The "great audiences" experiences thread (spoilers!)

[Pompoussory Estoppel]

Had a great Mystery Science Theater moment with two of my best friends while watching Gangs of New York. It was awesome.


Also had a great experience watching Jackass: Number Two. People went nuts when Pontius drank the horse semen.

One of the best experiences I ever had was watching F-911 and 8 Mile. F-911 got people so pissed off and laughing, it was cool to see those reactions. As for 8 Mile, people went crazy during the end rap battles.

[Greg David]

Originally Posted by Muharulz

Had a great Mystery Science Theater moment with two of my best friends while watching Gangs of New York. It was awesome.

That reminds me: Mystery Science Theater 3000 - The Movie. Sneak preview screening. Almost every single joke killed.

[JuddL]

I've had quite a few: midnight openings of Two Towers, Return of the King, and Grindhouse (sooo fucking awesome at midnight with a packed house), the Matrix Reloaded opening on IMAX, Borat, Starship Troopers. The best experience I think I ever had though was a sneak preview of There Will Be Blood. The people who came to that screening new exactly what they were in for and they lapped up every savory second of it. I saw it again opening weekend and the difference in atmosphere was staggering. A completely different vibe. Where the audience during the sneak preview laughed at all the bizarre, darkly humorous moments (I find it to be a surprisingly funny film) the other audience offered up nary a giggle. I felt bad for the friends who went with me the second time that they didn't have the same experience. It really solidified for me how much of a difference an audience can make.

[The Closer]

I forgot that I got into an advanced screening of The Phantom Menace about 2 weeks before its actual release.

A few minutes before the movie started some douche dressed as Darth Vader walked in and the crowd went wild. When he tripped on the stairs due to his mask obstructing his vision the crowd went even wilder.

Loud cheers after Kenobi did his gymnastics and cut Darth Maul in half.

Also the air being sucked out of the theater at the end of The Mist.

[Greg Clark]

Midnight of screening for X2: people went apeshit when Jean Grey's eyes went all firey. People forget that Fox kept the Phoenix-related stuff under pretty good wraps before hand, so everyone was legitimately amazed that the series was going there. And then that last shot over the lake...*sigh* what could have been.

[Domingo]

Transformers pre release screening in Downtown Vancouver. I doubt I'll ever have as much fun, or experience such a loud, incredibly invested audience ever again.

[Ambler]

The greatest audience experience I ever had was a midnight showing of The Matrix at General Cinema Promenade in Orlando. I'd already gone to the first showing that day at an AMC theater, but word of mouth hadn't kicked in yet and it was just another Keanu Reeves movie, so there weren't many people there. I thought it was amazing, and the few people who walked out all kind of looked at each other like we were just witness to some incredible watershed moment in cinema.

That night I wanted to see it with the typical Friday crowd, so I went to Promenade. I knew people would get a kick out of it, but the response was incredible, full of "holy shit"s and "Wow"s and Oh my God"s.

Actually thinking about it now, that's number two. Number one is Independence Day midnight Thursday showing at the same Promenade theater. I remember it pretty well. I was 16 and had my first car...a piece of shit Hondai. I remember that day well because I went to pick up E.T. The Extraterrestrial the score...it was a new expanded edition, which more closely followed the chronological order of the film. The previous score I'd had was the old reprisal tracks version. That was all that was available, but i remember being excited that day because I was finally gonna be able to hear William's score the way it was intended and a few hours later I was gonna see ID4. That movie was hyped beyond belief and I'd gotten my ticket earlier that day.

The CD store was in the same shopping center as the cinema. I didn't feel like driving back home, which was only 15 minutes, but I wanted to be first in line for the show, so I took a nap in my car. Woke up about an hour before show time and got in line.

And wow, what an experience. The crowd was fucking lit. Will Smith was getting his cinematic balls licked that's for sure. ID4 today is a silly, overdone hamfest with decent visual FX and okay acting, but back then watching it...it wasn't that bad, in fact I got Star Wars flashbacks and people just went nuts. It was before I'd become jaded by Hollywood when I moved here about 4 years later. Sigh...those were the days.

[Timothy Q]

Originally Posted by soylentgreen

In the spirit of Richard's post, I experienced the same thing with INDEPENDENCE DAY. At the first showing(of the two day early release) people were standing on their fucking seats cheering by the culmination of President Bill Pullman's speech.

