How do you watch movies?

[MacGuffin]

No, I know how to look at a T.V. screen. But I am wondering just how you watch your movies? Rather, in what sort of environment? Maybe you don't even have a T.V. screen and you go to your local art house, which not only screens recent Cannes highlights, but also classic French movies. Maybe you have a really nice setup in your living room and you like to eat Pringles and drink soda while you watch your movies. Maybe you like to have double features every Saturday in your garage. Whatever it is, I'm just curious. However, I also had a question: do you think it is fair to the director to watch a movie on two separate nights. For example, the first half one night, and the second the next? I try to watch movies all in one night, but I often fall asleep, only to feel the need to restart the movie all over again the next night, and then fall asleep having to restart again later on, etc. Yes, I realize this might be kind of stupid to some, so I'm curious if you think it's fair to the movie experience.

[number8]

No, it's not. Stop falling asleep.

[MacGuffin]

No, it's not. Stop falling asleep.

Easy for you to say?

[Duncan]

Laptop or in a theater.

[ledfloyd]

I watch at least 80% of movies on the 21" TV in my bedroom laying on my couch. I watch the other 20% either on the 36" TV in our living room sitting in the lazy boy or at various theaters. I rarely do the pringles and soda thing, cause it usually demands trips to the pisser. Those percentages could be skewed.

As far as splitting films, I've never really had a positive experience watching a film like that for the first time.

[MacGuffin]

As far as splitting films, I've never really had a positive experience watching a film like that for the first time.

Me neither, that's why I always insist on restarting the movie.

[Grouchy]

DVD, at home, with something to drink, all lights off, all in one sitting, very close to the screen, and it's actually a pretty big screen. I like watching movies with friends, specially classics they haven't seen and I can play the role of the wise movie buff. If I feel like I'm falling asleep I usually turn it off and, yes, if I feel it's a good movie and I'm on the first half of it, I start it again when I finally watch it more awake.

Nothing replaces the theater for me, though. That's the true film experience.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I go to the theater occasionally, but mostly I watch DVDs on my 51" TV with 5.1 surround sound. I usually watch them alone, but sometimes my wife watches them with me if she's interested in the particular film. I don't watch movies with friends when I'm at home unless we're drinking and having a good time and the movie is b-grade. I will go to the theater with friends (though I have no problem going by myself).

[megladon8]

I go to the theater occasionally, but mostly I watch DVDs on my 51" TV with 5.1 surround sound. I usually watch them alone, but sometimes my wife watches them with me if she's interested in the particular film. I don't watch movies with friends when I'm at home unless we're drinking and having a good time and the movie is b-grade. I will go to the theater with friends (though I have no problem going by myself).


Ditto to everything here...except the wife part.

[Melville]

Lately I've been concentrating on watching low-quality videos on my computer monitor, preferably broken up into as many segments as possible. Works like a charm.

[SirNewt]

There are no art house cinemas around here. Mostly I watch films at home on a 32' HD LCD. I have a PS3 I would've sold if it wasn't for the thing's amazing upscaling abilities. No sound setup yet as I'll be moving a lot in the next couple years. I, however, since coming here have realized that I've grown quite disconnected with contemporary films so this year I'm going to a film every weekend.

I'll break up a film if I'm really sleepy. But I tend to get really into flicks and usually only fall asleep at a lull in the film so I feel comfortable stopping at those spots and coming back. I have a pretty good memory too. As I said, most of the time I have no trouble focusing on even a slower paced films. Especially with a director like Bergman or a film like 'Andrei Rublev', though slow, these films induce a certain hypnotic stupor of wonder that not even sleep can penetrate.

[Qrazy]

Good thread topic I've always been curious about it as well.

I used to be hardcore into the one film, one sitting mentality... but these days I've revised the opinion and I really don't care that much. I now treat movies the way I treat books... I usually read/watch the thing in one sitting but if I don't I'll stop it whenever and pick up later with little lost. I think that as long as you have a good memory it's not all that important. I understand arguments from tonal/emotional fullness but I just don't feel I lose much compared to what I gain (being able to watch whatever whenever and break up my viewings in relation to my free time).

I watch a lot on my laptop, a lot on my projector and go to the theater when I can afford it.

[Boner M]

Laptop or in a theater.
Me too.

I only use my TV to watch non-R4 DVDs, cos my player's a multiregion.

[D_Davis]

I mainly watch films from my projector on my screen - it's about 100''.

I often watch movies in more than 1 sitting.

For a while I was making a habit out of watching 30 minutes of a movie every morning before work.

It was morning movie time, and I enjoyed this process.

I rarely go to the theater, mainly because they rarely show the kinds of films I want to pay to see.

