cheering/applauding in movies: C/D?

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Suggested by Nick Southall's complaining about cheering in a LOTR screening--is this a cultural thing entirely? I think cheering in thrilling movies is a great thing to do-- reinforces the feeling of group experience, and it's totally fun. Applauding at the end of a movie is a different story-- it always annoyed me when people did it in Canada (who are you applauding for? The projector?) but everyone does it in New York, for late shows anyway, and I find it very charming. Thoughts?

― antexit (antexit), Saturday, 20 December 2003 17:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Cheering in a film like Star Wars, The Matrix, LOTR, etc I think is completely acceptable. For something more weighty it's probably a bit inappropriate.

Applause at the conclusion of a film has always struck me as a bit strange unless someone involved in the production (eg the director) is in attendance.

― Andrew (enneff), Saturday, 20 December 2003 17:11 (twenty-two years ago)

cheering in movies is great, really, what could be better?

as for applauding (when the filmmaker/actor/whatev isn't present), it does kind of make me feel weird, but most of the time people are applauding for themselves anyway so it does kinda make sense

― s1utsky (slutsky), Saturday, 20 December 2003 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I can only think of one example of when this has been done by an audience in a cinema at the end of a film. It was when I went to see Bowling for Columbine here in Oxford at a small independent cinema. I saw it as a real endorsement of what Moore was saying in the film and must have been a spontaneous response, no-one would stop to think "there's no point in clapping coz the fim-maker won't hear the applause".

― MarkH (MarkH), Saturday, 20 December 2003 17:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I watched pasolini's 'salo' in a cinema in toronto and I thought the applause at the end was for the ppl who organized the screening of it (they introduced the movie very briefly before).

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 20 December 2003 17:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw The Fifth Element in Chicago, and when Brooce and Leeloo FINALLY kissed, this giant of a dude in the front row shouted "BAM!". It was awesome.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Saturday, 20 December 2003 17:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I wanted to cheer and applaud all the way through X-Men 2.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Saturday, 20 December 2003 17:17 (twenty-two years ago)

On occasion, classic. I saw the Jackass film in a cinema, and it was enhanced by everyone going "oooh!" and "erk!" every time somebody got hurt. It made what could be very dull turn into a sanitised freak show (thats meant to be a good thing, by the way).

However, most of the time its a big dud, but maybe thats just because the british don't like that sort of thing - acknowledging anything moving just encourages people to behave ungentlemanly in the future. < /stiff upper lip>

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Saturday, 20 December 2003 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

also: ppl in north america seem to applaud solos in (free) jazz gigs for longer than in UK ones.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 20 December 2003 17:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Long applause for solos gets in the way of the rest of the piece.

― Ed (dali), Saturday, 20 December 2003 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

i remember watching Sense and Sensibility in a big Odeon cinema in Oxford durng TERM TIME (this is U&K) and when the male lead whose name escapes me rode up on his horse there were BIG CHEERS. Oxford stoodies, eh?

― MarkH (MarkH), Saturday, 20 December 2003 17:29 (twenty-two years ago)

The only time I ever heard cheering in the cinema was when I went to see Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, at the bit when Sean Connery gets rid of the birds by waving his umbrella at them. That in itself made me laugh.

Then again, I don't generally go to the kind of films people would cheer at.

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 20 December 2003 17:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I wasn't complaing; I've just never known it happen before and thought it was weird.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Saturday, 20 December 2003 18:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Clapping at the cinema annoys me. Because the people who made the film aren't there, the only reason for clapping is to affirm to those around you that you really did enjoy the film. Just as annoying is people who clap on an aeroplane when it lands. If these people have been so terrified that they're expecting the plane to crash they should be sedated/pissed out of their skulls to cope with the fear. Pilots are just doing a job for which they remunerated very handsomely. Would they clap a bus driver for pulling in at the bus stop? I think perhaps not.

― Canada Briggs (Canada Briggs), Sunday, 21 December 2003 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I can think of no good reason for it, unless someone involved in the film is present or the film was introduced by a guest speaker. It always seems to happen for the most hideously worthy fucking films. Although I saw a Greek audience cheer the *opening* credits for a film which mystified me, particularly as the film was "Crash". They weren't cheering by the end.

