Submitted by David R on 23 September 2008 - 10:32am.
I think what excites me about cinema is watching a film with an appreciative audience. When I saw the Wallace and Gromit film: "The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" at my local multiplex the audience howled with laughter at the scene involving Gromit, the were-rabbit and a space hopper. To often you feel the audience dosen't react or is apathetic to what they see so when you see a response like that then it's a delightful surprise. I have also seen families with children, couples and pensioners attend screenings of films such as "Monsieur Hulot's Holiday," the original Japanese version of "Godzilla" and the recent BFI release of selected GPO films: "Love Letters and Live Wires", proving that it's not film buffs such as myself who are interested in films like these. When we had the old City Screen in York we had regular showings of silent films. I remember the audience chuckling at Rotwang's appearance in "Metropolis" and gasps over Harold Lloyd's high-rise antics in a Harold Lloyd evening. What I'll never forget is a showing of the 1913 film "Barney Oldfield's Race for Life". When the heroine was plucked at the very last minute from the on-coming train the audience collectivly gasped and then burst into applause. It's interesting that it's classic films such as these or, as in "Were-Rabbit" which involve the audience and treats them with respect rather than throwing a lot of digital effects at them hoping they will be impressed. Compare those films with say "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones". I went to see it the night of it's release and the audience just sat overwhelmed by the CGI and didn't react!
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I think what excites me about cinema is watching a film with an appreciative audience. When I saw the Wallace and Gromit film: "The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" at my local multiplex the audience howled with laughter at the scene involving Gromit, the were-rabbit and a space hopper. To often you feel the audience dosen't react or is apathetic to what they see so when you see a response like that then it's a delightful surprise. I have also seen families with children, couples and pensioners attend screenings of films such as "Monsieur Hulot's Holiday," the original Japanese version of "Godzilla" and the recent BFI release of selected GPO films: "Love Letters and Live Wires", proving that it's not film buffs such as myself who are interested in films like these. When we had the old City Screen in York we had regular showings of silent films. I remember the audience chuckling at Rotwang's appearance in "Metropolis" and gasps over Harold Lloyd's high-rise antics in a Harold Lloyd evening. What I'll never forget is a showing of the 1913 film "Barney Oldfield's Race for Life". When the heroine was plucked at the very last minute from the on-coming train the audience collectivly gasped and then burst into applause. It's interesting that it's classic films such as these or, as in "Were-Rabbit" which involve the audience and treats them with respect rather than throwing a lot of digital effects at them hoping they will be impressed. Compare those films with say "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones". I went to see it the night of it's release and the audience just sat overwhelmed by the CGI and didn't react!