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Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

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“That’s what the insurrection act is for!”

Do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves? (hint, it’s door #2)

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

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“woke” is the new caravan.

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Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

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JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

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You are here: Home / TV & Movies / Movies / The Interview

The Interview

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If you have not heard, youtube and a bunch of other websites will be streaming the Interview for a modest fee ($5.99). As I have noted before, I am going to give it a watch, and will probably do so tonight.

What really thrills me about this is how it might set the groundwork for this happening for a number of movies. As a misanthropic shutin, I would love it if I could watch new releases in this manner. Hell, I’d pay 20 bucks to watch a new release in the comfort of my own home. Cats and dogs on my lap, my own snacks, the ability to pause and restart and rewind scenes, no people coughing or talking on cell phones, etc. I know there are purists who think some movies need the big screen experience, but I am not one of them.

And honestly, that saves me money. By the time you factor in the time to drive to and back from the theatre, the 7-8 bucks in gas, the 10 dollar or more ticket if not a matinee, the wear on the car, snacks, I’d be well over 30 bucks to watch a movie in the theater, and wouldn’t enjoy it as much.

I really hope this becomes a thing. Hell, if Hollywood was smart, they would use the demographic data everyone has from internet usage and allow people to rate the movies as they watch them, and use that to better understand target and niche markets for future projects. The reason I always buy video games and music and what not rather than pirating isn’t that I am some super ethical human being, but because actors and artists work hard, and the only way they know their work is being appreciated is when they get paid for it. I buy video games I like so they know to and can make more of them.

Besides, everyone knows movies are better when you are wearing a bathrobe, and they just won’t let you do that in public. Yet.

Reader Interactions

123Comments

  1. 1.

    mayim

    Ditto on preferring home to the theater; much easier to knit (and therefore actually sit still longer) while watching ~ and not be distracted by people talking ;-)

  2. 2.

    schrodinger's cat

    I have to disagree, getting all dressed up going to the movies then getting dinner at some place nice is my idea of good time. Especially when there is not much to do outside without freezing one’s butt.
    I am enjoying the warm spell, went for a run in the morning after a long time. Meowy Catmas BJers!

  5. 5.

    Peale

    I’ll be watching. I’m glad. I was worried that I would have to review the trailer.

    I guess this is better than my original idea of passing a law mandating that all films have a scene in it where someone’s head explodes so that Kim wouldn’t feel so singled out.

  6. 6.

    The Other Bob

    With a pretty large, quality TV, surround sound and a blue ray player, your experience can be SUPERIOR to the movies. Last week I took my kids to a movie and the dirty screen screwed up the picture quality.

    I like watching movies at home as much as the theater since I got a 46″ LED.

  9. 9.

    Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)

    I’ve posted this piece from Variety a few times, but there are contractual reasons why you can’t get day-and-date video releases of feature films. Major exhibitors are very, very pissed off that Sony decided to fuck them over this way:

    http://variety.com/2014/film/news/the-interview-release-to-deepen-rift-between-sony-major-exhibitors-1201386256/

    Like it or not, if studios start doing day and date video releases, it will permanently kill movie theaters. Period. They’re already struggling, and releasing video the same day will ensure there are no movie theaters outside of big urban areas. People are already complaining that they have to drive an hour or two to see the movie they want, but immediate video release would pretty much ensure no first-run movie theaters outside of New York, Los Angeles, and maybe Chicago. The economics just wouldn’t be viable anymore.

  12. 12.

    jharp

    Odd to me haw many people are into movies. I have trouble following them and other than documentaries I don’t get it.

    I don’t watch even one a year. Saw Return of the Titans and Goldmember at the theater in the last 15 years.

  14. 14.

    burnspbesq

    The two theaters in OC that will be showing it tomorrow are in Westminster and Garden Grove–the two cities in the county with the biggest Vietnamese populations. That is some strange-ass coincidence.

  16. 16.

    Iowa Old Lady

    I like the immersive experience of being in a dark theater in front of a huge screen. I mostly don’t like trailers though. I spend my time trying to guess why the theater thought these trailers would appeal to people attending this particular movie.

  17. 17.

