Walk Like An Orc…
Posted on Thursday September 18, 2008, 11:50 by Emma Cochrane in Empire States
 Have you been to the cinema lately? I mean a real cinema like a multi-plex away from London, where they great unwashed flock every weekend. It’s changed.
Time was, you rolled up in your jeans and t-shirt, bought a ticket for whatever you fancied that evening and then sat in the dark and enjoyed the film. Preferably without talking.
Now, you can’t go to the cinema without tripping over someone in a knight of Narnia outfit or an Abba flare suit. And they haven’t just come to watch. They’ve come to sing, dance, fight and shout dialogue at the screen. Cinema, regular every day films, have become a participation experience.
And we’re not just talking sing-a-long-a-Sound-of-Music here. We’re talking regular films. I had to turn down a girls only trip to Sex And The City recently because I failed to meet the dress code of Manolos and Louis Vitton handbag. Actually, I had to turn it down for reasons of taste too, it’s the kind of film that brings me out in hives. But the point is these women were willing to spend a couple of hundred quid to look great sitting in a darkened room.
It also means that increasingly, you really do have to book ahead to see anything that might attract large packs of cinema goers. Cinema managers already have their next event film in their sights; High School Musical 3. It might not be high on Empire readers’ radar but in some places this is already sold out for the first month.
Apparently, in these credit crunch times, cinema has become the leisure activity of choice – and people are making it into something more.
I’m scared for two reasons. Firstly, part of the appeal of going to the cinema for me was the anonymity and because I can go whenever I feel like it. Secondly, what’s going to happen when Hollywood wakes up and notices this change? What kind of films are they going to make? It’s one thing for an audience to make a film into a cult (see Rocky Horror Show), it’s another to have it packaged and delivered ready made (see Camp Rock).
But for the moment, my feeling is, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
Now, where’s my Hellboy mask?
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Comments
| 1 |
richCie
Posted on Friday September 19, 2008, 14:56
I haven't come across anything like what you're describing, but then my visits to the cinema are sadly few and far between. Sounds pretty weird and definately not the kind of thing i'd have a part in. |
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| 2 |
grucl
Posted on Friday September 19, 2008, 14:58
Some people really are odd when it comes to cinema dress code.
When I went to watch Matrix:Revolution there was a group of 5 guys wearing long black coats and fancy sunglasses...all through the film!!
The same year I sat through Return of the king with a guy right in front of me wearing a Gandalf costume complete with a HUGE pointed hat. It took several complaints and a throw of a rubber axe from the back seats to convince him to take it off! |
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| 3 |
benjc
Posted on Friday September 19, 2008, 15:23
Thankfully I've yet to suffer this phonemonon. However, when I went to see Insomnia some guy on the row in front of me fell asleep. Does this count? |
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| 4 |
benjc
Posted on Friday September 19, 2008, 15:26
Apologies on the typo there- I meant 'phenomenon' natch :( |
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| 5 |
warren7355
Posted on Friday September 19, 2008, 18:12
I've never seen this either, you making stuff up just so you've got something to write about? Slow day at the office? Hmmmm..... |
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| 6 |
cydonia
Posted on Friday September 19, 2008, 19:44
when i went to watch episode III on opening night it was full and i mean FULL of stormtroopers and old fat blokes dressed as obiwan, can you imagine the horror of these fan boys turn up at any new riddick movie or please god no a new die hard movie? fat blokes in vests everywhere!!! what the hell is going on?
go and see a film then go somewhere else, not lets dress up like a muppet watch a film and stand around looking like a muppet outside said cinema talking about said film for hours until they throw you out.
honestly i just dont get it!
its like this rocky horror garbage! that the hell is that on about? bunch of blokes dressed as women to watch a film?
thats somewhere i dont wanna be!
