Movie Etiquette - "How to act at the Movies"

Have you ever been to a theatre/cinema, bought your ticket, proceed to drinks, then to the hall only to find yourself regretting the idea of even going in the first place?

Have you ever got together with a friend (or friends) to watch a movie, DVD's inserted, everyone takes their position on the couch, floor or wherever makes them comfortable, yet the experience is horrible?

Naturally, the answers to both questions would lie in the quality of the movie that's about to be seen, right? Wrong! The other common denominator lies in the company present in both scenarios. Yeah, that's right the people!

No matter how good a movie is, if you watch it with the wrong people I assure you, the experience is going to be, at best, unpleasant. Without further ado, I welcome you to a new series I would like to share with you, it's formally called Movie Etiquette or the more favourable - "How to act at the movies"

Although, the title may seem to concentrate on the first scenario, but after going through the series, you'll find  it applicable to anywhere a movie is being screened.

I will start this way, how well do you know the movie you are about to watch?

Why do I ask this?

Ans - Because, there are some people who have the knack of asking you how the movie ends, just ten minutes into the movie. Or the 'complainers' who keep yapping & whining about everything, telling me how silly the movie is, like I actually paid good money to listen to their opinion!

These sort of situations birth to two sets of problems, first are the 'complainers' and the likes; second are the 'experts.' Who are these 'experts', these are the individuals who act like they were consulted in the production process of the movie! They talk like they know much better than the director of the movie. (confession: yours truly has been one of these smug experts on several occasions). The remedy for the 'experts' - Shut up!

For the 'complainers' and the like, get your movie information.

Movie Information

There's a reason studios spend so much on adverts for a film, to convince you to pay to watch the movie. It's that simple, and they do this by telling you about the cast, director(s), producers; a synopsis or summary of the plot is also released - sometimes before shooting begins, posters are released, then comes teaser trailers, followed by full length trailers, merchandises (in some cases) and reviews a couple of weeks before the movie comes out at the theatres/cinemas closest to you.

This exercise by the studio can last as long as a year, but I'm not insinuating that you drop everything and immerse yourself in the adverts for the film but if you live in the now and have probably heard of a thing called the internet, then you could always check the trailer out on youtube, or movie information on IMDB, Yahoo Movies or Wikipedia, or simply Google it! The essence of this is to know a little about what you are about to spend time and money on, and to consider if its worth it. Heck, some theatres/cinemas even offer guides giving you a brief of what the movie is about.

Here's IMDB's page on TDKR

If you want to take it a step further, then check out reviews online from websites like Rotten Tomatoes. And if you don't trust them (critics), then ask someone you know who has seen the movie if its any good, they've got nothing to gain pointing you in the wrong direction, so why not take that chance.

There's no prestige in being the first to see a movie only to realise that it sucks, I repeat No Prestige!

This poster tells you that it isn't a superhero movie.

Your typical movie information usually tells you a few things about the movie:

1. Synopsis - This usually explains what the movie is going to be about without giving too much away.
2. Cast & Crew - The actors/actresses involved, director, producers and studio; here it's all about reputation - if its good, then go for it.
3. Posters - This gives you a first look at how the movie will look, again if it's good, go-for-it!
4. Trailers - From the teasers to full length trailers, this is where you'll first get a good look at what the movie will look like, feel like. Here is where studios tend to go all out as they know it's the most important reason for any prospective viewer to watch the movie.
5. Reviews (online/word-of-mouth) - unsure about everything else, why not seek the opinion of someone who has already seen it.
6. Opening Date - This is only relevant after you've decided to see it irrespective of the previous factors.

There you have it, I hope my little insight has been helpful, comments, criticisms and suggestions are all appreciated. Cheers!