MOVIE-GOING EXPERIENCES IN OTHER COUNTRIES

[The Burgomaster]

I live in the U.S., but I've had the opportunity to go to movie theaters in Scotland, Portugal, and Brazil.  Here are my observations - - please share yours.

* SCOTLAND - I saw LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS.  My experience was similar to seeing movies in U.S. theaters, but it seemed like fewer people bought stuff from the concession stand in Scotland.

* PORTUGAL - I saw CASINO.  The theater had assigned seating - - your seat number was printed on your ticket.  Also, you could choose to have either salt or sugar on your popcorn.  Butter or any type of butter-flavored topping was not an option.

* BRAZIL - I saw ANACONDA.  It was in English with Portuguese subtitles.  I guess they didn't think many people could understand the English dialogue because the audio volume was turned down much lower than in U.S. theaters.  Also, they put REAL BUTTER on the popcorn (melted right before my eyes).  None of that Canola Oil crap.

[ER]

In Ireland people sit until the credits have finished rolling.

[trekgeezer]

We usually went to the base theater when I was stationed in Scotland back in the 70's, but I did go to a theater to watch Flesh Gordon.  The thing that struck me odd was that smoking was allowed in the theater.

That assigned seating thing seems really weird.

[The Burgomaster]

That assigned seating thing seems really weird.

Now that I think about it, maybe the seat number wasn't on the ticket.  I think you had to fill each row by sitting in the next available seat.  This was quite a few years ago, so I'm a little fuzzy on how it worked.  But, whatever the procedure was, I do know you couldn't select any seat you wanted . . . they definitely had some sort of seat assignment process.

[hellbilly]

In Germany people are usually very reserved and very quiet. I have never experienced zany crowd pleasing reactions here like I did in America, except for a brief standing ovation once during the end credits of Jackie Brown (1997).

[BoyScoutKevin]

The U.K., or I should say England, having an evening free while on a tour, and a cinema being near-by, I went to the cinema. I can't remember the film, but I believe it was "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly."

Two things I do remember about that evening. If you wanted popcorn, it was already popped and boxed. And there were two price level of tickets. If you wanted the cheaper tickets, which is what I got, you sat in a seat on the floor of the theater. If you wanted the higher priced tickets, you got a seat in the balcony.

[Rev. Powell]

I saw some terrible, forgettable US movie in Zagreb (back when it was part of Yugoslavia).  I think we went to see it just to get out of the cold, and it was in English and subtitled.  I recall the theater as being a little shabby, but not terrible.  There were no concessions, just self-serve machines.  But we bought canned beers from a vending machine, which seemed amazingly cool to us as teenagers.

[El Misfit]

some Japanese theater. the screen was HUGE!

[indianasmith]

OK . . . I went to see George Romero's MARTIN in a theater in the Philippines.  the only thing I really remember, other than not liking the movie that much, was getting propositioned by an incredibly ugly little Filipino homosexual when I went to the men's room about halfway thru the movie.

And I did go to the theater in Japan a couple of times . . . I think the one I remember most clearly was going to see Sean Connery in his last appearance as James Bond . . . NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN, I think it was.

Japanese theaters were always neat and clean, and I remember that they actually showed boobs in some of the movie trailers . . . there was a trailer for a movie with Mr. T called DC CAB that had some strippers in it.  Oh, and at the Japanese theater, you could get dried squid at the snack bar.

[Trevor]

Oh, and at the Japanese theater, you could get dried squid at the snack bar.

 

[Trevor]

In South Africa we have two major cinema chains, namely Ster-Kinekor and NuMetro. The first used to be two different companies (hence the -) and the second used to be the local MGM cinema chain until New Century Entertainment bought out the MGM cinemas and renamed it NuMetro.