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| 7 |
Margot at the Movies
Posted on Friday September 19, 2008, 21:03
I understand the comments that have been made. At my local cinema recently, I have found that just rocking up for a film when you fancy it has been slightly difficult. This is due to the fact that films such as Iron Man, Indy 4 and even Sex and the City have been pre-booked and sold out for the whole day by 11:00 am! Although, I have seen very little in the way of creative costume, it seems now that the cinema is an occasion akin to having a fancy meal... everybody feels the need to dress up like Agynes Deyn just to sit in the dark! |
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| 8 |
jncorbett
Posted on Friday September 19, 2008, 21:29
Haven't seen people dressing up like weirdos, except for back in 99 when Episode I came out and there were people dressed as Jedi and swinging their glow-in-the-dark lightsabres, and loudly humming in time (but not key) with the music when it started. Freaks. I don't tend to bother seeing a film until it's been out a few weeks now, so I know I can sit where I want and see it at my leisure, so looks like I miss the rush of weirdos. |
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| 9 |
Balian of Ibelin
Posted on Friday September 19, 2008, 22:01
I've never seen people dressed up at the cinema. It is something I would do for a laugh though. I normally dress for the type of film. May seem a bit weird but for Pirates of the Caribbean, I wore a skull and crossbones scarf, for Indiana Jones I wore a fleece in which I have had loads of my own adventures and for Atonement, I wore exactly the same clothes that I wore at the regional premiere when I met Joe Wright. I know it sounds strange but its not as weird as going as Darth Vader! Some people might look cleaner and tidier in costumes than the clothes they normally wear. Especially chavs. Then again, you can't even see what your wearing when the lights go down unless you have a flaming torch or a lightsaber or something!? |
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| 10 |
AYBGerrardo
Posted on Saturday September 20, 2008, 01:01
There was a guy dressed up as Iron Man when I went to see, well...need I tell you? |
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| 11 |
olixander
Posted on Saturday September 20, 2008, 02:39
i dress up as batman frequently (at night when i go on my crime fighting missions with my pet chicken robocop - i really do have a chicken called robocop), but would batman go to the cinema as batman? ofcourse not, hence why i went in my bruce wayne inspired "everyday" clothes. The number of people who did this on all 7 occasions when i went to see the dark knight is up towards 100%, amazing! the amount of commitment people put into those costumes, they really fitted in. |
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| 12 |
jipf
Posted on Saturday September 20, 2008, 08:49
Opening night to a major film (e.g. Star Wars 1) I get. But a normal night - one word: losers
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| 13 |
sleepwalker
Posted on Saturday September 20, 2008, 10:26
I do admit, I have an official replica Indiana jones jacket that I wore to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but I wear it most of the time anyway. Am I sad. |
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| 14 |
mebbetheywasinjuns
Posted on Saturday September 20, 2008, 11:13
I'm also gonna have to say that I don't have any experience whatsoever of this phenomena; although it does sound vaguely interesting. More often than not, my cinema experiences have entailed exactly those 'walk up and see whatever' types (generally in the 12-16 age bracket) who find themselves in a film they don't actually want to watch. I've now taken to paying the exorbitant prices for the special screens and whatnot, simply because they minimise the chance of having experience ruined. And because having a glass of wine in the cinema is rather pleasant. |
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| 15 |
vivlitherland
Posted on Saturday September 20, 2008, 12:04
i know what you mean. when i worked in a cinema last summer i served a rather small davy jones some pic and mix who was quickly followed his dad as jack sparrow. wonderful costumes, but its a lot of effort to put in.
however i did wear a joker t shirt when i first saw dark knight. so there you go. |
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| 16 |
punchdrunk
Posted on Saturday September 20, 2008, 12:20
In the vien of this growing trend i'm going to watch "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People" in costume as an annoying over opinionated Gaurdian writer and i'll turn up alone :p |
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| 17 |
vader100
Posted on Saturday September 20, 2008, 13:00
Never seen it. I don't think it's as widespread as you are making it out to be. |
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| 18 |
ellenbud
Posted on Saturday September 20, 2008, 13:51
It's funny really, you'd think if people were looking for an enhanced participatory experience, they would go to the theatre, especially with the growth of companies like Shared Experience and Shunt who draw the audience into the work and the worlds that they create far more effectively than wearing high heels to a special screening ever will. It just goes to show how much theatre has disappeared from mainstream appeal that people think the best they can hope for is sitting in a room staring at a screen in a funny costume rather than experiencing something unique with real people. |
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| 19 |
punchdrunk
Posted on Saturday September 20, 2008, 15:32
Ellen, That sounds pretty Reductionist about cinema, fine your not seeing live actors performing, but it really depends on the film your watching whether it can be unique, I don't think i've seen anything that could match the rain of Frogs in Magnolia or the explosive action which complemented the great acting of "The English Patient" when done correctly cinema can push performance to a greater level much the same as a theatre production can impress by doing amazing effects live or a rare performance of a performer on a very good night.
