# Ever walk out of a movie?



## Violanthe (Dec 15, 2005)

It's common to put down a book and never come back to it, but have you ever walked out of a movie? What was it that bored or bothered you about the film that prompted you to leave before it was over?


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## Ithrynluin (Dec 15, 2005)

Never. I remember being curious to see what all the hype surrounding Harry Potter was about, so I went to see _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_ and was pretty much bored to tears by it. Still, I did not walk out of the theatre, as I consider that a complete waste of my money.


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## Corvis (Dec 15, 2005)

The closest I ever came to walking out of a movie is going to see _Christmas with the Kranks_. That movie was horrible and I will never go through the pain of watching it again. Now that was a total waste of somebody's money.


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## Thorondor_ (Dec 15, 2005)

There was this completely stupid film about vampires and whatnot, and out of self-preservation I completely forgot the name. After the first 20 minutes, realising that the plot is 99% predictable, and that the gore was more than I can take, I decided to walk out.


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## e.Blackstar (Dec 15, 2005)

I've never walked out of a movie, but the closest I ever came was with _The Brothers Grimm_ this summer. Atrocious.


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## Talierin (Dec 15, 2005)

Yeah, Grimm was pretty bad - Phantom of the Opera, in the graveyard scene... zzzz - but I've never walked out of anything. I did come really close with Napoleon Dynamite - prolly should have, cause it only cost me like 2 bucks to see the movie - hated it! ugh! I'll never watch it again


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## Hammersmith (Dec 16, 2005)

I nearly walked out of Napolean Dynamite, but it was playing in my living room and I didn't want to be unsociable. I was *this close* to walking out of Constantine, and when I worked as a projectionist I walked out of several movies that I couldn't be bothered to watch. Didn't pay, but didn't bother watching them either. Winnie The Pooh and Piglet Too, Seabiscuit, some film about Trotsky that had (most of) Salma Hayek in it, one of the Harry Potters, probably a few others that escape me. At least one '40s Shakespeare film. Henry VII maybe. Oh, and I would have walked out of Hitch but I was with other people who were loving it.


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## Lindir (Dec 16, 2005)

I never walked out, but I was very close when I watched 'Armageddon'. What a crappy film that is! That I had paid good money to see it was extremely annoying. But I held out, in the hope that everyone in the film would die horrible deaths. I left disappointed.


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## Corvis (Dec 16, 2005)

Did any one ever walk out of Saving Private Ryan? Could anyone not take the violence? I own the DVD but never saw it in theaters and I hear some people just walked out of the theater because of ther realistic violence in it.


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## Maeglin (Dec 16, 2005)

I never saw "Saving Private Ryan" in theatres....but I walked out of the living room of my house after about 20 minutes of it. Not only was it too violent, I found it to be just plain boring.


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## e.Blackstar (Dec 16, 2005)

Hammersmith said:


> Oh, and I would have walked out of Hitch but I was with other people who were loving it.



I too would have left _Hitch_, but I was strapped into a plane seat over the American Midwest and couldn't do much about it.


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## Corvis (Dec 16, 2005)

Maeglin said:


> I never saw "Saving Private Ryan" in theatres....but I walked out of the living room of my house after about 20 minutes of it. Not only was it too violent, I found it to be just plain boring.


 
You thought Saving Private Ryan was boring? You thought a Spielberg movie (which he won and oscar for best directing) was boring? You thought Tom Hanks (who was nominated for an oscar as well for this movie) was boring? You thought World War II was boring? My god, you must be the first person I have ever heard to call Saving Private Ryan (which was nominated for the oscar for Best Picture) boring. Wow! I mean the first twenty minutes (the D-Day Invasion) were one of the greatest sequences in all of cinema. Wow!


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## Khôr’nagan (Dec 16, 2005)

No need to get hostile, though I certianly agree Saving Private Ryan, and the D-Day invasion especially, was anything but boring. Of course, that's just me, and other people have other tastes. To some people, a bloody massacre with people falling dead left and right might be boring. And I'm no being snide; some people might just not be that interested in such things.

I myself have never walked out of a movie, and have never actually seen a movie in the theatre that I didn't enjoy (to some extent) watching. However, even if I did see something that I though sucked, I would stay to the end anyway, in the hopes that it would get better. I mean, how bad would it be to spend all that money, walk out, and then find out that you missed the best part of the whole movie, and you might have liked it had you seen it? (Winnie the Pooh excluded  )


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## Hammersmith (Dec 16, 2005)

Khôr’nagan said:


> I mean, how bad would it be to spend all that money, walk out, and then find out that you missed the best part of the whole movie, and you might have liked it had you seen it? (Winnie the Pooh excluded  )


Hah! 
I'll assume at least part of that was aimed at me? No, I've never walked out of a movie I personally had paid for, but I used to work in a cinema and had ample time for watching movies free of charge while on duty. And the poor-quality Winnie The Pooh films of late don't hold a candle to the older versions.


