the adults laughing during babygirl because they were clearly uncomfortable with any kind of sex, which they haphazardly and retrospectively framed by saying “he’s a bad person” out loud because not liking the sex was actually woke was like. time for murder
It’s unfortunately the trend everywhere. I went to a screening of The Thing at Cinemagic in Portland and people were CACKLING! There’s a theatre in Seattle that I used to avoid entirely because the crowd it drew was exactly this type of person. I think some of it is thinking you’re smarter than the movie but I also think some of it is declining media literacy. Maybe it’s time to bring back public shaming.
And like, I'm fine with people discovering movies at their own pace and maybe not "getting it" right away or know how to react when they're unsure. But laughter is the least respectful reaction possible!
speaking to my soul. Amy Nicholson has a really good piece on this from TEN years ago, and it is literally tragic and pathetic that I guess this is just how it will always be forever--https://www.laweekly.com/stop-laughing-at-old-movies-you-ing-hipsters/
I worked at an amazing arthouse/indie/cult nonprofit theater and for the most part the audiences were good, but any time we showed a movie with a wider appeal than us boring crusty regulars, there was always SOMEONE who felt like he was there to be seen. The guy who laughs hysterically when SOYLENT GREEN says it's set in 2022. The person who shrieks at the obviously fake blood in an old slasher. like damn do you think we all came here and paid our eight bucks to see how Kevin would react to this movie????
The last sentence - exactly! There's such an air of performative attention seeking in it and that's what gets on my nerves the most. And it starts with that one annoying person and spreads because it really does make the rest of the audience take the movie less seriously too
I will never go to The Vista for any of the Neon "horror" movies again because of this. Even on opening weekends people are determined to have the hipster "actually this is really funny" take in real time and just laugh super loud and obnoxiously at anything slightly uncomfortable or off.
I finally crossed off all my Lynch blind spots this spring and for some reason I decided to go see Blue Velvet at the Alamo. Immediately cancelled my Inland Empire tickets when I got home. People couldn’t laugh at the violence so there was so much laughing when Dern gets her heart broken! Which is in many ways more upsetting than the violence!
I'm so sorry you were also a victim to this. I heard similar things from a friend who saw Blue Velvet at Cinespia recently - there's something about David Lynch that makes people not know how to act (and in turn act stupid)
when I saw Blue Velvet at a tribute screening, people in my auditorium laughed at that scene too and it was so upsetting to me and tainted what should have been an experience of collective grief. before the screening, the programmer spoke about the film and Lynch and even brought up how his films can evoke uncomfortable emotions and even encouraged folks to sit with the discomfort instead of distancing themselves through laughter.
I did go see Inland Empire when it showed and the experience was better and the audience was cool.
I had the same experience with a Blue Velvet screening and it was so frustrating! There are genuinely funny moments in that movie (chicken walk) but the fact that people were unable to distinguish levity for horrific violence was truly unsettling for me. I shot many dirty looks, which did not help. It’s what discouraged me from seeing the Blue Velvet screening at the Hollywood Forever screening. Even though it looked like a lovely tribute on SM, I did not want to experience that again
It’s so baffling to me, like, are people not aware how much it ruins the mood? I remember giving dirty looks at our Mulholland screening as well but they didn’t care!
Along with #3, I’ve encountered a lack of laughter at jokes written in (that are funny!). So almost like genuine attempts at humor don’t get a chuckle while genuine anything else gets mocked (most recent experience was in Superman yesterday, which was a lot funnier than I was expecting too, and SW: Revenge of the Sith). It’s cynicism all around.
Where do I sign to get this sworn into law!!! Absolutely loved this (especially the Amaya Papaya cameo) and as a victim of Inappropriate Laughter many times in a theater it genuinely makes my blood boil.
I feel like this falls in the approved laughing section but the amount of people laughing during the entirety of Friendship added to the reason why I didn't enjoy it
when i went to I Saw the TV Glow in theaters there was a group laughing through the whole thing! literally even the most gut wrenching parts they couldn’t seem to keep it together :/
Sadly, this is not really a new phenomenon. I went to a rep screening of Saturday Night Fever in the late 90’s that was full of inappropriate laughter. I get that film has some camp baggage but it’s a deeply serious movie and it made me so mad. This is also why I enjoy matinees, as they tend to be more sparsely attended and/or with older viewers.
Sadly, I find myself strategically avoiding popular screenings because of all the bad behavior! I had a man fervently brushing his teeth next to me at Mission: Impossible — not going opening night anymore 😭
the adults laughing during babygirl because they were clearly uncomfortable with any kind of sex, which they haphazardly and retrospectively framed by saying “he’s a bad person” out loud because not liking the sex was actually woke was like. time for murder
this was the one time i was glad i saw something on my laptop bc i heard so many similar things from everyone!
