Why should we go the theatres? Why we think watching movies with a crowd is more entertaining than isolation at home? I will give my take on these questions by sharing a little bit of my experience at midnight showing of The Room (2003), the poorly received movie that had created a cultural phenomenon for over a decade!
"I did not hit her, it's bulls***. Oh hi Mark!"
"But Johnny is your best friend!"
"Meanville in San Francisco... at night!"
Definitely the greatest crowd that I have ever seen! And I've been to Captain Marvel Opening Night (people were cheering like crazy when the opening logo shows up)!
So, this is a surprising post! I originally wanted to do this right after The Room midnight screening at my local campus theatre "Western Film" back in January, but I just got kind of lazy and put it back for a while. But now, I think it's more necessary than ever to talk about this and show everyone that there's still a crowd for watching movie in theatres!
Starting last Wednesday (April 17), our favourite Canadian movie theatre chain, Cineplex Entertainment, has initiated their newest change (since November 2015) on the SCENE points program, and let's just say it brings out some controversy like their last update. You can earn at least 25% more points now if you buy a ticket (except for 3D regular), but here's the catch, it will now also cost you at least 25% more points to redeem a ticket. For regular 3D showings, it works backwards, the points needed to redeem a ticket and the points that can be earned when buying a ticket are both reduced by one sixth of its original amount. Maybe the following chart will help to explain things more clearly...
Most people have found this SCENE points update as a scam or ripoff, which I'm not surprised of since everyone now are choosing either 2D or premium formats over regular 3D. There's no doubt that this decision will cause some sales to shift to Landmark or worse, causing movie lovers to quit theatres entirely and switch to digital formats.
So why we go to theatres? I think it is important to remind every movie goers that whenever a new change like this is initiated in what is essentially a "theatre fan club". For me, something we have learned from the first class of film studies is that you can't enjoy a movie on a small screen, a larger projector is needed to get all the details.
What is possibly more important than a larger screen is the group interactions. I know sometimes it's frustrating when people are trying to interact with each other or occupy themselves with other things while watching a movie (flashback to someone's overreaction at a late night showing of Bumblebee), but sometimes it can only enhance your experience! Take The Room for example, it is considered as one of the worst films ever made, but over the years, it has generated a cult base so strong that it has become the most requested midnight showing at Western Film. As a result, the movie is now played four times during an academic year, once at the end of the first month of both terms and once at the last midnight screening of both terms.
The first thing that I immediately heard of before coming to the screening was to bring spoons. Apparently, during the screening of The Room, whenever a picture of the spoon in Johnny's apartment is presented on screen, someone would yell "spoon!" and everyone would throw their plastic spoons towards the screen. I brought a box of 40 spoons to the theatre and realized I only need to take 5 out since I can reuse whatever is on the floor in front of me! That was when I feel the crowd's energy and I was truly moved when they are yelling things like "meanville in San Francisco... at night!"
When watching by itself, despite how bad the critics say it is, The Room is just your average, cheaply made, B-list drama/comedy that no one is asking for. But the phenomenon that follows it, including the audience's interaction with it at every single midnight screening, has pushed the movie into an unforgettable part of cinematic cult history. And I won't be that surprised if Criterion decide to include this as a part of their collection someday.
Movies like The Room just show how many movie enthusiasts are there around the globe. Even now for the new releases of an instalment in every major movie franchise, you will always expect a crowd, especially at midnight screening. Every scream, every cheer, every laugh and every round of applause are indicators of the excitement that you can't achieve at home.
There is a reason why theatres have not become a dying medium over a century after the introduction of movie as an art form. My point is, Cineplex may be doing something that are not in favour of all the movie goers out there, but there is no way that this change should affect anyone's habit of enjoying new favourites on the big screen with a crowd that is as passionate as them for whatever they are watching. So if you're planning to wait for a free download of Avengers: Endgame (in theatres now), I suggest you to go to the theatre near you now and see it in the way that all movies are deserved to be seen!
Watch Honest Trailer for The Room here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9cB0TjfIkM
Watch CinemaSins for The Room here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvuwldnG7c0
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