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## Corvis (Dec 17, 2005)

Khôr’nagan said:


> No need to get hostile, though I certianly agree Saving Private Ryan, and the D-Day invasion especially, was anything but boring. Of course, that's just me, and other people have other tastes. To some people, a bloody massacre with people falling dead left and right might be boring. And I'm no being snide; some people might just not be that interested in such things.


 
I'm not getting hostile and I would never mean to. It's just I honestly have never heard anyone call that film (which is said by so many to be the greatest war film ever) boring. We al have our own opinions and I respect them greatly it just kind of threw me off guard to hear that.


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## Gandalf White (Dec 17, 2005)

Corvis said:


> You thought Saving Private Ryan was boring? You thought a Spielberg movie (which he won and oscar for best directing) was boring? You thought Tom Hanks (who was nominated for an oscar as well for this movie) was boring? You thought World War II was boring? My god, you must be the first person I have ever heard to call Saving Private Ryan (which was nominated for the oscar for Best Picture) boring. Wow! I mean the first twenty minutes (the D-Day Invasion) were one of the greatest sequences in all of cinema. Wow!


I have to go with Maeglin on this one; I saw it once, and never cared if I saw it again. I've seen bits and pieces from time to time, and find I enjoy it that way.

And with the price of movies these days, I've never walked out.


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## Corvis (Dec 17, 2005)

Did you never care to see it again because of the violence or it being boring?


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## Talierin (Dec 17, 2005)

SPR does kinda bog down in the middle - I like Band of Brothers better as far as war flicks go, but the opening normandy scenes of SPR were amazing


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## Barliman Butterbur (Dec 17, 2005)

Violanthe said:


> It's common to put down a book and never come back to it, but have you ever walked out of a movie? What was it that bored or bothered you about the film that prompted you to leave before it was over?



Years ago I walked out of a Schwarzenegger movie — some drivel about Mars. Maybe it was called _True Lies,_ I don't remember now. My hazy reflection says I walked out because of over-the-top violence, really stupid plotline and abominable acting...

As for _Saving Private Ryan_ — Steven Spielberg's purposes in filmmaking have changed drastically since the days of _Jaws_ and _ET_. He's gotten much more serious, and I think his science fiction movies and western series crank up the money for the things he _really_ wants to do — what I would call "message movies" such as _Ryan, Schindler's List,_ and now _Munich_. I think he made _Ryan_ not so much to entertain as to teach, to put a cautionary tale on the screen, as he did with _Schindler_ and _Munich._ As Santayana said most accurately, Those who forget history are condemned to relive it.

Barley


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## Corvis (Dec 17, 2005)

As for what Talierin said about BOB and SPR, that's what a lot of people say about the two. It's probably because they show more, show real events, and the sets are larger in BOB. But I don't understand how it slows down in the middle (I might disagree because I'm a huge WWII buff) because two of the men get killed (Wade and Caparzo) and also that scene where Hanks weeps openly was amazing. 

And to Barley, you're right. If you ever get a chance, watch the special features on the SPR DVD. They have interviews with Spielberg and he said the reason why he made Schindler's List is because he thinks that time period is very important in World history and "to only make the future better we must look to the past". And he also said the he made SPR because of the decency in war that was shown in the story. Anyway, I really like this thread.


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## Hammersmith (Dec 17, 2005)

Barliman Butterbur said:


> Years ago I walked out of a Schwarzenegger movie — some drivel about Mars. Maybe it was called _True Lies,_ I don't remember now. My hazy reflection says I walked out because of over-the-top violence, really stupid plotline and abominable acting...


 Oh, Barley!
You walked out of Total Recall. And all Schwarzeneggar films have abominable acting, over the top violence and stupid plot lines. Especially his new one. I forget what it's called, but he plays the Governor of California...


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## Supernita (Dec 17, 2005)

Heh this thread seems to have gone from walking out of movies to everyone's opinion of the latest war movies  Interesting how that happens. I personally haven't seen Saving Private Ryan because I've never been big on war movies in general, but after hearing the opinions in here I might just grab myself a blanket and some popcorn and watch it  Speaking of war movies, has anyone seen Jarhead? I loved it but I haven't heard too many opinions on it.

