Movies Have you ever walked out of the movie theater?

[Tommy Boy]

Apparently this is a lot more uncommon than I thought because of sunk-cost fallacy. Does anyone straight up leave a movie if they are not enjoying it, despite having paid?

I've only done this twice in my life:

1. Bicentennial Man (1999) - I went with a friend and his mom, and thought that this movie was about robots. Halfway through the movie, she could tell we were both completely uninterested so she asked us if we wanted to leave. The thought of leaving a movie midway was... unheard of to me. But I gladly accepted.
2. Avatar 2: The Way of Water (2023) - I was a huge fan of the first Avatar movie, and it always held a special place in my heart as the first "Real3D" movie. I've always been excited for the second one. Well, until I was sitting at the theater watching it. I couldn't believe that it wasn't just a re-hashed version of the first one, but they added a second unobtainable McGuffin. The entire plot of the unobtanium from the first one is essentially moot by this point, and for the last 30 years (while Earth is on the brink of death), they somehow came up with entirely new technology and found a second source of "rarest thing ever" on the planet. For fucks sake. I walked out at the scene where they caught the whale for its brain. I have no idea how it ended, and I don't care. It actually made me so mad that I walked home instead of taking the train, just seething in anger how shitty the story was. Don't get me started with the messiah references.

I have a lot of respect for Cameron as a filmmaker but this one was fucking shot for me. It truly had to be horrendous for me to walk out.

Honorable mentions: (almost walked out but convinced myself not to)

• The Green Knight (2021) - YAWN. Medieval story on an acid trip, not the good kind. Fuck this movie and fuck Ridley Scott for saying it was my fault, the viewer, for being bad.
• Lamb (2021) - None of the trailers were in Swedish but the entire movie was. I don't care about not having English, but I care that I wasn't informed. That pissed me off. I got over it though. Movie still sucked.

 

[shortkut]

Only once.

My wife and I were dating at the time and after watching a movie, we snuck into Atonement… it was awful and we left

 

[Smacktard]

I went to Elektra for someone's birthday. It was so bad that I walked out. Only time I've ever walked out on a movie. I'll mostly sit through bad movies because even bad movies usually have a satisfying conclusion -- more satisfying than leaving it hanging, anyway.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Once. 2004, Alexander. There was probably 30 minutes left (maybe less), but I literally did not care anymore.

I have suffered through some abysmal movies, and Alexander is still the only one I left in. It certainly helps when movies like Alone in the Dark were only ~90 minutes long. Alexander was nearly 3 hours long.

I went to Elektra for someone's birthday. It was so bad that I walked out.

There are two main problems I had with Elektra:

1. It was dreadfully boring. The entire tone is slow and drab. It seemed intentional, but why? Were they trying to counteract the response to some of the fast paced editing of Daredevil?
2. Jennifer Garner wasn't in the red Elektra outfit nearly enough... I think she only wore is at the beginning scene and in the climax. She looked too good in that outfit to only use it for such a short period of time.

 

[VashTheStampede]

I'm just here to cast shade for The Green Knight slander

Five star film

 

[canadaguy]

Oh hmm so you are I think the first person I know who actually went to the avatar sequel.

No one will ever convince me that it's box office wasn't just James Cameron buying out thousands of theatres.

 

[dimmerwit]

Somehow unobtanium returned!

 

[dimmerwit]

I've never walked out, although that's mostly because I visit the cinema very irregularly and only for films I know I'd like.

I've certainly turned off plenty. None this year so far, although Napoleon was very close to being the first.

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

Moana. My daughter was 4 and she got bored because it wasn't Frozen and scared of Te-Ka. I was bummed because the music was awesome.

 

[Benzine]

Moana. My daughter was 4 and she got bored because it wasn't Frozen and scared of Te-Ka. I was bummed because the music was awesome.

Meanwhile, Te Ka is the only villain my daughter can handle!

 

[dimmerwit]

Historical image of Tommy leaving Avatar 2.

 

[canadaguy]

Anyone else kinda believe that Tommy Boy and Timothy Chalamet are actually the same person?

 

[Mark]

Once. For one of the Scary Movie sequels, I think it was 4.

