Last night, a friend informed me via text that they had just walked out on "literally the worst piece of shit I have ever seen at a movie theatre." After a brief conversation back and forth confirming we were talking about a movie, I questioned him as to why anyone would pay $15 and not watch the entire showing.
I have never once walked out during a movie playing at the movie theatre. I often wonder what motivates those that do. Are they saying that their time is so precious that they simply cannot afford to waste another moment watching this film? "Get out now. Enjoy your life, while you have it", they say to themselves as they leave a human-shaped hole in the movie theatre wall, in too much of a hurry to stop and locate the exit.
Sure, there are movies that I have thought about walking out on. Like the moment you step out of your vehicle, take a sly glance at your blind date through the restaurant window, and see her dressed head to toe in Nazi SS Uniform, the movie “Knowing” with Nicholas Cage was practically begging for me to seek a quick and defiant exit. But I stayed. Two hours and who the f knows minutes later, I left my seat safe in the knowledge that I had sat through what I can only assume was some sort of crude joke being played on the motion picture industry by Nicholas Cage's hairstyle, which has now brilliantly taken on a life of its own.
Perhaps I just don’t see enough movies to have ever walked out on one or perhaps this is yet another in my blog's continued series depicting my veracious laziness? It could be the thought of hey, at least it's a free place to sit for the next 2 hours, that might be playing a small part in my commitment to the movie-going cause. I feel like going to a movie is similar to going to someone's dinner party, and leaving the movie is like jumping out of the window before the meal has been served. You've brought the booze, you've agreed to go, you may as well put up with the 2-hour conversation about cacti of South America. You may even enjoy it.
To those who were unwillingly dragged to see either "Daddy Day Camp" or "The Informant!", you had a very hard choice to make. I, however, sat through both. (movie-style slow hand clap).
But don't go and see “Clash of the Titans” - my friend says its shit.
Hmm, I don't like ending my writing with a swear word so let's go for a question in the rather arrogant assumption that others will comment; have you ever hated something so much that you've walked out halfway through? (And NO, this blog doesn't count.)
11 comments:
I walked out of Borat. I literally could not stand sitting there one more moment. Not that I had anything better to do, but I almost would've rather been at the dentist. I think it would've been less painful.
I have never walked out of a movie I've paid for.
In principle, I dislike walking out of films and plays and things- I think it's disrespectful. As shite as I may think it is; people have put a lot of effort into their work and everyone's work deserves some amount of respect.
Having said that, I have walked out of an 'arthouse' film screening at the local hipster central. It was called 'Waiting for Sancho'. Yeah, the 'director' thought he was being all ~clever by referencing Waiting for Godot.
It was awful. It was him filming a Spanish film about the 3 Wise Men. One of whom was played by a perpetually late, slow and chubby bloke named Sancho. He filmed this guy and the filming of the Spanish movie. The director didn't sit through his own film, he went downstairs for a drink at the bar.
I understand why. I needed several just to get over the shite I watched for the first half hour.
I did make it through Clash of the Titans though. Maybe that's because I was that annoying person making sarcastic comments the whole time.
I walked out on the Reno 911 movie. It made me physically ill. If I sat there any longer, I was going to blow chunks all over the theatre.
Out of curiosity, what movie did your friend walk out of?
I have never walked out of a movie I didn't like.
In fact, sometimes I like to go and watch movies I know I'll hate (at the cheap theatre) just so I can sit in the back with my friends and make jokes about it while it's playing.
Heather Howell - Yes! I totally didn't get Borat at all. I felt lost when most of my friends found it instantly hilarious.
Epitaphforaheart
That's a fantastic story about the director not sitting through his own film. I have a feeling that if i ever get into cinematography, i'll be that guy. Congrats on making it through Clash of the Titans though. From what my friend says it's the worst movie for quite a long time. You should be rewarded.
Katie : It sounds like you made the right choice in getting out while you did. Although watching someone blow chunks in a crowded movie theatre would be infinitely more entertaining than the Reno 911movie. My friend walked out on Clash of the Titans. He said it was mainly because it SO disappointing after such huge hype.
Jenny : That sounds like something i would do for entertainment. I don't mind seeing something awful, as long as it's new, and not contrived. Although, even if it is contrived you can have a lot of fun predicting the entire movie. We have a cheap theatre in my town which i attend regularly to see movies that i could rent but would rather watch surrounded by people and on cinema-style furniture.
I used to work at and manage a theater in college - not sure about the theater chains near you, but our policy was always that if someone walked out during the movie and wanted a refund we would offer them passes to come back and see anything at their leisure, so long as it wasn't sold out. Usually that worked, but occasionally they would insist on getting their money back, so we would comply, but we always tried to offer passes first, just as it was a lot simpler than going through the process of refunding money.
If they sat through the entire movie though and then demanded something back afterwards then they're SOL though, as they made the choice to sit through it - we guarantee the movie will play, not that you'll like it.
That being said, I've seen and screened some pretty stupid movies - I Know Who Killed Me with Lindsay Lohan being one of the worst, however we were too lazy to go upstairs and the turn the projector off so we just endured screening the terribad movie that seriously felt about 4hrs long instead of 2, lol.... I got stuck screening the 3D Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana concert too, as it was 3D and needed to be screened before opening day and I was the one got stuck with it... I made one of the managers come join me in the suckfest though when they finished closing out the theater, lol...
I'm pretty picky about the movies I go see in theatres and have never gone to a movie I hated. Sure there were some that weren't as good as I thought they'd be, but never hated them.
Sweeney Todd made my stomach turn a little...but I stuck it out like a trooper.
I walked out of Spanglish. Adam Sandler and Tea Leoni FTL.
I've never walked out on a movie that I haven't liked, though I wanted to recently with 'the bounty hunter'
The only movie I have ever walked out on was 'What Lies Beneath' and that was because it was so scary I couldn't stand it a second longer. I'm a bit of a scaredy cat!
I knew Clash of the Titans looked a little fishy.
I walked out of my biology lecture one day. He was wasting time by going around to individual people who decided to do a powerpoint presentation for the final. I wasn't doing one and didn't need his help...so I walked out. So did about a dozen other people and right before I walked out, the prof. announced us to get back in the lecture hall. I kept going.
Wasn't that Daddy Day Care? Or mayhaps you mean the mediocre sequel that surely followed it. Anyway. I don't remember ever walking out on a movie, but my parents had to remove me from the theater during Aladdin when I was four because I was terrified and crying. For some reason I remember this.
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