I don't remember ever walking out of a movie (although I have been to a few where the projector has died, therefore forcing us to leave), but I came really close while watching The Ring. Not because it was a terrible movie but because it scared the *beep* outta me. I spent almost the entire movie with my head literally buried in my boyfriend's shoulder waiting for it to end. I still haven't seen the whole thing.. tried a couple times, just couldn't do it.. too scary for me


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## Alcuin (Dec 17, 2005)

Barliman Butterbur said:


> ...Steven Spielberg's purposes in filmmaking have changed drastically since the days of _Jaws_ and _ET_. He's gotten much more serious, and I think his science fiction movies and western series crank up the money for the things he _really_ wants to do — what I would call "message movies" such as _Ryan, Schindler's List,_ and now _Munich_...


Good thing he did _Jaws_ and _ET_ early in his career: _Munich_ appears to be a flop. At least he doesn't have to worry about whether he makes any money: only the investors have to sweat that.

2005 has been a rotten year for pictures. My cousin owns a theater: he says people hate the films Hollywood is producing, and the feeling seems to be mutual: Hollywood clearly hates the people who used to pay to see their films, because they deride and belittle them in every flick. The last movie I paid to see was the recent (and last) installment of _Star Wars_; none of the rest looked any good.

Oh, BTW, Barley, I walked out of a Schwarzenegger movie, too: _Terminator_, about 3 or 4 minutes into the picture. It wasn’t for me. And _Deer Hunter_ after about 5 minutes. I’m not into casual violence for the sake of show, or shallow movies for the sake of self-aggrandizement. After those two experiences, I got a lot more picky about what I pay to see.


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## Corvis (Dec 17, 2005)

I didn't really like Jarhead. No action or plot really and all it was were a bunch of guys in the desert fooling around. But the acting was really good and the scenes with the oil shooting up from the ground were amazing. I don't recommend it though to go see. Just my opinion.


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## Alcuin (Dec 17, 2005)

Supernita said:


> Speaking of war movies, has anyone seen Jarhead? I loved it but I haven't heard too many opinions on it.


My nephew has recently begun his second tour in Iraq. He and his comrades-in-arms went to see it right before they left. His reaction is not printable here: the TTF server turns that kind of language into little stars. I can convey this to you: he said he’d never met American soldiers or Marines like those in the movie, and he followed that observation with some rather choice comments about the director.

I have not seen it. After my nephew’s review, I would not care to see it.


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## Supernita (Dec 17, 2005)

Heh interesting. People have all kinds of opinions on war movies. I found it entertaining.. the book is also quite entertaining for those of you who might rather take a chance on that. Like I said, I've never been big on war movies, so that might make an impression on my opinion


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## Corvis (Dec 18, 2005)

Alcuin said:


> ....2005 has been a rotten year for pictures. My cousin owns a theater: he says people hate the films Hollywood is producing, and the feeling seems to be mutual: Hollywood clearly hates the people who used to pay to see their films, because they deride and belittle them in every flick. The last movie I paid to see was the recent (and last) installment of _Star Wars_; none of the rest looked any good....


 
I disagree with you there Alcuin. There have been a lot of good movies that have come out in the year 2005:

The Greatest Raid
Walk the Line
King Kong
Munich
Chronicles of Narnia
The Goblet of Fire
Star Wars Episode III
War of the Worlds
Cinderella Man


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## Beleg (Dec 18, 2005)

You are forgetting _Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants_!


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## Maeglin (Dec 18, 2005)

Corvis you also forgot that young man displayed in your avatar....._Batman Begins_ was quite good as well.


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## Gandalf White (Dec 18, 2005)

Corvis said:


> Did you never care to see it again because of the violence or it being boring?



It wasn't the violence; I honestly expected that to be worse than it was. It just couldn't hold my attention, which is why I like it in short bits.


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## Corvis (Dec 18, 2005)

Maeglin said:


> Corvis you also forgot that young man displayed in your avatar....._Batman Begins_ was quite good as well.


 
My God! How silly of me, I can't believe I forgot _Batman Begins_. Of course, I thought (along with many others) that that film was awesome. It was definitely a great film of the year.

***Hail the Caped Crusader!***​


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## Ol'gaffer (Dec 18, 2005)

Alcuin said:


> Good thing he did _Jaws_ and _ET_ early in his career: _Munich_ appears to be a flop. At least he doesn't have to worry about whether he makes any money: only the investors have to sweat that.



I can assure you, Alcuin, that despite being who he is, Spielbergs producers still care if his films are flops or not. What makes you think Munich to be a flop? So far the pre-hype has been very good and early reviews more than that. To me, it looks like to be a very good early film of 2006.



