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jonah.77 wrote:That reminds me: there used be (and perhaps still are?) two multiplexes in the Forum des Halles in Paris, underground. The older of the two was situated very close to a Metro subway tunnel, such that while sitting in a theater you could hear—and feel—the train rumbling by every few minutes. I wouldn't want to see every movie that way, but it was certainly fun once.

The Cornerhouse, soon to be relocated to a purpose-built premises, in Manchester, England has the same experience as it is right next to the train line.

And the Tyneside cinema in Newcastle, UK has the city's metro line running underneath it. Mild rumbling in the downstairs screen every 7 minutes or so.

jonah.77 wrote:That reminds me: there used be (and perhaps still are?) two multiplexes in the Forum des Halles in Paris, underground. The older of the two was situated very close to a Metro subway tunnel, such that while sitting in a theater you could hear—and feel—the train rumbling by every few minutes. I wouldn't want to see every movie that way, but it was certainly fun once.

The big theater at MoMA is like that, too. I kept thinking they'd fix that when they closed the building for a year or two for an extensive remodel, but ... nooooope.

The Angelika in NYC too, much worse than MoMA. Possibly my least favorite art house theater.

Where do folks in the Reno/Tahoe area go for good cinema? I'm applying to a job there and a cursory web search is bringing up very few options that look decent. Are there any indie or art house theaters there?

Question relevant to how I'm seeing Mad Max Fury Road tomorrow - has anyone here seen a movie at a UA/Regal 'RPX' auditorium? [apparently this stands for "Regal Premium Experience"] We had access to a discount, so the tickets that'd normally cost, with convenience fees, $19.50 a pop were $13.50 (same price that normal tickets would be) so we decided to give it a shot. Apparently the screen is gigantic and the sound is cranked up to absurd volume levels, which I'm a little intimidated by - but is it really anything that unique in comparison to, say, IMAX?

mfunk9786 wrote:Question relevant to how I'm seeing Mad Max Fury Road tomorrow - has anyone here seen a movie at a UA/Regal 'RPX' auditorium? [apparently this stands for "Regal Premium Experience"] We had access to a discount, so the tickets that'd normally cost, with convenience fees, $19.50 a pop were $13.50 (same price that normal tickets would be) so we decided to give it a shot. Apparently the screen is gigantic and the sound is cranked up to absurd volume levels, which I'm a little intimidated by - but is it really anything that unique in comparison to, say, IMAX?

I've done it a few times, and haven't really found it to be worth the extra money. Even the truly massive RPX screen at the Continental here in Denver doesn't have the same dramatic impact for me that IMAX does. There's something unique about the added height of a true IMAX experience (not those newfangled phony shoebox IMAX auditoriums) and the way it fills your field of vision. The main thing I've noticed with RPX is indeed the "absurd" (almost oppressive) volume level. Still, it sounds like the deal you got brings these close to the price of a regular ticket, and it seems that if ever a movie called for "play it big and loud," this is the one.

Combined with the Shake Shack across the street, this is the sort of thing I'd be salivating over in high school/college, so it should be fun to at least see if it's still appealing (particularly, as you mention, the volume level)

I saw Avengers 2 today and am happy to report that the three year old behind me absolutely had a blast. He screamed and shouted the whole time and his (lousy, shit-sucking) parents didn't have the heart to say shut up (preferably followed by a slap upside the head). Judging from the incoherent nature of his drivel, I get the idea he has little to no comprehension of the English language, but all the same I am absolutely certain he understood and appreciated the film he sort-of viewed while hopping around behind our seats. Thank goodness his parents realized the ability of non-verbal toddlers to comprehend and retain the memory of fast-cut action films. It would be a pity to deprive him of the experience.

And thank goodness the theater gives kids under five free admission to adult films because they "sympathize with parents who can't find a babysitter".

I sympathize too, but my advice is stay home and deal with the incredibly stupid and selfish decision you made to breed. Idiots.

I went to see One Direction last night and am happy to report that the young girls there were all screaming the whole time. Thank goodness they could still apparently enjoy the harmonies at hand. I wish they had stayed at home and dealt with fact that they were selfish enough to be born. Idiots.

I went to a strip club and all these ladies kept taking their clothes off. I was really enjoying their dancing in time to the music but then they took it too far!!1

If you all enjoy having films interrupted by screaming children, knock yourselves out. Me, I like hearing the show I paid fifteen bucks to enjoy.

Was that at a nighttime show and not a matinee? A 140-minute PG-13 action flick after dinnertime when toddlers should be going to bed and not having their eyes and eardrums blown out does seem pretty ridiculous. If it was a daytime matinee, though, I guess all bets are off.
To save a few bucks back in the old days, I used to go to cheap matinees where a few times that I saw, parents practically let the kids use the theater space as their playground.

