September 25, 2004

• I don't clap but I do stay to watch the credits out of respect and to see the occasional funny hidden bit at the end, unless the movie really sucked. I would clap if I knew someone involved with the movie was there (director, actor, key grip, whatever).
• Bowling for Columbine (stading ovation) a few months after the release, in a Montreal University. But I guess that's typical. The Barbarian Invasions, in my small town. Part chauvinism, part because it was good, part because someone started it.
• Last one I saw where audience screamed and roared and applauded wildly at end was Fahrenheit 911, 'twas back around the end of June, early July.
• the last movie I saw that got a standing ovation from the crowd was "Chicago." I liked it so much I bought the soundtrack and the last time I did that was for "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" -- mostly because I had been ABBA deprived at a tender age. the only other soundtrack I've sprung for in the last decade or so was 'The Phantom of the Opera' Not that this has a lot to do with your question. Frankly, I don't go to the theatre much. I hate baby screaming and cell phone ringing and chewing of any kind in the middle of a deeply...deeply...deeply deep scene. As far as waiting till the credits are over, I remember a friend saying, way back in the '70's: "Everybody's got family" BTW, once I saw the title of 'Shaun of the Dead' it totally went on the top of my list of things to look for on video. I've seen several movies where applause at the end would mean a failure. 'Eraserhead' comes to mind. (god I wish I'd never seen that movie...it has infected my dreams even after a quarter of a century.)
• Think of it, when nobody from the cast/crew is in the theater, you're actually applauding your own good taste. If the audience feels like self-congratulating for seeing that difficult/independant/great movie, they clap. I was thinking that two of the three big Québécois movies of 2003 got ovations when I saw them: the aforementioned Barbarian Invasions, and Gaz Bar Blues. Both had a certain realism & drama to them. The other, the cute comedy Seducing Doctor Lewis didn't, despite doing as well or better at the box office. I also guess you're more likely to clap if you go to the Landmark Theater.
• The first one I remember is as a kid of about seven years old. We were at a theatre in the mountain community of Idlewild, California which at the time was full of counter culture hippie types. The movie was Billy Jack and the audience not only cheered at the end, but most of them also raised their fists in the black panther "black power" salute. It was heady stuff for a middle class white boy.
• The last movie we saw with applause was Fahrenheit 9/11. The crowd at Cinemark also ate up Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (it was opening weekend) and also went hysterical when Denethor threw himself off the walls of the city. Not that we're a bloodthirsty society or anything.
• ~we're a rainbow, made of children, we're an army singin' a song, there's no weapon that can stop us, rainbow love is just too strong~ Billy Jack. heh
• ...also went hysterical when Denethor threw himself off the walls of the city. Hang on! That never happened in the book!
• The last time for me was at Farenheit 911. I have always found it to be a strange occurrence. Not sure that I can remember the last time I applauded a cd or a televison show. On the other hand, I have applauded at the conclusion of one of my particularly arousing masturbatory performances.
• The only movie where I remember a standing ovation was Fahrenheit 911. I saw the original Star Wars in 1977 and remember some applause at the end then, but nothing like F911.
• LOTR. Prior to that, The Shawshank Redemption.
• Oh, you want to know why? I'll steal from FilmBrain and give you this gem of an explanation from John Cassavetes: I think the old filmmakers had one thing the new filmmakers should take into consideration, and that is they liked people. They were interested in the epic quality of man rather than the lessening of his ideals, showing how little morality and how little bit of soul he had. The old filmmakers showed that everybody had a soul, even the most violent, evil people. There were black, okay, but at least it was a definite thing. And I think people who go to the cinema don't want to say, "Yes, we are confused, we are nothing." It destroys all kind of entertainment. If you really observe and put within the framework of the story some more important facet of life, if you say something that is a positive statement rather than a negative one, you have confirmed somebody's belief. If you affirm somebody's emotion or ideas, they don't feel ashamed of feeling this belief.
• Twister, believe it or not. It was kind of a young male audience, so I'm still at a loss to whether it was whether they were relieved it was over or thought it was good.
• Fahrenheit 911
• moneyjane,not like i want to pursue you or anything, but your email bounced. Is it me?
• I was on a flight to Seoul and the inflight movie was Whoopi Goldberg's "Sister Act 2". Several people stood up and applauded. I have no idea why. Frankly, I was terrified.
• "If you really observe and put within the framework of the story some more important facet of life, if you say something that is a positive statement rather than a negative one, you have confirmed somebody's belief. If you affirm somebody's emotion or ideas, " Wow! That totally pegs it, and not only that, it's what gave "Shaun of the Dead" its mojo, believe it or not. And PatB, it's me...you deserve someone better, but I'd like to still be friends...also, can I take the Lionel Richie records when I move out?...heh...actually, I don't know what's up email-wise, but I'll check it out.
• Ohhhhhhh.I'm a dumbass and never signed in for ages...put my gmail in there, so that'll work.