    Hungry Joe

    A really good comedy can be better in a theater — the laughter of a crowd is infectious and builds on itself. I still remember, decades later, a man literally falling out of his seat and into the aisle during an Allen/Keaton exchange in “Love and Death.” (I damn near followed him.) And I thought a small art-house theater in Berkeley was going to shake itself to pieces at a screening of “Duck Soup.”

  19. 19.

    samiam

    I think Cole the one man mindless mob is on to something. If only there was some way to bring movies into the home. Like some sort of network of computers connected by a series of tubes that you could search. Maybe some day in my lifetime this will be possible and commonplace.

  21. 21.

    TR

    @samiam:

    The whole point is the ability to watch NEW RELEASES at home.

    Congratulations on once again missing the point entirely. You might try seeking out someone who’ll help you with this chronic reading comprehension issue of yours.

    And maybe someone who can help you be less of an ass.

  22. 22.

    greenergood

    I’m on the page with Schrodinger’s and Hungry Joe: the most important reason we keep a village film club going is because it’s really good to see a film with other people – your reactions are different when you’re alone compared to when you’re watching a film in a public gathering place, you can’t pause, get up, get a snack etc – you’re there for the full-length experience, which is what a film was meant to be in the first place. Happy Winterval everyone – however you celebrate escaping from the darkest time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere!

  23. 23.

    Gene108

    I live in a condo. Eight units per building; a garden style lay out.

    I have a good 5.1 surround sound system.

    If I crank it up my upstairs neighbor gets pissed off at the noise. I can still get some enjoyment from watching movies at home but I am not able to max out my viewing potential.

    I therefore feel theaters cannot be replaced, especially since the ones near have made some great upgrades to make the experience better than ever.

  25. 25.

    Time Travelin'

    Some movies just work better in theaters. Gravity for instance. Watching it on TV doesn’t remotely reflect how amazing it was on IMAX 3D. The Interview on the other hand…

  27. 27.

    Villago Delenda Est

    The reason I always buy video games and music and what not rather than pirating isn’t that I am some super ethical human being, but because actors and artists work hard, and the only way they know their work is being appreciated is when they get paid for it.

    No, you’re actually an ethical human being, unlike the parasite shit in suits who skim off the top of the efforts not only of the artists and other creative people, but the craftspeople who make the whole shebang possible…gaffers, best boys, all those folks.

  29. 29.

    Les Nessman

    @chopper: For the study, Dr. Witzel interviewed 25 never-married, white, successful, heterosexual women between the ages of 36 and 83. They had a variety of needs for intimacy, Dr. Witzel said, and met them by having a few extremely close friends and getting involved in altruistic causes. While many said they yearned to be wives and mothers, they displayed enormous creativity for making other kinds of attachments. They would consider marriage if the right match came along, but as one woman put it, Dr. Witzel said, “something is not necessarily better than nothing.”

  30. 30.

    Elizabelle

    I love, love, love watching movies on a big screen at a theatre. Although I live in suburban DC, and we have plenty (and good matinee times).

    And I like very much catching movies at home on cable (Encore and El Rey, TCM) and on DVD.

    I hope movie theatres stay in business.

    George RR Martin’s Santa Fe theatre (the Jean Cocteau) got “Interview.” GRRM is elated.

  31. 31.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Hungry Joe: A good example of this would be Galaxy Quest, which Patrick Stewart wasn’t going to check out until Jonathan Frakes called him up and told him he HAD to see it, preferably on a Saturday night as part of a full house.

    Stewart was skeptical, but followed Frakes’ advice, and was happy he did.

  35. 35.

    David Koch

    James Franco @JamesFrancoTV · Dec 23

    CELEBRATING!!!!! “The Interview” starring Seth Rogen and James Flacco saved by President Obama!

    thanks, Obama

  36. 36.

    different-church-lady

    @Mnemosyne (iPad Mini):

    Major exhibitors are very, very pissed off that Sony decided to fuck them over this way:

    But keep in mind it was the exhibitors who first got the willies and refused to screen The Interview, and that’s what forced Sony’s hand.

  37. 37.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @Mnemosyne (iPad Mini): Thanks for the pointer to the Variety piece. It seems very strange to me, though. Before Sony pulled the picture there were lots of stories that chains representing hundreds/thousands of screens weren’t going to show it on Christmas. Saying that was Sony’s fault seems to be bass-ackwards to me. But maybe I’ve garbled the time line…

    Like it or not, if studios start doing day and date video releases, it will permanently kill movie theaters. Period. They’re already struggling, and releasing video the same day will ensure there are no movie theaters outside of big urban areas.