First off, it was a weekend showing. Big mistake. Bunch of mall dwellers there at the time. Secondly, there must have been minimal time between screenings… the auditorium still had a mess in it from the previous crowd. The group of us made it halfway through the previews before we decided there were better ways to spend a Friday night.

I’m not a fan of movie theaters. My first job involved on-site upholstery, audio, and video maintenance in movie theaters from time to time, closures in our “zone” (emptying out concessions to ship to other locations, de-branding, etc.), and the production of various seating options for a number of theaters across the country when we weren’t on the road. I could give y’all a laundry list of reasons not to go to movie theaters, but I’ll just leave you with this…

Popcorn. Prepared days in advance. Stored in these:




I’ve seen it more times than I’d like to admit.

 

[shortkut]

Moana. My daughter was 4 and she got bored because it wasn't Frozen and scared of Te-Ka. I was bummed because the music was awesome.

My daughter went through a phase where she loved Moana then one where she was terrified of Te Ka, then one where she was obsessed with Moana again

 

[Smacktard]

Jennifer Garner wasn't in the red Elektra outfit nearly enough... I think she only wore is at the beginning scene and in the climax. She looked too good in that outfit to only use it for such a short period of time

Jennifer Garner in the Elektra suit activated a neuron in my teenage brain. I remember seeing it for some promo marketing -- either for Elektra or for Daredevil, but damn

 

[Rachel]

once. For *some reason* my parents took my brother and I to a movie that was way too scary. I guess they didn't realize until the movie was happening how scary it was. I don't know how old I was but it was sometime in the 90s. The ONLY thing I remember is that some or all of it involved lava. The 90s were big on disaster movies. I am pretty sure I handled twister okay so maybe that was the thought process. I think what happened was a guy got caught in the lava and obviously screamed in agony. I RUSHED out. Then I think not too long after, my father also came out with my brother, must have been too much for him at a different point.

This is probably not what your intention was but that's my answer. I generally don't go to movies unless I am very sure I can at least sit through it. I probably came closest with the bullshit from the last movie of the latest Star Wars trilogy.

 

[Tommy Boy]

The ONLY thing I remember is that some or all of it involved lava. The 90s were big on disaster movies. I am pretty sure I handled twister okay so maybe that was the thought process. I think what happened was a guy got caught in the lava and obviously screamed in agony. I RUSHED out. Then I think not too long after, my father also came out with my brother, must have been too much for him at a different point.

Maybe Dante's Peak? This one had a crazy scene with the grandma getting in a boiling pond to save the kids. Definitely freaked me out as a kid while she was screaming in pain.

Dante's Peak (1997) ⭐ 6.0 | Action, Adventure, Thriller

1h 48m | PG-13

www.imdb.com

 

[Fool's Requiem]

Jennifer Garner in the Elektra suit activated a neuron in my teenage brain. I remember seeing it for some promo marketing -- either for Elektra or for Daredevil, but damn

Elektra didn't wear her iconic red outfit in Datedevil, so it had to be for Elektra itself.

Also, funny thing about Elektra, they released a "directors cut" of the film, just like Daredevil... they barely changed anything, only adding 3 minutes to the run time instead of Daredevil which added an entire subplot that fleshed out the story a bit.

 

[VashTheStampede]

Jennifer Garner in the Elektra suit activated a neuron in my teenage brain. I remember seeing it for some promo marketing -- either for Elektra or for Daredevil, but damn

Something must be off in my brain because I've never understood why so many people find her to be so attractive.

Obviously I'm in the minority here because she's a flippin movie star but something has always felt off-putting about her appearance to me.

Though by all accounts she's a nice, decent person which is way more important.

 

[dimmerwit]

This is probably not what your intention was but that's my answer. I generally don't go to movies unless I am very sure I can at least sit through it. I probably came closest with the bullshit from the last movie of the latest Star Wars trilogy.

I'd have walked out of this but I didn't even bother to go.

 

[Smacktard]

Elektra didn't wear her iconic red outfit in Datedevil, so it had to be for Elektra itself.

It was def this pic I had in my mind:

but while searching for it, I found this pic which is even better:

Something must be off in my brain because I've never understood why so many people find her to be so attractive.

If Christina is looking over your shoulder, blink twice.

 

[Mark]

Something must be off in my brain because I've never understood why so many people find her to be so attractive.

