Open Forum Friday: Is it Wrong to Walk Out of a Movie?
When you spend a lot of time at a film festival, one of the things you start to notice is that a lot more people walk out of screenings at a festival than they do at a regular theatre. One of the main reasons for this is probably the controversial and/or unproven nature of the movies that play at a film fest. There’s also the fact that for hardcore festival participants, time wasted at a bad movie could be better spent at another potentially awesome movie that you may never get another chance to see. Sometimes though I have to wonder… can people be a little too quick to ditch a film without giving it a chance to win them over?
I guess when you see a lot of movies you can usually tell by about the halfway point if a particular flick is working for you or not. Still, there is always the possibility that it could turn around and surprise you by the end. I rarely walk out of movies, and try to give them the benefit of the doubt where possible. At least that way if I don’t like it, I can be prepared to offer a fair criticism. But I guess if you’re sitting at your local multiplex and you don’t like what you see, you can’t very well stay until the end and then ask for your money back either. So what do you think? Is it disrespectful or presumptuous to walk out on a film? What kinds of things push you to take an early exit? Is it fair to ask for your money back if a movie is not what you expected? Give us your thoughts here on Open Forum Friday.
Comments (20)
Anyone going to a film festival such as TIFF or the Tribeca films festival and thinking they’re going to see everything is either naive or misinformed on the number of hours in a day. Granted I can see if a movie is unbearably bad such as the shitty Epic/Dance flick movies but how could someone predict where a film is going to take you half way through it? Could you imagine walking out of the Sixth Sense and missing the ending only because the first half was slow? You would have missed out on an exciting twist and genuine film experience. In all my years of going to the movies (27)I’ve only walked out of one film, and that was (Battlefield Earth) so I think I was justified in my actions.
Anyways I’m sure the rate people walk out of films they pay for at the multiplex is minuscule at best. The film festival crowd get to watch a number of films for one price if they get a package, so there’s little incentive to stick around should the film not hold their interest half way through. Shame really since you come away with an incomplete experience good or bad.
Posted by Marc on September 18th, 2009I’ve never walked out of a movie theater until the credits were rolling. I’ve just never felt that any movie, no matter how bad, was a waste of my time. Well, that’s not true. I would have walked out of Shoot ‘Em Up if I weren’t with two other people. However, afterward they both said they wanted to walk out too, so we should have.
I’ll rarely turn off a movie I’m watching at home either. If I’m flipping channels I have no problem doing it, but if I put a DVD in I will watch the entire film so that I can give my opinion afterward. I’ll also go back and finish any movie I fall asleep during. I feel asleep in the middle of Saw 4 three separate times, but each time I went back and picked up where I’d left off until I made it to the end.
I’ve got no problem with people who don’t finish watching movies, I just don’t like to do so myself. What does bug me though, is when the climax of a movie is over and it’s obviously about to end and people in the theater get up to leave with a few minutes left before the credits. Are they trying to beat the rush or something? That bugs the hell out of me because they liked the movie enough to sit through it until the end, but don’t bother to watch the last few minutes just so they don’t have to wait in line for the restrooms or wade through a crowd to get to their car.
Bleh.
Posted by Rian on September 18th, 2009If you walk out at your local multiplex, you can probably just walk into another movie and no one would notice… haha.
It would suck if the theater was sold out, then someone leave 15 minutes into it. In that case, there’s probably someone who would have liked the movie who could have had the seat. So maybe for a full screening, it would be respectful to stay for the whole thing… or at least give it more time.
Posted by joe on September 18th, 2009Absolutely not. Movies cost money to make and to see. In a way they have quite the democratic principle behind them. That is if popular appeal is there then that movie is successful. That said. I would never walk out of a movie partly because I would probably never bother seeing a movie just willy nilly (I basically make up my mind with some minor research and history on the picture). I guess I would probably just fall asleep or think of things to talk about with buddies later.
Posted by Ian on September 18th, 2009I can’t believe this question is being asked. The answer is NO. It’s perfectly fine to walk out; as long as one doesn’t run out screaming “THIS IS SHIT” while throwing popcorn everywhere.
I walked out of Resident Evil: Apocalypse (within 10 mins) and The Spirit (within 30 mins). I went in with low expectations on both; but those films managed to fail more than I could have imagined.
My trigger is when a movie that could have been awesome winds up being so bad that I start seething with anger.
