Jump to content

Menu

Why don't people clap in movie theaters anymore?


Recommended Posts

I know! The last time I remember clapping was when we watched The Princess Bride in our park last summer. EVERYONE clapped. It was great!

 

It seems like everyone is in a hurry to get out of theaters. Our family likes to sit and watch the credits. Many times, the theater people want to rush us out by turning on the lights and changing the garbage. I hate when they do that!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe people finally realized that the people who made the movie and the people who starred in it can't hear the clapping from that far away? :lol:

 

But it's just FUN to clap! :D

 

BTW, our local theater did a fun Christmas event with a re-showing of "The Polar Express". The show/event received a hearty applause. Yeah for clapping!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe people finally realized that the people who made the movie and the people who starred in it can't hear the clapping from that far away? :lol:

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

I'm in the camp of wondering why people WOULD clap for a movie???

 

It's not like it's a live performance like a play or musical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:lol::lol::lol:

 

I'm in the camp of wondering why people WOULD clap for a movie???

 

It's not like it's a live performance like a play or musical.

 

I'm in that camp, too. Clapping at movies? I guess I don't go enough but I don't remember ever hearing clapping at the end of a movie. :001_huh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have never clapped in a movie theater!

 

Ok, not entirely true.....when DH worked in entertainment we did go to some premiers in LA. I clapped then (as did everyone) because the people producing the film WERE THERE!

 

Otherwise I don't clap to a projector.

 

Dawn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:lol::lol::lol:

 

I'm in the camp of wondering why people WOULD clap for a movie???

 

It's not like it's a live performance like a play or musical.

 

:iagree: I think I might have clapped at the midnight showing of The Two Towers, but in general I only clap at a live performance that is not in church.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just saw The King's Speech. My mother in law rarely babysits, and usually has terms and conditions as to what we should do with our time when she does. Anyway, she implored us to see this movie. People clapped at the end of this one. Most people were upper-middle aged, so I'm guessing it's a generational thing :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been to a few movies where people clapped, but I think for the most part there aren't that many very good movies made, and with people being able to watch movies on demand in their homes, the "magic" of a movie has diminished somewhat.

 

Tara

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Probably because they're too busy talking and texting through the movie.

 

I also agree with the pp. I can't remember the last time we saw a GOOD movie. Most of the reviews on Netflix are 1-2 stars. Very rarely 3. Actors play themselves, very rarely an actual character anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We don't see very many movies in the theater, but I'd say about 75% of the time, there's clapping. Is this a regional thing?

 

As far as why people clap when it's not a live performance, I think it connects people. It's gesture of, "wow, that was really good!" and it feels good that others are sharing that feeling :001_smile:.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm in the camp of wondering why people WOULD clap for a movie???

 

Indeed. Clapping for a movie (unless at a premier or special screening with filmmakers in some way) just doesn't make sense to me. I could understand a spontaneous outburst, but as a general rule? WHY?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Indeed. Clapping for a movie (unless at a premier or special screening with filmmakers in some way) just doesn't make sense to me. I could understand a spontaneous outburst, but as a general rule? WHY?

 

I don't think it's a general rule. It's reserved for reeeaaaally good movies.

 

As I said, I don't see many movies in the theater, so if I'm paying good money to see a movie, it better be a good one. Maybe that's why I hear clapping more often :confused:? I can't imagine clapping after seeing the latest Ben Stiller movie or something :lol:.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... It's reserved for reeeaaaally good movies. ...

 

Yeah, but in "really good movies", I often just want to sit quietly for a few moments when it's over. If it's been truly moving and deep, I'm not ready to change modes, snap out of it, and start clapping right away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We don't see very many movies in the theater, but I'd say about 75% of the time, there's clapping. Is this a regional thing?

 

 

Where are you? I'm southern US, and clapping is pretty common.

 

 

Yeah, but in "really good movies", I often just want to sit quietly for a few moments when it's over. If it's been truly moving and deep, I'm not ready to change modes, snap out of it, and start clapping right away.

 

It's usually not done after truly moving and deep movies; there was no clapping after the latest HP movie, probably because of the solemn ending. Think more along the lines of adventure or motivational, feel-good movies. Doubly so if sports are involved in any way, lol, but also titles like Akeela and the Bee, where a young girl from the projects competes in the national spelling bee.

 

The cast and crew can't hear you, but the applause creates waves of good feeling which travel to Hollywood and keep them warm at night.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ilived in Los Angeles in the late 70's and early 80's. There were and maybe still are? specialty theatres. For example 1 theatre only showed silent movies, others would show classsics from the 30's and 40's for example, a BEtte Davis Week, Kate Hepburn Week, Bogart week, etc. I often went to a theatre that showed musicals from the 40's and 50's. People always clapped at all of these movies. When watching the musicals, people would often wildly clap after musical numbers. I thought it was neat. It was like a show of wonder or appreciation of a really good Gene Kelly number. It seemed to bring the audience together and increased the great time that everyone was having. I don't go to movies now as the theatres where I live now are so tiny and junky, it is not a great experience anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe people finally realized that the people who made the movie and the people who starred in it can't hear the clapping from that far away? :lol:

 

See, this is what I think too. I think clapping at the movies was a hold over from clapping at plays, sort of a habit. I don't think I've heard clapping at a movie theater in 25+ years.

