"In the middle, to the side" if "to the side" means "aisle."
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 29 June 2014 12:31 (nine years ago) link
Depends on how crowded it is. If it's a sparsely attended show where I can sit in the middle-middle without crawling over 12 people, I do that. Otherwise, I look for an aisle (and if my kids are with me, always the aisle). Allows easy egress for bathroom breaks if needed, plus also I just don't like being surrounded.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 29 June 2014 13:06 (nine years ago) link
front-middle aisle.
― Riot In #9 Dream (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 29 June 2014 13:18 (nine years ago) link
Middle-middle when I can, middle-aisle when I can't.
― How Suarez's biting affects housing prices, in 3 charts (WilliamC), Sunday, 29 June 2014 13:29 (nine years ago) link
middle aisle
― Iago Galdston, Sunday, 29 June 2014 13:42 (nine years ago) link
Prefer the back but it depends on the cinema. Sometimes the front can be the only place because of the height (screenings at art galleries).
― xyzzzz__, Sunday, 29 June 2014 13:58 (nine years ago) link
front
― Neanderthal, Sunday, 29 June 2014 14:21 (nine years ago) link
back?
― Neanderthal, Sunday, 29 June 2014 14:22 (nine years ago) link
side to side
outside of not sitting in the first few rows cos I dislike sore neck, I generally base it on the following:
1) scan audience for loud, annoying people - sit at minimum of three rows away2) scan audience for children - must sit at minimum of five rows away3) scan audience for people with "KEEP CALM" t-shirts; find another theatre
― Neanderthal, Sunday, 29 June 2014 14:25 (nine years ago) link
Middle, left aisle--most suited to my eyes.
― clemenza, Sunday, 29 June 2014 14:49 (nine years ago) link
(And yes, xpost--be aware of who's in the immediate proximity, do some preemptive glaring if necessary.)
― clemenza, Sunday, 29 June 2014 14:51 (nine years ago) link
And if someone throws popcorn in your face for complaining about their phone use, don't shoot them!
― Iago Galdston, Sunday, 29 June 2014 14:58 (nine years ago) link
I do my best to keep other people out of my field of vision, so that's usually pretty close. If there are seats with a railing in front of them (opposed to other seats) I take that, since I like to put my feet up.
― ryan, Sunday, 29 June 2014 14:58 (nine years ago) link
haha yeah me too. I have long legs and bad posture, so that's always a go-to.
I also try to find one close to the exit cuz I often have soda to prevent falling asleep (dunno why but I have this problem in theatres) and thus always have to pee during the flick
― Neanderthal, Sunday, 29 June 2014 15:05 (nine years ago) link
No room for "it depends" in polls but I tried to include as many options as I could. To the side here = I have a preference for aisle seats, and if there isn't an aisle down the middle I will sit off to the side. I don't think anyone is particularly attached to viewing films at an oblique angle.
Me: back, middle. Always.
― fraudulent octuplets of the moment, yon californian-ass mother (wins), Sunday, 29 June 2014 15:06 (nine years ago) link
the one 'true' IMAX in O-town has no middle aisle, which is aggravating on days when its full. it's basically one big, gigantic aisle, so if you got there early to get prime seats so you could sit dead center and then you get the runs suddenly, you have to climb over people in either direction and then down a huge staircase to get back out. though the rows aren't as jammed together so there's a little more leg room than in the classic theater. and to be honest it's still the most badass in town.
― Neanderthal, Sunday, 29 June 2014 15:11 (nine years ago) link
sub 'row' for the second instance of 'aisle'
and also that should have said "climb over 25 people". guh
middle-middle if it's some cavernous imax theater, back-middle otherwise. the theater i go to now in athens has assigned seating, you pick out yr seats when you buy yr ticket online beforehand, which is great cuz now if it's some movie that's gonna be packed on opening weekend you don't have to get there early to get decent seats and you don't have to have someone save seats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx4N8vGbs8I
― balls, Sunday, 29 June 2014 15:44 (nine years ago) link
front middle. 3-4 rows from the front usually -- the very front row is hard on the neck.
― Rrrhhhh (abanana), Sunday, 29 June 2014 16:19 (nine years ago) link
otm. One time went to meet a friend to see Quiz Show, but for some reason forgot to get on line so we ended up having to sit in the very first row which had the dual unpleasant effects of exposing us to a visible icy draft coming from the emergency door and grotesquely distending the image so that the actors look like pear-shaped monsters who had been costumed to a man in homage to David Byrne's "big suit" look.
― Riot In #9 Dream (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 29 June 2014 16:39 (nine years ago) link
reserved seating is great but then my worry always becomes 'aw great is some P.O.S. gonna be sittin' in my seat now'?
― Neanderthal, Sunday, 29 June 2014 16:52 (nine years ago) link
yeah that was my concern initially, that i was gonna have to be the petty asshole that cares that much about where they sit but so far that hasn't been an issue
― balls, Sunday, 29 June 2014 16:55 (nine years ago) link
we only have two theatres here which use reserved seating, one of which is an AMC 'Fork 'n Screen' where that wouldn't be as much of an issue, and the other a dinner movie theatre, which I haven't been to since they went to assigned seating. Mostly basing my paranoia on my experience at Orlando Magic games, where the average beginning to an evening consisted of:
"Hey bro, I believe that's my seat..."'whuh? Nah man, see, says seat 3 right here'"What row?"'T'"This is Row B"'ahh for real, I was for sure this was where the usher pointed me?'
― Neanderthal, Sunday, 29 June 2014 16:57 (nine years ago) link
the other reason I like reserved seating = having to avoid the constant asking of "ARE THESE SAVED? ARE THESE SAVED?", as someone ropes off 8 seats for friends that haven't shown up yet and are likely going to be 20 mins late.
