Favorite Movie Theater Experiences

[Cheesebeef]

Was thinking about this in the new Jurassic thread and thought I'd start one that's about your favorite theater experiences that are burned in your brain. So, this is all about the what/where/why this moment made such an impact. Here's my top 5, or at least the ones that automatically come to mind:

1. RISKY BUSINESS: to set the stage, I was 7 years old and me, Ouchie, Brother Not Ouchie and our older Cousin all wanted to go see Vacation, but our parents heard there was a naked girl in a pool in the movie and that was going to be too adult for me to see at that age. So, my cousin pivoted to... Risky Business, which my parents had no clue was a movie about a high school kid running a prostitution ring. We saw it opening Saturday at The Orpheum Theater in Evanston, Illinois, which was this awesome, old school theater with a second deck balcony, where we sat in the aisleI because the theater was so packed. For over half of the movie, Ouchie kept my eyes covered, but the moment that stays burned in my brain is Joel getting out of the interview with Harvard that goes bad and he walks out and Lana asks how it went. When Cruise put on the sunglasses and said "Looks like it's gonna be University of Illinois", the theater collectively ROARED in approval in a way that I'd never heard before nor heard since. And in that one moment, I think I became the cinefile/writer i was born to be.

When we got back to my parents that night, they asked how the movie was and my response was "It was the best movie I never saw!"

2. BATMAN (1989) - Again, with Ouchie... i was a little older but, like everyone else in America, was DYING to see this and Ouchie took me and my other cousin with him and his frat brothers to the midnight screening on Thursday night (when they actually used to do Midnight Midnight screenings). People were so pumped for that movie and the electricity waiting in line was palpable. Moment burned in brain was during the climax when the Batwing flies through the clouds and stops perfectly in front of the moon for a moment. That was the second loudest I've ever heard a crowd roar.

3. DEEP BLUE SEA (1999) - Yes, maybe this isn't to the level of Batman/Risky Business classic movie, but my friends and I got super high and were supposed to go see 6th Sense... but ended up being totally late (shocker). So, we just wandered into DBS which we'd also missed the first ten minutes of but walked in right when a shark passed through the screen and that was all we needed. We were totally hooked with how stupidly awesome this movie was and then Sam Jackson's speech started... and for those who know, you know what comes next. Well, we had no clue at the time and it MURDERED us. We DIED laughing once that shark came out and ate him, like, literally falling out of our chairs, rolling on the floor (i think there was only like three other people in the entire theater besides the 5 of us).

And there was a follow up for this story at home - at least a decade later, me and brother Not Ouchie were watching this at my parents house and my Mom walked in right before Jackson speech. Now, Mom had never seen this and was always all about people coming together and rallying spirit around each other and so he's giving the speech and she starts pumping her fist saying "Yes! Yes! Yes!" and then literally SCREAMED when the Shark attack came and my brother and I just died laughing again at how bad that moment nailed her.

4. T2 - another midnight premiere with Ouchie at Town And Country. One, I just remember how in awe of the movie I was from the jump and then the moment when the orderly licks Sarah's face when she's strapped down, some dude just yelled: "YOU SLIME!" I don't know why that stuck with me so much, but it was hilarious at the time and remains that way in my memory.

Okay folks - your turn!

 

[TRW]

1) I don't remember the movies but dropped acid and went to a triple horror movie night at the drive-in. First movie went by and nothing. Thought "man we got ripped off". Went to the snack bar and got popcorn and it hit right when I was paying. Tripped out for about 8 hours with my buddies.

2) First Star Wars movie was so amazing. It was such a trip, I was NOT dropping acid by this time, that I was in total awe at the opening sequence.

3) Another mind blowing movie was Jurassic Park. Amazing!

Lots of other drunk teenager stuff at the drive-ins back in the day, banging my girlfriend/future wife/ex-wife during the Poseidon Adventure. Aw....good times...

 

[Chaplin]

1) Jurassic Park -- the moment in the jeep where they first see the dinosaurs -- made me want to become a filmmaker.

2) Gladiator at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. What an experience!

3) The Matrix at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood -- it was my first experience at the Chinese after moving to L.A. in the late 90s. In fact, there are a few theater experiences at the Chinese that stand out -- like The Exorcist director's cut and the World Premiere of Monster's Ball.