• thank all the gods she never got the long long letter I wrote when I was drunk
• I believe the one and only time I heard applause after a film, and I can't believe I'm admitting to having seen it(I'll blame the beers) , would be "Free Willy". I had succesfully blocked it out of my mind until this thread came up. Thankyou so very very much Moneyjane for dragging that repressed memory back up. patb Ooo... you didn't want that forwarded to the proper address???
• PatB and Moneyjane: GET A THREAD. and let us watch.
• sorry... too soon? anyone? too soon?
• how do you do that mfpb? how do you make the print smaller than < samll >? I need to know because i have some very tiny thoughts I want to post. Oh. and that thing about moneyjane and i and the Trevi fountain and Sophia Loren? Never happened.
• [small][small]blahblah[/small][/small] Only use poiitned brackets, not the square ones, to smallthen, PatB.
• F 9/11, and Napoleon Dynamite.
• *sigh* = pointed
• The only film I remmber ever seeing it at was after Schindler's List. While I found the movie very good and touching, I thought the clapping to be very weird. I mean, it was at a theater in Indiana well after it had came out. I'm not sure I understand why people do it if no one involved in the film is there. Yay multiplex? And Shaun of the Dead isn't showing anywhere withing a 50 mile radius from me. There are 23 screens in this little town and they can't find room on ONE of them for it?
• Will somebody smack down Bernockle? 9/11 was the latest--I actually remember audences applauding more 20+ years ago after dramatic movies oh,yea, and after Deep Throat when it premiered my first year at Penn State /confession /age give away I believe it was after Apocalypse Now and Gandhi that the audience sat silently thru the credits and then gave out a collective exhalation--has that ever happened to anyone?
• I dunnoh Blue anyone who has the balls to applaud their own masturbatory performance should be alowed to brag
• BlueHorse Just once, after "Once Were Warriors". I think people were forgetting to breath.
• I didn't see Once Were Warriors at the movies - I'm obviously a bad NZer. I saw it at home and was so glad I wasn't in a public place to watch it. There was applause at the end of Bowling for Columbine when I saw it, while on holiday here. The only other movie I know of for sure was Attack of the Clones, although not at the end: rather, at the part towards the end where Yoda enters the scene. Does it count?
• I didn't see Once Were Warriors at the movies - I'm obviously a bad NZer. I saw it at home and was so glad I wasn't in a public place to watch it. Hmm, sounds like something I should check out. I'd never heard of it but got on to IMDB to see what it was about, sounds interesting. Speaking of that movie, has anyone seen a movie called "The War Zone" by Tim Roth? Quite depressing, but I haven't met anyone who has seen it. /off-topic, sorry. Anyhow, last movie applauded in a theatre for me was "Fahrenheit 911".
• Yeah, I saw AotC opening night and the audience went nuts when Yoda swaggered in! Worth the price of admission.
• Bizarrely Supersize Me got a smattering of applause at the Fulham UGC about 10 days ago ... and I'm pretty sure the Brixton Ritzy gave The Motorcycle Diaries a few claps a few weeks back. They raised the roof for Fahreinheit 911 ...
• I would only ever turn around and applaud the projectionist, otherwise why would you do it?
• What is applause? An expression of ...approval? Enthusiasm? What is the purpose of applause? Is it only to reward a live cast after a play? Is applause ever an expression of solidarity with others in an audience?
• everytime I've been present and/or joined in with applause at the cinema's been because I've been moved by the film or that the film has moved the audience. Mostly I've felt a little bit ridiculous and known that the people deserving of the applause will never hear it ... Occasionally, while watching a film, one gets a sense of being part of a wider audience, but mostly I feel that I have an individual relationship with the film. So I suppose when there is applause, resulting from an audience bond, it's taken a pretty special film to create it.
• What is applause? An expression of ...approval? Enthusiasm? Sexual ecstacy. enough said
• don't look now, but i think bernockle has the clap.
• Two memorable times the audience applauded at the end of a film: 1. The Wrong Trousers. If you've seen it, you know the exact instant I'm talking about. 2. Convoy. Yes, we've got a great big convoy rocking through the night. Seen at a film festival in a park on a very warm summer's night. Everyone sang along with the theme song and cheered at the end.
• The only ones I recall were... JAWS, when the bastard got blown up. Raucous hollers, clapping. Go figure. And the other was... Last Tango in Paris (!!!!!!). The moment Maria Schnider finally got undressed. Really. I swear. Re: F9/11, no clapping when I saw it, but I never saw so many people leave the theather at the end actually talking to each other, commenting and angrily venting their rage. Families, middle aged people, groups of friends...
• Last week as it happens! (Though it wasn't a full house, so more of a smattering of applause rather than an ovation). The movie was Ken Loach's Ae Fond Kiss. It's very good. Go see it. And to the Kiwi monkeys: Once Were Warriors blew me away. Uncle F*ckin' Bully indeed. Wow.
• Once Were Warriors Recommended.
• The only movies w/ applause -- that I can think of -- were Attack of the Clones and The Phantom Menace. I am pretty sure that audiences worldwide threw popcorn and booed at Bernockle's hideously lackluster performance, however.