― Neanderthal, Sunday, 29 June 2014 16:58 (nine years ago) link
yeah at a movie theater if it wasn't crowded i'd probably just think 'o well we'll sit somewhere else' whereas at a sporting event i'd definitely be 'MOVE MOTHERFUCKER'
― balls, Sunday, 29 June 2014 17:32 (nine years ago) link
front two or three rows to the side (i hate myself and want to etc), pref in a row w/out other ppl - when companions i go to movies with insist on seats further way, i always find the effect too distancing - i want that enveloping experience
― sʌxihɔːl (Ward Fowler), Sunday, 29 June 2014 18:02 (nine years ago) link
I saw a reissue of Blue Velvet around 2002 where I was the only person in the cinema for most of the film, seeing films with other people always felt like a bit of a letdown after that
― soref, Sunday, 29 June 2014 18:49 (nine years ago) link
I usually go to movies in the morning (10 a.m. yesterday) so I don't often worry about crowds.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 29 June 2014 18:50 (nine years ago) link
heh, for a spell last year I kept going to late movies at the theatre 3 miles from my house cos it's situated in a low-traffic mall and often I almost had the theatre to myself cos nobody likes going there late nights. it felt like a private theatre w/ comfy seats.
― Neanderthal, Sunday, 29 June 2014 18:51 (nine years ago) link
I try and sit somewhere that close to the exit so I can run out at the end of the film because I hate making eye contact with other people as we leave the cinema, also hate the idea of them forming opinions about me based on my appearance + what movie we've been watching
― soref, Sunday, 29 June 2014 19:01 (nine years ago) link
I don't literally run, but I try to leave quickly
― soref, Sunday, 29 June 2014 19:02 (nine years ago) link
welcome to my sexual habits
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 29 June 2014 19:02 (nine years ago) link
I prefer empty theatres because when I finish with the popcorn tub, it's tossed up and back
― Neanderthal, Sunday, 29 June 2014 19:18 (nine years ago) link
the cinema I most often go to has reserved seating for all evening & weekend screenings, it's great. I book early & get the seats I want (then I arrive early anyway).
find cinemagoing a constant battle between wanting a communal experience vs an unusually heightened awareness of how awful people can be
― fraudulent octuplets of the moment, yon californian-ass mother (wins), Sunday, 29 June 2014 19:23 (nine years ago) link
the latter usually wins that battle quite handily I find, but I may just be a misanthrope
― soref, Sunday, 29 June 2014 19:27 (nine years ago) link
I totally am when I'm at the pictures
― fraudulent octuplets of the moment, yon californian-ass mother (wins), Sunday, 29 June 2014 19:35 (nine years ago) link
I could just stay at home and watch TV, so I guess I do want a communal experience to some extent? a communal experience where you sit with other people in the dark not looking at or talking to them is about as far as I'm willing to go
― soref, Sunday, 29 June 2014 19:38 (nine years ago) link
2nd or 3rd row middle if I'm by myself or with someone else with any sense, otherwise WEVS
― rip van wanko, Sunday, 29 June 2014 19:40 (nine years ago) link
truthfully I almost never go to movies for the communal experience unless it's a raucous comedy, usually I'm going cuz it's abig screen and loud sound and I can eat really crappy for me food in large quantities.
― Neanderthal, Sunday, 29 June 2014 19:41 (nine years ago) link
pretty much completely uncoupled the pastimes of eating and cinemagoing in my mind years ago, it's quite freeing to realise that you can eat popcorn anytime you want + it's possible to sit for 90 minutes without eating something. As a regular moviegoer I save a LOT of money not buying shit overpriced snacks. The downside is you start to reeeeaallly hate the people who feel they need to eat stuff
― fraudulent octuplets of the moment, yon californian-ass mother (wins), Sunday, 29 June 2014 19:49 (nine years ago) link
I am conditioned to eat whenever watching anything, television, etc. it's ingrained. and i'm always hungry.
― Neanderthal, Sunday, 29 June 2014 19:53 (nine years ago) link
I was the same! I unconditioned myself at some point, I guess, although I don't remember consciously trying to do so.
It's the type of food, too: my local arts cinema sells wasabi peas as a snack ffs! WELL DONE YOU HAVE MANAGED TO FIND THE ONE FOOD NOISIER THAN POPCORN
― fraudulent octuplets of the moment, yon californian-ass mother (wins), Sunday, 29 June 2014 20:05 (nine years ago) link
in theory i'm a "in the middle, in the middle" person, but the local theater i go to most often has seats that are all on the same level (rather than one seat being higher than the one in front of it), which means your view is blocked if there's anyone sitting in front of you -- not just directly in front of you, but for two or three rows in front of you. this theater usually isn't full so it's not generally a problem, but have had a couple special screenings half-spoiled by this kinda inexplicable design flaw.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Monday, 30 June 2014 18:00 (nine years ago) link
Just witnessed an awkward you're-sitting-in-my-seat encounter in an almost empty theatre; the dude stammered at the offending couple for about a minute before realising he could just take a seat in the row behind (he was middle-middle btw)
― Towards A New Novel (and it sucks and whatever) (wins), Thursday, 3 July 2014 20:09 (nine years ago) link
Also I had an espresso between films & am wishing I hadn't
― Towards A New Novel (and it sucks and whatever) (wins), Thursday, 3 July 2014 20:10 (nine years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Friday, 31 October 2014 00:01 (nine years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Saturday, 1 November 2014 00:01 (nine years ago) link
where she at
― Starland Vocal Gland (sic), Saturday, 1 November 2014 02:15 (nine years ago) link