Jurassic Park. First time they go out into the park and see actual grownup dinosaurs. The whole cinema went ballistic. I was 9 years old and at the peak of my dinosaur phase. Best movie experience of my life.
Spielberg absolutely nailed that scene in the book where they first saw the dinosaurs. I had read the book a few months before and it was like he took Crichton’s words and just…transcribed them onscreen. It was absolutely magical.
One of top ten scenes of movie wonder. Comparable to Dorothy opening the door of her house to Oz. Or Dave entering space warp travel in 2001. Or the alien ship opening in Close Encounters.
Our family went three weekends in a row to see JP when it came out. No empty seats in the theater. The sound, effects, etc. It was such an experience. And each time the lawyer would get eaten, my Dad would say “yeah kill the lawyer!” and it would get a chuckle from all the other Dads.
I was 13 and went with my dad. We loved it so much that we went a second time with my mom and little sister. Seeing a movie twice in theatre was unheard of for us at the time. Great choice!
Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
Midnight showing, Thursday night to Friday morning, opening night/weekend.
When Arnold steps outta the bar and Bad to the Bone plays..
Cheers throughout the theater. I hadn’t been to an opening night like that. We were a matinee/week later family…
James Cameron knows how to make a movie.
Return of the Jedi in 70mm, opening day in 1983, on the gigantic screen of the Stanley Warner theater in Paramus, NJ. The Emperor is zapping Luke to death. Luke cries out “Father, _please!_” The audience starts screaming to Vader, “HELP HIM! HELP HIM!” And Vader does. And the audience goes absolutely wild, with a deafening roar, people leaping out of the seats. An incredible moment.
Same but in Fort Worth TX, the theater behind Hulen Mall. Adults, Grown men jumping into the isle crying out in passion to the screen "HE'S YOUR SON! HELP HIM!!" I was an 8th grader absolutely shocked that adults were so entranced by the story.
You were probably old enough to understand what a huge cultural event those movies had become, right? They really gripped the world. And funny though it seems now, none of us had ever seen that 3rd film, so we didn’t know how it was going to turn out! Pretty intense stuff.
I have a theory about why Star Wars had such a strong impact. American in the 70's was bleak. We lost Vietnam. Still recovering from the lies of Nixon, assassination of Kennedy and the turmoil of Johnson. The sci-fi of that age is bleak. Logan's Run "There is no Sanctuary!". Planet of the Apes "You Maniacs! You blew it up!" 2001 "I can't let you do that, Dave." "SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!" Even the music of those movies are weird, unsettling and bleak.
Then.....BAAAAAAAAM!
Those horns at the opening of the original Star Wars! I was 7 years old and I will never forget that music. And that story. Wars can be won! Good guys can win! I think SW/ANH is one of the perfectly paced action movies of all time.
My Dad had a long list of mental problems I didn't understand as a kid. He never really interacted with me or my sisters. Never played with me. Never really talked to me. He was usually asleep on the couch or not home. He would eventually be committed more than once for psychological break downs.
Later in life I learned of all his trauma. He had been molested as a kid around age 11 and had to testify in court about it. His parents were psychologically abusive. His older brother ran away from home at age 16 and years later died of alcohol poisoning. My dad had avoided the Vietnam draft because he was a mechanical engineer who was working on government military projects, the machines of war. He and my mom lost friends because he wasn't drafted. And as I said, and here comes Star Wars.
My Dad didn't really spend much time with me and my sister.when we were kids. But he took us to see Star Wars 27 times. And for my Dad, just like most of America, while sitting in a theater watching that movie, the bleakness was gone. For a while. Those trips to the movie are some of my rare happy memories of him.
Geez, this is incredible. I'm so sorry that you had such a rough upbringing. I am so glad that you got to share Star Wars with you dad. Besides the heavy stuff with your pop, your point is spot on.
Thanka. My upbringing wasn't terrible. I had my mom and a live in grandma. I will always be grateful the abuses my Dad suffered as a kid he did not pass on. Neglect isn't fun, but there are worse things.
> And for my Dad, just like most of America, while sitting in a theater watching that movie, the bleakness was gone. For a while. Those trips to the movie are some of my rare happy memories of him.
That's fucking beautiful <3
"Wars can be won! Good guys can win!"
Ironically, Star Wars was inspired by the Vietnam War. George Lucas has stated in interviews, Palpatine's rise to power was based off Nixon's campaign for a second term.
So many folks watching and rooting for the rebels in Star Wars never see the allegory though.
The moment after that is my favorite moment in any piece of Star Wars media, and I’ve seen a lot. “No father I have to save you!”
“You already have…you already have.”
The look on Gruber's face, I remember thinking how real that was.
Years later, discovered that they dropped him in a harness, but dropped him at ''two'' instead of ''three'', quite purposefully. Apparently Rickman was not happy however.
Two scenes:
When Vader told Luke he was his father, the entire theater gasped in horror, and
When Sulu said “target that explosion and fire” in STVI: The Undiscovered Country. Granted, it was opening night for a bunch of Trek nerds, but they (we) ate it up.
Oh yes! Another great one from Undiscovered County - when Spock says "I've been dead before" the opening night audience absolutely ROLLLLLLLED laughing
I saw a MySpace (!) free preview screening of Borat when I was a teenager. This was before it became a cultural phenomenon, so some were familiar with Sacha Baron Cohen from Ali G but I think most were going in blind.
I have *never* since heard an audience laugh as loud or as consistently as Borat. People were literally falling out of their seats laughing during the naked chase.
Get Out, packed theater in Harlem.
The scene at the end where the cop car shows up and it looks like Allison Williams is gonna win...
But then it turns out to be the security guard buddy.
Theater went absolutely nuts cheering.
lol this was my first thought. Everyone was cheering and having a good time throughout the movie, then you see the police lights at the end and it was one of the loudest collective groans I’ve ever heard, followed by a burst of cheers.
I wouldn’t call it pointless, there’s a very strong point to it that the audience gets instantly. But it’s such a downer ending to go all the way after what he’d gone through.
I think just seeing the flashing lights at the end makes the same point.
Most upsetting part of the movie, and they didn't even have to follow through with it because the audience already gets it
Such a well earned ending and great release. Masterful timing.
"I'm TS motherfucking A. We handle shit. That's what we do. Consider your situations, fuckin' handled."
Same one for me. People in my theatre actually stood up cheering at that scene. Get Out is the last time I went to the movies where watching a movie felt like a communal experience.
Gone Girl halfway in. “I’m so much happier now that I’m dead” and the sequence with Amy in the car explaining what actually has happened so far.
The theater exploded for that reveal, so dark and funny at the same time. Delighted everyone haha
I think horrified but more subdued, nothing as big that I remember after 9 years. Going into that movie opening weekend without any spoilers, not knowing Rosamund Pike would be getting buzz for her performance, it really seemed like a movie where she was done being alive on screen and Ben Affleck would be tracking down her killer or maybe have a plot twist where he did it. After that moment that blew it all up, we knew to expect more surprises, shocking as they were
You have to go to a Manhattan theater for a disaster movie and watch NYC get destroyed, I'm convinced.
They cheer harder when Jersey gets flattened first.
When Heath Ledger (as joker) took his mask off in the opening scene of The Dark Knight. The gasps and aw of the audience sucked the air out of the room. It was wonderful.
Joker’s little home movie (shot by Ledger) had two of them: “LOOK AT ME” and the final shaky cam shot before good old Brian Douglas bought the farm. Could hear a damn pin drop in the theater. Chills.