Obviously I'm in the minority here because she's a flippin movie star but something has always felt off-putting about her appearance to me.

Though by all accounts she's a nice, decent person which is way more important.

I guess you could say that she suffered from the same issue Hillary Swank and a few other actresses from back then did. Admittedly, I couldn’t tell you what either look like anymore without Google, but they were in the “normal-looking” women of the generation… which is probably why she appealed to guys like Ben Affleck after he dealt with the usual Hollywood business from the Jennifer Lopez type.

…at least that’s the general consensus I’ve gotten among the people I’ve had the “so, who’d you rather?” conversation with.

I was always amazed at how much people preferred the natural-looking women over the collagen and plastic surgery riddled women, and despite that, it’s still as popular as ever.

 

[Smacktard]

I was always amazed at how much people preferred the natural-looking women over the collagen and plastic surgery riddled women, and despite that, it’s still as popular as ever.

FWIW Arab cultures love plastic surgery'd, plump-lipped Kardashian clones. I believe Russians do, too.

 

[Mark]

FWIW Arab cultures love plastic surgery'd, plump-lipped Kardashian clones. I believe Russians do, too.

Yeah, my girl was showing me something the other day about Turkish (if I recall correctly) plastic surgeons… they definitely have the back-alley doctor program locked down. Apparently women prefer going there over places like Mexico for their cut-rate procedures these days. However, after following that rabbit hole a little, I also found out that it’s a popular destination for all-in-one healthcare visits where foreigners can pay a flat rate to visit a plethora of doctors and specialists. According to some of the people that have provided testimony, the one place in particular covered in the video rivals some American hospitals in terms of quality.

Personally, I don’t really understand the appeal of women wanting to look like a cookie-cutter version of Kim Kardashian. I like variation, but, according to the women I know… they deal with the same shit with dudes. Apparently bald with a beard is common as hell, but at least the broccoli-haired dipshits take the attention away from that kind of unoriginality.

 

[dimmerwit]

Turkey has long been the destination of choice for cut-rate cosmetic (and indeed some non-cosmetic) surgeries amongst Europeans. Particuarly stuff like plastic surgery, hair loss treatment and cosmetic dentistry. I'm a little surprised it's outdoing Mexico for American-based people.

 

[Mark]

Turkey has long been the destination of choice for cut-rate cosmetic (and indeed some non-cosmetic) surgeries amongst Europeans. Particuarly stuff like plastic surgery, hair loss treatment and cosmetic dentistry. I'm a little surprised it's outdoing Mexico for American-based people.

I’m curious if crime led the way to that, because a former dancer I knew went to Mexico for breast augmentation over a decade ago, and the last time I talked to her a few years ago she had just gotten back from Turkey for some kind facial work that made her look like she’s wrapped in Saran Wrap… all squished. You’d need a passport to visit either place, so I guess if the cost justifies the longer trip and it’s safer there…

 

[Fire Queen]

i don't believe i've ever walked out of a movie? but i do have some near misses

• MAN OF THE YEAR (2006) - a completely forgettable robin williams vehicle that i just played nintendogs the entire runtime of. the theater was basically empty
• EPIC MOVIE (2007) - they should shoot the people responsible for this movie
• GHOST RIDER (2007) - the theater was overbooked so my friends and i sat in the entryway on the side. we thought about leaving but it was just so compelling. unlike the above two movies i will defend this movie to my death. they should have made ten of these
• THE SPIRIT (2008) - ok so technically i did walk out of this movie but it was because someone pulled the fire alarm. we all got comped free tickets for any future showing at the same theater. naturally i used mine on a movie i did not want to waste any money on...
• DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION (2009) - i watched this movie for free and i want my money back.

earlier this year (or maybe it was last year?) my wife my friend and i put on TED (2012) as a joke kind of playing chicken to see how long we could last watching it. it was so unbearable (this pun is funnier than eveyr single joke in that movie) that we turned it off after thirty minutes. #tedgang

 

[Tommy Boy]

• EPIC MOVIE (2007) - they should shoot the people responsible for this movie

I met Kal Penn in 2021 on a movie I was working on and he was genuinely a cool guy. I agree with the sentiment though lol

 

[Mark]

I met Kal Penn in 2021 on a movie I was working on and he was genuinely a cool guy. I agree with the sentiment though lol

Hard to believe Kumar was on Obama’s staff, too… It always tripped me out to see him randomly pop up in staff photos after those movies.