4) Indiana Jones Trilogy at the Egyptian. Nothing like sitting in a theater for 3 straight movies that are so well loved. A lot of cosplay as well.

5) My single best theater experience didn't have much to do with the movies themselves. It was at the Director's Guild screening room in Hollywood. They would do double features for members and I got the chance to go to one -- the Bond movie Die Another Day was the first movie, followed by Gangs of New York. During the first movie, I sat 2 seats down from Weird Al Yankovic, but he moved for the 2nd movie. After Gangs was finished, there was an interview with Martin Scorsese on-stage, and the interviewer was... Steven Spielberg! By far the best theater moment I've ever had.

I've also seen my favorite film of all time, Seven Samurai, a couple times, mainly at the NuArt in Santa Monica.

 

[Covert Rain]

Mine.

1) Star Wars - simply has to be at the top of the list. I was was in awe the first time I watched a Star Wars film. To be more specific, it was Star Wars Empire Strikes back in terms of a theater experience. I didn't see the original in the theater until the first re-release. I was as the premier of Star Wars Empire Strikes back at the Cine Capri. My brother won tickets and took his best friend and let me tag along. i just remember standing in that line for hours waiting to get in and then when we got to the lobby, they had all these figures behind glass. This movie was better than the original for me and it wasn't even close.

2) T2 - This movie was truly a mega blockbuster. There are very few sequels that I think are better than the original and this is one of them. The FX with the T2 were unreal. I had an uncle that was so obsessed with this movie he went to see it about 5 or 6 times with different family members. Seeing Sarah Conner jacked to me was a huge moment for badass woman on film as well. She wasn't just a character but a true lead along with one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

3) Jurassic Park - was a watershed moment for both FX and Sound. Despite the amazing FX of the movies above, Jurassic park changed everything in the industry. For the first time things I had only imagined (and seen poor previous attempts) all of the sudden looked real on screen. I loved dinosaurs as a kid. Even though it had inaccuracies it was the first time I felt like my imagination of what they might have looked like was surpassed but what I was seeing. Plus, my story about my old girlfriend making me see something else opening weekend I will never forget. Plus the introduction of DTS sounds system which changed sound in Theaters forever.

4) The Matrix - let's face it. Simply put, one of the coolest movies to ever grace the screen. It didn't matter if you understood the concept. It didn't matter if you found it hard to follow. It simply has some of the most memorable scenes ever put on screen. So much so, you still see memes and references to it today. Bullet time FX was one of the most amazing things ever invented. Full stop.

5) Saving Private Ryan - this movie has a special place in my heart because of my grandfather who was there on the beach and he also fought in Bastogne. He was wounded by a grenade thrown into his foxhole. Decades later he died from shrapnel they couldn't remove and it caused an aneurysm later in his life. He didn't talk about it that much but when he did I never imagined what he went through until Saving Private Ryan. Truly one of the most impactful movies I have ever seen. That scene on the beach literally had me dead silent. I couldn't stop thinking about it for months. My mother to this day can't watch that scene because of the stories he told her.

6) Toy Story - I know it's a kid film but from the first trailer, my friends and I couldn't wait to see this movie. We literally had not seen anything like. Even though later Toy Story films far surpass it with realism, at the time, we were just mesmerized seeing toys come to life in CGI like that. Truly a game changer in kids animated films.

6) MCU - This hard because there are several good films but more specifically Avengers (original), Infinity War, End Game and Spiderman No Way Home because all of those movies had moments that defined the entire franchise. The first movie I remember everybody saying Whedon couldn't pull it off. The studio was nervous, many people hated the Hulk's previous usage. I mean it had everything stacked up against it. Yet, I heard a thunderous applause at the end of that movie. The gasp by the audience after the SNAP in Infinity War was unforgettable. I looked around and people literally had their hands over their mouths. The scene in the End Game where all hope appears lost, Cap controlling Thor's Hammer and the scene with Tony. I have never seen a louder and more reactive audience during a movie. Spiderman No Way Home comes close when the audience reacted to the other Peter Parker's appearing. The theater was cheering so loud, I missed the immediate dialogue after and didn't know what they said until I went to see it again.