For the past 6 months, I haven't been watching many films at all. Given the choice, I would rather read. 2 solid hours of reading can yield great results.

I hate watching movies on my computer screen. If I DL something, I will take the time to convert it to stream it from the 360 or burn it onto a disc to watch. If I can't do either of these I will take my laptop and hook it up to my projector.

[SirNewt]

Me too.

I only use my TV to watch non-R4 DVDs, cos my player's a multiregion.


Your laptop should be able to play non R4 content.

[D_Davis]

Your laptop should be able to play non R4 content.

Yeah, just download DVD43 and it turns any DVD drive into a region free player without having to mess with the firmware settings.

http://www.dvd43.com/

[DSNT]

I watch movies on a 46" DLP TV, usually from Netflix. I have tried on several occasions to watch movies on the computer, but never have been able to. I guess I'm too ADD and get distracted by the internets.

Hardly ever go to the theater anymore, but that's mostly because nothing good ever comes here. We have an arthouse theater that is several months behind the rest of the country. Usually when they get a movie, it is coming out on DVD soon.

As for splitting up movies, I don't think it's a big deal at all. I would rather watch a movie in two sittings when wide awake than one when sleepy.

[Mara]

The only thing I prefer about watching a DVD at home (as opposed to going to the theater) is that when I am home I can turn on the subtitles. I'm one of those people.

I can hear perfectly well, but my auditory processing is a little low, so I understand things better if I can read at the same time.

[Sven]

I'm one of those people.

Ack. Biggest pet peeve of mine? Maybe.

[MadMan]

When at home, its on either a decently sized TV or my laptop. But I like the theater experience far more, seeing as there's still a good deal of magical goodness about going to see films on the big screen. If I did have a kick ass home theater I'd probably cut down on my theater viewings, although I have began to do so despite not having one over the last couple of years.

[Qrazy]

Ack. Biggest pet peeve of mine? Maybe.

? People that turn on subtitles?

[Bosco B Thug]

The only thing I prefer about watching a DVD at home (as opposed to going to the theater) is that when I am home I can turn on the subtitles. I'm one of those people.

I can hear perfectly well, but my auditory processing is a little low, so I understand things better if I can read at the same time. I'll confess to this, too. I try to restrain myself, and I'd say I agree with detractors that we're sort of "cheating," but it helps me appreciate some films more sometimes when I can read and digest the dialogue. Though I don't do it for every film... it depends on the film and the density of the dialogue... I don't know. A small dependency develops, though, which is bad. And I always insist on subtitles when watching movies with friends. I'm afraid they'll tune out when watching movies with dialogue that is too nuanced or subdued. That's sort of condescending, isn't it... :P

I hate those movie subtitles that abridge the dialogue, though.

[Duncan]

I hate those movie subtitles that abridge the dialogue, though. Judging from comparisons between the broken French I know and the subtitles for French films I've seen, I'm pretty sure the vast majority of foreign language films abridge their dialogue.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Judging from comparisons between the broken French I know and the subtitles for French films I've seen, I'm pretty sure the vast majority of foreign language films abridge their dialogue.
They do, I am nearly fluent in French, and to varying degrees entire lines and passages are cut out. There is one line in Jules et Jim that's ommited from the translation during Moreau's singing of Le Tourbillon, "De femme fatale qui m'fut fatale " She repeats it TWICE, but isn't even referenced in the English subtitles. Considering this line pretty much sums up Catherine's character and actions to a T, it doesn't seem like the superfluous elimination of a line. Roughly, it means "a femme fatale who proved fatal". Of course, in french it's slightly more eloquent... ARGH. There are many other instances I can point out, changing of cultural allusions is a popular one too. Instead of referencing the show, movie or book that the characters are talking about, they'll choose a popular English alternative if they don't ommit it completely.

[Bosco B Thug]

Judging from comparisons between the broken French I know and the subtitles for French films I've seen, I'm pretty sure the vast majority of foreign language films abridge their dialogue.
Hmm, yeah, that probably figures, huh. It's kind of distressing thinking now about what we're missing with translations, but oh well, what can we do.

[Sven]

? People that turn on subtitles?

Watching a film with subtitles when the film is in your native language. Like if I were to watch The Bourne Identity with English subtitles. Soooo irritating. I watched Shaun of the Dead with subtitles with my old roommate once and it just about killed the movie for me.

[Ezee E]

Watching a film with subtitles when the film is in your native language. Like if I were to watch The Bourne Identity with English subtitles. Soooo irritating. I watched Shaun of the Dead with subtitles with my old roommate once and it just about killed the movie for me.
Some British movies need subtitles though. I completely agree with you otherwise

[D_Davis]

I watch movies in English with subs quite often -when it's late and I need to keep the volume low. Now big deal. I don't understand how this would ruin a movie.

