Monday Morning Poll: Waiting to See 'Transformers'
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek
Earlier this morning, Ryan wrote an editorial about how Transformers nearly smashed the release window when it was rumored a few weeks back that the film would premiere on TV (for a price) at the same time it hit theaters. Obviously that didn't happen, but it served as a launching pad for Ryan to point out a number of things wrong with the current theatrical set up. A year or so ago, I would've been pissed if a film like Transformers went day-and-date. But now I, along with practically everyone I know, welcome such a change. Heck, imagine how many kick ass Transformers parties would've occurred across the country. Everyone chips in five or ten bucks and you get to watch the film with your friends, in a comfortable seat, in an environment where you know the guy next to you won't bring his two year-old baby and an attitude problem.
Instead of checking out an advanced critics screening of Transformers, I decided to pony up some cash and see it along with the rest of the country after it officially opened in theaters. And since my friends and I wanted a decent seat, we played it safe and arrived two hours prior to the show. Two freaking hours. And guess what -- there was already a line. So not only did I pay around 20 bucks (for a ticket, soda and popcorn), but I had to stand in a pen for two hours before I was allowed into the theater. Oh, and then as the previous screening let out, the guy next to me insisted upon asking everyone what they thought of the film -- "What was your favorite part," he asked one dude. Thanks, it's bad enough I have to stand here for two hours in a crowd, but now I get to have the movie ruined for me too. And all it cost was twenty dollars! Sweet!
Four and a half hours later, I practically crawled out of the theater -- waited fifteen minutes to use the bathroom, while listening to some guy yell into his cellphone "That sh*t was a thousand times better than 300!!!" -- and smelled worse than I did after Woodstock '99. I find it funny how in this day and age, where "waiting times" have decreased significantly for practically everything, it's getting worse and worse at the local theater.
So, I ask you: How long did you wait to see Transformers? And would you have been more inclined to either join or throw a party at home if the film arrived on TV as well as theaters?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-09-2007 @ 10:41AM
Ray said...
I waited twenty years, man!
Actually, I didn't even stand in line - we got there about 20 minutes prior to the show and got great seats.
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7-09-2007 @ 10:44AM
Steve S said...
A total of zero minutes and arriving at the theater 30 minutes before the film. I was still the first one in the theater to get a prime seat. Gotta love living in the middle of nowhere.
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7-09-2007 @ 6:57PM
Chris said...
Showed up an hour early, played air hockey for 30 minutes, and stood in line for 10 before they let us in and I got great seats in a full theatre.
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7-09-2007 @ 11:26AM
Dlac said...
I work at a theatre in Maynard, MA, and we haven't had a crowd over 70 for that movie yet. It averages maybe 20 folks a show. Apparently over in Marlborough they sold out five screens, and we can't fill our smallest theatre.
But man, if you want to see Ratatouille, you better get here early. No joke.
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7-09-2007 @ 11:25AM
Rich said...
I waited longer in line to get the munchkin snacks than I did for tickets or to get into the theater. We should up 30 min early, walked right to the window, waited 5 min in the snack line and walked right into the theater and got great seats. The place filled up pretty quick.
Living in the middle of nowhere where they are showing it on 3 screens FTW.
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7-09-2007 @ 11:36AM
Ant said...
I went the tuesday it opened. After trekking though local 4th of July festival traffic, I arrived at the theatre 10 mins before the show began and grabbed a great seat with 3 other friends.
The key to seeing a movie nowadays is going after 9pm or going during the week.
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7-09-2007 @ 11:55AM
Dan said...
I woke up early and went to a 10:45am showing. I arrived 20 minutes before it started and got a great seat. It only cost me $6 as opposed to the standard $9.25 (no student discounts in my city, what a racket).
With the $3.25 I saved for waking up a bit earlier, I got myself a drink as well. Normally I would smuggle in a can of soda.
So to answer your question, I didn't wait. I just sacrificed an hour or two of sleep to catch a showing before lunch. Yes, the theatre was full of kids who had to pee every 10 minutes and kept dropping M&Ms all over the floor, but Transformers was so good and thrilling to watch that I didn't care.