It’s unfortunately the trend everywhere. I went to a screening of The Thing at Cinemagic in Portland and people were CACKLING! There’s a theatre in Seattle that I used to avoid entirely because the crowd it drew was exactly this type of person. I think some of it is thinking you’re smarter than the movie but I also think some of it is declining media literacy. Maybe it’s time to bring back public shaming.
And like, I'm fine with people discovering movies at their own pace and maybe not "getting it" right away or know how to react when they're unsure. But laughter is the least respectful reaction possible!
speaking to my soul. Amy Nicholson has a really good piece on this from TEN years ago, and it is literally tragic and pathetic that I guess this is just how it will always be forever--https://www.laweekly.com/stop-laughing-at-old-movies-you-ing-hipsters/
I worked at an amazing arthouse/indie/cult nonprofit theater and for the most part the audiences were good, but any time we showed a movie with a wider appeal than us boring crusty regulars, there was always SOMEONE who felt like he was there to be seen. The guy who laughs hysterically when SOYLENT GREEN says it's set in 2022. The person who shrieks at the obviously fake blood in an old slasher. like damn do you think we all came here and paid our eight bucks to see how Kevin would react to this movie????
The last sentence - exactly! There's such an air of performative attention seeking in it and that's what gets on my nerves the most. And it starts with that one annoying person and spreads because it really does make the rest of the audience take the movie less seriously too
I will never go to The Vista for any of the Neon "horror" movies again because of this. Even on opening weekends people are determined to have the hipster "actually this is really funny" take in real time and just laugh super loud and obnoxiously at anything slightly uncomfortable or off.
it’s the forced ironic detachment that is so IRRITATING
I finally crossed off all my Lynch blind spots this spring and for some reason I decided to go see Blue Velvet at the Alamo. Immediately cancelled my Inland Empire tickets when I got home. People couldn’t laugh at the violence so there was so much laughing when Dern gets her heart broken! Which is in many ways more upsetting than the violence!
I'm so sorry you were also a victim to this. I heard similar things from a friend who saw Blue Velvet at Cinespia recently - there's something about David Lynch that makes people not know how to act (and in turn act stupid)
when I saw Blue Velvet at a tribute screening, people in my auditorium laughed at that scene too and it was so upsetting to me and tainted what should have been an experience of collective grief. before the screening, the programmer spoke about the film and Lynch and even brought up how his films can evoke uncomfortable emotions and even encouraged folks to sit with the discomfort instead of distancing themselves through laughter.
I did go see Inland Empire when it showed and the experience was better and the audience was cool.
it's also extra disappointing when it's a rep screening because what do you mean we're not all equally respectful of this whole experience!?
I had the same experience with a Blue Velvet screening and it was so frustrating! There are genuinely funny moments in that movie (chicken walk) but the fact that people were unable to distinguish levity for horrific violence was truly unsettling for me. I shot many dirty looks, which did not help. It’s what discouraged me from seeing the Blue Velvet screening at the Hollywood Forever screening. Even though it looked like a lovely tribute on SM, I did not want to experience that again
It’s so baffling to me, like, are people not aware how much it ruins the mood? I remember giving dirty looks at our Mulholland screening as well but they didn’t care!
now this is a political platform I can get behind
Along with #3, I’ve encountered a lack of laughter at jokes written in (that are funny!). So almost like genuine attempts at humor don’t get a chuckle while genuine anything else gets mocked (most recent experience was in Superman yesterday, which was a lot funnier than I was expecting too, and SW: Revenge of the Sith). It’s cynicism all around.
Omg I noticed this too! It's the same ironic detachment that's also very performative
This is the type of energy we need to elect to office.
Where do I sign to get this sworn into law!!! Absolutely loved this (especially the Amaya Papaya cameo) and as a victim of Inappropriate Laughter many times in a theater it genuinely makes my blood boil.
I knew you’d enjoy that cameo
I feel like this falls in the approved laughing section but the amount of people laughing during the entirety of Friendship added to the reason why I didn't enjoy it
i haven't seen that but i feel like if it soured your experience chances are it was NOT in the approved laughter categories!!!
Which is probably a personal problem but oh well
but NOW we said it
when i went to I Saw the TV Glow in theaters there was a group laughing through the whole thing! literally even the most gut wrenching parts they couldn’t seem to keep it together :/
Sadly, this is not really a new phenomenon. I went to a rep screening of Saturday Night Fever in the late 90’s that was full of inappropriate laughter. I get that film has some camp baggage but it’s a deeply serious movie and it made me so mad. This is also why I enjoy matinees, as they tend to be more sparsely attended and/or with older viewers.
Sadly, I find myself strategically avoiding popular screenings because of all the bad behavior! I had a man fervently brushing his teeth next to me at Mission: Impossible — not going opening night anymore 😭
It’s the irony epidemic. People are becoming more uncomfortable with sincerity. Have you noticed this more from younger people or is it everyone?