(Great to have Emma Cochrane back more often, by the way, she was one of the reasons I started reading Empire in the first place.) |
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| 20 |
MStay
Posted on Saturday September 20, 2008, 15:42
The poor geeks really get it in the neck for dressing up like... well, geeks. But how is this different from the fat bloke wearing a Manchester United strip to a football game? He's got as much chance as playing centre forward for Man U as your average geek has of becoming a Jedi (or kissing a girl). |
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| 21 |
MARSHALLCLARE
Posted on Saturday September 20, 2008, 23:40
I went to see an early screening of The Dark Knight and people were clapping and cheering all the way through and I've got to say that was a new experience in audience participation for me in a 'normal cinema'!! (Sadly I did take a lightsabre to the preview of TPM... sorry) |
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| 22 |
shopachocaholic
Posted on Sunday September 21, 2008, 11:52
I think the closest incidene of this I have seen was when I went to see Mamma Mia at 1pm on a Tuesday (I'm a teacher, so have lots of lovely summer days to spend in the cinema). Me and my Mum were chatting, quietly wondering singing along under our breaths would be distracting. Then 4 girls arrive in full evening wear (one including a small tiara)! That threw me slightly - could have almost understood it if it had been Sex in the City (and I therefore wouldn't have been subjected to this sillyness). Once I had recovered, however, I was appalled to have to endure 2 blokes standing up, clapping along and singing to every song in the movie! Now, this cinema was actually showing some sing-along showings, but we wanted to listen to the glory of Pierce Brosnan's SOS (tee hee) as nature intended! Seperate showings should be more widespread to accommodate the participation elements without annoying the rest of us. |
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| 23 |
Angusto
Posted on Sunday September 21, 2008, 21:07
I personally like it. I think it shows a thriving enthusiasm and passion for cinema in this country... |
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| 24 |
livewire
Posted on Monday September 22, 2008, 09:32
Haven't seen this happen but then i do live in Ireland where anyone who would partake in such tomfoolery would be ridiculed to within an inch of their lives. |
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| 25 |
Kittys_Gremlin
Posted on Monday September 22, 2008, 10:54
A couple of my friends went to the Dark Knight preview screening (damn them for getting tickets) dressed as the joker, but other than that it doesn't seem to happen often by mine.
I'd happily dress up for the right film. Usually because I love fancy dress but also as I'd make a night of it. It wouldn't just be to the film, it'd be drinks beforehand & a club afterwards. |
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| 26 |
Jo Wareham
Posted on Monday September 22, 2008, 12:59
I went to see TDK on the first day and there were some people dressed up. Then i realised they were cinema employees. Also our local Vue has two showings of Mamma Mia - one for normal people who want to watch the film in relative silence and a "singalongaAbba" showing. I opted for sanity and went to neither. |
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| 27 |
Emyr Thy King
Posted on Monday September 22, 2008, 14:36
Perhaps this is a London/south-south west occurence?
Certainly here in Kairdiff I haven't seen any such peculiar shrouding of the corpus with said Oxfam clothing. However I suspect if we had a film about the coal pits, singing and rugby then all of Wales would descend on the one spot. The chav (like the BNP) is an English migration movement, so they don't count. |
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| 28 |
Emyr Thy King
Posted on Monday September 22, 2008, 14:38
Addendum - Is the image above from a proposed/deleted scene in Fellowship of the Ring? Where the Moria orcs were chasing the group of eight into Lorién [sic], only for the orcs to be slaughtered by the arrows of the elves. |
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| 29 |
Emyr Thy King
Posted on Monday September 22, 2008, 14:39
I meant to say "south-south east"! |
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| 30 |
dahlia79
Posted on Monday September 22, 2008, 15:49
I've only seen this once in a cinema -I came out of a screening of Pirates 3 to find several groups of people (or students anyway) dressed up as Jack Sparrow waiting to go in. It may be more widespread -I generally avoid screening times that I know are going to be busy because I've got so fed up with people talking through the films. |
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| 31 |
durandal
Posted on Monday September 22, 2008, 15:56
Or just a snippet from the new lyclear ad... |
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| 32 |
Karl Crutchley
Posted on Monday September 22, 2008, 16:20
Only ever seen this phenomenon on the opening day of Revenge of the Sith, Odeon Leicester Square. But then that place is always a good atmosphere & a lot of audience appreciation towards films.
If anyone dressed up to see a film at my local multiplex they would be lynched by the local chav element.