 

[Fire Queen]

I met Kal Penn in 2021 on a movie I was working on and he was genuinely a cool guy. I agree with the sentiment though lol

i never blame a guy for picking up a paycheck lol, i was more talking about the dudes who wrote/directed it (and meet the spartans, and disaster movie, and so on)

EDIT: lol

 

[Rachel]

Maybe Dante's Peak? This one had a crazy scene with the grandma getting in a boiling pond to save the kids. Definitely freaked me out as a kid while she was screaming in pain.

Dante's Peak (1997) ⭐ 6.0 | Action, Adventure, Thriller

1h 48m | PG-13

www.imdb.com

gun to my head, if I HAD to guess I think it was actually the movie Volcano.

lol @ the 90s for having two volcano-themed movies come out the same year

The name probably deceived my parents too, it is very possible my brother and I learned about volcanoes in school and begged my parents to see a cool volcano movie.

 

[dimmerwit]

I am about to start my daredevil career after watching a documentary about Evel Knievel.

 

[Mark]

I am about to start my daredevil career after watching a documentary about Evel Knievel.

Don’t forget the GoPro. We’re here for words of encouragement. Remember, don’t count to 3. Count “1… 2… fuck it” and just send it.

 

[Ants!]

A few years back there was a movie staring Ian Mckellan that was about a kid in modern times was looking for King Arthur or something, can't remember what it was called. Merlin shows up and helps him though.

Anyway, I brought both of my kids, but my younger one (who has ADHD and who I now know is autistic) was apparently still too young to go at the time and just would not sit still, kept climbing up on his seat and everything, and we were near the front. I could not get him to behave and felt so bad for the other movie-goers that we left halfway through the movie.

I asked my older child if she was liking the movie and she said she was, and I was also, so I talked to a manager and explained and she was happy to give me free movie passes to make up for it. So I returned another day with just my older child to watch the whole thing.

 

[Ants!]

Also, I nearly lost it when they called the mcguffin "unobtanium" in the second Avatar movie. I'm dying laughing like can they really be serious or are they making fun of themselves at this point? How much effort did they put into coming up with a name for that? Sounds like something a first-grader would come up with

 

[shortkut]

Also, I nearly lost it when they called the mcguffin "unobtanium" in the second Avatar movie. I'm dying laughing like can they really be serious or are they making fun of themselves at this point? How much effort did they put into coming up with a name for that? Sounds like something a first-grader would come up with

That’s what they called it in the first one too

 

[Fool's Requiem]

THE SPIRIT (2008) - ok so technically i did walk out of this movie but it was because someone pulled the fire alarm. we all got comped free tickets for any future showing at the same theater. naturally i used mine on a movie i did not want to waste any money on...

The Spirit was such a disappointingly bad film. But man... Eva Mendes...

lol @ the 90s for having two volcano-themed movies come out the same year

Had two asteroid related disaster films come out the same year in 98, too. Armageddon and Deep Impact.

And in 96, there were two major alien invasion films, Independence Day and Mars Attacks.

 

[Ants!]

Did they really? Not sure how I missed that.

 

[dimmerwit]

Yeah. It's a shame because there's some smart lore around it.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

There's an entire wiki article regarding "Twin films".

Twin films - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[dimmerwit]

Antz v A Bug's Life. Fight!

 

[Ants!]

I'll take twin films over Twin Flames any day.

 

[Mark]

The Spirit was such a disappointingly bad film. But man... Eva Mendes...

Had two asteroid related disaster films come out the same year in 98, too. Armageddon and Deep Impact.

And in 96, there were two major alien invasion films, Independence Day and Mars Attacks.

Oh, can’t forget the underwater movies, either! There was that one where they went underwater to do that one thing, and then there was that other one where Samuel L. Jackson went underwater to do that other thing.

 

[Ants!]

Now I'm picturing that stupid fish Dori with Samuel's voice.

 

[Mark]

Now I'm picturing that stupid fish Dori with Samuel's voice.

“I am tired of these motherfuckin’ sharks in my motherfuckin’ ocean.”

Or however it went…