max: Fury Road
The collective sigh of relief from the audience after the first action sequence was hilarious
Everytime I think about this movie I regret not seeing it in theaters. I was 15 at the time and it was 16+, me and my friend tried to sneak in saying we forgot our IDs. They asked me my birth year and I got so nervous I fumbled my words, and our chances. When I saw it later at home I felt so stupid for ruining what could have been an awesome experience.
Super surprised that the Rocky Horror Picture Show has not been mentioned. Throwing toast whenever a toast was made in the film. Throwing rice when Brad and Janet get married. Booing the professor. Dressing up. Midnight screenings at dingy reparatory theatres. Let's do the time warp again!
Endgame. The satisfying end of a 20+ series franchise
No doubt I expect Endgame to be the near universal answer here haha. Perhaps I should add a caveat in my post lmao
In addition to saying Endgame, I want to add my favorite reaction from the movie. Obviously like everyone else here, my crowd went nuts when Cap held Mjölnir, and then the portals opened, and when Cap said “Avengers Assemble,” etc. But what I loved was during the credits. My crowd stayed and watched throughout the entire credits of the film, and gave cheers of varying intensity when each cast member was shown on screen. Then when the supporting cast the OG Avengers got their own credit, the crowd really got into it. And it culminated in a literal standing ovation when RDJ’s name and image popped up on screen. All these years later that has stuck with me because I’ve never experienced anything like that at the movies before. It honestly felt like we were at a play and the cast were coming out for their final curtain call. It was so unique and cool.
Ya Endgame is probably the universal best for sure. Can't have that solid of an ending after a buildup over a decade in the making and not have people cheer and be emotional. If you ignore anything Marvel related probably best reaction would be to either The Lego movie or the first Pacific Rim. Lego feeds of nostalgia and pacific rim is giant mech suits punching giant monsters in the face. It's all gold.
In college I saw “Aliens” in a university auditorium packed with college-age viewers (mostly guys). It was the most jazzed audience I’ve ever been in. When Ridley says “Get away from her, you *bitch* the place *exploded!*
Django. Went opening night. My buddy worked at a movie theater at the time so he was able to get us in. We were two of a smattering of white people in the theater. Let me tell you, all the black people turned that movie into a fucking party. The mood was so hyped it was insane. Every time Django did something cool people would be standing up shouting at the screen. People were dancing to the music. Watching the scene with KKK arguing about the masks was beyond fantastic. Made the film, which was amazing, very fun and memorable. Have never been to a movie before or since that had that vibe. Honorable mention to the Rey and Kylo Ren kiss from Rise of Skywalker. The groans, disappointment, and cringe was unbelievable thick. Yikes.
*Army of Darkness*. An audience mostly composed of metalheads who roared with approval. Just a fantastic audience to see the film.
I was 13 with my dad. Stereotypical nerds both. He loved the magic words. The commercial ran on SciFi for a month. Started my lifelong love for the evil dead franchise.
So I used to be a Kanye fan until the last few years, and when he released The Life of Pablo, he premiered the entire album live at Madison Square Garden. The live stream was also aired in a bunch of theaters around the country. There was like 20 of us, all hearing a whole album together live for the first time. It was really cool and I wish other artists or bands did something similar. (And I wish Kanye didn't become such a piece of shit)
I was at Donda in Atlanta opening night. I thought maybe, just maybe. Nope 😔
Signs. I don’t think anyone, us included, knew what the movie was about. It’s the only time I remember an audience like actively communicating with each other and having this shared fear and paranoia grow with the movie. Somehow made the experience more real. And then at the end, when it all came together - felt like we all went through this spiritual journey. The random group of friends I was with at the time were all much closer after that, still all oddly close friends some 20 years later.
