As an independent film producer admitted last weekend at the Middleburg Film Festival, when asked what he thought the audience was for one of his films, “I don’t really think about the audience when I’m producing a film. Maybe I should.”
—Critic’s notebook: ‘Interstellar’s’ sonic soup or: How auteurs diss their audiences
I imagine movie producers who want to produce blockbusters think about their audience, but they certainly don’t think of people like me — people who don’t like loud noises but do like clear dialog. It’s been years since I’ve seen a movie in a theater, and even then I wore ear plugs plus industrial-strength ear protectors.
I do sometimes watch movies using Netflix, so I can set the volume to a comfortable level, and if it’s hard to understand the dialog I turn on Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
I like movies and TV programs that are more about the characters than about action and special effects. What about you? Do you go to many movies? If so, what kind do you like?
November 8, 2014
We haven’t gone to many movies in recent year. Our locally owned theater was not kept up very well, even though it has 13 screens. It was dirty, nasty, and falling apart, so if we wanted to see a movie in a theater, we would go to Conway or Little Rock and make a day of it.
When we got back from our trip, we discovered that the theater had been purchased by an outside theater company and was being extensively renovated — to the tune of several million dollars and that 6 of the theaters had already been finished in under two months from time of purchase. We haven’t been to see anything yet, even though it’s only $6 a ticket.
We tend to like action movies – war, scifi, action-adventure.
$6 a ticket is fairly inexpensive. Here it’s
Adults: $9.50
Seniors (60 and over): $7.50
Matinees are less expensive, 3-D more. Our theater really close. Just walk down to the end of our apartments and through their parking lot and there it is.
Do you really mean “we” like action movies – war, scifi, action-adventure?Sounds more like male thing.
Actually, bikehikebabe, yes, WE do. When we go to the movies, there’s seldom any discussion over what to see. I look to see what’s playing, identify what I prefer to see and then ask Karen what she wants to see, usually without telling her my choice. She generally picks the same one.
IF we ever went downtown to a movie, yes, we had to wear ear protectors. I understand the problem now. When you’re (really) old your hearing diminishes. ONE person complains so they increase the volume. Now everyone has to suffer. 😀
I doubt very much that they’re increasing the volume for old folks. 🙂
OK –Young people have ruined their hearing with loud music?
Or they ruined their hearing with loud movies & their motorcycles.
They ruin their hearing because they like loud music/noises.
http://www.eventcinemas.co.nz/
this a major chain in my region but there are also independents and others…
Seniors have special pricing, usually on weekdays…
I’ve not been to many movies of late, but I have a friend who is into these and shows and if not available DVDs and the like. He is a real movie buff, acting people and so on…
I used to go with him, but I really have no understanding of the making history and in the end I didn’t enjoy the movie. I’m there for sheer pleasure.
The first time I went to one of the new 3D movies was a few years ago when Bobby and I changed our Xmas Day outing because it was raining…the theatre was full-as – many nationalities that do not celebrate Xmas Day…and it was fun. We saw the Life of Pi – I often though the tiger was going to end up in my lap!
As I recall the last movie I saw was a Harry Potter, in 3-D. It was impressive, even though that’s not really my kind of movie.
I think it’s neat that not everyone celebrates Xmas. That means not everything closes up for the day.
I mostly go for comedies.
I like stuff that is character driven.
The blockbusters I don’t even bother thinking about any more. Comics never appealed to me, I don’t know why – they just don’t and neither do the comics style movies (blockbusters).
I used to like comedies too, but not slapstick, ones with likeable characters. Now I mostly watch TV series on Netflix, especially ones about doctors, lawyers, or mysteries. Again with likeable characters and an ongoing story line about them in addition to the story of the week.
I definitely go for interesting characters, and I’m frustrated when those characters aren’t drawn deeply enough. I just went to the new David Cronenberg movie “Maps To The Stars”, which features a deranged young woman who ends up murdering her Hollywood-actress employer. But there just wasn’t enough about why she was so unhinged and what finally made her snap. So I came out of the cinema feeling a bit short-changed.
Sound levels here seem okay to me, nothing excessive. And prices? The cinema we usually go to charges £6.50, or £5 for concessions. Dirt cheap compared with London.
I like TV series with likeable characters because you really get to know them. At the moment I’m watching NCIS from library DVDs. I like DVDs or internet streaming because you can start and stop them whenever you like. I don’t like to sit, and I hate being a captive audience.
I have begun to catch up with decades of being away from going to the movies by going to theaters as well as getting DVDs to watch old movies recommended by someone or the other. I see all kinds and in three languages, English, Hindi and Tamil and the only genres I don’t see are Horror, SciFi and Fantasy.
It’s great that you have so many choices now. 🙂
I am losing my hearing but am also sensitive to too-loud sounds. The two conditions can coexist. I find it easier to watch at home when I can adjust my hearing aids and the sound level so that the dialogue is clear but the sound not so loud as to make me cringe. However, I have discovered many films, genres or series that I might not have done otherwise, such as the British “Foyle’s War” detective series and Ikiru, one of Japanese movies in Hulu’s Criterion collection. It’s not all bad, is it?
Foyle’s War is one of my all-time favorites. I haven’t watched Ikiru yet, but thanks to you I looked it up and have put it in my Netflix queue. At the moment between Netflix discs I’m watching NCIS from the library, which has the whole collection. No subtitles except for Season Three, but I mostly can hear enough to enjoy it.
I don’t miss not going to movies. As you say, there are plenty of choices at home, and I don’t like to sit — I exercise while I watch. It’s great having things to enjoy while I do it.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!