Am I not giving a movie a chance to shine at the end? Let me answer that question with another: Would you want a bar on your mantle that’s one-half gold; with another half that’s an eternally fresh turd? It would be impossible to make such a bar. It’s also impossible that The Spirit could come back from that abysmal first half.
Sure, it’s different at festivals; but a filmmaker deserves to know (in a civil manner) whether their film was shit. The most civil action to convey your emotions is to walk out. Just do it.
Posted by Ryan M. on September 18th, 2009I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it at a festival.
The main problem I have is when so many people go to movies without reading some reviews and finding out what the movie is like.
If you walk out of a movie that you specifically went to the theater to see, that means that you didn’t research it first. One of the reasons that movies like Transformers 2 break records is because people are sheep and don’t read about the movie before putting their money down. Not only is it bad for the business by encouraging crap, but it’s personally irresponsible with your money.
Posted by scoville on September 18th, 2009The only movie I ever walked out on was Blair Witch Project because I was physically ill from watching it. My general viewpoint is that unless I have seen a film from start to finish I cannot form a cohesive opinion on it. The exception to this rule is Crank 2 which was immediately unbearable…
Posted by Nicole on September 19th, 2009Physically ill from Blair Witch? Not a fan of the shakey cam, eh?
Posted by Tomas on September 19th, 2009I never walk out of movies… i like movies..
But i was forced out many times by my girlfriend..
she forced me out of Jurassic park 3, The Sweetest Thing, Vanilla sky.. , and a french movie called A Very Long Engagement..
..I also watched MAMA MIA! and Dantes Dick on SexNthe city.. without walking out..
I was Not allowed…
Posted by kyriacos on September 19th, 2009I haven’t walked out of a theater in forever, but habitually leave the drive in when the later features aren’t worth sitting through.
The only thing about walking out is not to review it as if you had seen the whole thing. if you must go and rant and rave and shit on it make it clear up front you didn’t finish it.
Posted by Goon on September 19th, 2009I’m old school. I don’t walk out of movies and I don’t go to the bathroom during movies. Even 3 hour plus ones. As long as you piss before the movie and don’t buy those super size sodas you’ll be fine. Unless you got BPH or something.
Posted by Maopheus on September 19th, 2009I won’t go watch a movie unless I’m pretty sure I’m going to like it. But even if I end up not liking I don’t leave. It’s kinda like not leaving a sporting event regardless of the score or what your team is doing.
I’ve never walked out of a theater before. Even when I went to see Pearl Harbor and the theater was packed and I had to sit on the floor for over 2 hours because I gave my seat to some old lady, I still watched all of that piece of shit movie.
I can only remember watching one movie on DVD and turning it off and that was Click.
I say people should get the fuck out of the theater if they are going to disrupt it for anyone else if they are bored. But really I don’t care what people do, I tend to hate crowds so I’m up for people leaving if they want to. As for myself, I paid my money, I’m watching this thing even if it makes me want to pinch a testical.
Posted by Itchy-Finger on September 19th, 2009Only ever walked out of one movie before it finished: Transformers.
Posted by fatbologna on September 19th, 2009The only one I wanted to walk out of was “Meet Joe Black”….God did that drag!
Posted by Tommy on September 19th, 2009Only movie I have ever walked out of was Planet of the Apes – the remake – with Marky Mark. Awful.
What’s this about asking for your money back? People actually do that? Really???
Posted by Shut-Up Ed on September 19th, 2009I think this might lead to another OFF topic, pros and cons of the cinema-going experience vs. home viewing, and biggest pet peeves about going to the cinema.
Posted by Maopheus on September 20th, 2009I don’t care about someone walking out of a movie, but shouting “THIS SUCKS” as they do so is not cool.
Posted by Paul on September 20th, 2009I walked out of one film, not because of the film but of other reasons. I have had no desire to watch the end of that film since. I’ve made a pact with myself never to walk out of a film no matter how bad it is. You have to watch bad films because you’ll appreciate the good ones even more. I did come close to walking out of Johnny English.
I hate people who watch the whole film and then ask for their money back. I hated that when I used to work at the cinema.
Posted by Byron on September 20th, 2009It’s entertianment. If you ain’t entertained, GTFO
Posted by Phil on September 20th, 2009I walk out of movies all the time. If I don’t like it, I get up and go. Quietly of course.
Life is too short to sit through bad movies.
Posted by Michelle on November 16th, 2009Leave a Reply