Monday, January 27, 2025
Participate or keep it quiet? Recent sing-alongs tap into larger discussion on moviegoing etiquette
www.thestar.com: As movie theaters worked to entice Americans back into seats after COVID-19 lockdowns and labor strikes, the industry marketed blockbuster films like ” Wicked ” and the dueling releases of “ Barbie ” and “ Oppenheimer ” as no less than cultural events.
But when certain movies become “events” unto themselves, sometimes different behavior accompanies them.
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2 comments:
I both agree and disagree with this article and the opinions within it. Yes, I enjoy dressing up in a theme, singing along, and dancing to different movies and would love to gather my friends in a movie theater and do so. However, I also enjoy sitting in the theater in silence and enjoying the film as it was created without any outside disruptions. I believe that both things can coexist, and that movie theaters can allow for both things to be true and available with the proper policies. I saw Wicked in a regular viewing in the theater for the first time, and enjoyed it because I was fully immersed in the experience. Then I saw it a second time as a singalong, and I enjoyed it because the audience was clearly having fun and there was a sense of community within the theater. I think that for movies like this, which have a clear demand for multiple different viewing opportunities, having an immersive experience and a regular screening is an amazing policy.
My main take away from this article is that we need the Oppenheimer singalong to really get people to show up to theaters. I understand this argument from both sides, because on the one hand I think part of the fun of going to a movie theater is getting to people watch while watching the movie, and if you wanted to sit in a silent dark room and watch a movie, a movie theater just isn't really an ideal place for that. Reactions to a movie are important, I think it's part of what makes theater so fun because part of the experience is that you are in a room of people experiencing the show you are also experiencing. But I also get that people don't want to have to listen to a cacophony of terrible singing. Overall, I’m glad there is a diverse set of options for movie going experiences.
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