Have you ever avoided seeing a movie in a theater due to its length?

[Guest]

I asked my beau if he'd like to see Way of Water in the theater, and he said that he saw it with his family over Christmas. He also said he missed part of it because he had to go to the bathroom twice during its 3 hr 15 min length. While I don't think I'd have to go twice, I don't think I could hold it for well over 3 hours, and agreed that we'd both see it when it's available streaming or on Netflix. He also said he'd wait to see Babylon for the same reason. Movies of that length used to have intermissions. Plays, operas, and musicals also have intermissions if they expect to last well over 2 hours. I can't say I'm thrilled at the prospect of trying to watch these mega-length movies uninterrupted. If the movie really can't be edited to under 2 1/2 hours or so, why not provide an intermission. Agree? Disagree? I wonder how common our concerns are. 

[Guest]

Oops. Sorry about the bad grammar in the title.

[+ nycman]

1 1/2 hours is too short

2 hours is good.

2 1/2, if the movie is amazing.

3 hours?…yeah, no.

Same with novels. I’m more of a "short story" kind of guy. 

[MikeBiDude]

1 hour ago, Unicorn said:

Oops. Sorry about the bad grammar in the title.

As the OP you can edit your title

[MikeBiDude]

I love long movies. But, I prefer an intermission like movies in the 60’s when I was a kid. Or, watching them at home. I just watched “Once A Time in America” the other night for the 4th or 5th time..it’s 3 hrs 45 mins.

[MikeBiDude]

5 minutes ago, samhexum said:

I wish I had let its length dissuade me from seeing Close Encounters Of The Worst Kind...  longest 15 hours I ever spent in a theater.

It’s running time is 2h 17m, hardly qualifies as a long movie for this topic.

[samhexum]

2 hours ago, Unicorn said:

Movies of that length used to have intermissions. Plays, operas, and musicals also have intermissions if they expect to last well over 2 hours. I can't say I'm thrilled at the prospect of trying to watch these mega-length movies uninterrupted. 

 

30 minutes ago, MikeBiDude said:

I love long movies. But, I prefer an intermission like movies in the 60’s when I was a kid. Or, watching them at home.

When I was a teen The Exorcist was re-released in theaters, but with an intermission.  A bunch of us from the neighborhood went to see it and when the intermission came all the girls wanted to leave because it was so scary, but none of the guys would because it was so funny (it remains one of the best comedies I've ever seen).

I wish I had let its length dissuade me from seeing Close Encounters Of The Worst Kind...  longest 15 hours I ever spent in a theater.

6 minutes ago, MikeBiDude said:

It’s running time is 2h 17m, hardly qualifies as a long movie for this topic.

I guess it only felt like 15 hours.

[+ azdr0710]

My Dinner With Andre was the subject of family jokes for years after we saw it......longest 1:50 movie we ever saw.....interminable......I guess we aren't sophisticated enough despite the rave reviews.....

 

 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, MikeBiDude said:

As the OP you can edit your title

It's not coming up as an option for me, only "Add Tag, Rate, Share, Delete, or Hide." I meant to type "seeing" instead of "see," of course. 

[Lookin]

5 hours ago, Unicorn said:

I asked my beau if he'd like to see Way of Water in the theater, and he said that he saw it with his family over Christmas. He also said he missed part of it because he had to go to the bathroom twice during its 3 hr 15 min length.

Saw it a couple days ago.  With a pee break, three-plus hours of great special effects isn't too long for yours truly.  But, sadly, there was no reason for it to be that long.  Many of the special effects were repeated and the storyline would have benefitted from much crisper editing.

I kept thinking of the old wheeze that Cameron made a three-hour movie because he didn't have time to make a two-hour movie.

Even odder, I understand he shot a sequel or two at the same time he shot this one.  One of the actors commented that he watched himself age from fourteen to sixteen during the course of the film.

In fairness, the film has already come close to breaking even, so what do I know?  

[Starbuck]

The longest movie I ever saw in the theater was "Titanic". If the movie is more than 2 1/2 hours I'd rather wait to see it at home. I cannot sit still that long.