7) Again, this is hard and there are so many I am leaving off the list that get honorable mention for a good theater experience for the spectacle of it all. Gladiator, Brave Heart, Titanic, Indian Jones, Back to the Future franchise, The original Batman films, The Nolan Batman films. Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter franchise, Bond Films, Star Trek franchise, Aliens franchise, Die Hard, X-Men and Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. I know I am missing several.

 

[Stout]

Bram Stoker's Dracula. First movie I ever had to wait in line for. I didn't even know that was a thing! I had to practically threaten my parents to let me borrow the car. All fire codes were broken because every seat was filled and people were sitting on the floor in the aisles. And what a movie!

 

[Covert Rain]

Bram Stoker's Dracula. First movie I ever had to wait in line for. I didn't even know that was a thing! I had to practically threaten my parents to let me borrow the car. All fire codes were broken because every seat was filled and people were sitting on the floor in the aisles. And what a movie!

One of my best friends, who passed away, got us towards the front of the line to see this movie. We arrived late and the line was around the building. We were going to get crappy seats. However, being who he was (just a ham who everybody loved) he simply said.."watch this". We all thought "oh no". Had no clue what he was going to do but thought for sure we were getting kicked.

He proceeded to stand in the opposite direction of everyone in line, then slowly walked backwards. He occasionally apologized and would strike up a quick conversation like he belonged at that spot. Before we knew it, he had worked his way towards the front of the line. I to this day have no idea how that worked or how he managed not to get one person mad at him. I came to find out much later from another friend he had successfully pulled that off before.

Then we got inside the theater he struck up a conversation with these girls sitting in front of us. He had them laughing and casually starting eating out of their popcorn bin. They never batted an eye. He used to do crazy stuff like this all the time and had a knack for pulling stuff off like this without anybody ever getting mad at him. Everybody absolutely loved the guy. Man I miss him.

The other memory I have is during one of the scenes in the film it melted. It came during one of the intense scenes and those same girls screamed. He offered to come sit with them until they fixed it and we were all laughing our heads off. The timing of the melt was almost so perfect it seemed like it was part of the movie. LOL.

 

[Covert Rain]

By the way...great idea @Cheesebeef. This kind of stuff above is why I hope the Theater business doesn't die. The experiences I have had above never would have happened otherwise. Great thread!

 

[Cheesebeef]

One of my best friends, who passed away, got us towards the front of the line to see this movie. We arrived late and the line was around the building. We were going to get crappy seats. However, being who he was (just a ham who everybody loved) he simply said.."watch this". We all thought "oh no". Had no clue what he was going to do but thought for sure we were getting kicked.

He proceeded to stand in the opposite direction of everyone in line, then slowly walked backwards. He occasionally apologized and would strike up a quick conversation like he belonged at that spot. Before we knew it, he had worked his way towards the front of the line. I to this day have no idea how that worked or how he managed not to get one person mad at him. I came to find out much later from another friend he had successfully pulled that off before.

Then we got inside the theater he struck up a conversation with these girls sitting in front of us. He had them laughing and casually starting eating out of their popcorn bin. They never batted an eye. He used to do crazy stuff like this all the time and had a knack for pulling stuff off like this without anybody ever getting mad at him. Everybody absolutely loved the guy. Man I miss him.

He sounded like he had vampiric powers himself… and that his, was a great loss.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

By the way...great idea @Cheesebeef. This kind of stuff above is why I hope the Theater business doesn't die. The experiences I have had above never would have happened otherwise. Great thread!

I like that his experiences (and other posters, too) are remembered the same over the years.

https://www.arizonasportsfans.com/forum/threads/your-favorite-movie-theater-experiences.327479 - especially loved when his grandma took him to see Eddie Murphy's Raw back in the day.

 

[Covert Rain]

I like that his experiences (and other posters, too) are remembered the same over the years.

https://www.arizonasportsfans.com/forum/threads/your-favorite-movie-theater-experiences.327479 - especially loved when his grandma took him to see Eddie Murphy's Raw back in the day.

Forgot about that thread. Man...how could I have left off my Gemini Man movie moment on this thread. You have a good memory Brian.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I like that his experiences (and other posters, too) are remembered the same over the years.

https://www.arizonasportsfans.com/forum/threads/your-favorite-movie-theater-experiences.327479 - especially loved when his grandma took him to see Eddie Murphy's Raw back in the day.

Oh man… how could I forget Grandma taking me to Raw!? Or that I already made this thread?! (actually thought I might have but was too lazy to look up).