It's in vogue now to snark on it, but when it was released, America hadn't had a spectacle quite like it in some time.

A friend and I always bring up what an amazing THEATER experience that flick was. Admittedly it's not a great film at all in hindsight but seriously, it did everything right back in... ummm... 96?

One of my favorite experiences was seeing Mallrats with a friend and mayyyyybe 7 other people in the theater on opening night. The 9 of us were laughing our goofy teenage asses off. The fact that no one else was there just made it all the more special; feeling like we were in on something the world was missing out on. That means something when you're 16 for some reason.

[Aranion]

A few movie experiences where the audience made a palpable difference in the film's impact:

House: I saw this mid-80s comedy-horror when I was 16 or 17, with a PACKED theater full of people mostly my own age. The guys I was with started the movie trading quips with another row of guys, and the rest of the film was almost an interactive experience. Which is about the only way that movie can be enjoyed, if memory serves.

Blair Witch: After some initial restlessness, the audience quickly become dead silent as the incidents in the film increased and everyone's imaginations kicked in. We went from cavalierly dismissive to startled to breathless.

Gladiator: I saw this opening night with a full crowd, and my friends and I taking up most of a row. I remember some of the audience being rowdy shits when the previews rolled, but the film itself somehow shushed them almost immediately. The weird thing is that I don't remember a lot of sound or shared reactions - I was really focused on the film - but there was something amplified by sharing the movie with a big crowd, something that doesn't happen with most crowded flicks.

The Dark Knight: Saw this at a midnight screening in an IMAX theater. It was either sold out or close to it, though we thankfully had scored perfect seats (middle of the row, middling height in the seat rows). As with Gladiator, I don't recall a lot of shared exhalations or exclamations (except one, in a moment), but there was definitely a sense of collective experience, of the energy and tragedy in the story washing over all of us. The one moment I do remember the audience going apeshit was when the Batpod did its against-the-wall turnabout. Everyone, myself included, went fucking crazy.

[ryoken]

Originally Posted by Aranion

Gladiator: I saw this opening night with a full crowd, and my friends and I taking up most of a row. I remember some of the audience being rowdy shits when the previews rolled, but the film itself somehow shushed them almost immediately. The weird thing is that I don't remember a lot of sound or shared reactions - I was really focused on the film - but there was something amplified by sharing the movie with a big crowd, something that doesn't happen with most crowded flicks.

During Collegue, I got to go the "Gladiator" opening night were the whole audience was made of students and teachers; since most of them had a hard on for ancient history and Rome in particular, the experience was pure greatness...after the film, there was a banquet of sorts were students and teachers discussed the film to death...I still remember hearing a 65 year old history teacher explain that the coliseum coould be flooded and as used for naval reenactments....blew my mind at the time.
I heard they did the same with a screening of "Kingdom of Heaven" (director's cut), but I missed that one.

[Alan "Nordling" Cerny]

Too many for me to list here. I've generally been lucky with my audiences and I've had some great ones. Then there's BNAT, which consistently has an amazing response to movies.

My most recent was INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, opening night, where the audience was just fantastic. I was worried that it was going to be terrible, being prime time Friday night, but the audience just enjoyed the hell out of that movie, turning on every word of dialogue and finally the last violent orgy where everyone just went nuts. Really satisfying.

I remember seeing DREAMGIRLS at a local radio station screening and thinking that the audience was going to be terrible and it turned out to be one of my favorite audiences ever. When Jennifer Hudson began "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" the audience was so silent, and when that song wound up... there were cheers and applause that pretty much brough the house down.

And, my favorite - opening weekend of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Vader on the scaffold. "No, I am your father." Even over the music the collective shock and gasp of the audience - including myself, who had no idea - was thunderous. I'll never forget that.

[LisaNY]

Fatal Attraction on the big screen, opening weekend. I've never been with a theater full of people where everyone screamed in unison twice - during the boiled bunny reveal, and then at the end when she pops out of the tub. Yes, of course in retrospect, you could see the tub pop-up coming from a mile away, but not on that night.

[Ratty]

Originally Posted by LisaNY

Fatal Attraction on the big screen, opening weekend. I've never been with a theater full of people where everyone screamed in unison twice - during the boiled bunny reveal, and then at the end when she pops out of the tub. Yes, of course in retrospect, you could see the tub pop-up coming from a mile away, but not on that night.