    My (limited) experience with large theater chains in the DC area leave me about half a nanometer short of yelling “good riddance!”. Ticket prices are too high, concessions prices are too high, and being forced to sit through (roughly) 20 minutes of ads before seeing the trailers, with too loud sound-systems, out-of-focus projectors, just for the privilege of sitting in a 200 seat, cramped, multiplex room, isn’t my idea of a great experience.

    I understand that theaters need to make money, and that lots of them had to spend a boatload on new digital projectors. But if ticket sales keep going down year after year, maybe you’re doing it wrong.

    The best movie-going experiences I’ve had have always been in art or independent theaters – it would certainly be bad if more of them fold…

    My $0.02.

    Cheers,
    Scott.
    (Who sees maybe 1 or 2 movies a year.)

  38. 38.

    Roger Moore

    @Mnemosyne (iPad Mini):

    Major exhibitors are very, very pissed off that Sony decided to fuck them over this way:

    I am not the tiniest bit sympathetic to their complaints. Sony offered them the chance to back out of their contracts, and they jumped at the opportunity. They had their chance to do the right thing and stand up to implausible threats against showings, but they were to scared. It’s pretty damn rich for them to turn around and whine about Sony not cutting them in on the action now that they’ve decided to go ahead.

  39. 39.

    Major Major Major Major

    We had friends over for a paid streaming of The Babadook (Amazon, $6.99) a couple weeks ago. Brilliant alternative to the theater. Homemade food, booze, and frankly our TV and stereo are both pretty good.

    ETA: Recommend the movie for psychological horror fans BTW, brilliant for a debut.

  41. 41.

    schrodinger's cat

    Also the point of going to movies is forgetting yourself for a couple of hours. Much harder to do at home with multiple distractions than in a dark theater. But I do agree that are only few movies worth the price of admission so for the rest DVD it is.

  42. 42.

    DCrefugee

    John, a common theme in your post is “snacks.” That’s not in keeping with the “lean, mean fighting machine” I always thought you were…

    /snark

  44. 44.

    FlipYrWhig

    I’m worried that this newfangled mobile-media technology called “books” is going to make bards obsolete.

  48. 48.

    Tree With Water

    “Besides, everyone knows movies are better when you are wearing a bathrobe, and they just won’t let you do that in public. Yet.”.

    You almost sound like George Costanza wishing he had the guts to dress in all velour, all the time. The Ghost of Christmas Future sees you as the confused old guy the kids taunt as he roams the neighborhood in his pajamas, a faithful helper monkey at his side. Merry Xmas, Cole.

  49. 49.

    Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)

    @different-church-lady:

    It’s become a bit of a “he said, she said,” actually — what the exhibitors are saying is that they asked Sony to postpone the opening of the film, not to cancel it entirely. Sony has decided to push ahead with the original release date, which makes me think they’re desperate to get some extra revenue on the books before 12/31 since “Annie” is not doing as well as they hoped. Plus, of course, they want to get suckers like Cole to shell their money out on “principle” even though the movie sucks. If they wait until the fuss dies down in January, no one is going to bother to see it.

  51. 51.

    Baud

    Now that the movie is being released, will it be Slate or Salon that pens the first “North Korea was right” article?

  52. 52.

    BGinCHI

    I like to go to the movies so that I can yell at the screen.

    Sample (at a horror movie):

    “Don’t go in there! Just get back in the car and drive! Not the cheerleader uniform!!!”

    That is some strong sauce.

  54. 54.

    PurpleGirl

    @kbuttle: I don’t mind watching trailers — they let me know what is coming up soon. What I HATE are the commercials. I go to the movies to get away from commercials and they are exploding all over the place. Down with commercials at the movies. I’m with Cole if there are NO commercials before or after a TV/computer streaming of a movie.

  55. 55.

    BGinCHI

    @Baud: John McCain is coming out with “We are all NK’s now” any second. Or a resolution to bomb them.

    Hard to guess.

  56. 56.

    Denali

    Off thread, but why is there an NRA ad at your site? I promise to order my 2015 Balloon Juice calendar if that is what it takes. Or maybe two.

