Movies and Clapping

[Kyr Knightbane]

I've only seen it happen on the rarest of occasions; either at the end of a really good film, or at a moment of pure awesomeness the likes of which you'll talk about for years. Two examples of the latter are Data saying "Saddle up. Lock and load." during Star Trek Insurrection and the PUNY GOD scene in Avengers. Moments like that are few and far between, and I think the expression of spontaneous, shared joy is acceptable.

I don't think it's okay to applaud everything that makes you smile. Applause outside of the credits rolling must be reserved for true Moments Of Awesome.

Aside: I'm not saying Insurrection was a good movie, or even that Data's line was really in keeping with his character, but everyone liked it.

I rather liked Insurrection. It gave the majority of TNG cast actual human qualities. Worf went through puberty, Data learned what it was like to be a child, Riker and Troi got over their differences and Picard actually showed love toward another person. He showed his human side the most. Its one of my favorite movies but I think more importantly it wasn't a massive "everyone dies" scenario like most Star Trek movies, it was a local incident that showed that Picard and crew were able to stand up to the Federation, and choose another civilization over their own interests.


Rambling aside, it's a good flick. Sorry If I ranted

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

At the end of the apartment battle scene in 'The Professional' (if you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about) pretty much the whole audience, myself included, stood up and applauded. I have NEVER seen that happen in a movie before or since. Goes to show you how detestable a character Gary Oldman's Detective Stansfield is.

 

[Vicarious Reality]

Yay for misanthropy!

In my opinion the only time you appplaud is at the end of a show, be it theatre or cinema, i think most of my people would agree

 

[IamLEAM1983]

It's because seeing a movie in a theatre is a social experience. Audience involvement is an important thing, and if you don't believe me, go watch a comedy in a theatre some time, and then watch it alone. Even a mediocre comedy is going to seem pretty funny in a large group, while it might fall flat alone. Even a great comedy will be funnier with a group than alone.

Exactly. Case in point, my first ever viewing of Jim Carrey's "The Mask". I still remember it.

The flick itself is... passable. It doesn't have a prayer against the Manhke/Arcudi comics, but it still is a fairly entertaining rendition of Bighead. It's Jim Carrey at his zaniest, and I've been known to be a fan of zany characters in measured doses. That's my verdict after many, many, many repeated viewings.

Cameron Diaz, though? Totally wasted. If I'd been in control, I would've gone full Maltese Falcon on the premise, as infatuated as the design team was with forties-slash-fifties glitz and glam. The Mask, set in the Gangster Era.

Money would print itself, I'm sure.

In theatres, though? Shit, people laughed out loud at each of the bigger gags. There's a point in the flick where Bighead gets shot at and converts his would-be-lethal wound into a cheesily over-dramatic death scene as part of his diversion. The scene ends with silhouettes raising up from the bottom of the screen, clapping their hands, even as Bighead is handed an Oscar from somewhere off-screen.

Nowhere was anyone in the theatre prompted to actually stand up and clap their hands, but I spotted quite a few folks doing it. Most of those who didn't caught on to the joke and laughed it up instead.

Going to the movies is a social contract, even if most of us clam up while we're dying to break out our inner MST3K tapes. It delays the reaction thanks to its nature, but it certainly does spark a conversation once the movie's done.

V for Vendetta did this for me, too. Again, the graphic novel is loads better, but I really can't shit on Hugo Weaving's incredible performance and on how ridiculously empowered it all made me feel.