Edited January 3, 2023 by Starbuck

[Gatlin G]

About 2 is the limit.   Can’t sit that long in these theaters.   Even at home I try to keep them around that time.  

[BuffaloKyle]

I never avoid anything due to it's length! 😜

[wsc]

2 hours ago, BuffaloKyle said:

I never avoid anything due to it's length! 😜

When speaking of long movies, I admire the achievement but question being able to sit through the whole thing.

Same perspective on the other thing.

[+ poolboy48220]

runpee.com used to list movies and the best times to take pee breaks, along with what you missed at that point.  Apparently it's only a phone app now.

[+ Pensant]

I haven’t been to a movie theater since well before Covid. I believe I saw Call Me By My Name.

Edited January 3, 2023 by Pensant

[MikeBiDude]

9 hours ago, Unicorn said:

It's not coming up as an option for me, only "Add Tag, Rate, Share, Delete, or Hide." I meant to type "seeing" instead of "see," of course. 

Fixed it 👍🏻

[+ WilliamM]

14 hours ago, Unicorn said:

I asked my beau if he'd like to see Way of Water in the theater, and he said that he saw it with his family over Christmas. He also said he missed part of it because he had to go to the bathroom twice during its 3 hr 15 min length. While I don't think I'd have to go twice, I don't think I could hold it for well over 3 hours, and agreed that we'd both see it when it's available streaming or on Netflix. He also said he'd wait to see Babylon for the same reason. Movies of that length used to have intermissions. Plays, operas, and musicals also have intermissions if they expect to last well over 2 hours. I can't say I'm thrilled at the prospect of trying to watch these mega-length movies uninterrupted. If the movie really can't be edited to under 2 1/2 hours or so, why not provide an intermission. Agree? Disagree? I wonder how c

 

 

I remember seeing Eugene O' Neil's play The Iceman Com'it on stage at the Brooklyn Academy of Music with Nathan Lane.

His plays are long with intermission. So well done I don't. believe anyone thought about leaving

 

[Rod Hagen]

Nearly all movies are too long these days.  I was vaguely interested in seeing Babylon, but too long.  

I think Tar could have been, and to be honest probably is, the best film of the year, but way too long.  How many times do I need to see her jogging, or boxing?

[Marc in Calif]

https://www.stadiumpal.com/product/stadium-pal-kit/

 

[bearded bro]

Recently saw Babylon and had not realized it ran that long. The film didn’t know when to end. Could have ended 30/40 minutes sooner and would have been a better movie.  

[+ sniper]

My issue isn't a bathroom break, it's sitting in one place that long gets uncomfortable. 

[+ poolboy48220]

14 minutes ago, sniper said:

My issue isn't a bathroom break, it's sitting in one place that long gets uncomfortable. 

it's usually the bathroom break for me, more so now that theaters are serving cocktails.  Come to think of it, it's also the break for the refill.  How do they work the theaters that bring the drinks to your seat?  I've never figured that out.

Edited January 4, 2023 by poolboy48220

[samhexum]

7 hours ago, bearded bro said:

Recently saw Babylon and had not realized it ran that long. The film didn’t know when to end. Could have ended 30/40 minutes sooner and would have been a better movie.  

When I saw Pulp Fiction my seat was seat was on the aisle of the row and I had my feet poised to spring up for the last 25 interminable minutes as it just kept going on and on.  The first hour of the film was brilliant but the last 9 hours needed massive editing.

I obviously wasn't the only one feeling like that.  As soon as the credits began the entire packed audience stood as one, put on their coats, and silently left.  I've never seen anything like that happen any other time.

[Jim_n_NYC]

The last movie I saw in a theater was 'Day After Tomorrow' with a friend who really wanted to see it...so it's been a while. I haven't been since then cuz several people (including one next to us) kept using their phones and those screens are BRIGHT in a dark theater.

We have an HDTV and 5.1 stereo system at home so the quality is great and we don't need theaters.  Plus, as far as this thread, length don't matter since we pause for bathroom and popcorn breaks.