By the same token, one of the biggest collective screams I've ever experienced in the theater was at the end of Jagged Edge when the killer smashes in Glenn Close's window. That shot kind of came out of nowhere and happened several beats earlier than folks were expecting, so it got a huge jolt.

[Sumeragi]

Every summer they show movies outside on the waterfront in my city. Last year the opening movie was 'Some Like it Hot' The audience was great, but there was one line that especially killed, when Jack Lemmon says that he's engaged (according to IMDB, a preview audience back in 1959 laughed so hard at this one line that they had to re-shot the scene so there was a longer pause after he delivered it). It was just great, even when it started raining.

Also, Grindhouse. Went and saw it on my 21st birthday with my friends in a packed theatre. Not only one of my best movie going experiences, but one of my better birthdays.

[Greg Clark]

There was this one time back in April when I saw Star Trek at the Drafthouse with Leonard Nimoy in attendance. Yeah. That was pretty cool.

[Cleo]

Possibly the best this Halloween - a tiny local cinema was showing American Werewolf in London and the Haunting. By the time American Werewolf in London started most people had been hanging around in the bar for an hour+ and were drunk. It was packed and the staff had to bring in a couple of couches and all the cushions off the chairs in the bar for people to sit on at the front. People brought their drinks in, it was more like a party than a cinema and the entire audience laughed all the way through.

Same atmosphere didn't QUITE work for the Haunting, but I was actually too drunk to pay much attention at that point and kinda dozed off, so that was less great.

Another good one recently was seeing Orphan in the cinema on release. The audience was full of rowdy teenagers who were mostly taking the piss for the first half... and then it got to that scene. When Esther tries to seduce the father the entire audience went silent. Afterwards there was a LOT of very unsettled, nervous laughter. It was obviously nothing like what they'd expected, I was highly entertained.

The Dark Knight IMAX re-release in cosplay was pretty awesome as well, the cinema encouraged costumes and me, the boyfriend and the parents all dressed up. Me and him already had our costumes from Halloween (the Joker and Harley Quinn), my mum dressed up as Catwoman and my dad as Two Face (I did the makeup). There were a few others in costume there, and everyone who turned up was obviously a fan.

[LisaNY]

Originally Posted by Greg Clark

There was this one time back in April when I saw Star Trek at the Drafthouse with Leonard Nimoy in attendance. Yeah. That was pretty cool.

W...w...WOAH!! Jesus, Greg!

[The Closer]

Im concerned that Saving Private Ryan hasnt been mentioned in this thread. Im sure that everybodys experiences of watching the first half hour in the theater are relatively consistent, so I dont need to describe mine.

[Mattioli]

Originally Posted by Greg Clark

There was this one time back in April when I saw Star Trek at the Drafthouse with Leonard Nimoy in attendance. Yeah. That was pretty cool.

Yeah, but that's counter-balanced by the fact you had to put up with Knowles weeping, jittering around in his seat and making scary pleasure noises.

[Doc Happenin]

Originally Posted by The Closer

Im concerned that Saving Private Ryan hasnt been mentioned in this thread. Im sure that everybodys experiences of watching the first half hour in the theater are relatively consistent, so I dont need to describe mine.

After the initial invasion, I definitely some soft (and definitely male) sobbing. I think one or two older men got up and left. Couldn't blame them, either.

[LisaNY]

Originally Posted by The Closer

Im concerned that Saving Private Ryan hasnt been mentioned in this thread. Im sure that everybodys experiences of watching the first half hour in the theater are relatively consistent, so I dont need to describe mine.

After the beach landing, you could have heard a pin drop when I saw it. Not a single sound during all that violence. Same thing when the credits rolled, but at least then you expect that - you generally don't see that happening during an opening scene of that nature.

I posted this way back when I first got here, I'm sure, but one of the moments that always struck a chord with me in so far as "audience bonding" didn't even happen to me. My former co-worker Emma went to see Sleepers by herself on the opening weekend. She got there, and the theater was packed, and she managed to find a single seat right next to this couple. She was next to the man, and he was gigantic - just this huge enormous guy who looked exactly like Ving Rhames, right down to the giant shaved head.