― Tag (Tag), Sunday, 21 December 2003 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Thank the local people aren't really *cinema-goers* so I only had to endure clapping (and the film itself - hah!) during Karate Kid. And a second time during De Zaak Alzheimer - maybe the dimwits were happy a Belgian *turd grade* director had managed to make an American (style) movie. I am all for throwing TOMATOS at the screen. heh.

― nathalie (nathalie), Sunday, 21 December 2003 14:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Thankfully. New Year's Resolution 123587: Learn to schpell

― nathalie (nathalie), Sunday, 21 December 2003 14:22 (twenty-two years ago)

haha i like that story of david thomson's of how in class he stood up alone at the end of a film (rio bravo) and clapped away to the bemusement of his students (i thk it's in the john wayne entry he talks about it).

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 21 December 2003 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

rio bravo?

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 21 December 2003 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

i can remember long and sincere applause at the end of Ken Loach's "Land and Freedom" in Glasgow.

― jed (jed_e_3), Sunday, 21 December 2003 14:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I attended the premiere of David Mamet's Oleanna. The climax of this film is when, after 90 minutes of listening to Carol whine bitch and complain, WH Macy turns around and knocks her one. I started cheering and then realised so was everyone else.
I think it's testament to the filmmakers and actors that an audience can get so emotionally wrapped up in a presentation that they produce an involuntary response so immediate, regardless of venue or Proper Behavior (obviously I would not cheer had I witnessed actual people doing this).

― Catty (Catty), Sunday, 21 December 2003 14:59 (twenty-two years ago)

In my experience, people only applaud at the end of movies they really enjoyed, and really enjoyed as a group. This may seem like a truism, but nobody applauds at the end of a shitty movie. When you consider that clapping at, say, a rock show or a play has very little anymore to do with how good the performance was and more to do with custom, it seems like it really does mean something when it happens at a movie.

And Julio, I'd put money on a guess that someone involved with the film was there when you saw Salo. Not that it's a bad movie, but for all that copromania and necrophilia to inspire a spontaneous expression of pleasure in an entire crowd would take a pretty unusual audience.

― antexit (antexit), Sunday, 21 December 2003 16:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Applauding for a landed airplane, on the other hand, is totally ridiculous and stupid. What exactly would an expression of disapproval for the landing sound like? (what is the sound of one hand clapping?)

― antexit (antexit), Sunday, 21 December 2003 16:34 (twenty-two years ago)

antetix- actually it was an 'arthouse' type cinema. I don't think there was anyone involved with the film. at least no one pointed out that there was.

Another movie i went to see there which got applause was 'dead or alive' but the ending was so hilarious.

agreed on applauding when an aeroplane lands.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 21 December 2003 16:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Is that right? Well, Toronto always *was* full of shiteaters.

― antexit (antexit), Sunday, 21 December 2003 19:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I've only had the experience of ppl applauding on flights when it's a transoceanic flight, and I always took it as a "hurrah, we all made it through nine hours with no legroom!"

― teeny (teeny), Sunday, 21 December 2003 19:51 (twenty-two years ago)

i think cinemas should communicate more w/US. lotta broken hearts could be avoided if they'd just remind us to collect any personal belongings we may have brought into the theater. beverage service down the aisles wouldn't be bad either.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 21 December 2003 19:59 (twenty-two years ago)

"we realize you have a choice of movies today, so we thank you for choosing 'elf'. the weather outside is guaranteed to be at least 20 degrees warmer than it is in here."

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 21 December 2003 20:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Have you ever seen anyone literally stand up and cheer, though? i.e. all those ads that say something like "Mr Holland's Opus will make you stand up and cheer!"

― Gear! (Gear!), Sunday, 21 December 2003 21:18 (twenty-two years ago)

i usually do some dog whoops and pump my fist a few times

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 21 December 2003 21:35 (twenty-two years ago)

The only time that I have ever done this is at film festival type things where the director and co. were presnt.