  57. 57.

    BGinCHI

    @Baud: “Don’t go down there! Wait, do go down there, and win the Civil Rights movement!! Fuck yeah. In your face, whitey!!”

    /runs out chased by mob

  59. 59.

    Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)

    @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet:

    Ticket sales are going down in the US and Europe. They’re going up in Asia. So the trends we’re seeing now of studios releasing nothing but big-budget action movies is going to continue for the foreseeable future, because they’re easy to sell to non-English speaking audiences. Those countries don’t want our comedies and dramas — they make their own. They only want our big action movies. So that’s pretty much all you’re going to see coming out of Hollywood for the next 5-10 years at least.

  60. 60.

    HR Progressive

    When the economics of “Going to the Movies” costs me about $50 a pop, then I’m all for Happy Misanthrope John’s idea of just streaming all of it at home.

    Not to say that the theater experience doesn’t have its place, per se, but a part of why I don’t go to a movie theater very often is cause “The Rent is Too Damn High”.

  61. 61.

    RSA

    Besides, everyone knows movies are better when you are wearing a bathrobe, and they just won’t let you do that in public.

    I wonder if this is the same way they won’t let you say “Merry Christmas.” If so, call Fox News–there’s a War on Bathrobes!

  62. 62.

    shelley

    I see it’s on youtube, but does anybody know if it’s going to be on any cable company’s OnDemand?

  69. 69.

    Ronnie P

    7-8 bucks gas? Wear and tear on the car? How far do you live from a theatre?

    And no law says you have to buy snacks, or can’t sneak in a candy bar.

  70. 70.

    samiam

    Just watched it. It was not horrible which is saying a lot about a Rogen movie.

    Probably one of the better Rogen movies with a few genuine belly laughs. I’d give it a 5.5 out of ten.

  71. 71.

    Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)

    Okay, tuning out now so I can concentrate on finishing my nephew’s present. TCM is showing me “The Man Who Came to Dinner” so I have something to distract me from this goddamned seed stitch.

    A Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! ??

  72. 72.

    Major Major Major Major

    @Baud: @samiam: there’s an app (RunPee) that tells you when you can safely go pee without missing anything.

    There used to be a blog that did the same thing but I couldn’t track it down… The advice for Transformers 2 was that you could go pee about 20 minutes in and then don’t bother coming back.

  73. 73.

    Joel Hanes

    they just won’t let you [wear a bathrobe] in public.

    Nonsense. Have you tried it?

    I’ve seen whole families in proper flannel pajamas, slippers, and bathrobes queued up for one of the Potter movies, and for at least one of the Disney animations.

    I agree that the pets present difficulties.

  75. 75.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    And honestly, that saves me money. By the time you factor in the time to drive to and back from the theatre, the 7-8 bucks in gas, the 10 dollar or more ticket if not a matinee, the wear on the car, snacks, I’d be well over 30 bucks to watch a movie in the theater, and wouldn’t enjoy it as much.

    And pants too.

  76. 76.

    Mike G

    7-8 bucks in gas

    How far away is your movie theater?
    You can drive about 60 miles on that much dino juice.

    I agree though. Movie theaters to me are like US airlines — the experience has been so degraded by corporate cost-cutting that it’s not enjoyable.

  81. 81.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Hungry Joe:

    a man literally falling out of his seat and into the aisle

    I’ve had that happen twice in my life: once during “Springtime for Hitler” in the original Producers, And once during the chase scene near the end of What’s Up, Doc? — a movie I generally detested, thought was stupid, and have never watched again; but I laughed like a goddamned drain at the chase scene and quite literally fell out of my seat, overcome with mirth.

  83. 83.

    cmorenc

    @John Cole:

    the ability to pause and restart and rewind scenes…everyone knows movies are better when you are wearing a bathrobe, and they just won’t let you do that in public.

    …such as, the Reese Witherspoon nude scenes in “Wild”? :=) Without having to wait it to be released to Netflix or Red Box.

  85. 85.

    schrodinger's cat

    Listening to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s CD that I had bought from Rhythm House in Bombay, when I was there in May. I don’t understand all the Urdu but his voice is something else.

    ETA: Rhythm House is an independent music store in South Bombay. Tiny store with an amazing variety of music.

  86. 86.

