The Theater Was PACKED!

[Hammock Rider]

  I worked at a theater in the 80's and the movies that come to mind off the top of my head are:


Karate Kid

A Christmas Story
 
Police Academy

  The hubbub over Police Academy died down after a short while but the other two moveies sold out consistently for weeks.

[Pilgermann]

Batman (1989) - I'm pretty sure it was sold out and this was in an auditorium with well over 500 seats.

[Rev. Powell]

I'll never go to a big "event" movie on opening day just to avoid sellouts.  I'll usually wait at least until the second week to see it. 

I did miss a showing the recent re-release of WIZARD OF OZ because of a sellout, but I went to a late show (10 PM) instead, and the theater still did pretty good business.

[Flick James]

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King when I saw it on Christmas day was packed.

[Trekkie313]

  I worked at a theater in the 80's and the movies that come to mind off the top of my head are:


Karate Kid

A Christmas Story
 
Police Academy

  The hubbub over Police Academy died down after a short while but the other two moveies sold out consistently for weeks.

Really? I heard it performed poorly at the box office.

[Couchtr26]

The only time I have had the experience was Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.  We had to pack in as tight as we could and there were still no seats for some that showed up later.  Sadly, after seeing the re-releases of the "new and improved" originals, my faith in Lucas was waning.  I'm not a fan of the prequels.  They aren't terrible per say but just don't fit in with what was developed before their existence.  Ah well, went into a Star Wars complaint there at the end. 

[BoyScoutKevin]

It hasn't happened to me in over thirty years, because . . .

(a) I normally see films that wouldn't play to a packed house, even if they gave away tickets.
(b) I go during a cheaper matinee showing, when the evening showing is more likely to sell out.
(c) I wait a week or two, before I see a film, by which time, everyone who wants to see the film has already seen the film.
(d) I get there too late, and they have already sold all the tickets for the performance.
(e) It's a combination of a, b, and c.

I do remember it happening to me one time, and that was back in 1979, when I saw "Moonraker" in a theater that was totally packed. Indeed, they had sold so many tickets for the performance, there were people sitting on the steps in the aisles.

That is for a film on land, but when I cruise . . . when a film from Disney Studios comes out, if you are on the "Disney Magic" or the "Disney Wonder," they'll premiere the film at 12:01 a.m. on the day that it is to be released in the States. And they always premiere it in the Walt Disney Theater, which holds over a thousand people, instead of the Buena Vista Theater, where they normally show films, and I've seen two or three films like that, and that theater is always packed with not a seat vacant. Of course, the showing is always free, so it's a good way to save the $15.00 to $20.00, which I normally pay to see a film.

[hedgie]

in reverse chronological order:

- Alice In Wonderland 3d-

- The Dark Knight-

-Blade Runner 2007 Final Cut - it had a limited weekend long release, and we got to see a friday night showing,  wasn't completely packed but pretty close, glad to see this movie get its due 25 years after the initial theatrical run.

-The Usual Suspects- my sister took me to see this but we couldn't get in because it was sold out, so we bought tickets for Money Train.  According to my sister that movie sucked hard so we left about 20 minutes into it and snuck into Usual Suspects.
It was about halfway into the movie and apparently a few people had walked out earlier because we found some seats.  The movie made very little sense though because we missed the beginning.  I remember seeing it on vhs a year later and enjoying it a lot.

-Mrs. Doubtfire - Parents dragged me to this on xmas day.  I really hated this kind of schmaltzy crap back then,  I remember sighing very loudly in boredom during one of the tender moments between Robin Williams and one of the kids, and the lady next to  me got overly upset as if I had ruined the movie for her.  lame.

-Cadillac Man - another Robin Williams movie, this was packed only because it was the grand opening of a multiplex theatre that had free admission to all movies that night only.  This was way back in 1990 and the company my dad worked for built the theatre so my family along with other guests had special passes that allowed us to get in before everyone else.  About 10 minutes later they let the general public in and everyone made a mad rush to the concession stand.  Did I mention concessions were free that night too?  People went insane, ordering  more food than they could eat or even carry, and people were throwing food during the movie too. People were throwing large pickles at the screen during the movie.  A bunch of high school kids got kicked out for being loud and so they threw drinks at the usher and ran away.  It was insane, the movie had little impression on me at the time.

[Trevor]

People were throwing large pickles at the screen during the movie. 

[Hammock Rider]

  I worked at a theater in the 80's and the movies that come to mind off the top of my head are:


Karate Kid

A Christmas Story
 
Police Academy

  The hubbub over Police Academy died down after a short while but the other two moveies sold out consistently for weeks.

Really? I heard it performed poorly at the box office.

  Maybe it did overall but at the theater I worked at people loved it.  Maybe Mmidwesterners really like Steve Gutenberg?

[Ash]

The most packed movie I ever went to was "The Blair Witch Project".

The hype for that movie was insane so naturally, people flocked to go see it.
Saw it opening night and there was a crazy long line.  Fortunately, we were near the front and got good seats.  Can't say that for a lot of the people there, though.  People were sitting all up and down the steps on both sides.  There must've been over 200 people there.   

What's the standard capacity per screen now?  Anyone know?

[trekgeezer]

The Empire Strikes Back   A friends wife went to the theater when the box office opened and got the tickets, she then waited by the door until we all got off work.  They tried to make her go to the back of the line, but she stood her ground and we all went in together.

Ten years later my son and I were going to see Batman Returns. The ticket line wrapped around the building and it was really hot outside.  They actually brought out carts with drinks (they weren't free, but it was quick thinking by an enterprising manager).