Clapping and cheering in the theater - General Discussion Discussion

[–] Kowalski (71503) 16 days ago

I CAN REMEMBER SCATTERED OR LIGHT APPLAUSE AND/OR CHEERING HERE AND THERE OVER THE YEARS...THE MOVIE THAT STAND OUT THAT ENDED WITH LOTS OF BOTH THOUGH WAS AVENGERS:ENDGAME....THE PLACE ERUPTED...MY DAUGHTER GOT A REAL KICK OUT OF THAT.

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[–] fourlemons (393) 16 days ago

Oh I could definitely see that happening with that one! I've gotten a real kick out of hearing an audience erupt too, especially since it happens so rarely.

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[–] M1sterDoct0r (4290) 16 days ago

A few,

Avengers 2012 (more of a raucous laughter)
Endgame 2019
No Way Home 2021
Deadpool & Wolverine 2024

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[–] fourlemons (393) 16 days ago

That's great! I think it adds a whole new level to the experience.

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[–] fourlemons (393) 16 days ago

For me it has happened with 3 movies that I can remember.

1. During Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) when Molly kills Bellatrix there was thunderous cheering and applause and then applause again at the end of the movie.

2. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019) there was clapping and cheering when Manson's minions were killed.

3. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). There was clapping at the end of the movie.

I'm not sure that those spoiler hiders were needed but you never know. 😁

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[–] Kowalski (71503) 16 days ago

OOOH...I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD IN THE THEATRE...I WAS CLAPPING AND CHEERING AT THAT PART ALONE FROM MY SOFA.

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[–] fourlemons (393) 16 days ago

I think I may have even been fist pumping at that scene. For whatever reason I became fascinated with the story of the Manson murders years ago. When we went to theater to see the movie I didn't even know what it was about which just made it even better for me as it unfolded. It was just one of those times I gave in and went to see a movie that Mr. fourlemons liked. 😂

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[–] jriley555 (7903) 16 days ago

It was tremendously satisfying, seeing those rabid murderous hippies get creamed. And it started out with the pit bull clamping on the dude's balls. Per-fect.

Did you see what was on the cans of dog food ?

Wolf's Tooth Brand, Raccoon & Rat flavors

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[–] fourlemons (393) 16 days ago

I somehow overlooked that detail. I guess if that's what I was being fed I'd be mad enough to clamp down on unmentionables, too.

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[–] Mrmojo4700 (21079) 16 days ago

Saving Private Ryan in the theater when Upham shot the German who had been released earlier.

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[–] Kowalski (71503) 16 days ago

UGH...I WANT TO SHOOT HIM AGAIN RIGHT NOW.

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[–] fourlemons (393) 16 days ago

Another movie I still need to see. You've added extra incentive.

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[–] PersistentViewer (2214) 16 days ago

I keep reading that it happens in American audiences, but I've never experienced it.

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[–] fourlemons (393) 16 days ago

My experience is that it has been very rare for me here in the US.

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[–] overseas7 (4001) 16 days ago

I have experienced it a lot in Spain. Here in Germany just one time, at the beginning of the The phanthom menace " in the year 1999.

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[–] ColumboKate (5529) 16 days ago

This seems a very American thing, but I remember going to watch The Full Monty to a fully packed screening. Everyone stood up and cheered and clapped at the end. Never experienced this before or afterwards. It usually only happens in actual theatre productions with actors present, not at a cinema.

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[–] PersistentViewer (2214) 16 days ago

That's my feeling as well.

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[–] fourlemons (393) 16 days ago

It's rarity makes it that much more meaningful and memorable. 🙂

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[–] VinceD (8912) 16 days ago

I remember watching 'Under Siege' (1992), of all movies, in theaters as a kid and the audience cheering when the bad guys received their comeuppance.

More recently, the audience cheered when Andrew Garfield and Toby MacGuire showed up in the last Spiderman film.

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[–] fourlemons (393) 16 days ago

Enjoying watching the bad guys get what's coming to them is a common theme for cheers here. I guess because the bad guy doesn't always get what's coming to him in reality it's super satisfying to see it on film.

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[–] MaximRecoil (4515) 16 days ago

Quite a few times, but I don't remember which specific ones. I've never clapped for a movie. It doesn't even make sense, since the movie obviously has no awareness of applause or anything else. Applause is a form of communication, but who are you communicating with at a movie theater? Other people in the audience? They didn't have anything to do with the thing you're applauding, unless there are cast/crew members attending. Speaking of which, one time Stephen King was beside me in line at the Bangor Mall theater to see Misery (1990). I guess it would have made sense to clap during that particular showing.

My little sister used to clap at the end of movies on TV at home when we were kids, which was wicked annoying.

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[–] fourlemons (393) 16 days ago

That's pretty cool that you were beside Stephen King. Did you say anything to him? I would have been afraid to but I would have thought it was cool.

Perhaps the clapping is sometimes a manifestation of relief and euphoria that a highly anticipated movie, especially one that is part of a series, wasn't crap.

And I guess sometimes cheering at particularly satisfying scenes can be a way of experiencing the moment together with fellow audience members. One of those special shared humanity moments.

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[–] MaximRecoil (4515) 16 days ago

No, I didn't say anything to him. I wouldn't have noticed him except I heard people murmuring around me, "That's Stephen King." I looked around to see what people were talking about and he was standing to my left, slightly behind me, with his wife Tabitha, and wearing pink Converse All-Stars. What really surprised me, having never seen him in real life before, but only on local TV and his cameos in movies based on his books, was how big he was. I wasn't at my full adult height yet because I was only 15, almost 16, but I was 6' 0", which is taller than average, and he not only towered above me, but he had a rather big frame too.

It used to be common to see him out and about, especially in book stores and at the Bangor public library. Lots of people I know have seen him multiple times, and he even used to allow random trick-or-treaters at his house in Bangor on Halloween, and would answer the door himself. But I live about 45 minutes away from Bangor and have never gone there very often, so that was the only time I've ever seen him in real life.

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[–] fourlemons (393) 16 days ago

Interestingly, the one place I've been in Maine is Bangor. I went there when I was 13 and stayed at the university there for a summer program. Stephen King didn't come visit me while I was there, though.

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[–] MaximRecoil (4515) 16 days ago

Are you sure it was Bangor and not Orono (University of Maine)? Orono is very close to Bangor, something like 4 miles away on the interstate, and they have, or had, a summer program there called Upward Bound. My older brother went to Upward Bound there at least once when he was around 14 years old.

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[–] fourlemons (393) 15 days ago

Oops! Yes! It was Orono, not Bangor. I'm not sure how I got that confused in my head but it has been a few decades. The program wasn't Upward Bound though. It was a bunch of people convening at the University for a handbell festival from all over the country.

Someday if someone posts a thread called "Public televised handbell humiliation" I'll share more about my illustrious teenage handbell career. Shouldn't be long as that's a pretty common message board topic.

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