I've been going to a local theater every Saturday to see the Alfred Hitchcock revivals that are running through June. I missed the first one, but saw The Lady Vanishes last week. This week the feature was Rebecca, which is a great film that I enjoyed very much.
But there was a couple two rows back who complained up until the movie started and after it ended (thankfully not during it). They were considering hunting down the manager to complain.
It seems they were upset because they weren't showing the movie in widescreen.
Annoying people at the movies
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Re: Annoying people at the movies
Is it bad that I read this and started thinking about The Outlaw in 3D?jondaris wrote:It seems they were upset because they weren't showing the movie in widescreen.
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cinemalover
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Don't worry Jon,
Console yourself with the thought that those are the same people who watch pre-1953 standard ratio movies at home on their widescreen TVs stretched out to 16x9 becuase they don't like the grey bars on the sides of the pictures. They would rather have awkward looking silly putty faces on the screen than those inexcusable grey bars! And then they'll complain about the film's composition.
Console yourself with the thought that those are the same people who watch pre-1953 standard ratio movies at home on their widescreen TVs stretched out to 16x9 becuase they don't like the grey bars on the sides of the pictures. They would rather have awkward looking silly putty faces on the screen than those inexcusable grey bars! And then they'll complain about the film's composition.
Chris
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
I'm surprised they weren't complaining that "The Lady Vanishes" wasn't colorized too. We laugh at them, but there's a whole generation of people out there who most likely have never seen a 1:33-1 standard ratio film shown on a big screen.
I remember, in 1990's, when "Gone With The Wind" was rereleased in the restored version. Since most most theatres no longer had adjustable screen masking and couldn't show it without cropping off the top and bottom of the picture, it was printed smaller on the film stock and surrounded by black. I was working as a projectionist back then and we got lots of complaints because it wasn't filling the entire screen. Try as we might, we just couldn't get people to understand the concept.
By the way, I'm jealous. I wish we had a theatre around here that ran Hitchcock films on the big screen.
I remember, in 1990's, when "Gone With The Wind" was rereleased in the restored version. Since most most theatres no longer had adjustable screen masking and couldn't show it without cropping off the top and bottom of the picture, it was printed smaller on the film stock and surrounded by black. I was working as a projectionist back then and we got lots of complaints because it wasn't filling the entire screen. Try as we might, we just couldn't get people to understand the concept.
By the way, I'm jealous. I wish we had a theatre around here that ran Hitchcock films on the big screen.
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I'm of two minds about it. On the one hand, it's great that they're doing it, but on the other I preferred when they used to mix up their revival series, so you'd have a Kurosawa film one week and a Murnau the next. I'm golden through June, but if the next series isn't to my taste then I'm out of luck until it runs out.markfp wrote:By the way, I'm jealous. I wish we had a theatre around here that ran Hitchcock films on the big screen.
But maybe I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth.
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movieman1957
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Jon - I know how you feel. The Stanford just posted their schedule and it is the same as yours - 10 weeks of Hitchcock films! They usually mix it up a bit, but not this time.jondaris wrote:I'm of two minds about it. On the one hand, it's great that they're doing it, but on the other I preferred when they used to mix up their revival series, so you'd have a Kurosawa film one week and a Murnau the next. I'm golden through June, but if the next series isn't to my taste then I'm out of luck until it runs out.markfp wrote:By the way, I'm jealous. I wish we had a theatre around here that ran Hitchcock films on the big screen.
But maybe I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth.
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Chris, you definitely need to come. I've been going to the Saturday noon shows, but they have them on Monday and Thursday nights as well if that's easier for you.
Johnm, the screen was masked, which was why they were complaining before the movie started.
¡Ciao! Patsy, I suppose I should be grateful. The audiences at these things, and at the Charles theater in general, tend to be a cut above your standard suburban multiplex crowd. They're mostly respectful and well behaved, and even the ones I was complaining about kept their opinions to themselves during the movie. In fact, the revival audiences even tend to applaud at the end, which is a little weird but ok.
Who was the band who confiscated the cell phone? That's pretty funny. I did see Matt Johnson of The The stop to lecture someone with a cell phone once.