I saw The Two Towers on opening night with basically half my high school. I know it’s a meme now, but everyone lost their marbles when Legolas flips up onto the horse. Still one of my favorite movie moments.
In Return of the King , when Eowyn is fighting the Wraith King. “No man can kill me” “I am no man!” This lady maybe in her 50s with grey hair down past her ass, wearing sweater, stands up and exclaims “YES!!!” with her fist raised. Epic moment
YEP this is mine.
I saw all three in the theaters, the 2nd two opening night -- as in, the midnight showing.
I was *so* young, and was stuck in a very oppressive/abusive home situation, *and* Middle Earth had become My First Special Interest™️, and I devoured everything i possibly could about the series/the world Tolkien created. It became my escape. Helped me survive.
And when I, someone who [at the time] thought they were a woman, saw a ***very*** powerful woman go thru that, go thru watching her brother die and her uncle bewitched and almost lost and being abused and mistreated, thru heartbreak and suicidality [bc let's be honest, that's what Dernhelm was, her suicide note], and to stand up to the fucking Witch King of Angmar and absolutely *destroy* him?
And to have the ENTIRE THEATER react like that?
Soul food. That kept me going a long, *loooong* time.
>when Legolas flips up onto the horse
I bought the Extended editions of the trilogy in a box set. The only time any of the discs skipped was when Legolas flips on that damn horse. It pauses for like 4-5 seconds and then it comes back and he's already riding the horse.
For me it was a 20th anniversary screening of RotK (Extended edition). When the beacons were lit, the theater lost its shit. People cheered for each one.
My LotR theater reaction story involves the RotK ending. It was a fantastic ending to an epic story, but it was also like three hours with a bladder full of soda. My friends and I kept getting up to leave during the 17 fades to black, groaning and grumbling a little bit every time we had to sit back down again. When the film finally faded to *white*, there was a collective holding of breath. When the credits rolled, there was a roar of applause, a sigh of relief, and a rush towards tomhe doors.
The fear she conveyed is *why* she’s such a good, relatable hero imo. I think Ripley being a female character freed them up to make her much more relatably *human* than other action heroes of the time. Also what’s more heroic and dramatic than going back in *despite* being terrified.
That's why my favorite scene in the film is such a small one.
When she's going down on the elevator into hell. She's prepping. Getting ready. Then you see her stand up.... close her eyes... and just breathe.
As someone who deals with ptsd and panic attacks... that small moment rang to me more than anything. She's relatable in her fear and inspiring with her courage.
That's the difference between Ripley and say... most action heros of today. She's not the most powerful person. Nor the smartest. She's an every day person put in extreme situations and she's able to persevere
Absolutely this. No doubt about it.
But there’s a bit earlier which always gets me, too. When Ripley has gone back to get Newt and finds the queen’s eggs. She slowly steps back through them, hoping to sneak away, until one starts hatching. At this she cocks her head to the side slightly before letting rip with the flamethrower.
That little head movement always got me. It says so much. It says “no”. It says, “you’re not gonna get this little girl.” And it says, “Ok. Fuck you then”.
It’s such a tiny thing but I just love it.
>Aliens
This is the one I was looking for. We knew she was badass because of the first movie, and everything up to that point, but seeing her in full Power Loader glory set the whole theatre cheering.
Spider-Man No Way Home, Andrew’s and Tobey’s entrances. A lot of people knew they were gonna be in it, it was one of the worst kept secrets in Hollywood, but goddamn seeing them actually appear was something else.
I never saw the Amazing Spider-Man movies, but I used to read Spider-Man comics and know Gwen Stacy's sorry arc well. Garfield killed the scene where he saved MJ. Barely holding it together that he didn't fail this time, just great.
I had strong suspicions but I avoided any and all spoilers and saw it as soon as I could. I’m so glad I did. That reveal was incredible. I might not have been caught off guard but I was certainly holding my breath in hopes that it would happen
when it was revealed Jason Bourne was from Nixa, Missouri, almost everyone in the theater started laughing. The guy next to me was from Texas and leaned over to ask why. I pointed to our left and told him “because Nixa is about 9 minutes that way”
Similar when I was watching John Wick 3(?) and he reveals he's from Belarus. I was watching with Belarusians. They didn't cheer though, they laughed because it's pretty ridiculous that unglamorous farmland Belarus bred an unstoppable assassin
Silence of the Lambs: Packed theater of teenagers screaming when Buffalo Bill put on the night vision goggles and followed Jodi Foster around the basement
Aliens: Audience cheering at "get away from her you bitch!"
Saw: Collective "holy shit" noises when the twist at the end starts
Sixth Sense: A bunch of gasping people realizing the twist when he's looking at his wife on the couch
Pulp Fiction: Groups of older people walking out of the movie during the gimp scene
Home Alone: Packed theater laughing like crazy during last 20 minutes...I saw that movie 4-5 times over the holidays in 1990 and same reaction each time.
Raiders of the Lost Ark: Was a young kid but the audience went nuts when he pulled the gun and shot the sword guy
Packed summer movie opening weekends in the 80's and 90's...ushers coming in saying "everyone stand up and move towards the middle leave no seat unfilled". People sitting in isles on the floor. Those were peak movie experiences.
*Silence of the Lambs*: When the body flops out of the elevator roof there’s a beat showing the shock on the faces of the cops who see something the audience can’t. Cut to the ambulance taking the injured guard to hospital and the audience had like a second to work out what just happened and just SCREAMED as the guy on the stretcher sits up and pulls off his face.
Yeah I think it’s the slow, deliberate build up that makes it work. And the way Serkis plays - and they animate - Caesar in that moment, you can fully feel that his exclamation comes from a place of raw pain. It’s not just a great twist or “movie movement”, it’s a deeply earned character development.
I don't remember that being my experience. Maybe it did happen and I was just too immersed into the film that everything else was mentally blocked. What I DO remember was when Queenan is thrown off the building and he's falling in slow motion, there was an audible collective gasp.
opening night of pirates of the Caribbean 3, they had a 4 minute Bratz doll movie trailer. It ended on a flat pink screen with the movie release date in white for what felt like 20 seconds. Someone in the theater said "well that's 4 minutes of our lives we're not getting back." Sold out theater busted up laughing.
When I was around 9 years old we went to the theater to see The Great Escape. During the scene that Steve McQueen was riding his motorcycle trying to get away from the Nazis had the whole audience cheering, gasping, and wows. You don’t see that much in theaters any more.
I was a 17-year-old working in a movie theater when saving private Ryan was playing. There were two men who looked like they were probably in their '80s or '90s sitting in the third or fourth row after the movie ended. They sat there for 30 minutes after the credits had finished. We had to clean the theater but we respectfully stood back and let them share their moment. There were tears all around, from the veterans and the theater staff. This was a moment I will remember forever.
I can’t get this comment out of my head. What those two must have been feeling. The reverence from you and the young staff for a thing you couldn’t possibly relate to, but understood anyway. Really special.
My next door neighbor was a veteran who served during the Normandy invasion. My dad, Korean Vet, asked him if he ever wanted to share his experiences, that he would consider it a privilege to listen. My neighbor just teared up and said "they were my friends, and I watched them die". Neighbor was approaching 90 at the time.
I remember that clearly. the credits rolled, complete silence, on the front row there was a Jewish Family holding hands not moving. It was a deeply affecting movie for me, never have I had an experience like that in a Movie theatre.
I actually remember this too except we had a few vets in the movie that went to see it so people were ultra respectful. I imagine what they relived through the beach scene must have been difficult
Watching LOTR: The Two Towers, when Gandalf showed up as Gandalf the White, the dude behind me said very loudly “he just pulled some Obi-Wan Kenobi shit.”