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7-09-2007 @ 11:59AM
cheezedog said...
I Arrived on a Friday, afternoon around 2 pm, waited 30 minnutes for the theator to open, and sat through about 30 minnute of advertising...
The movie experince was not that bad... but 8 dollars to wait a hour, for a good seat, kinda sucks... Wish a brough a gameboy for a all that waiting..
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7-09-2007 @ 12:20PM
patrick said...
I had to wait in line for about 5 minutes, went to the auditorium and then had to wait 10 minutes for the trailers to end. Everyone wants to go early for a good seat, but I always go late. The quality of the seating to me is negatively related with the proximity of other people. Still, 10 minutes into the movie people came in and took the seats right behind me...grmbl...
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7-09-2007 @ 1:06PM
sammy said...
I saw Transformers July 2nd at 8 p.m., got there right when the clover field trailer was about to start. The theater was packed, but i searched at the top anyway and found 2 prime seats... go there 5 minutes before it began, and I live in queens, nyc.
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7-09-2007 @ 1:36PM
Kurifurisan said...
My wait wasn't bad. I went on July 2nd to a 8p.m. showing. My friends and I showed up about an hour before and sat in line with about twenty other people. There was a kid next to me in line who had some of the new Transformer toys. He liked my Gen 1 Optimus v Megatron shirt and started talking to me, asking me questions about the original cartoons. He was pretty smart for a 5 year old. Ended up playing robot fighter with him, my friend Josh and myself for the last ten minutes while we waited. Good times...
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7-09-2007 @ 2:07PM
Fireyshamrock said...
So yeah I bought my tickets online, and showed up about 20 min before & spent 15 looking for parking. But after we got a spot we walked right in no line at all!
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7-09-2007 @ 2:30PM
adam said...
i went on july 4th to the last showing of the night, around 10:45, got there around 10:15, and walked on in to my favorite seat in the house (middle behind the bars). by the time the film started rolling, the theater was maybe half full. i had arrived early with a backup plan: if transformers was packed, i could catch die hard instead, but it turns out i didn't need to worry.
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7-09-2007 @ 3:14PM
touchlikefire said...
I ordered tix Friday Jun 29 for the Mon Jul 2 8:30 show; showed up at 8:15, and walked right in to a 1/3 full theater. Around showtime the place filled up almost to capacity, and I heard from staff that the 8 PM show had people waiting an hour. Perhaps it was the confusion about exactly when the movie was being released? My backup plan, FWIW, was to sneak into the 9 PM show. :-P
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7-09-2007 @ 4:11PM
RadioDan said...
I saw it on Sunday afternoon. The theater was mostly full but there was no wait time. No one was loud of rude or out of line at all.
Movies are meant for theaters. Pay per view events are for wrestling matches. Though Transformers is pretty close to that. Anyway, wait a few days to see the 800lb. gorilla movie, it may work out for you.
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7-09-2007 @ 4:59PM
barberoux said...
I went on July 5 at 4:20 PM. No line; theater maybe 1/3 full. I thought the effects were great but the plot nonsensical. It's a teenager movie seemingly written by teenagers. Megan Fox is a babe but she can't act. I'd give it a 6 out of 10 because of the wholly insipid screenplay. Effects great but I would not want to see it again.
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7-09-2007 @ 6:19PM
Userless said...
I got to the theatre at 10:45 for an 11:30am show, walked right in and sat down in the middle of a row at the perfect height. Then I proceeded to order a pizza, side salad and a pitcher of beer which were delivered right before the trailers and transformers cartoon Pre-show ended. I had space on either side of me, comfortable seats and a crowd that rocked and loved it. My movie going experience couldn't of been better. Thanks Alamo Drafthouse! http://www.drafthouse.com
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7-11-2007 @ 6:50AM
lainix said...
being a person that cant handle kids and such at movies, sad that people can't teach movie thetaer manners. i usually wait till i can go when it wont be crowded.
and yes kids can learn manners. my 3 y/o daughter knows that when we go to the movies, its quiet time and if she needs to potty or something to pull my sleeve and whisper in my ear.
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