― mouse, Sunday, 21 December 2003 21:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I hate applause at the cinema, but I quite like it in discos. When Ally C put on Hey Ya at the Winchester Club last night everyone cheered.

― Madchen (Madchen), Sunday, 21 December 2003 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

The only time I have ever seen this done was yesterday, actually, at Return of the King. (No cheering, but applause at the end.) I took it as "Nerd domination of pop culture is COMPLETE! YAAAAY!"

― Maria (Maria), Sunday, 21 December 2003 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, yes indeed. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 21 December 2003 23:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Years ago while visiting UK relatives (as a kid), I attended a matinee screening of "Sinbad and the eye of the Tiger" with my grandad. Not only did the audience cheer, during the climactic Ray Harryhausen created battle beteween Troglodyte and a sabre-toothed tiger, they chanted "GO TROG! GO TROG!"

Must be a Newcastle thing. Although - we did all cheer during the Sydney premiere of "Independence Day" but that was just an attempt to drown out the dialogue.

― lint (Jack), Monday, 22 December 2003 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

When at the movies, I really don't do much more than I would if I was sitting at home by myself watching the same thing. I laugh out loud quite a bit, cry a little now and again, and if there's scene that's really intense, then perhaps I'll masturbate.

― may pang (maypang), Monday, 22 December 2003 04:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Clapping/applauding in cinemas sucks the big, fat one.

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Monday, 22 December 2003 12:53 (twenty-two years ago)

What exactly would an expression of disapproval for the landing sound like?

probably AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 22 December 2003 12:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Lots of chanting and applause at Return of the King last night. I didn't mind the cheering and clapping very much but the pissed people talking were annoying. When Aragorn jumps out of the ships at Minas Tirith it was just a ridiculously epic moment that a ridiculous amount of cheering seemed appropriate. Come on chaps!

Tracer, did you see ROTK in Peckham last night then? There were dog whopps going on somewhere at the back of the cinema but I can't remember what to. Proably some more greasy ranger kick-botty action.

― Sarah (starry), Monday, 22 December 2003 12:58 (twenty-two years ago)

When I saw Ghostbusters everyone was singing the song which I thought was marvellous.

And when I went to watch RockyV the whole crowd errupted for the fight scene at the end, everyone was stood up cheering like it was a real fight.

The worst was when some people applauded at the end of Independence Day.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 22 December 2003 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

You should all have been appalled with yourselves at the end of Rocky V!

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Monday, 22 December 2003 13:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I was a bit shocked at first when people started to shout but then suddenly got caught up with it, mob mentality an all that.

*hangs head*

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 22 December 2003 14:02 (twenty-two years ago)

it depends why you're doing it... if its spontaneous, and it just seems like the right thing to do, maybe its a nice thing. if you're doing it because everyone else is, shame on you!

one of the weirdest things i saw was the (semi) standing-ovation at the end of schindler's list at wolverhampton lighthouse. weird, because i didn't even think it was a particularly marvellous film - even though the goal may have been perfectly laudable. it seemed like people had heard other people had given it a standing ovation, so they thought they would do the same.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Monday, 22 December 2003 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

The audience for ROTK at 2.30 on Sunday was a lot noisier than at 2.30 on Thursday. I thought it was because the crowd on Thursday are naturally a lot more focussed, but the Sunday crowd were also the ones that did the most cheering/applauding. I was amused that they applauded after the post-trailers break, only to find out that it was an extra trailer for The Mask 2:The Worst Movie Ever. I mentioned to a friend that I hadn't heard applause at a film in a long time, and certinly not at the start and the end. She said "Yeah, there was applause at The Matrix Revolutions. Well, at the start".

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Monday, 22 December 2003 14:14 (twenty-two years ago)

... Star Wars, The Matrix, LOTR,...

I wanted to cheer and applaud all the way through X-Men 2.

Oh man. The music taste on this board is awesome. The taste in films- Oh man. You guys are watching creed. and dave matthews. and liking it.
This doesn't go for everyone. Just the crap heads digging any movie with CGI.