Johnm, the screen was masked, which was why they were complaining before the movie started.
¡Ciao! Patsy, I suppose I should be grateful. The audiences at these things, and at the Charles theater in general, tend to be a cut above your standard suburban multiplex crowd. They're mostly respectful and well behaved, and even the ones I was complaining about kept their opinions to themselves during the movie. In fact, the revival audiences even tend to applaud at the end, which is a little weird but ok.
Who was the band who confiscated the cell phone? That's pretty funny. I did see Matt Johnson of The The stop to lecture someone with a cell phone once.
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Mr. Arkadin
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This is one reason I haven't been to a movie theater since 91.
When I was younger (and a much meaner person), I would sometimes find who was talking and sit behind them, kicking their chair, spilling my drink, and other such nonsense till they left.
People with cell phones are annoying as well. My wife and I went to the musical 1776, and some joker in the lobby was talking on his cell phone and picked up the same frequency as the wireless mikes! the next thing you know his "phone call" is coming through the PA! I swear those actors would have killed him if they could have found him.
When I was younger (and a much meaner person), I would sometimes find who was talking and sit behind them, kicking their chair, spilling my drink, and other such nonsense till they left.
People with cell phones are annoying as well. My wife and I went to the musical 1776, and some joker in the lobby was talking on his cell phone and picked up the same frequency as the wireless mikes! the next thing you know his "phone call" is coming through the PA! I swear those actors would have killed him if they could have found him.
jon, I know where you're coming from. I was speaking in general and even I would have problems with three months of nothing but Hitchcock.
To run any series of films by the same director, or actor or genre for months can be a real turnoff and can actually drive people away. When TCM did the month of B-movies series recently, most of which didn't interest me, I watched less of the channel than any time since it came on the cable.
Still, I'm jealous that you have a theatre that runs any classics. We have a big beautiful 3000 seat former movie palace in our city and they've completely dropped films in favor of only live performances. I guess they thought that to have a couple of hundred people there, on an otherwise "dark" night, simply wasn't worth turning up the heat for. It made me sick.
To run any series of films by the same director, or actor or genre for months can be a real turnoff and can actually drive people away. When TCM did the month of B-movies series recently, most of which didn't interest me, I watched less of the channel than any time since it came on the cable.
Still, I'm jealous that you have a theatre that runs any classics. We have a big beautiful 3000 seat former movie palace in our city and they've completely dropped films in favor of only live performances. I guess they thought that to have a couple of hundred people there, on an otherwise "dark" night, simply wasn't worth turning up the heat for. It made me sick.
Back in 1984, Case Western Reserve university showed free double features on Sunday afternoons of the movies of 1939. I went for a double feature of "Young Mr. Lincoln" and "Stagecoach."
Between the pictures, this man and woman behind me started to talk. They both began harping on how much they hated Westerns. "Stagecoach" started, and, thankfully, they walked out five minutes into it.
However, I wonder how the heck anyone could think that a movie called "Stagecoach," (even if you never heard of John Wayne or John Ford) could be anything other than a Western?
This wasn't obnoxious annoying like the other incidents people have mentioned. This was just silly annoying.
Between the pictures, this man and woman behind me started to talk. They both began harping on how much they hated Westerns. "Stagecoach" started, and, thankfully, they walked out five minutes into it.
However, I wonder how the heck anyone could think that a movie called "Stagecoach," (even if you never heard of John Wayne or John Ford) could be anything other than a Western?
This wasn't obnoxious annoying like the other incidents people have mentioned. This was just silly annoying.
I remember some people clapping at a screening of "singin' in the Rain" after a big number. That seems weird to me. However, I don't mind if people clap at the end of a movie.
When "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" was in theaters, my daughter's class (7th grade) was taken to see it instead of having a Christmas party. When the students applauded at the end of the film, the teachers told them to shut up. The class has never been taken to another film.
When "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" was in theaters, my daughter's class (7th grade) was taken to see it instead of having a Christmas party. When the students applauded at the end of the film, the teachers told them to shut up. The class has never been taken to another film.