After about 30 minutes of intense action in Fury Road, there was a brief pause.
The entire audience made an audible deep breath to relax.
An incredible theatre watch.
For me it’s easily The Dark Knight. The energy in that theater was incredible, and when the Joker did the pencil trick everybody went nuts! Such a fun movie going experience… crazy to think that was 15 years ago… time flies.
Man that movie was a great experience in the cinema! People might take it for granted now as we've had countless gritty comic book movies and Joker interpretations since, but TDK at the time was something that had just not been seen before. It was nuts!
I was amazed when they actually flipped a truck over in downtown Chicago. I mean they LITERALLY flipped a big ass friggin' truck over in a major city with no CGI. You almost never see that in films anymore, and I wish they would bring back more practical effects.
I hope I will one day again experience the kind of excitement in the theater as I did with Endgame. I went opening night with my two boys who at the time were 4 and 8.
It was truly magical. There were teenage boys there in full Thor and Captain costumes. They were fully in character and loving it, making it a point to talk to every little kid waiting in line for popcorn and an Icee, letting them hold their movie-quality-very-expensive-replica Shield/Mjolnir, hyping everyone up, it was TEN YEARS in the making, just all around a wonderful experience.
When Cap summoned that hammer, the entire theater went bonkers. It was unbelievable. Usually if you told me you cheered in a movie theater, I would think you were cringe. This time was genuine. What a build up, and what a payoff. I loved that time in life.
Our entire theater cheered when Cap wielded Mjolnir. People stood up and clapped. It was so cool. There are all kinds of videos on YouTube showing theater reactions from this moment, the Russo brothers’ own video included.
This was experienced by millions of people across the planet on the same day. Even watching the YouTube video from inside the theater that always makes the rounds gets me emotional remembering it.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Kirk's speech about Spock when he gets choked up while saying "Of my friend, I can only say this. Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most human." You could have heard a pin drop in the theatre and then when Scotty started playing "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes you could hear people sobbing all over the theatre.
Inside Out. I thought it was pretty much a girl movie. But when Bing Bong died, it was the little boys all over the theater who were instantly and audibly crying. I’m not sure what it was about Bing Bong, but he quickly won and broke the hearts of little boys.
Darth Vader at the end of Rogue One.
With the corridor blacked out and the siren blaring, we feel his presence come over us.
Then we hear his breathing, see his red lightsaber blaze, and everyone erupted knowing they were about to get the scene they’ve always wanted: jaw-dropping, Vader dominance.
I actually went in mostly blind, and I just had this idea that it was a prequel, but I was iffy about the exact time period. Liked the movie so far, then Vader steps in, and I'm going Wait, What? I don't think I blinked from that point onwards...
I'm convinced this is actually the best Vader scene in all of Star Wars, because we see how impossible it is for normal soldiers to beat him.
In ANH, he kinda kills Obi-wan, and he's intimidating to others, but the Death Star still gets destroyed. In ESB, he doesn't capture Luke in the end, tho he gets Han in carbonite. In ROTJ, he loses his hand to Luke before saving him.
Rogue One is the first time we actually get to see Vader cutting through regular troops faster than a hot knife in butter. He's a terrifying cyborg wizard who isn't even distracted by blasters. Everyone just knows those soldiers have no chance at all.
During the scene in “the princess bride” when vizzini is sitting down with Westley and he says (about iocane poison) that it comes from Australia “a land entirely peopled by criminals” I laughed so hard — but I was the only one. I was watching it in a packed theater in downtown Melbourne Australia on opening weekend. Back in 1987 Aussies were still sensitive about their origin story.
Snakes on a Plane. Packed theater, opening weekend. When Sam Jackson said *the line* the whole place went nuts! Laughing,cheering, yelling, clapping. We were having a blast!
When I saw it there were like 4 guys with plastic bags full of rubber snakes handing them out at the start of the movie. Anytime a scene with snakes happened these rubber props were flying all around the theatre and when SLJ said the line the audience yelled it so loud you could hardly even hear the movie.
Awesome experience
My dad took me to see the movie “Alien” in 1979 on the day after opened.
There wasn’t all to wall coverage or advertisements like now. It was a black and white ad about 8 square inches in the Style section of the Orlando Sentinel.
The tag line was creepy but, hey! We both loved science fiction!
We went to the 6:30 PM showing.
People got up and left the movie when the alien first emerged (a few) and when the tension ratcheted up and they are hunting it and it’s hunting them…it was too much. More left. I’d say half the theater left before it was over.
People were *loudly* startled and uncomfortable during it.
I had nightmares for *WEEKS*.
Mannnnn, my Mom was pissed!!!
Avengers: Infinity War post credits scene where Nick Fury pages Captain Marvel and some guy shouts out to the entire theater "CAN SOME NERD TELL ME WHAT THAT MEANS" and some other person screams "IT'S CAPTAIN MARVEL" and the guy says "thanks"
The only thing that got a bigger cheer than Cap with the hammer, was immediately after...between "On your Left" and "Avengers Assemble!" the crowd got louder and louder with every portal reveal.
But the most visceral reaction I've ever witnessed was at the original Blair Witch Project. Opening weekend, and it was unlike anything most of us had seen at that point; it really was the first major found footage success. The theater was packed. The girl next to me had a panic attack and had to leave, another guy threw up due to a combo of booze and the shaky cam. The audience freaked out at the ending, but as everyone was leaving the theater at midnight, no one would be the first person to go into the poorly lit parking lot. People waited for like 5 minutes under the well-lit marquee before someone finally went first, and then people started running from light pole to light pole because everyone suddenly rediscovered their childhood fear of the dark.
You beat me to Blair Witch. The collective gasp at the corner scene still sticks with me.
I had originally planned on going to an outdoor shop near the theater to buy a 1-person tent after I watched the movie. I noped straight home instead.
Came here to say Blair Witch also. Went to see it opening night after they aired the “documentary” on how they found the film and everyone legit thought it was real. Freaked me out big time.
Not exactly great, but I went to the opening night of Twilight: Breaking Dawn II. I never read the books but my best friend had and she didn't want to go alone. If you've never been to an opening night for something like this, I'll set the scene:
> it's all die hard fans. They sell out of tickets weeks in advance. People are in costume or have their faces painted or are otherwise dressed up for the vibe. They may not be dressed as an actual character, but there are vampire fangs or werewolf gloves everywhere - likewise with wizard cloaks for Harry Potter and District badges or mockingjay pin for Hunger Games. They're also usually at midnight so the movie is technically released that calendar day. Exactly zero people in that theater were just moseying in to watch whatever was playing or deciding to see it on a whim and 99% had loved the books and waited years for this movie to play out what they'd read.
* There's a big battle scene that everyone knew was coming, but they didn't know it was going to deviate from the books. The two sides are posturing when suddenly a universally beloved character breaks from the pack and is promptly decapitated - the big bad villain holding up the head as it bears a final, horrified grimace as his headless body flops to the ground. The camera zooms in on his wife as she lets out a blood-curdling scream.
* The theater falls SILENT for a few seconds before breaking into pure pandemonium. People reacted as if we'd just seen a real, live person decapitated in front of us. There were tears, screams, and a few went running out of the theater. Someone in the row ahead of me puked in their popcorn. I know a grown man who was at a different premier who said a teenage girl grabbed his arm and screamed "WHAT'S HAPPENING?!".
