None. Is this an American thing or something? I have never had this happen, or even heard of it happening except in America. It seems so weird to me to applaud people who can’t hear you.
Same, the idea is so bizarre to me
It’s rare. Opening nights of epic films are exceptions.
Reminds me, I learned from a friend: folks from India know how to turn up in a theater - showings get wild!
https://youtu.be/audVP7_DEGo / https://piped.video/watch?v=audVP7_DEGo
I think it’s a North American thing. I’ve cringed in both Mexico and the US every time it happened. I’m just not sure how common it is because I’m not an avid movie goer.
I like going out to watch movies a lot. Never seen this happen at any movie theater in any city before personally.
Seen it quite a few times in the UK, mostly with quite studenty audiences though (see my comment elsewhere re the South Park movie).
Independence Day
Caught a sneak peek the week before it opened. As soon as Will Smith punched the alien and said, “Welcome to Earth,” everyone cheered and it was a nonstop thrill ride that had the entire audience engaged.
When the credits rolled, there was a legit standing ovation. It was the single best crowd I’ve ever watched movie with.
Same for me, went to watch it on Independence Day and it was a wild ride! Some guy jumped up and yelled “FUCK YEAH, GET SOME!” when Will punched that alien. By far the greatest movie experience I’ve ever had.
Also saw it in the movie theater! Opening weekend! What an experience!
Yeah, I think it may have been the same when I saw it. It definitely was when I saw Infinity War opening weekend.
Yooo, I forgot about that!!! Same at my theater in NYC!!
I also ran out of the theater crying when the alien grabbed the scientist in the lab. Oh those young memories hahaha
The Passion of the Christ. I was very confused that people thought it was a good film. And in my specific case, confused about why my school thought it was a good idea to take a bunch of minors to see a very gory R-rated film. That was the most violent movie I had seen up to that point. The whole experience was surreal, and not in a good way.
Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring.
Opening night, midnight screening, it was amazing. When the opening voice over started, a hush fell over the theater so solemn you’d have thought some sacred deity had descended from upon high. At the end everyone clapped and cheered. I think I even high-fived some random theater goer outside we were all so jazzed
When Aragon kills the Urakai leader in FOR the audience cheered, which I found weird. Then when the film ended there was a collective awww.
oh yeah I think my audience did that too! after the initial shock of seeing him drag Aragorn closer by impaling himself further on his sword was so terrifying, that the beheading that followed was almost like a “Indiana Jones just shoots the crazy swordsman guy” moment
Everything everywhere all at once
I think everyone was surprised at how much we all laughed and people were just happy
Endgame was a pretty lively experience when it came out. Felt like the whole theater was enjoying the fuck out of that movie lol. When Captain America picks up Thor’s Hammer people went nuts haha. Hype was enormous and they delivered imo (a little bit fan service for sure but overall great film to see in theaters).
The midnight premiere of Star Wars Episode 1. That was the same year I graduated highschool and I had never seen such an event at a movie theater! There were fat middle aged guys wearing the same Star Wars tshirts they bought in the 80s, now 2 sizes too small. There were people waiving plastic lightsabers. It was glorious…
Same. We all
ditchedschool (our art teacher actually gave us passes because she was there for the earlier ones and was a fan)Yep. It was a lot of fun honestly.
Rocky Horror Picture Show
But that’s kinda expected when watching it
I saw a free preview screening of Mission to Mars right before it came out. That horrible movie ended and the theater was dead silent, then someone yelled out, “I didn’t have to pay to see that pile of crap”. Everyone applauded.
The only time I have encountered applause in a movie theater was during the opening night for Snakes on a Plane. It was like a festival atmosphere. There were literally people in costumes, dressed up as planes and snakes and planes covered in snakes. It was kind of awesome, to be honest.
What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Theatre full of Trekkies so it was a target audience only.
Nice. I went to see the picard season three finale and same. It was so fucking good and we were able to share it with all the trekkies.
Rejected by Don Hertzfeldt.
In fairness, it was a screening with Don Hertzfeldt… or it was supposed to be. He was sick or something, but we didn’t find that out until the end.
We went to a screening of The Room that Tommy Wiseau was supposed to do a Q&A after. He didn’t show either. Probably for the best cuz we were mocking it the whole time and throwing plastic spoons at the screen.
Are you sure he didn’t show? Or did he run away crying after seeing you disrespect his art?
Maybe his anus was bleeding
Went to Fahrenheit 9/11 on opening day, and the entire theater clapped at the end.
I’m not sure anyone there necessarily thought it was a good movie, but we were all unified in our disdain of George W. Bush.
I recall hearing that there was applause when the aliens in Independence Day blew up the white house, but it didn’t happen when I went to see it.
Had a bunch of drunk college at my theater, so the whole viewing was pretty rowdy. I applauded with the crowd, it was just a fun time.
Jurassic Park.
Everyone was blown away, like holy shit, that was amazing
It’s hard to describe what it was like seeing Jurassic Park in the theater for the first time as a kid.
Picture this… You’re a teenager going to see that big blockbuster everyone’s been talking about, but it’s 1993. There is no YouTube. There’s basically no internet. No spoilers. You’ve seen the trailers, and they’re carefully done so as not to give away the big reveals. So you know this is some kind of dinosaur movie, but you don’t know much else.
And then the dinosaurs show up. And they look 100% fucking real.
Even today, that movie’s special effects hold up, and that’s for three reasons:
- They had CGI, but used it sparingly because it wasn’t ready to be all the effects in a movie yet. Where they could use practical effects, they did. And they did an astonishingly good job with them.
- The dinosaurs are shown sparingly until the audience is practically begging for the various “money” shots - which are then provided, with perfect timing. It’s like cinematographic edging.
- Spielberg was at the absolute top of his game. Scenes were thoughtfully executed and beautifully shot. The water in the glass scene? People in the audience were dead silent, holding their breath. Then the T-motherfucking-rex appears, and it’s glorious. Everyone screaming and shouting, half-thrilled and half-terrified.
It changed movies, permanently.
Brilliantly put, and I had basically the exact same experience. I was 13, I think, and I was just blown away by JP.
Jurassic Park is the only movie I saw where people clapped at the end. And that was during a screening in 2018. There was no reason, no one was there related to the movie, it was just that good.