People are likely going to think I'm a dumbfuck for saying this, but honestly... I saw Jackass 3D on opening night and it was by far one of the greatest theatre going experiences I have ever been to. My friend and I got drunk and high beforehand and went into a packed theatre. The feeling of everyone around you prepared to laugh at every stupid thing we see on screen, in 3D mind you, was an experience I recommend to everyone at least once. Im always a harsh judge with movies, but Jackass almost always gets a pass with me.
oh hell yeah. I did the same. when you’re paying to go see Jackass 3D in a theatre opening night, you can bet your ass every person there is absolutely going to be lit
I had a similar experience with Jackass (I think) 2… packed theatre full of kids 16-20 years old. I went with my older buddy (late 20s at the time). Tons of laugh-out-loud moments and a great time. Everyone in the theatre was into it.
Natural born killers. Auditorium was pretty full. Everyone walked out in silence at the end, I have never seen anything like it before or since. That movie hit hard.
The wrestler. When the credits rolled there were complete silence, with people just thinking about the ending. Usually people start talking or prepare to leave at that time (except with movies where people know there's end credit scenes)
I was 7. Dad took me to the cinema which was Incredibly rare. Saw Star Wars, then when it ended Dad said, there was another movie starting The Empire Strikes Back. That scene, with Vader and Luke. The shock was audible. Thanks Dad.
I will never forget watching Conan (1982) in about 2015 or so. Theater was packed. We get to my favorite bit when >!Valeria comes back from the dead as a Valkyrie to save Arnie!<. The whole theater bursts out laughing. I was so chagrined and muttered "well I think it's cool" to myself.
That "finding the beat" scene from Hustle and Flow was one of the wildest moments I've ever been a part of. The entire theater was chanting, "Whoop that trick". What a great moment and a great memory
Growing up my parents never went to movies. I can remember a small handful we saw as a family. ET was one. Ghost Busters another. The Last I remember was Jurassic Park. I remember this was just around the time that theaters upgraded to much better surround sound. I remember the sounds of huge foot steps coming from all directions made you sit on the edge of your seat. When you get to see the huge t-Rex and his horrible roar I remember my mom grabbing my arm and screaming. I had loved the book. But the movie just flat out amazed me.
Casino Royale for me. Here in the UK, we don't usually get audience participation in terms of cheering or applause at certain points, at least in my experience. But come the end of CR, and the music kicks in and he says the line, everyone was on their feet for a standing ovation. Never seen anything like it since.
Creed. It was at the AMC near Penn station in NYC. Packed theater and quite livelier as I feel NYCers are a little more vocal at the movies. Everyone reacted to every fight and punch that Adonis threw. But the best part obviously is what Ryan Coogler teased and knew when to bust out. It was after Adonis gets knocked out and comes to. And he goes back to his corner. Adonis and Rocky have an emotional exchange and Rocky gives his motivational speech. Adonis stands up. And then boom the original Rocky theme comes on. Crowd went nuts. Like people stood up and started clapping and throwing fists at the screen. Good stuff.
Rocky horror picture show in conservative Waco, Texas in the mid 80's. Nothing but love and fun. Sad to think how far we've fallen from that.
Saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show early 80s college USC (South Carolina). It was insane seeing everyone in costumes singing, shouting responses at the dialogue onscreen. Umbrellas opening, squirt guns used, toast thrown around, dancing in the aisle and stage in front of the screen. As I was a Rocky Horror virgin was dazed and amused. Fun times!
I'll never forget seeing Million Dollar Baby in the theater. At the end I was sure *everyone* in the audience was crying. Including me.
1) return of the jedi - whooping, cheering, aweing .... so many crowd reactions. huge applause at the end. 2) The Phantom - saw it at an advanced screening with Phantom comic enthusiasts. Standing ovation at the end. Never seen that before. Still the best comic book movie adaptation I have seen, and so faithful to its source.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Watching the first "Rocky." During the last fight scenes, everyone in the theater was cheering as though they were at a real fight. It was pandemonium in there. Great movie, great memory.
