Some of these are quite inspiring actually, since they could really enhance the movie-going experience.

is there a movie you watch once a year, every year, perhaps on some anniversary?
I watch the Star Wars trilogy at least once a year, not on a particular date though.

do you switch off the lights and the phones and unplug the door bells?
The lights usually get switched off (sometimes I'll watch a movie in bed) and I wish I did turn off all the phones.

do you always book the same seats in the cinema?
Not specifically no, but in general I go for just behind the centre of the centre.

if there are sequels, do you try and watch all of them together?
Except for Star Wars/LOTR, very rarely with films - the quality just isn't consistent with most franchises. I hardly ever watch just one episode of a TV show.

can you just watch #2 or #5 in a series, or do you have to watch all in order?
If the word of mouth on a particular instalment is really good, I'll go and watch that first. Case in point, the Fast and Furious series. I've seen 1, 5, and Tokyo drift (3?). Also, my experience with the Star Trek movies was like this (as with many people); the first was probably the last I saw.

can you watch over other friend's houses, or do you have to have it perfect at home?
I can watch at a friend's house, though if it's a good one I will sometimes rewatch it the moment I get back home. I have a hearing problem, so often have the subtitles on so that I don't miss things.

do the blu-ray snobs refuse to watch DVDs now?
Yes, though I watch a fair few in computer formats (downloaded/Netflix), just for the ease of having it on a tablet or phone, and these are usually of DVD quality.

with certain movies, can you just watch a scene or do you have to watch the entire movie?
I often watch the beginning of Chasing Amy, and when I put some films on like 300 or Matrix I usually just watch the action scenes. I mostly end up watching all of Star Wars and ESB but almost always skip the first half of Return of the Jedi.

if you arrive at the cinema late, do you still go in, or come back another session?
No, I never go in late unless I know that the adverts/trailers are still going and the actual movie hasn't started yet.

Last edited by redxavier (2013-11-19 12:44:25)

is there a movie you watch once a year, every year, perhaps on some anniversary?
Die Hard every Christmas. The Prince of Egypt on Passover.

do you switch off the lights and the phones and unplug the door bells?
It depends. I have a terrible attention span so my phone is always drawing my focus away from the screen. I guess I keep the lights on most of the time, though.

do you always book the same seats in the cinema?
Upper middle row, with a seat right in the middle. For IMAX 3D, I sit in the middle of the back row.

if there are sequels, do you try and watch all of them together?
Only for LOTR. I can't watch those movies separately.

can you just watch #2 or #5 in a series, or do you have to watch all in order?
If I'm familiar enough with all of them, it doesn't make a difference to me.

can you watch over other friend's houses, or do you have to have it perfect at home?
Some of my friends have better TVs than me, lol. So sometimes I prefer to watch it over there.

do the blu-ray snobs refuse to watch DVDs now?
I notice the drop in quality, but it doesn't make a difference to me.

with certain movies, can you just watch a scene or do you have to watch the entire movie?
Even if I only want to watch one scene, I really find myself wanting to watch the whole movie.

if you arrive at the cinema late, do you still go in, or come back another session?
I never get to the cinema late. I hate being the guy who wanders in during the opening scene and noisily tries to find a seat. I'm almost always the first person in the theater.

I don't have any annual movie-watching rituals or anything. I don't really watch movies over again except for commentaries or when introducing them to my young niece and nephew.

I rarely watch bits and pieces of movies, but I'll sometimes record something on DVR and fast forward thru boring bits but still catch all the plot points. Likewise, I'll often pause a movie and think about the plot developments or surf the Net for a little while before restarting it.

I prefer to watch at my house over someone else's just because I have the best home theater of my circle of friends and family. And for the same reasons of quality I prefer Blu-ray and HD DVR recordings over DVD and streaming.

And, for the record (because I know a lot of people don't), I watch nearly all the extras on all my disks.

I prefer to sit around the 10th row at the theater, near the center, simply because those are the best seats to fill your vision without craning your neck. I don't arrive late. Tardiness is either incompetence or passive aggressiveness, and I'm competent and actively aggressive.

*jabs finger in your chest*

Last edited by Zarban (2013-11-20 19:06:12)

At the theater, I used to sit close because my vision isn't great. More recently, I've discovered that I actually see the movie way better sitting further back than you'd think you'd want to sit. Stadium-style seating is nice, but I try not to sit higher than about half the height of the screen. (Which preserves the feeling of looking slightly up at the screen, which I like, as opposed to straight ahead or slightly downward.) The one place I refuse to sit is at the very front, especially when it's a big screen. I had to see Zero Dark Thirty seated in the first row, practically right on top of an IMAX screen. Boy did that suck. For me, anyway.

So, yeah, I try to sit farther rather than closer. In most theaters I'm not at all fussy about sitting anywhere near dead center. I used to be. Now, I find sitting off-center is kind of nice. If it's a big screen and a good movie, I don't even notice.

I see a lot of matinees, which has led me to profile other moviegoers according to their age. Not all old people are hard-of-hearing and have trouble modulating their voices. And not all groups of teenagers are obnoxiously chatty and smartphone use-y. But when I can help it, I don't sit near these groups. I won't deny it.

Movie theater popcorn is my favorite food. Seriously. Gotta have it. That's the biggest ritual. The microwave popcorn stores sell that says "Movie Theater Style" is pathetic. What do they do in cinemas to make the popcorn taste that way?