I don't care what time of day it is, the first rule of going to the movies is to shut up. If your child doesn't know how to, and you can't find a sitter, you really shouldn't go to the movies. Just don't. People pay to enjoy the film, not your stupid child.

It's a movie about superheroes

How can one enjoy the nuanced performance of the Incredible Hulk with some screaming kid behind you? I am so sorry this happened to you! If I was the theater, I would let you rewatch it in an empty theater so you could fully enjoy the masterpiece without distraction.

Jeez, I'm totally with CSM126. If you're at the movies, shut up.

mfunk9786 wrote:It's a movie about superheroes

And? I'm there to have a good time watching a silly movie. I still don't need some fucking brat screaming over the whole thing.

If I go to a musical I'm not going to be terribly happy if someone in the audience sings at top-voice the whole time. Nor do I enjoy the people who invite themselves to loudly riff movies ala MST3K in the theater. I paid to see a movie, not to listen to other people who find it necessary to entertain themselves.

I don't know - just because you can attend certain public spectacles doesn't mean that you're the ideal audience. I could certainly walk into Sesame Street Live and start telling kids how to act at the theater, but I think I would be kidding myself.

As shitty as that Avengers movie was (it was fucking terrible but that's a whole other thing) I get where CSM is coming from and it shouldn't matter what movie it is. I don't know how many times I've been in a movie with a screaming kid (and it's not like they were kid movies). I wouldn't tell people to not to bring their kids. I've been taking my daughter since she was 2 1/2 and she just sits there and watches and I know there are other kids like that. But if you know your kid is a little shit and will be kicking and screaming or whatever all throughout, don't take them. My son: there is no way in hell I would take him to the movies because it would be godawful for everyone there.

Well sure but Sesame Street Live A) is targeted at toddlers and B) specifically encourages kids to sing and dance in the aisles. If you're invited to do that then yeah, sure. That's what the crowd signed up for. I can't think of the last movie I saw where the audience was told to scream and shout the whole time. I also don't remember PG-13 equating to "bring your toddlers" but I suppose I must be out of the loop. I still remember seeing The Purge with a three year old in the crowd for a near-midnight showing.

I remember seeing Rambo with a 5 year old in the same aisle. Once the enemy or whatever started shooting the innocent villagers and throwing them into the fire, he started to cry his eyes out. At the end, when Rambo started to chew everybody up with a machine gun, he was literally standing up cheering. It was an interesting experience.

I find that informing the parent of the disruption is usually enough. Often times, parents learn to tune their kids out. But if that doesn't work, I then angrily offer to discipline their children for them as they obviously don't know how. This usually results in parents and child leaving the theater.

Jeff wrote:

mfunk9786 wrote:Question relevant to how I'm seeing Mad Max Fury Road tomorrow - has anyone here seen a movie at a UA/Regal 'RPX' auditorium? [apparently this stands for "Regal Premium Experience"] We had access to a discount, so the tickets that'd normally cost, with convenience fees, $19.50 a pop were $13.50 (same price that normal tickets would be) so we decided to give it a shot. Apparently the screen is gigantic and the sound is cranked up to absurd volume levels, which I'm a little intimidated by - but is it really anything that unique in comparison to, say, IMAX?

I've done it a few times, and haven't really found it to be worth the extra money. Even the truly massive RPX screen at the Continental here in Denver doesn't have the same dramatic impact for me that IMAX does. There's something unique about the added height of a true IMAX experience (not those newfangled phony shoebox IMAX auditoriums) and the way it fills your field of vision. The main thing I've noticed with RPX is indeed the "absurd" (almost oppressive) volume level. Still, it sounds like the deal you got brings these close to the price of a regular ticket, and it seems that if ever a movie called for "play it big and loud," this is the one.

So a quick anecdote: I, and a few other vocal people there, bought tickets to the day's only 2D showing of the movie. However, we were handed 3D glasses and a check on Fandango revealed that the screening had changed to 3D, and the one three hours later was now 2D. Myself and another guy asked the manager if we could get refunds, and he explained that "corporate" changed it and there's nothing he could do. He then got quiet, pulled us aside, and asked if those in the theater were all in agreement that 2D would be our preference, and that if we heard any complaints, we'd direct those people to "theater 7" for a 3D presentation. He said, with some pride, that he could manually switch the screening over to 2D before it got started. And he did! Weirdest movie theater experience I have ever had and I'm still going to at least write a strongly worded email to Regal about the bait and switch.

Also: I defy anyone to explain to me how RPX is worth the extra money, especially in this day and age of reclining seating and dine-ins. It wasn't even all that loud.

Hahah, that's awesome. Seriously, FUCK 3D.