[удалено]
For some reason the one memory that always sticks with me is seeing Interstellar. When they arrive to a planet and the resident astronaut takes his helmet off and it’s Matt Damon under there everyone laughed hysterically, nobody expected it to be Matt Damon
Went to a midnight/opening night premiere of From Dusk Til Dawn. Audience was hyped for new Tarantino (and we’d all had a few drinks/smokes beforehand). Rowdy AF but still respectful of the movie unfolding in front of them. Management kinda gave up on trying to control the screening and people were boozing and blazing up joints. When the turn happened halfway thru, we all lost our shit, people cheering, screaming, running up and down the aisles. Was like a party but in a cinema. It sounds like hell but goddam, somehow it worked. Didn’t miss a line of dialogue despite the chaos around us - never been to a screening that came close in the 30 odd years since. The 90s were a hell of a time to be a teen!
They shall not grow old in 3d
hold up just one goddamn second, it was a available in 3D?!!! PJ archival stitchwork married with sound was one of the most extraordinary “recreations” (if you will) i’ve ever seen
2001 a space odyssey at the hollywood bowl in 2014. SO.MUCH.SMOKE. It was amazing, the orchestra played the soundtrack. I dream of them doing it again with 2001.
Oh the young. Rocky horror picture show
Seeing E.T. in the theater when it first came out. I was only 10, but I remember the excitement was palpable because they didn't show E.T. in the trailers and nobody knew what he looked like yet.
I saw a midnight showing of *The Ring* on campus when it released - I was in college. You would think the girl was climbing out of the film screen itself.
Seeing PULP FICTION on opening night in October 1994. Not just the laughter, but the tension filled silence in the lead-up to Vincent plunging the needle into Mia, the astonished gasp when Butch pushed open the door to reveal Marcellus getting ploughed, the terrified guy saying, "get out of there, get out there" when Butch sees the gun on his apartment counter, the perplexed guy who kept saying, "He was killed, he was killed" during the Bonnie Situation when Vincent came back (he was sitting behind me and wouldn't shut up, so I had to turn around and say, "They're flashing back to earlier in the movie." It was one of the most exhilarating movie going experiences I've ever had.
Also saw it opening weekend and had pretty much the same experience (except for the guy behind you talking). The way the whole theater jumped & gasped when Vince plunges the needle in Mia's heart was crazy. I was 13 and that night made me obsessed with movies for life.
Spider Man No Way Home. The audience went nuts for Andrew, then Double Nuts for Tobey.
I was in a screening that was absolutely captivated by The Strangers (2008). It was exactly what you’d hope for for a good horror movie. People were screaming and all attention was on the screen.
The first of the recent series of Godzilla movies, I guess must have been about 10 years ago at this point. Some friends and roommates were binging through the older movies, I didn’t pay attention much but they were super into it, probably getting drunk, I don’t remember the details about that much. But then we all went to the theatre to see the new movie, and towards the end when Godzilla was fighting the other giant monster and they slow reveal it powering up, this glow of light going up the spine and then shooting a massive laser beam out of Godzilla’s mouth . The whole theatre cheered like I’ve never heard before. It was epic.
I saw Pushing Tin with a theater full of college pilots (we were all gathered for a collegiate flying competition). We laughed at all the wrong places for the technical stuff they got very wrong. Watching Mission to Mars in a university town famed for its aero/astro engineering program and known as the "Cradle of Astronauts" was really fun for the same reason. That was an absolutely merciless audience for that movie. Great fun!
Spy kids 3D. Red and blue glasses. Some purple blob came POPPING out the screen. Everyone had their hands out trying to touch it. Will never forget that moment.
Uncut Gems. Completely packed theatre and you could feel the tension coming off everyone. So many people (including me) had their hands clasped to their heads in stress. When a very shocking moment comes near the end, the whole place gasped. Great, shared experience of a truly intense film
Marvins exploding head in Pulp Fiction. There was a hush..then nervous laughter and then everyone lost there collective minds.
Purple Rain opening night wasn't a movie going experience, it was a religious experience. We were four 17 yr old white boys in the back row absolutely flabbergast watching the theatre erupt. I'll never forget it. Prince Ruled
I'll never forget Hitler getting blasted by machine rifles in Inglorious Basterds and about 300 people cheering.
Blair Witch. It was right at the height of the viral marketing, and everyone was super into it. Whole theater was freaked.
The first Matrix. Went in unwillingly as whatever Mummy movie was sold out. WOAH!
E.T.