    Mike in NC

    Local movie theater runs 30 minutes of ads, with the volume cranked up to 11, followed by 15 minutes of coming attractions. Sometimes they run more than one ad two or three times. Maddening.

  88. 88.

    Iowa Old Lady

    @Mike in NC: It’s not crowded around here, so it’s easy for me to get there 10 to 15 minutes after the listed starting time. That way I miss the ads.

  90. 90.

    Corner Stone

    @SiubhanDuinne: I literally, no bullshit, was on my hands and knees at the movies watching Tommy Boy the first time I saw it. I swear I almost couldn’t breathe a few good times during that showing.

  92. 92.

    Mike J

    Fuck the Interview. Sammy Davis Jr. is doing Mr. Bonjangles (the song you preverts) on a rerun of the Flip Wilson Show.

  93. 93.

    GHayduke (formerly lojasmo)

    I am also hoping for first run streaming movies…but I will not watch The Interview in any venue.

    I think the last movie we saw in a theater was the second Hobbit, and the next one will be the final Hobbit.

  96. 96.

    Mike J

    @Yatsuno:

    I saw Big Hero 6 when I was in Fresno

    Anything to take your mind off the fact you’re in Fresno. Being on either end of waterboarding might be a welcome diversion.

  97. 97.

    Yatsuno

    @Mike J: The Brazilian meat faucet helped things as well.

    Oh: gonna be in Seattle for 5 days next month. Gonna e-mail AL the deets since I’ll have fairly large gaps of do nothing time over MLK weekend.

  100. 100.

    Mike J

    Today I have baked sugar cookies, gingerbread men, a tourtière that is now in the oven and scones for the morning are in the stand mixer.

    Arrrgh. I want to take a shower but I’m afraid I’ll form dough when I do.

  101. 101.

    kindness

    My town has an old theater downtown, The State Theater built in the 20’s. Went into decay but was resurrected in the 90’s to it’s full 20’s art deco look. It’s showing it Friday so we got tickets to see it there. Very sweet. Looking forward to a stupid funny movie.

    Merry Christmas all. Have a very happy holiday.

  104. 104.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Hungry Joe:

    I still remember, decades later, a man literally falling out of his seat and into the aisle during an Allen/Keaton exchange in “Love and Death.” (I damn near followed him.)

    Which one was it? The “jejune” thing, or one of the Don Francisco’s sister bits, or perhaps the “sex without love is an empty experience” bit.

    One time I fell out of my chair laughing was when they ran the “cat juggling” film in The Jerk.

  108. 108.

    Robert G

    Unfortunately, this kind of release can’t become standard until the film industry petitions AMPAS (Academy Awards) to relax their release rules. If a film is released VOD before or at the same time as its theatrical release, it is inelligible for the Academy Awards. That’s why films like The Babadook can get universally good reviews and pick up a ton of critics prizes but not even be on the eligibility list for the Oscars.

    In other words, until studios can still get the marketing push of the Oscar and release films on multiple platforms at once, it ain’t going to happen.

  109. 109.

    max

    As I have noted before, I am going to give it a watch, and will probably do so tonight.

    Good lord, why?

    I know there are purists who think some movies need the big screen experience, but I am not one of them. And honestly, that saves me money. By the time you factor in the time to drive to and back from the theatre, the 7-8 bucks in gas, the 10 dollar or more ticket if not a matinee, the wear on the car, snacks, I’d be well over 30 bucks to watch a movie in the theater, and wouldn’t enjoy it as much.

    I quite enjoyed going to the movies once a week or so, since I’d spend most of the show doing dirty things inside her clothing. Most of the movies were stupid and getting dumber all the time, of course. I’ve gone more recently and it was OK once or twice, although the movies were generally dumber than ever. And I’d say most of the dumb movies were easier to watch in a theater when they were stupid. I was stuck there so I might as well watch that turkey – whereas a stupid movie on TV tends to drive me from the room.

    Easier to leave or turn it off, but then, easier not to rent it at all since I can tell which movies are going to be stupid. (Hint: most of them.) Skip the middleman! Read a book.