― Jole, Monday, 22 December 2003 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

What I liked about seeing ROTK yesterday was the audience cracking up with incredulous laughter at the trailer for the Ashton Kutcher time travel movie.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Monday, 22 December 2003 14:42 (twenty-two years ago)

As well they should, dammit! I will say that this is the first mainstreamish movie I can think of that features a heavy goth as a chief supporting character, though.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 22 December 2003 15:31 (twenty-two years ago)

er, which one is that?

― Catty (Catty), Monday, 22 December 2003 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Jole brings up a point that I find remarkable about LoTR as opposed to other mammoth CGI-heavy epics: the CGI in LoTR films seems much more transparent, like the CGI is merely a vehicle for the story & vision, whereas it seems quite the opposite with the "wow, look at this!"ness of The Matrix & Star Wars & such. Honestly, the CGI in the LoTR films has always struck me at best as secondary to the very moving performances by a cast of remarkably talented and well-cast character actors.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 22 December 2003 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

The only time I've really enjoyed cheering in the cinema was during Boxing Helena

I liked it when the all the kids in Streatham sang along to Ghostbusters, though.

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 22:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh yeh, when I went to wee Star Wars when it wasd re-released a while back at the cinema, there was clapping after the added scene with Jabba and Han. That, I thought, was unnecessary.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Everyone applauded at the end of RotK when I saw it: I think a lot of that was relief at its finally being over, tho'. That long slog of "is it the end? o, no, wait, there's more!" is pretty gruelling.

The only time cheering in movies ever appealed to me was watching the second Matrix film in a tent at Reading - some twat had ruined Donnie Darko the night before by shouting "oiOI!" at random points, but massed cheers every time Agent Smith appeared and catcalls during the boring romantic scenes made Matrix Rewhateveritwas a hell of a lot more enjoyable.

― cis (cis), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 11:33 (twenty-two years ago)

My friend and I were at a previeew of Spice World - The Movie. The audience was full of industry types and pre-pubescent competition winners who, during the opening credits, screamed with glee when the girls' names came up. Keeping in the spirit of things, Daniel and I cheered and applauded when Richard E. Grant's name appeared, whilst everyone else kept schtum.

Le Sigh.

― Miss Marianna, Friday, 26 December 2003 10:30 (twenty-two years ago)

it can be classic, since it can represent an audience getting emotionally hooked into the story. A key example of this was an on-campus screening of Casablanca; people cheered at the "Round up the usual suspects" punchline at the end. I think i cheered along with them. And this was an audience comprised mostly of folks who'd never seen the flick before.

Yeah, random outbursts in flicks can be annoying as fuck, or fun, too; during X-Men 2, some guy yelled out "Fuck yeah! Colossus!" when he armored up. It was hilarious since at the time, it seems liked a spontaneous outburst of pleasure. The guy couldn't help himself.

― El Santo Claus (Kingfish), Friday, 26 December 2003 14:36 (twenty-two years ago)

>>Suggested by Nick Southall's complaining about cheering in a LOTR screening--is this a cultural thing entirely? I think cheering in thrilling movies is a great thing to do-- reinforces the feeling of group experience, and it's totally fun. Applauding at the end of a movie is a different story-- it always annoyed me when people did it in Canada (who are you applauding for? The projector?) but everyone does it in New York, for late shows anyway, and I find it very charming. Thoughts? <<

There's nothing wrong with it, just as there's nothing wrong with going apeshit when your favorite sporting team loses/wins on TV. I read a *lot* of elitism from the people against it (Jole especially), as if people that go to arthouses never do this kind of shit (apparently, they've never done a Sci-Fi fest or seen a midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show).

>>Yeah, random outbursts in flicks can be annoying as fuck, or fun, too; during X-Men 2, some guy yelled out "Fuck yeah! Colossus!" when he armored up. It was hilarious since at the time, it seems liked a spontaneous outburst of pleasure. The guy couldn't help himself.<<

I don't doubt that it was. This kind of thing *is* hilarious, no question.

― Alan Conceicao, Friday, 26 December 2003 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

at an art house showing of "Alien" a few years ago, we started offering advice to the characters on the screen.

― El Santo Claus (Kingfish), Friday, 26 December 2003 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

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