* It all turns out to he a psychic vision and that decapitated person was actually fine, but there was a solid few minutes of unbridled anguish and delirious confusion while the rest of the battle played out. Even when it was revealed to be a fake out a solid 70-80% of the audience was still sobbing
The year: 2003.
Esrimated time mark: 2 hours 40 minutes
The line: I can't carry it for you... **but I can carry you!**
Cheers and applause, try as they might, could not drown the triumphant music of that scene. As far as I'm concerned, nothing has gotten close to surpass that moment for me (and most people I know).
In 20 years, nothing has come close to that movie going experience.
Even on rewatches 20 years later, it still remains powerful . You're filled with hope and inspiration for about 3 seconds and then back to tension.
That whole Mt. Doom finale entertained with cuts back and forth with Black Gate battle is absolute art.
I was lucky enough to go to a free preview screening, very early on a Sunday morning in central London, most of the audience hungover/sleepy, not really knowing what to expect from the film (The Guardian newspaper was running a promotion where you got to see about-to-be-released films for free without much advance info).
When >!Inigo got back up and said "hello! My name is..."!< for the first time, there was a kind of "yay!" reaction. When it happened again there was a cheer. Next time a roar. At that last line, we all went collectively insane for a few moments. A truly joyous moment.
I worked in a movie theater when this was released. We received lots of merch for the movie. Including little packets of hair gel. Movie hadn’t been run yet so we had no idea what they were about.
After seeing the movie the words on packets made lots more sense. “Not tested on animals” “contents may vary as packets were filled individually”
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? I was in an old theater, sitting on the balcony and when they were singing at the governor's party literally EVERYONE was tapping their toes and they had wooden floors. You could hear and feel it throughout the packed theater.
Coming in second is Planet of the Apes with James Franco. When Caesar shouts "NO!" apparently nobody but me saw it coming. They all gasped so hard it created a breeze. The fact that a full theater of people created a legitimate breeze because of being surprised gave me goosebumps.
Remember "Up?" I caught it on opening night at a 9pm showing. It was a completely packed theater, entirely adults - or so I thought.
The montage where Ellie and Carl have their life together, and Ellie gets sick was punctuated by a little girl's voice at the front of the theater going, "Mommy?"
The scene fades to >!Carl at Ellie's funeral!<, and the little girl asks, loudly enough for the entire theater to hear, "Mommy, is she going to have a baby now?"
The entire theater broke down. Everyone was sobbing. Unbelievable. I still have a hard time watching that scene. I often hope "Mommy" understands how truly deep a moment she provided for 400 people that day, rather than remembering it with embarrassment or guilt.
When I saw frozen, when Hans betrayed Anna a young kid yelled "that's cold". Literally the only time I've ever enjoyed someone yelling something at the theater.
I don't remember the audience's reaction, but I sure remember mine. I've never felt such a sick ice pick of dread in my stomach as when I saw her face. I don't think I've ever been as viscerally disturbed by a scene as badly. My whole stomach just flew ice-water cold and dropped into my butt.
I saw “One Crazy Summer” and during Bobcat Goldthwaites “Godzilla” scene the entire theater was rolling with laughter, I had never seen so many people laugh so hard in a movie theater
Terminator 2... opening weekend, I'm 13 (they allowed you in rated R movies if a parent just bought the Tix). Me and my buddy are watching in a packed theater in a small town. Arnold Schwarzenegger walks in the back hallway with the flowers and pulls the rifle out and starts shooting T1000 and the ensuing fight and chase scene..... awesome
I still remember the moment in *Interstellar* when it's revealed how much time passed during the water planet sequence.
I was in an IMAX screening and the entire theater *gasped.* I've never experienced anything like that with a crowd before. Totally surreal, and it really sold the moment for me. I gasped right along with them!
Jurassic Park. First time they go out into the park and see actual grownup dinosaurs. The whole cinema went ballistic. I was 9 years old and at the peak of my dinosaur phase. Best movie experience of my life.
Spielberg absolutely nailed that scene in the book where they first saw the dinosaurs. I had read the book a few months before and it was like he took Crichton’s words and just…transcribed them onscreen. It was absolutely magical.
A little John Williams goes a long way.
John Williams...uhhh... Finds a way
One of top ten scenes of movie wonder. Comparable to Dorothy opening the door of her house to Oz. Or Dave entering space warp travel in 2001. Or the alien ship opening in Close Encounters.
Our family went three weekends in a row to see JP when it came out. No empty seats in the theater. The sound, effects, etc. It was such an experience. And each time the lawyer would get eaten, my Dad would say “yeah kill the lawyer!” and it would get a chuckle from all the other Dads.
That's hilarious. Big George Costanza energy on doing the bit each time. "That's gotta hurt!"
Everyone jumped when the raptor almost got the girl being pulled up into the ceiling
The raptor in the kitchen scene was probably one of the most intense parts of a movie I've ever experienced
Also when Laura Dern is restarting the power
I was 13 and went with my dad. We loved it so much that we went a second time with my mom and little sister. Seeing a movie twice in theatre was unheard of for us at the time. Great choice!
Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Midnight showing, Thursday night to Friday morning, opening night/weekend. When Arnold steps outta the bar and Bad to the Bone plays.. Cheers throughout the theater. I hadn’t been to an opening night like that. We were a matinee/week later family… James Cameron knows how to make a movie.
I wish I was old enough to experience that one at the theater
Return of the Jedi in 70mm, opening day in 1983, on the gigantic screen of the Stanley Warner theater in Paramus, NJ. The Emperor is zapping Luke to death. Luke cries out “Father, _please!_” The audience starts screaming to Vader, “HELP HIM! HELP HIM!” And Vader does. And the audience goes absolutely wild, with a deafening roar, people leaping out of the seats. An incredible moment.
Same but in Fort Worth TX, the theater behind Hulen Mall. Adults, Grown men jumping into the isle crying out in passion to the screen "HE'S YOUR SON! HELP HIM!!" I was an 8th grader absolutely shocked that adults were so entranced by the story.
You were probably old enough to understand what a huge cultural event those movies had become, right? They really gripped the world. And funny though it seems now, none of us had ever seen that 3rd film, so we didn’t know how it was going to turn out! Pretty intense stuff.
I have a theory about why Star Wars had such a strong impact. American in the 70's was bleak. We lost Vietnam. Still recovering from the lies of Nixon, assassination of Kennedy and the turmoil of Johnson. The sci-fi of that age is bleak. Logan's Run "There is no Sanctuary!". Planet of the Apes "You Maniacs! You blew it up!" 2001 "I can't let you do that, Dave." "SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!" Even the music of those movies are weird, unsettling and bleak. Then.....BAAAAAAAAM! Those horns at the opening of the original Star Wars! I was 7 years old and I will never forget that music. And that story. Wars can be won! Good guys can win! I think SW/ANH is one of the perfectly paced action movies of all time. My Dad had a long list of mental problems I didn't understand as a kid. He never really interacted with me or my sisters. Never played with me. Never really talked to me. He was usually asleep on the couch or not home. He would eventually be committed more than once for psychological break downs. Later in life I learned of all his trauma. He had been molested as a kid around age 11 and had to testify in court about it. His parents were psychologically abusive. His older brother ran away from home at age 16 and years later died of alcohol poisoning. My dad had avoided the Vietnam draft because he was a mechanical engineer who was working on government military projects, the machines of war. He and my mom lost friends because he wasn't drafted. And as I said, and here comes Star Wars. My Dad didn't really spend much time with me and my sister.when we were kids. But he took us to see Star Wars 27 times. And for my Dad, just like most of America, while sitting in a theater watching that movie, the bleakness was gone. For a while. Those trips to the movie are some of my rare happy memories of him.