    At any rate, I am all ready to make tamales tomorrow, now that I have made stewed pork and the beans and corn husks are soaking. And Anthony Bourdain, weirdly enough, is on CNN eating weird shit in Asian countries and getting stonkered on the local hooch, which, as I recall, was what he usually does. However, this is on CNN and they’re doing massive rapid cuts so it’s kind of a visual kaleidoscope of freaky stuff, punctuated by Bourdain getting drunk somewhere, so it’s a lot like a televised acid trip. Not that unusual, or innovative, exactly, but massively better than anything else CNN runs, most especially their news coverage.

    max
    [‘Beats watching movies.’]

  111. 111.

    Bill Murray

    I saw a Seth Rogen movie once. A rape of a drunk girl and a surprise murder later, I don’t think I’ll be seeing another Rogen flick

  114. 114.

    Shalimar

    One of the last couple times I have been in a multiplex was just after the dollar theater went up to two bucks. This was probably 15 years ago. $5.99 seems like a lot of money to watch a crappy movie on my own couch, though I am admittedly very cheap. Maybe if it was something I actually will ever see, it might not seem so high. Even for free, it would still waste several hours of my life that I could use on something productive like sleep.

  115. 115.

    Anne Laurie

    @Mike in NC:

    Local movie theater runs 30 minutes of ads, with the volume cranked up to 11, followed by 15 minutes of coming attractions.

    And I could live through that, even, but the Spousal Unit grows fussier & more cranky with every new auditory insult. One of the drawbacks of having a permanent partner is accepting that their prejudices will forever after influence one’s own enjoyments!

  117. 117.

    TriassicSands

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    A kilt is OK, except he still has to have something on under it.

    With all these wardrobes choices, maybe John has a good reason to be a “misanthropic shutin.” What to wear? What to wear?

  118. 118.

    Carl Weese

    “Hell, I’d pay 20 bucks to watch a new release in the comfort of my own home. Cats and dogs on my lap, my own snacks, the ability to pause and restart and rewind scenes, no people coughing or talking on cell phones, etc. ”

    Come spring, you must get yourself to the nearest drive-in theater. Bring any of the critters that like to ride in the car, watch a giant screen with a double feature for maybe eight bucks. There are a few left in WV, and not too far from you in PA and eastern OH. Any that still survive now will likely have modern digital projection and sound through your car stereo system.

  119. 119.

    Hunter

    Sometimes I just want to get out and see something on a big screen, so I go to my favorite neighborhood theater — $6 before 6 pm, under $4 for snacks (unless you’re having dinner or cocktails), a dollar to get there on the bus and a dollar back. And unless it’s a holiday weekend, it’s not crowded.

    I could skip the ads, but I love the trailers for coming attractions.

    Then if I like the movie, I may buy the DVD or wait for it on Netflix.

  120. 120.

    Full metal Wingnut

    @Ronnie P:
    No shit. But I like having snacks. I’d rather have all my snacks at home than pay $50 for what I can get at Costco and enjoy for a fraction of the price.

    The only theaters I will be sad to see go are indie and second run places, because those have character, cheaper snacks, and less of the riff raff. And places like The Alamo Drafthouse that serve good food and *ruthlessly* enforce the no talking or using your phone policy. Ugh that damn phone glare is such a terrible peripheral distraction.

  121. 121.

    Full metal Wingnut

    @Mike G: The one thing that’s saved chains like AMC for me is the new reclining seats in select theaters. And more room, so you can easily walk in and out of the middle of a row without anyone having to stand up or tuck in their knees.

    I had mixed feelings on assigned seats but I’m cool with them now. For popular movies on the weekends they’re great, they take the stress out of rushing in and getting there super early. So for a popular movie during peak hours a normal person should appreciate them. And when you want to see a less popular movie or at a non busy time (like Tuesday afternoon) you can be spontaneous about your movie choices and not worry about the good seats being taken.

  122. 122.

    Full metal Wingnut

    @Mike in NC: I see movie times as akin to a reservation. I expect to be seated at a restaurant within 15 minutes of my reservation, otherwise it’s poor service in my opinion. Likewise, if my ticket says “The Hobbit” at 3, I expect it to start no later than 3:15. Of course, such expectations are futile. The movie will start at 3:25 if I’m lucky.

    There are so many previews these days that I almost forget what movie I’m there to see. And by the end of it I’m overwhelmed with dizzying and poorly edited action sequence snippets and sort of don’t want to watch a movie anymore.

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