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| 33 |
PythonFan
Posted on Monday September 22, 2008, 17:42
It's only happened to me once where a little kid was dressed up as a Tracy when I went to see Thunderbirds (hey, leave me alone, I'm a fan of the show!) It was totally cute. Yelling out...that's never really been a problem for me. Sometimes people cheer at the screen (most recently when Nicolas Angel kicked the old woman in the face in Hot Fuzz) but that's really the extent of it. I really hope it doesn't catch on!
Mind you, saying that, I did wear my Mooby shirt when I went to see Clerks 2... |
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| 34 |
jxt7559
Posted on Tuesday September 23, 2008, 08:42
here in the states this is a growing and very annoying trend. there was a time when only sci fi and comic book movies had this type of costumed crowds as they set the stage for mini comic cons, but now it is seen with sex and the city, pirates, star wars, indy, Ieven saw people injesting marijuana before pineapple express!! |
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| 35 |
Winston3108
Posted on Tuesday September 23, 2008, 09:26
The only time I have come across this was when Return of the King opened, apart from that I have never seen people wearing costumes and I tend to go to the cinema on a fairly regular basis. Me thinks a slow news day in the Empire office is to blame! |
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| 36 |
GypsyTrash
Posted on Tuesday September 23, 2008, 23:32
Work in a cinema - it happens all the time!!
Admittedly though, nine times out of ten, my staff encourage it. Notable dressing-up adventures round our way include the X-3 bonanza (people being shown into screens by 'Beast' and 'Mystique' - two staff members and a fuck-tonne of blue face paint!), all of the Pirates Of The Caribbean films (where we decked out the retail areas to look like pirate ships and desert islands, and had wenches serving drinks), and Sex & The City, where ladies in evening dresses and boys in tuxes served Cosmos to a hoard of baying women! It's fun, and it makes the shift less boring! :)
Having said that, there's occasions where it's taken too far. The guy who suddenly appeared in a screening of Rob Zombie's Halloween, dressed in full Michael Myers gear, complete with knife and proceeded to sit and observe the audience from the shadows of the fire exit, for example. Funny to remenisce about, not so funny when you have two girls run screaming through the foyer, and another having a panic attack in her seat...
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| 37 |
Juror No 8
Posted on Wednesday September 24, 2008, 09:48
I've seen this a couple of times, both on the opening night of a Bond film. Lots of men in tuxes and ladies in cocktail dresses. Its fun to see it once in a while but no more than that. |
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| 38 |
RedCandle
Posted on Wednesday September 24, 2008, 13:03
soooo doing this for the hsm3 and the new potter, me and my friends have chosen are roles already.. but its ironic so it ok right? |
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| 39 |
sleepiest
Posted on Wednesday September 24, 2008, 13:35
I went to see Sex and the City with some of my friends, and my sister in law and her friends, who all turned up in dresses and proceeded to cheer when the movie began and then periodically throughout.
This is not something that usually happens in our cinema (and i really wished it didnt happen as it looked like i was one of them!) and having a son i hope that the dressing up doesnt catch on for blockbusters. Going to the cinema costs enough money as it is, the cost of these costumes would mean we didnt go as often as we do!
Wouldve loved to have seen Mike Myers when we went to see Halloween though!!!! |
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| 40 |
igloo2
Posted on Friday September 26, 2008, 13:54
I wore a light-up Joker t-shirt to TDK, and had it lit up in the foyer, however this was a cunning ruse to convince the staff to start the queue behind me, which worked. I propmptly turned the t-shirt's lighst off when sitting in my seat. Wearing an associated t-shirt is fine, and dressing up is ok on the first night, though i've never seen this.
Most annoying is Mamma-Mia Sing alongs, these should only happen in cinema's that are empty, as the noise of the singing can really drown out the film your watching in the neighbouring screen, which occurs whenever one of the drunk audience members staggers to the toliet...nearly ruined WallE |
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| 41 |
mozzy_gal
Posted on Friday September 26, 2008, 20:43
Hmmm never seen this before. I guess it would be fun to dress up to a Pirates film or X-men. That would've been quite cool.
Dunno what the big fuss is Empire, maybe the sing-a-long would be irritating but it's only a bit of dressing up.
Someone got a bit bored... |
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| 42 |
fuzziebear85
Posted on Saturday October 4, 2008, 09:43
I know exactly what you mean and i think its coz people are going to see shit films like sex in the shity and mamma mia,i mean they actually do sing along showings of mamma mia,if you wanna fucking sing along go to the theatre.
I just wanna turn up stroll in to the film of my choice and watch a film,and the ammount of annoying people who talk through the film,if you haven't seen someone for a while don't go see a film with them o to the bloody pub. |
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