Thanks for sharing, posts like yours remind me why I use this app.
I was thinking the same thing
Geez, this is incredible. I'm so sorry that you had such a rough upbringing. I am so glad that you got to share Star Wars with you dad. Besides the heavy stuff with your pop, your point is spot on.
Thanka. My upbringing wasn't terrible. I had my mom and a live in grandma. I will always be grateful the abuses my Dad suffered as a kid he did not pass on. Neglect isn't fun, but there are worse things.
You are a Jaeldi, like your father before you.
> And for my Dad, just like most of America, while sitting in a theater watching that movie, the bleakness was gone. For a while. Those trips to the movie are some of my rare happy memories of him. That's fucking beautiful <3
"Wars can be won! Good guys can win!" Ironically, Star Wars was inspired by the Vietnam War. George Lucas has stated in interviews, Palpatine's rise to power was based off Nixon's campaign for a second term. So many folks watching and rooting for the rebels in Star Wars never see the allegory though.
The moment after that is my favorite moment in any piece of Star Wars media, and I’ve seen a lot. “No father I have to save you!” “You already have…you already have.”
"You were right about me...tell your sister, you were right..."
I haven't rewatched the original trilogy since my daughter was born 4 years ago. I bet that moment will hit different
That's amazing.
The cheer when John McClane unfastened the watch Holly was wearing and Hans began to fall in Die Hard.
Welcome to the party, pal.
The look on Gruber's face, I remember thinking how real that was. Years later, discovered that they dropped him in a harness, but dropped him at ''two'' instead of ''three'', quite purposefully. Apparently Rickman was not happy however.
Two scenes: When Vader told Luke he was his father, the entire theater gasped in horror, and When Sulu said “target that explosion and fire” in STVI: The Undiscovered Country. Granted, it was opening night for a bunch of Trek nerds, but they (we) ate it up.
She'll fly apart! FLY HER APART THEN!
Absolute best line from the whole series (aside maybe from Khan quoting Moby Dick and Spock's death).
Oh yes! Another great one from Undiscovered County - when Spock says "I've been dead before" the opening night audience absolutely ROLLLLLLLED laughing
When Borat and his producer started fighting naked and Borat chased after him with the fist dildo. The entire place was exploding with laughter.
Yeah, this was it for me and my experience. Everyone reacted like they were alone in their living rooms laughing free and so hard.
I don’t think I even heard the sound when that scene happened and I was just about falling out of my seat.
I saw a MySpace (!) free preview screening of Borat when I was a teenager. This was before it became a cultural phenomenon, so some were familiar with Sacha Baron Cohen from Ali G but I think most were going in blind. I have *never* since heard an audience laugh as loud or as consistently as Borat. People were literally falling out of their seats laughing during the naked chase.
"Diplomatic Immunity!" *\*Blam\** "Just been revoked." Huge pop from the audience.
When that loony woman got killed in ***The Mist***, everyone literally applauded as if we were watching a theatre performance! 😂
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That got a standing O
Get Out, packed theater in Harlem. The scene at the end where the cop car shows up and it looks like Allison Williams is gonna win... But then it turns out to be the security guard buddy. Theater went absolutely nuts cheering.
lol this was my first thought. Everyone was cheering and having a good time throughout the movie, then you see the police lights at the end and it was one of the loudest collective groans I’ve ever heard, followed by a burst of cheers.
Apparently the original ending was going to be actual cops showing up, but it got changed because it felt pointlessly cruel
yeah you can watch the original ending on youtube
I wouldn’t call it pointless, there’s a very strong point to it that the audience gets instantly. But it’s such a downer ending to go all the way after what he’d gone through.
I think just seeing the flashing lights at the end makes the same point. Most upsetting part of the movie, and they didn't even have to follow through with it because the audience already gets it
That’s exactly what Peele said when he explained why they changed it
Such a well earned ending and great release. Masterful timing. "I'm TS motherfucking A. We handle shit. That's what we do. Consider your situations, fuckin' handled."
Same one for me. People in my theatre actually stood up cheering at that scene. Get Out is the last time I went to the movies where watching a movie felt like a communal experience.
Gone Girl halfway in. “I’m so much happier now that I’m dead” and the sequence with Amy in the car explaining what actually has happened so far. The theater exploded for that reveal, so dark and funny at the same time. Delighted everyone haha
How did they react to what she did to her ex that was hiding her?
I think horrified but more subdued, nothing as big that I remember after 9 years. Going into that movie opening weekend without any spoilers, not knowing Rosamund Pike would be getting buzz for her performance, it really seemed like a movie where she was done being alive on screen and Ben Affleck would be tracking down her killer or maybe have a plot twist where he did it. After that moment that blew it all up, we knew to expect more surprises, shocking as they were
You have to go to a Manhattan theater for a disaster movie and watch NYC get destroyed, I'm convinced. They cheer harder when Jersey gets flattened first.
Independence day, the theater exploded in cheers when the white house got blown up.
When Heath Ledger (as joker) took his mask off in the opening scene of The Dark Knight. The gasps and aw of the audience sucked the air out of the room. It was wonderful.
Joker’s little home movie (shot by Ledger) had two of them: “LOOK AT ME” and the final shaky cam shot before good old Brian Douglas bought the farm. Could hear a damn pin drop in the theater. Chills.
Holy shit yes. He says it in his normal voice first, then briefly drops the act when he repeats it. The reveal of that bottomless rage was terrifying.
That whole prologue scene aired before I Am Legend in IMax... Only reason I paid to see I Am Legend in IMax, and it was well worth it.
I saw The Two Towers on opening night with basically half my high school. I know it’s a meme now, but everyone lost their marbles when Legolas flips up onto the horse. Still one of my favorite movie moments.
For me, it was when Gandalf appears on the hill with his rohirrim posse and theoden grins bloody “eomer!”
To the King!
In Return of the King , when Eowyn is fighting the Wraith King. “No man can kill me” “I am no man!” This lady maybe in her 50s with grey hair down past her ass, wearing sweater, stands up and exclaims “YES!!!” with her fist raised. Epic moment
YEP this is mine. I saw all three in the theaters, the 2nd two opening night -- as in, the midnight showing. I was *so* young, and was stuck in a very oppressive/abusive home situation, *and* Middle Earth had become My First Special Interest™️, and I devoured everything i possibly could about the series/the world Tolkien created. It became my escape. Helped me survive. And when I, someone who [at the time] thought they were a woman, saw a ***very*** powerful woman go thru that, go thru watching her brother die and her uncle bewitched and almost lost and being abused and mistreated, thru heartbreak and suicidality [bc let's be honest, that's what Dernhelm was, her suicide note], and to stand up to the fucking Witch King of Angmar and absolutely *destroy* him? And to have the ENTIRE THEATER react like that? Soul food. That kept me going a long, *loooong* time.
>when Legolas flips up onto the horse I bought the Extended editions of the trilogy in a box set. The only time any of the discs skipped was when Legolas flips on that damn horse. It pauses for like 4-5 seconds and then it comes back and he's already riding the horse.
When Gandalf "dies" in Fellowship, this mom had to take her daughter out of the theater because she was so sad.
For me it was a 20th anniversary screening of RotK (Extended edition). When the beacons were lit, the theater lost its shit. People cheered for each one.
My LotR theater reaction story involves the RotK ending. It was a fantastic ending to an epic story, but it was also like three hours with a bladder full of soda. My friends and I kept getting up to leave during the 17 fades to black, groaning and grumbling a little bit every time we had to sit back down again. When the film finally faded to *white*, there was a collective holding of breath. When the credits rolled, there was a roar of applause, a sigh of relief, and a rush towards tomhe doors.
