Cinema Etiquette

No need to tell everyone your incredible analysis of a film as the credits start to roll. No need to ask me what I thought of it, *straight away*. Have you no shame? Will you really pontificate in front of all these people? (Shut it! You came here, I'm not shouting this through a megaphone...) The same goes for concerts, theatre etc: experience it, don't sit through it planning some opinion you'll season with stolen lines from newspaper reviews.

Comments

[Stefan]

1. It's all well and good to decry the immediate "What did you think?", but what is one to say to break the uncomfortable period of silence following the end of the film as you shuffle through the exits?
2. The only reason I watch films is so that I can come up with a tired opinion seasoned with stolen lines.

[laura]

The answer to (1) is, of course, to go to the cinema on your own...

[LauraHD]

Totally agree. We have a 10 minute rule post-film (or anything else for that matter) that means you can talk about ANYTHING but not the thing that you just sat through. Works for me.

Another mildly interesting story - recently was in Toronto and saw some films at the film festival there. All good stuff - but I was amazed at how lacking in etiquette and intelligence the audiences we watched with were. Eg Enduring Love (Ian McEwan adaptation) where despite the sinister overtones and Rhys Ifans psycotic behaviour, the audience still laughed at the culmination of the story. Trust me, it wasn't funny at all! And I don't think it was just the cultural gap from the UK to North America either. (Similar thing happened at American Beauty at a cinema in Manchester). Don't know where any of that leaves us, but thought I'd mention it...