They get to the scene after the kids are in the detention center, and young Shakes is in his cell, listening to the sounds of one of his friends screaming somewhere in the back of the jail, obviously being raped by the prison guard. Shakes is hanging onto the bars, squeezing his eyes shut as hard as he can as he tries to drown out the sound of his friend's screams. Emma said that she just started bawling - which, how could you not, you're not seeing the actual brutalization, but everyone in the audience knows what's happening to this kid. So she's sobbing, and she starts rooting around in her bag for a tissue or something. Suddenly from the left, this massive hand silently moves in front of her - and there's a decent sized stack of popcorn napkins there. She sniffles out a quiet, "Thank you" to the guy, and then looks up at him - and he's just got tears streaming down that huge face of his.

I think of that story every time I think of how movies can bond completely an audience if done right.

[Fizzgig]

Earlier this year I saw Inglourious Basterds with Tarantino, Christoph Waltz and Diane Kruger in attendance. The audience were all in a fantastic mood and the communal tension during the strudel scene was incredible.

[Scumbag]

Seeing Underworld Evolution with some friends I hadn't seen in a long time, we went into it knowing that the movie was going to be dreck. Hell, even I knew it would be, and I actually liked the first one.

Anyway, there's a scene in which Bill Nighy is trying to act like he's all saddened and forlorn about something, but it just came off as if he was constipated.

Now, I'm not the kind of person who'll actually talk during a movie. I'm more of the person that'll throw something at someone who'll actualy talk during a movie.

But I couldn't help it, and I blurted out "I need to poop!".

The entire audience (it was rather full) exploded in laughter. My best (and only) riff in the history of movies.

... God that movie sucked...

[Teitr Styrr]

I have had various versions of many of these stories. I have been watching movies pretty much weekly since Star Wars when I was twelve.

The one that comes to mind though might be a bit surprising. I went to see Clerks2 when it came out. I was thinking Kevin Smith is pretty hit or miss with me, but I really liked the first one, and was hoping to like this one. The entire movie killed in a packed theater. I swear to you, I thought I might have hurt something laughing, but everyone was dying laughing during this movie.

So of course I get the DVD when it comes out and settle in for a good time. And tho I still enjoyed it, I was left wondering "Is this the movie I saw in the theater...?

[Eyeball Kid]

Though it doesn't hold up to scrutiny, 'Signs' absolutely had its way with the packed preview audience with which I saw it. People went apeshit at the birthday party video.

[The Closer]

Originally Posted by Eyeball Kid

Though it doesn't hold up to scrutiny, 'Signs' absolutely had its way with the packed preview audience with which I saw it. People went apeshit at the birthday party video.

I was about to mention that very segment.

[Richard Dickson]

Originally Posted by Ambler

The greatest audience experience I ever had was a midnight showing of The Matrix at General Cinema Promenade in Orlando.

Wow, how did I miss this -- that theater was in the epicenter of my high school/college days. There were three theaters -- two General Cinemas and an AMC -- a Barnes and Noble, a Sound Warehouse, a Bennigans and a TGI Fridays all within a couple of blocks of each other. My Friday and Saturday nights usually consisted of hitting at least two of those. The other General Cinema at the Fashion Square Mall had the BEST midnight movie program -- aside from the usual Rocky Horror escapades, they showed Clockwork Orange, The Wall, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Song Remains the Same and Heavy Metal. God I miss the days when midnight movies weren't just late showings of new releases. And the theater you saw The Matrix at was the same theater I saw that Fly/Aliens double feature I mentioned earlier. Now, it's a dollar theater, and the other two theaters are gone. Man, the times we had on the little strip of Colonial Drive.

[Bradito]

The New Beverly had a Dolph Lundgren Film Festival last spring. The third film on the program, "Rocky IV," had people standing up and cheering, myself included. It definitely got us in the right mood for the next flick on the bill, the director's cut of the original "Punisher."

[agracru]

For me, it's gotta be the audience at the Bubba Ho-Tep premiere at the Angelika in New York. Those people really got into it. Of course, the Q&A with The Chin before the film was maybe the best part of all; they asked ridiculous questions and took his smart-ass answers in good stride. (I'm pretty sure some of them were just fishing for a wise-crack at their expense.) Then the lights dimmed and the movie started and the theater just hummed with excitement; fondly, I remember the entire crowd just going apeshit when JFK and Elvis came marching down the hallway of the nursing home to confront the mummy. What a great time.