 

[Covert Rain]

Oh man… how could I forget Grandma taking me to Raw!? Or that I already made this thread?! (actually thought I might have but was too lazy to look up).

You know it's funny how memory works. For some reason, I likely remembered more detail this time than last time this question was asked. I remember that day at Dracula vividly today for some reason.

 

[oaken1]

For me...each hit me a different way.

Avatar was the first movie I ever saw in IMAX 3D...it was amazing. I was not only in awe but several times I reached out my hand to touch the alien things floating in the air..like an idiot. But that movie absolutely stunned me.

Star Trek.
Growing up in the eighties you were either a Star Wars geek or a Trekkie..it was a cultural war...
I had always been a Star Wars geek. I mean, of course I watched the trek movies with the original cast...but it wasn't Star Wars.
But this new crew. The casting was near perfect. Right off the bat they established an alternate timeliness paradox so they didn't have to be exactly like the original.
That moment. The moment when the kid climbs up from the canyon wall and ,standing firm, announces...my name is James Tiberius Kirk! ... dudes, it made me cry. I never expected the emotional impact that movie had on me. When I walked out of the theater I was definitely a Trekkie.

The MCU
Because finally the world got to see these characters the way I have since 1972.
Once that happened the world became just as enamored with them as I have always been.

 

[Cardsmasochist]

My wife and I spent a couple of days in L.A. on our way to Hawaii for our honeymoon. We went to see the Panic Room at Mann’s Chinese Theater. The movie was ok but the theater was very cool.

Saw the original Star Wars movie for the first time at a drive in just outside of Chicago

The Hateful Eight had beautiful cinematography and was worth seeing on the big screen for that reason alone

 

[Cheesebeef]

My wife and I spent a couple of days in L.A. on our way to Hawaii for our honeymoon. We went to see the Panic Room at Mann’s Chinese Theater. The movie was ok but the theater was very cool.

Saw the original Star Wars movie for the first time at a drive in just outside of Chicago

The Hateful Eight had beautiful cinematography and was worth seeing on the big screen for that reason alone

Chinese Theater is my all-time favorite theater with the FOX Theater in Westwood a close second.

 

[GatorAZ]

Sixth Sense
Cast Away
Inglorious Basterds
Superbad (pissed myself)
Social Network

 

[Suns_fan69]

Fun thread!

I don't know if this is a favorite, but I went to Event Horizon on mushrooms and it was by far the most memorable movie watching experience. It was scarring in a way that I still can't shake; I haven't been able to watch it in it's entirety since. I was tripping balls and had to 'go for a pee' at least twice during the movie to calm myself down but not look bad in front of my friends. Sam Neill is the devil as far as I'm concerned.

Mad Max Fury Road. This was right in the height of the (latest) 3D movie craze and I was engrossed from the first minute to the last. The action, pacing, and world had me glued to the seat and I wish they put it back in theatres so I can relive it on big screen/sound.

 

[Cheesebeef]

oh... one more.

2022 - THE FABLEMANS. Probably seems like a bit of an odd choice, but this one was special, not necessarily because of the movie, but the way and why we saw it. Mom was in her 3rd year fighting cancer and because of covid/her really weakened state being severly immunocompromised due to non-stop chemo, her and my father hadn't gone to the movies in over 3 years. And these were two-time a week movie-goers for the previous two decades, who often lamented missing the experience of going to the movies and splitting a huge soda and a big bag of movie popcorn with lots of salt and butter.

So, for her birthday, me, Ouchie and Bro Not Ouchie surprised her by renting an entire theater and taking them to see The Fableman's. And for a woman who's entire life revolved around building the most incredible family ever and also teaching classes to help others to do the same, a family drama about maintaining love in the face of adversity couldn't have been a better movie for her if I scripted it myself. I had to hold back bittersweet tears at times, watching them get their drinks and movie popcorn like gleeful little kids, comfortably sitting in a big theater with no masks to hide the huge smiles on their faces, with just me and Ouchie next to them, sitting comfortably in recliners. The five years she battled with cancer were incredibly hard, so those smiles are burned into my brain as it was one of the rare and last nights of "normalcy" our family got to share and a celebration to remember.

 

[Cardsmasochist]

oh... one more.