 

But what's weird is that I was just thinking about this the other day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have never clapped in a movie theater!

 

Ok, not entirely true.....when DH worked in entertainment we did go to some premiers in LA. I clapped then (as did everyone) because the people producing the film WERE THERE!

 

Otherwise I don't clap to a projector.

 

Dawn

 

yup - back when i was at UCLA we'd often get passes to preview screenings and clapping often happened - IF the film was good (yeah The Right Stuff!!!). I recall one screening the film was so BAD that even before it was over the audience was loudly booing and complaining...knowing that the director was THERE!!!! (never show your film to a UCLA film school audience unless you are sure they will approve of it!)

 

(I think the film booed was The Moon in the Gutter. )

 

I have experienced folks clapping as a film started - notably the Harry Potters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've never been to a movie where people clapped. I've been to a movie where people booed at the end ("The Blair Witch Project," which scared exactly nobody at the theater), and I've been to a movie where at the end people groaned - happily - because they didn't expect a cliffhanger ending ("Inception"), but I've never been to a movie where people clapped.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:lol::lol::lol:

 

I'm in the camp of wondering why people WOULD clap for a movie???

 

It's not like it's a live performance like a play or musical.

This is me. I would feel really silly clapping at the end of a movie.

 

Infact, the last time I recall hearing anybody in a theater react in any audible way to the end of a movie was back in 2001 when the credits started rolling at the end of the first Lord of the Rings installment. Frodo and Sam are just starting to head down the mountain into the valley of Mordor, and then *bam* the credits start rolling. Some guy in the front shouted out "What the h*ll??!!" I guess he didn't realize the movie was meant to be Part 1 of a series. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Granted I quit going to movies about 10 years ago, but I have never been in a theater where people clapped. I did go to the opening of Animal House at a midwestern land-grant college, and the audience was rowdier than the movie, but no clapping.

 

I have been on two airplane flights where people clapped. One the landing was so perfect, you didn't know you'd landed (it was a Virgin flight into Heathrow), and the other was such a storm children were screaming in terror as we were landing (Kansas City). I think that one was a relief-clap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most movies these days don't deserve it. :glare:

 

I went to two showings of Toy Story 3, and the audience clapped at the end of one, though, as well as when we went to see Megamind. And dc and I went to the "old time movies" to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang a few months ago, and everyone claps after those. :001_smile:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe it's a regional cultural thing. In our little theater, an old historic one six miles north, we still do. The owner greets everyone personally after the movie as well and we all love to tell him what we liked and didn't like. Every once in a while, he gets called forward for a bit of applause because he runs this little cinema on a shoestring. It's only $5.00 per adult and $3.50 per child. This is a thinly populated rural area so it's not uncommon for him to only have 40 people on a Friday night. He isn't making anything at it. But, he's a retired guy that didn't want to see the beautiful building go to wreck and ruin and he feels badly for how expensive it is for most families to go to the city for a movie - $9.00 a seat for adults and kids.

 

During LOTR Return of the King, he had the place packed out and there was a standing ovation when legolas slid down the "oliphant's" trunk after that amazing scene where he was taking it down by cutting the ropes to the "topper" and then using the falling weight to haul himself up! One of the best moments in cinema in the last ten years if you ask me! People were hooting, screaming, and clapping. He paused the projector, came out and grinned at everyone, gave us the thumbs up, and then restarted the whole thing. It was so much fun!

 

Nanny McPhee Returns brough another huge round of applause. But, after "Mamma Mia", no applause and someone shouted, "I'll never be able to look at Pierce Brosnan with a straight face again." Everyone agreed.

 

So, I guess from my perspective, it may be not just that movie's are not live performance, but that each region may have a little bit different movie culture.

 

Faith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just saw The King's Speech last Sunday and the audience clapped during the movie and at the end. It was worthy of it, too. Great movie- highly recommend it!

 

:iagree:

 

No one clapped here (I was disappointed, but didn't want to be the one to start it ... and yes, most people jet out of the theatre, whereas we always want to watch the credits!), but a friend of mine in San Diego said people there clapped at the end of "King's Speech."

 

~Laura

Link to comment
Share on other sites

During LOTR Return of the King, he had the place packed out and there was a standing ovation when legolas slid down the "oliphant's" trunk after that amazing scene where he was taking it down by cutting the ropes to the "topper" and then using the falling weight to haul himself up! One of the best moments in cinema in the last ten years if you ask me! People were hooting, screaming, and clapping. He paused the projector, came out and grinned at everyone, gave us the thumbs up, and then restarted the whole thing. It was so much fun!

 

Now, see, that would have annoyed me. That moment with Legolas was the worst moment in the entire trilogy, a very sour note in an otherwise fantastic film.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...