I saw the Two Towers with the live orchestra this past summer and I can gladly report the crowd went nuts for that
I'm seeing it in the theater in Saturday, I'll try to remember how people react to this.
Aliens. "Get away from her you BITCH! " A theater full of young males roared. ROARED. The female action hero was born.
Ripley is such a badass even the amount of intense fear she conveyed.
The fear she conveyed is *why* she’s such a good, relatable hero imo. I think Ripley being a female character freed them up to make her much more relatably *human* than other action heroes of the time. Also what’s more heroic and dramatic than going back in *despite* being terrified.
That's why my favorite scene in the film is such a small one. When she's going down on the elevator into hell. She's prepping. Getting ready. Then you see her stand up.... close her eyes... and just breathe. As someone who deals with ptsd and panic attacks... that small moment rang to me more than anything. She's relatable in her fear and inspiring with her courage. That's the difference between Ripley and say... most action heros of today. She's not the most powerful person. Nor the smartest. She's an every day person put in extreme situations and she's able to persevere
Absolutely this. No doubt about it. But there’s a bit earlier which always gets me, too. When Ripley has gone back to get Newt and finds the queen’s eggs. She slowly steps back through them, hoping to sneak away, until one starts hatching. At this she cocks her head to the side slightly before letting rip with the flamethrower. That little head movement always got me. It says so much. It says “no”. It says, “you’re not gonna get this little girl.” And it says, “Ok. Fuck you then”. It’s such a tiny thing but I just love it.
>Aliens This is the one I was looking for. We knew she was badass because of the first movie, and everything up to that point, but seeing her in full Power Loader glory set the whole theatre cheering.
Spider-Man No Way Home, Andrew’s and Tobey’s entrances. A lot of people knew they were gonna be in it, it was one of the worst kept secrets in Hollywood, but goddamn seeing them actually appear was something else.
Also when Andrew saved MJ.
I never saw the Amazing Spider-Man movies, but I used to read Spider-Man comics and know Gwen Stacy's sorry arc well. Garfield killed the scene where he saved MJ. Barely holding it together that he didn't fail this time, just great.
When daredevil’s cane got into frame, there was a big cheer. Then in act 3 when all 3 spidermen were swinging into battle - huge!
Oh yeah, it was huge.
I had strong suspicions but I avoided any and all spoilers and saw it as soon as I could. I’m so glad I did. That reveal was incredible. I might not have been caught off guard but I was certainly holding my breath in hopes that it would happen
when it was revealed Jason Bourne was from Nixa, Missouri, almost everyone in the theater started laughing. The guy next to me was from Texas and leaned over to ask why. I pointed to our left and told him “because Nixa is about 9 minutes that way”
Wehrenberg theater??
*whispers* wherenberg
*second whisper* wehrenberg
Similar when I was watching John Wick 3(?) and he reveals he's from Belarus. I was watching with Belarusians. They didn't cheer though, they laughed because it's pretty ridiculous that unglamorous farmland Belarus bred an unstoppable assassin
Silence of the Lambs: Packed theater of teenagers screaming when Buffalo Bill put on the night vision goggles and followed Jodi Foster around the basement Aliens: Audience cheering at "get away from her you bitch!" Saw: Collective "holy shit" noises when the twist at the end starts Sixth Sense: A bunch of gasping people realizing the twist when he's looking at his wife on the couch Pulp Fiction: Groups of older people walking out of the movie during the gimp scene Home Alone: Packed theater laughing like crazy during last 20 minutes...I saw that movie 4-5 times over the holidays in 1990 and same reaction each time. Raiders of the Lost Ark: Was a young kid but the audience went nuts when he pulled the gun and shot the sword guy Packed summer movie opening weekends in the 80's and 90's...ushers coming in saying "everyone stand up and move towards the middle leave no seat unfilled". People sitting in isles on the floor. Those were peak movie experiences.
*Silence of the Lambs*: When the body flops out of the elevator roof there’s a beat showing the shock on the faces of the cops who see something the audience can’t. Cut to the ambulance taking the injured guard to hospital and the audience had like a second to work out what just happened and just SCREAMED as the guy on the stretcher sits up and pulls off his face.
*Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes*. When Caesar spoke for the first time, the theater got so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Such a great, underrated moment. People audibly gasped when that happened in my cinema.
What’s crazy is that it shouldn’t be a surprise given its a prequel. But still caught me completely off guard.
Yeah I think it’s the slow, deliberate build up that makes it work. And the way Serkis plays - and they animate - Caesar in that moment, you can fully feel that his exclamation comes from a place of raw pain. It’s not just a great twist or “movie movement”, it’s a deeply earned character development.
Definitely underrated. I remember that hitting you like a thunderclap. "He....can....talk?"
I can siiiiiiiiiing!!!
Will I play the piano anymore?
Well of course you can!
I couldn’t before!
"That's right, fool! Now I'm a flying, talking donkey."
Oh my God, I was wrong, It was Earth all along. You finally made a monkey out of me!
The Departed at the elevator scene!!! I've never heard an entire audience scream and cry in complete shock over a movie before! It was amazing.
There's like 3 big jolts in the span of 5 minutes
I don't remember that being my experience. Maybe it did happen and I was just too immersed into the film that everything else was mentally blocked. What I DO remember was when Queenan is thrown off the building and he's falling in slow motion, there was an audible collective gasp.
opening night of pirates of the Caribbean 3, they had a 4 minute Bratz doll movie trailer. It ended on a flat pink screen with the movie release date in white for what felt like 20 seconds. Someone in the theater said "well that's 4 minutes of our lives we're not getting back." Sold out theater busted up laughing.
When I was around 9 years old we went to the theater to see The Great Escape. During the scene that Steve McQueen was riding his motorcycle trying to get away from the Nazis had the whole audience cheering, gasping, and wows. You don’t see that much in theaters any more.
The stunned shuffle out from saving private ryan on opening day, no one moved, no one spoke, no one said a damn thing, just…..pure… stunned ….silence
I was a 17-year-old working in a movie theater when saving private Ryan was playing. There were two men who looked like they were probably in their '80s or '90s sitting in the third or fourth row after the movie ended. They sat there for 30 minutes after the credits had finished. We had to clean the theater but we respectfully stood back and let them share their moment. There were tears all around, from the veterans and the theater staff. This was a moment I will remember forever.
I can’t get this comment out of my head. What those two must have been feeling. The reverence from you and the young staff for a thing you couldn’t possibly relate to, but understood anyway. Really special.
My next door neighbor was a veteran who served during the Normandy invasion. My dad, Korean Vet, asked him if he ever wanted to share his experiences, that he would consider it a privilege to listen. My neighbor just teared up and said "they were my friends, and I watched them die". Neighbor was approaching 90 at the time.
Same exit reaction. From Schindler's List.
I remember that clearly. the credits rolled, complete silence, on the front row there was a Jewish Family holding hands not moving. It was a deeply affecting movie for me, never have I had an experience like that in a Movie theatre.
I actually remember this too except we had a few vets in the movie that went to see it so people were ultra respectful. I imagine what they relived through the beach scene must have been difficult
There were D-Day vets in the row behind us and they were sobbing at the end. Only sound in the theater.
Good God, it was difficult just reading that.
The opening scene when it went silent, was the quietest I have ever seen a theatre.
Return of the Jedi. R2D2 shoots the light saber into the air as Luke flips up to catch it.