2022 - THE FABLEMANS. Probably seems like a bit of an odd choice, but this one was special, not necessarily because of the movie, but the way we saw it. Mom was in his 3rd year fighting cancer and because of her really weakened state being severly immunocompromised due to non-stop chemo, her and my father hadn't gone to the movies in over 3 years. And these were two-time a week movie-goers for the previous two decades, who often lamented missing the experience of getting a soda and a big bag of movie popcorn with lots of salt and butter.

So, for her birthday, me, Ouchie and Bro Not Ouchie surprised her by renting an entire theater and taking them to see The Fableman's. And for a woman who's entire life revolved around building the most incredible family ever but also teaching others to do the same, a family drama about maintaining love in the face of adversity couldn't have been a better movie for her if I scripted it myself. I had to hold back bittersweet tears at times, watching them get their drink and movie popcorn and comfortably sitting in a big theater with no masks to hide the huge smiles on their faces. The five years she battled with cancer were incredibly hard, so those smiles are burned into my brain as it was one of the rare and last nights of "normalcy" and more important a celebration to remember.

Thank you for sharing your wonderful story about your mom. I’m sure you will cherish those memories

 

[Devilmaycare]

I'm not thinking of too many specific movie examples. What really comes to mind for me is more of a conglomerate memory of the old Cine Capri with its big auditorium and waiting in line for the big summer blockbusters at it. Things like when ID4, the SW special editions, Batman, etc. there. It was my go to for the big movies that I wanted the special treatment for. It's been 27 years now and I'm still bummed over it. I would have loved to have seen things like LotR or the MCU in it. The Scottsdale 101 version just isn't the same.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I'm not thinking of too many specific movie examples. What really comes to mind for me is more of a conglomerate memory of the old Cine Capri with its big auditorium and waiting in line for the big summer blockbusters at it. Things like when ID4, the SW special editions, Batman, etc. there. It was my go to for the big movies that I wanted the special treatment for. It's been 27 years now and I'm still bummed over it. I would have loved to have seen things like LotR or the MCU in it. The Scottsdale 101 version just isn't the same.

You are 100% correct. Nothing has ever replaced that experience. Loved going to the real Cine Capri when it existed.

 

[oaken1]

I'm not thinking of too many specific movie examples. What really comes to mind for me is more of a conglomerate memory of the old Cine Capri with its big auditorium and waiting in line for the big summer blockbusters at it. Things like when ID4, the SW special editions, Batman, etc. there. It was my go to for the big movies that I wanted the special treatment for. It's been 27 years now and I'm still bummed over it. I would have loved to have seen things like LotR or the MCU in it. The Scottsdale 101 version just isn't the same.

I have similar feelings about The State Theater out here. It's closed.
It had flat floors...a huge red velvet curtain with gold trim...and an actual stage...
Even in the front row you were 30 feet or so from the screen.
Saw the Space Mountain movies there..and The Black Hole...The Incredible Melting Man...Scanners...
The concession workers wore red and white striped shirts that matched the popcorn buckets.
On Saturdays the Matinee was .50 cents...so we always went on Saturday morning

 

[UncleChris]

I have similar feelings about The State Theater out here. It's closed.
It had flat floors...a huge red velvet curtain with gold trim...and an actual stage...
Even in the front row you were 30 feet or so from the screen.
Saw the Space Mountain movies there..and The Black Hole...The Incredible Melting Man...Scanners...
The concession workers wore red and white striped shirts that matched the popcorn buckets.
On Saturdays the Matinee was .50 cents...so we always went on Saturday morning

We had the exact same set up at the Elco theater in Northern Indiana. Plus, ushers!

 

[cardncubfan]

Little Big Man at the drive-in
Jaws in a movie theater
Star Wars in a movie theater

all from my childhood

 

[Dan H]

Top three were all at the old Cine Capri. It was within walking distance of the apartments my best friend and I lived in, so we hit it up as often as possible when the movies weren’t at Collonade.

1) Star Trek: Generations. James Doohan was on hand, signing autographs in the lobby. He had rows of airline Scotch bottles on the table and he was drunk off his ass. Picard shot a Borg with a Tommy Gun. Best movie ever.

2) Twister. Amazing on that huge screen.

3) Braveheart. Same - the thunder of hooves during the charge at the Battle of Stirling was epic.