[Qrazy]

Watching a film with subtitles when the film is in your native language. Like if I were to watch The Bourne Identity with English subtitles. Soooo irritating. I watched Shaun of the Dead with subtitles with my old roommate once and it just about killed the movie for me.

Yeah... I dunno I agree it's certainly less immersive but for heavily accented Irish/British films sometimes it's a godsend.

Ah beat to the punch... I second Davis low volume comments too.

Anyway espesh for someone like Mara who seems to have some auditory difficulties... subtitles just preserve meaning and therefore aid enjoyment/understanding of the film. My primary intake is foreign films and I don't feel like I lose that much tonally with subs on (of course bearing in mind poor translation issues).

[SirNewt]

Try watching a film with English subtitles superimposed over Chinese calligraphy.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mKODq8BpL._SS500_.jpg

:frustrated:

[Benny Profane]

When at home, its on either a decently sized TV or my laptop.

So you're at home, with a TV and a computer, and there are times you choose the laptop over the TV?

Only time I'll ever watch a DVD on a computer is if I'm traveling.

[balmakboor]

So you're at home, with a TV and a computer, and there are times you choose the laptop over the TV?

Only time I'll ever watch a DVD on a computer is if I'm traveling.

I had an interesting experience with this. My TV isn't all that big (27") and I sit about 8-10 feet away. I'd watched Playtime a number of times under those conditions. Then I popped it into my computer and watched it with my face 1-2 feet away from my 18" monitor and saw things in almost ever shot I'd never seen before. I can't imagine what a theater screen and 70mm would do for it.

[Doclop]

I mostly watch movies in theaters or if it's for work, on my computer. When I do get around to watching something at home, it's on my roommate's nice HD TV or on my 20 inch in my room. If it's a movie I haven't seen or really respect and love, I'll want to watch it in complete silence, mostly because I hate creating associations to particular scenes in movies with whatever's happening around me, not because I'm afraid of interruption or distraction.

[balmakboor]

I mostly watch movies in theaters or if it's for work, on my computer. When I do get around to watching something at home, it's on my roommate's nice HD TV or on my 20 inch in my room. If it's a movie I haven't seen or really respect and love, I'll want to watch it in complete silence, mostly because I hate creating associations to particular scenes in movies with whatever's happening around me, not because I'm afraid of interruption or distraction.

If I required total silence to watch a movie, I'd never watch anything at home. I watched Zodiac last night and had my silence interrupted by my wife reminding me to call a plumber, my daughter (who was also watching) asking me her usual "what's going on?" type questions, my dogs barking when the neighbors came home, and a cat fight that suddenly erupted in my lap. (We own six cats. This is a common occurance.)

[MadMan]

So you're at home, with a TV and a computer, and there are times you choose the laptop over the TV?

Only time I'll ever watch a DVD on a computer is if I'm traveling.It actually depends at times if my DVD player is working. And sometimes I don't mind watching it on the laptop. My TV isn't really that big so its not much of a difference.

[Qrazy]

Try watching a film with English subtitles superimposed over Chinese calligraphy.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mKODq8BpL._SS500_.jpg

:frustrated:

I hate white subs without borders... I'm looking at you Persona VHS.

[Qrazy]

It actually depends at times if my DVD player is working. And sometimes I don't mind watching it on the laptop. My TV isn't really that big so its not much of a difference.

Sometimes I just prefer watching a film in my room in bed to watching in the living room with roommate and randoms around making stupid comments about arthouse films.

[Grouchy]

If I required total silence to watch a movie, I'd never watch anything at home. I watched Zodiac last night and had my silence interrupted by my wife reminding me to call a plumber, my daughter (who was also watching) asking me her usual "what's going on?" type questions, my dogs barking when the neighbors came home, and a cat fight that suddenly erupted in my lap. (We own six cats. This is a common occurance.)
I want to watch Zodiac while a catfight erupts in my lap. Actually, I just want a catfight erupting in my lap. Right now.

[Yxklyx]

I watch movies on a 34" Widescreen CRT TV from a couch about 6 feet away. I've got the TV's sound connected to an amplifier and from there to two 1'x2' speakers at the far corners of the room.

On a couple of occasions I've watched a movie on my ~20" flat screen computer monitor using Netflix' Watch It Now feature.

I've also connected my TV to my computer in the past so I can in theory watch movies with Watch It Now on my TV but the cabling logistics is a pain since the computer and TV are in different rooms.

I will almost always watch a movie in one sitting but I might pause it briefly to get some food.

P.S. I don't watch at work or while commuting (i.e. biking).

[SirNewt]

Sometimes I just prefer watching a film in my room in bed to watching in the living room with roommate and randoms around making stupid comments about arthouse films.

:frustrated: some more