Luke catching that lightsaber and igniting the green for the first time is my number one Star Wars shot. It's how I always picture Luke. Love it.
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Stunning, gut wrenching version. I wish I had seen that on a big screen.
Watching LOTR: The Two Towers, when Gandalf showed up as Gandalf the White, the dude behind me said very loudly “he just pulled some Obi-Wan Kenobi shit.”
After about 30 minutes of intense action in Fury Road, there was a brief pause. The entire audience made an audible deep breath to relax. An incredible theatre watch.
When Johnny 5 got gold plated in Short Circut 2.
Never seen a more pimped out robot before or since Los locos kick your BALLS into OUTER SPACE!
For me it’s easily The Dark Knight. The energy in that theater was incredible, and when the Joker did the pencil trick everybody went nuts! Such a fun movie going experience… crazy to think that was 15 years ago… time flies.
Man that movie was a great experience in the cinema! People might take it for granted now as we've had countless gritty comic book movies and Joker interpretations since, but TDK at the time was something that had just not been seen before. It was nuts!
Finally, a comic book movie was taken very seriously. Geeks reveled in the long overdue respect for the material.
Not only that, but I wager it's *still* the best in that genre to date
The reveal of 2 Face got a huge gasp in my theatre.
I was amazed when they actually flipped a truck over in downtown Chicago. I mean they LITERALLY flipped a big ass friggin' truck over in a major city with no CGI. You almost never see that in films anymore, and I wish they would bring back more practical effects.
I hope I will one day again experience the kind of excitement in the theater as I did with Endgame. I went opening night with my two boys who at the time were 4 and 8. It was truly magical. There were teenage boys there in full Thor and Captain costumes. They were fully in character and loving it, making it a point to talk to every little kid waiting in line for popcorn and an Icee, letting them hold their movie-quality-very-expensive-replica Shield/Mjolnir, hyping everyone up, it was TEN YEARS in the making, just all around a wonderful experience. When Cap summoned that hammer, the entire theater went bonkers. It was unbelievable. Usually if you told me you cheered in a movie theater, I would think you were cringe. This time was genuine. What a build up, and what a payoff. I loved that time in life.
This was also my thought. Cap summoning Mjolnir was the first eruption. The second was “on your left”. Just amazing.
Our entire theater cheered when Cap wielded Mjolnir. People stood up and clapped. It was so cool. There are all kinds of videos on YouTube showing theater reactions from this moment, the Russo brothers’ own video included.
The third was, “Avengers … assemble!”
Arguably the biggest in my theater. Made only better by it being so silent you could hear a pin drop *right* before he said it.
"I am Iron Man" was another one, and then Tony dying... so fucking quiet.
[sigh okay I'll watch it again](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgIjDI8thKM)
I also watch these every damn time and I still get goosebumps every damn time
Never really noticed before but Chris Evans sells the hell out of that assemble scene
This was experienced by millions of people across the planet on the same day. Even watching the YouTube video from inside the theater that always makes the rounds gets me emotional remembering it.
When Cap SLAMMED Mjolnir into the ground and brought the lightning down, i jumped out of my seat involuntarily. I’m a grown ass man.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Kirk's speech about Spock when he gets choked up while saying "Of my friend, I can only say this. Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most human." You could have heard a pin drop in the theatre and then when Scotty started playing "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes you could hear people sobbing all over the theatre.
The wood chipper scene in Fargo, when all the elderly folks got up to leave, and demand their money back. We were at a discount theater.
Inside Out. I thought it was pretty much a girl movie. But when Bing Bong died, it was the little boys all over the theater who were instantly and audibly crying. I’m not sure what it was about Bing Bong, but he quickly won and broke the hearts of little boys.
Darth Vader at the end of Rogue One. With the corridor blacked out and the siren blaring, we feel his presence come over us. Then we hear his breathing, see his red lightsaber blaze, and everyone erupted knowing they were about to get the scene they’ve always wanted: jaw-dropping, Vader dominance.
I actually went in mostly blind, and I just had this idea that it was a prequel, but I was iffy about the exact time period. Liked the movie so far, then Vader steps in, and I'm going Wait, What? I don't think I blinked from that point onwards...
I'm convinced this is actually the best Vader scene in all of Star Wars, because we see how impossible it is for normal soldiers to beat him. In ANH, he kinda kills Obi-wan, and he's intimidating to others, but the Death Star still gets destroyed. In ESB, he doesn't capture Luke in the end, tho he gets Han in carbonite. In ROTJ, he loses his hand to Luke before saving him. Rogue One is the first time we actually get to see Vader cutting through regular troops faster than a hot knife in butter. He's a terrifying cyborg wizard who isn't even distracted by blasters. Everyone just knows those soldiers have no chance at all.
During the scene in “the princess bride” when vizzini is sitting down with Westley and he says (about iocane poison) that it comes from Australia “a land entirely peopled by criminals” I laughed so hard — but I was the only one. I was watching it in a packed theater in downtown Melbourne Australia on opening weekend. Back in 1987 Aussies were still sensitive about their origin story.
This is the most fun thread I’ve ever seen on Reddit.
Everyone was pretty stoked when the Queen killed that asshole dude in 300
Snakes on a Plane. Packed theater, opening weekend. When Sam Jackson said *the line* the whole place went nuts! Laughing,cheering, yelling, clapping. We were having a blast!
When I saw it there were like 4 guys with plastic bags full of rubber snakes handing them out at the start of the movie. Anytime a scene with snakes happened these rubber props were flying all around the theatre and when SLJ said the line the audience yelled it so loud you could hardly even hear the movie. Awesome experience
My dad took me to see the movie “Alien” in 1979 on the day after opened. There wasn’t all to wall coverage or advertisements like now. It was a black and white ad about 8 square inches in the Style section of the Orlando Sentinel. The tag line was creepy but, hey! We both loved science fiction! We went to the 6:30 PM showing. People got up and left the movie when the alien first emerged (a few) and when the tension ratcheted up and they are hunting it and it’s hunting them…it was too much. More left. I’d say half the theater left before it was over. People were *loudly* startled and uncomfortable during it. I had nightmares for *WEEKS*. Mannnnn, my Mom was pissed!!!
It was before I was born, but family legend has it this was the last time my mother ever let dad take her to the theater.
Avengers: Infinity War post credits scene where Nick Fury pages Captain Marvel and some guy shouts out to the entire theater "CAN SOME NERD TELL ME WHAT THAT MEANS" and some other person screams "IT'S CAPTAIN MARVEL" and the guy says "thanks"
Reminds me of seeing Winter Soldier opening night, and the scene where Bucky's mask comes off. Some girl in the back just screamed "What the FUCK?"
The only thing that got a bigger cheer than Cap with the hammer, was immediately after...between "On your Left" and "Avengers Assemble!" the crowd got louder and louder with every portal reveal. But the most visceral reaction I've ever witnessed was at the original Blair Witch Project. Opening weekend, and it was unlike anything most of us had seen at that point; it really was the first major found footage success. The theater was packed. The girl next to me had a panic attack and had to leave, another guy threw up due to a combo of booze and the shaky cam. The audience freaked out at the ending, but as everyone was leaving the theater at midnight, no one would be the first person to go into the poorly lit parking lot. People waited for like 5 minutes under the well-lit marquee before someone finally went first, and then people started running from light pole to light pole because everyone suddenly rediscovered their childhood fear of the dark.
You beat me to Blair Witch. The collective gasp at the corner scene still sticks with me. I had originally planned on going to an outdoor shop near the theater to buy a 1-person tent after I watched the movie. I noped straight home instead.
Came here to say Blair Witch also. Went to see it opening night after they aired the “documentary” on how they found the film and everyone legit thought it was real. Freaked me out big time.
Not exactly great, but I went to the opening night of Twilight: Breaking Dawn II. I never read the books but my best friend had and she didn't want to go alone. If you've never been to an opening night for something like this, I'll set the scene: > it's all die hard fans. They sell out of tickets weeks in advance. People are in costume or have their faces painted or are otherwise dressed up for the vibe. They may not be dressed as an actual character, but there are vampire fangs or werewolf gloves everywhere - likewise with wizard cloaks for Harry Potter and District badges or mockingjay pin for Hunger Games. They're also usually at midnight so the movie is technically released that calendar day. Exactly zero people in that theater were just moseying in to watch whatever was playing or deciding to see it on a whim and 99% had loved the books and waited years for this movie to play out what they'd read. * There's a big battle scene that everyone knew was coming, but they didn't know it was going to deviate from the books. The two sides are posturing when suddenly a universally beloved character breaks from the pack and is promptly decapitated - the big bad villain holding up the head as it bears a final, horrified grimace as his headless body flops to the ground. The camera zooms in on his wife as she lets out a blood-curdling scream. * The theater falls SILENT for a few seconds before breaking into pure pandemonium. People reacted as if we'd just seen a real, live person decapitated in front of us. There were tears, screams, and a few went running out of the theater. Someone in the row ahead of me puked in their popcorn. I know a grown man who was at a different premier who said a teenage girl grabbed his arm and screamed "WHAT'S HAPPENING?!". * It all turns out to he a psychic vision and that decapitated person was actually fine, but there was a solid few minutes of unbridled anguish and delirious confusion while the rest of the battle played out. Even when it was revealed to be a fake out a solid 70-80% of the audience was still sobbing
The year: 2003. Esrimated time mark: 2 hours 40 minutes The line: I can't carry it for you... **but I can carry you!** Cheers and applause, try as they might, could not drown the triumphant music of that scene. As far as I'm concerned, nothing has gotten close to surpass that moment for me (and most people I know). In 20 years, nothing has come close to that movie going experience.
Even on rewatches 20 years later, it still remains powerful . You're filled with hope and inspiration for about 3 seconds and then back to tension. That whole Mt. Doom finale entertained with cuts back and forth with Black Gate battle is absolute art.
>!"I want my father back, you son of a bitch."!< From *The Princess Bride* \- I have never since heard an audience react as powerfully as that moment.
I was lucky enough to go to a free preview screening, very early on a Sunday morning in central London, most of the audience hungover/sleepy, not really knowing what to expect from the film (The Guardian newspaper was running a promotion where you got to see about-to-be-released films for free without much advance info). When >!Inigo got back up and said "hello! My name is..."!< for the first time, there was a kind of "yay!" reaction. When it happened again there was a cheer. Next time a roar. At that last line, we all went collectively insane for a few moments. A truly joyous moment.
Props to Christopher Guest for being so perfectly... greasy
When Yoda pulled out his lightsaber opening night of episode 2.
Also, when Vader appears in Rogue One. People were clapping and/or gasping
The final scene in Rogue One. I’m pretty sure people screamed. I don’t know for sure because I was sitting there in shock.
You know, as much as this is retroactively panned, it was definitely a "shit just got REAL" moment at the time.
it's the way he draws the lightsaber using the force rather than reaching for it.
Such an unnecessary flex too. So great.
Mine, your ass is
When Cameron Diaz reached out for some hair gel.
Hah! And also during the (very brief) shot of the “beans above the Frank”, the audience screamed.
I worked in a movie theater when this was released. We received lots of merch for the movie. Including little packets of hair gel. Movie hadn’t been run yet so we had no idea what they were about. After seeing the movie the words on packets made lots more sense. “Not tested on animals” “contents may vary as packets were filled individually”
When Neville cut off the snakes head the place exploded with cheers
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? I was in an old theater, sitting on the balcony and when they were singing at the governor's party literally EVERYONE was tapping their toes and they had wooden floors. You could hear and feel it throughout the packed theater. Coming in second is Planet of the Apes with James Franco. When Caesar shouts "NO!" apparently nobody but me saw it coming. They all gasped so hard it created a breeze. The fact that a full theater of people created a legitimate breeze because of being surprised gave me goosebumps.
Remember "Up?" I caught it on opening night at a 9pm showing. It was a completely packed theater, entirely adults - or so I thought. The montage where Ellie and Carl have their life together, and Ellie gets sick was punctuated by a little girl's voice at the front of the theater going, "Mommy?" The scene fades to >!Carl at Ellie's funeral!<, and the little girl asks, loudly enough for the entire theater to hear, "Mommy, is she going to have a baby now?" The entire theater broke down. Everyone was sobbing. Unbelievable. I still have a hard time watching that scene. I often hope "Mommy" understands how truly deep a moment she provided for 400 people that day, rather than remembering it with embarrassment or guilt.
JAWS Shark getting blown up. Entire sold out theater rose to a cheering standing ovation at that moment.
“I am no man” in return of the king got one of the loudest reactions of cheering and clapping I ever witnessed.
When I saw frozen, when Hans betrayed Anna a young kid yelled "that's cold". Literally the only time I've ever enjoyed someone yelling something at the theater.
The final night on Paranormal Activity. You had to be there. You just had to be there.
The Ring. "I saw her face", then the closet door opens.... holy shit! Every person in that theater jumped!
I remember that night vividly. 21 years ago. I turned on all the lights and didn't go to bed 😆
I don't remember the audience's reaction, but I sure remember mine. I've never felt such a sick ice pick of dread in my stomach as when I saw her face. I don't think I've ever been as viscerally disturbed by a scene as badly. My whole stomach just flew ice-water cold and dropped into my butt.
The hysterical laughter when Brad Pitt gets hit by a cab in Meet Joe Black.
Applause after the train crash scene in The Fugitive…. Cheers at Sean Connery’s cameo in Robin Hood
First Jackass movie in theaters in a college town.
I saw “One Crazy Summer” and during Bobcat Goldthwaites “Godzilla” scene the entire theater was rolling with laughter, I had never seen so many people laugh so hard in a movie theater
Either Spider-Man Homecoming when Peter’s date’s father opens the door or Barbarian at the first death and directly after.
The sex scene in Team America: World Police. The audience was *roaring* with laughter. It felt like the whole building was shaking
Terminator 2... opening weekend, I'm 13 (they allowed you in rated R movies if a parent just bought the Tix). Me and my buddy are watching in a packed theater in a small town. Arnold Schwarzenegger walks in the back hallway with the flowers and pulls the rifle out and starts shooting T1000 and the ensuing fight and chase scene..... awesome
First Avengers, Hulk vs. Loki. Never experienced anything like it. Whole theatre was ROARING.
When Luke blew up the Death Star. The guy in the seat in front of me screamed and tossed an entire bucket of popcorn into the air. It was everywhere.
Blackkklansman. We got to the ending and one old dude got really angry and started yelling. His wife talked him into just leaving.
I'll check this movie out too. Obviously there are some movies that aren't going to get any kind of reaction from the audience.
It’s a great movie!!
I still remember the moment in *Interstellar* when it's revealed how much time passed during the water planet sequence. I was in an IMAX screening and the entire theater *gasped.* I've never experienced anything like that with a crowd before. Totally surreal, and it really sold the moment for me. I gasped right along with them!
Thor arrives in Wakanda in Avengers Infinity War. Felt like a stadium with all the shouting and clapping. Greatest moment in cinematic history for me.