> 2005 has been a rotten year for pictures. My cousin owns a theater: he says people hate the films Hollywood is producing, and the feeling seems to be mutual: Hollywood clearly hates the people who used to pay to see their films, because they deride and belittle them in every flick. The last movie I paid to see was the recent (and last) installment of _Star Wars_; none of the rest looked any good.
> 
> Oh, BTW, Barley, I walked out of a Schwarzenegger movie, too: _Terminator_, about 3 or 4 minutes into the picture. It wasn’t for me. And _Deer Hunter_ after about 5 minutes. I’m not into casual violence for the sake of show, or shallow movies for the sake of self-aggrandizement. After those two experiences, I got a lot more picky about what I pay to see.




What surprises me is your opinion on The Deer Hunter. A very anti-war film if there is one, and one that has no violence atleast until a good hour into the film. Giving a film only five minutes before walking out is a bit harsh.

as for Barlie, and SPR, while I appreciate Spielbergs intentions, and especially Schindlers List (one of my all time favorite films) I found Private Ryan to be after the first ten minutes, boring and most of all, highly patriotic that really didn't appeal to me as it seemed to create an entirely different view on the history of the war for the young audiences who can't be taught the other perspectives in school today. 

On topic, the only film that I've ever walked out on was Anchorman. I have a strong principle on walking out, I never do it. But Anchorman was so bad, with such childish humour and bad acting that I couldn't help myself after forty minutes into the film. It was just beyond bad, it was ****.

and Jarhead? One of the best films of the coming year here. It's out in January, and I saw a press screening yesterday. Awesome. Really a great film.


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## Barliman Butterbur (Dec 18, 2005)

Hammersmith said:


> Oh, Barley!
> You walked out of Total Recall. And all Schwarzeneggar films have abominable acting, over the top violence and stupid plot lines. Especially his new one. I forget what it's called, but he plays the Governor of California...



HA HA HAAAAAAAAAA!!!! ***sob sob sob!!!!*** You're not kidding! But he's playing it at our (me and my fellow Californian's) expense! Millions of dollars wasted on a special election and millions more robbed from the school system...don't get me started!

Anyway, yes, _Total Recall,_ which, thankfully, I couldn't recall... I must say though that I _was_ entertained despite all my efforts not to be by _Terminator II._ 

_Batman Begins_ — woo hoo! My kinda film! This was what I was hoping for from Tim Burton when he did his first Batman film, but he still needs to be too comic-booky. He did create an absolute masterpiece with _Sleepy Hollow_ though, and another gem with _Ed Wood._

BTW, my idea of a profoundly spiritual afternoon of cinema: a double feature of _Dumb and Dumber_ and _A Night at the Roxbury._ Sublime! 

And can we ever forget _Young Frankenstein?_

Barley


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## Falagar (Mar 7, 2006)

Corvis said:


> I disagree with you there Alcuin. There have been a lot of good movies that have come out in the year 2005:
> 
> The Greatest Raid
> Walk the Line
> ...


I'd like to add Good Night & Good Luck, which I at least thought was great.


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## Barliman Butterbur (Mar 7, 2006)

I see a lot of movies that evidently have a short life — or no life — in movie houses and go almost directly to TV.

(BE WARNED — I am about to mount a tirade)

The other day my wife and I went over to visit my younger daughter who has a three year old little boy. What was he watching on his TV? A DVD of an animated version of _The Hulk._ He _loves The Hulk._ My wife and I were aghast at the gratuitious violence and extremes of this story. So my grandson's favorite color is now green, and he goes around imitating The Hulk, and his behavior is deteriorating, and my daughter gets defensive when we talk to her about this. Three-year-olds should NOT be watching anything more violent than Teletubbies and Sesame Street, IMO.

One of those movies that seems to have gotten to the movie channels pretty quickly is _Sin City,_ a paen to totally warped losers living their lives at the bottom of the barrel. I dunno — maybe I'm too old and out of touch to jump on the rah-rah bandwagon for this movie... 

This was the first movie that Elijah Wood made after coming off LOTR. In this he plays a psychotic cannibal who eats prostitutes and then mounts their heads on a wall, joined in the meal by his friend the Catholic priest, played by Rutger Hauer. If Elijah ever had worries about being typecast as a hobbit or other airy-fairy type, he certainly need have none now!

But this film — a movie version of Frank Miller's dark comic books — while technically brilliant, _still_ concerns itself with the glorification of the dregs of society and incredible violence. My take on all that is this:

If young people are enticed and entertained by these intense extremes, how will they be sensitive to subtlety, to gentility, to civility? And courtesy and civility in our everyday lives is what we need _very badly_ today. At least that's how I see it. What really gets me angry is how directors like Rodriguez and Tarentino seem totally oblivious to the effect their movies have on general society. And if I ever saw my grandson watching something like _Sin City,_ I'd raise the roof with my daughter!

Barley


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## Thorondor_ (Mar 7, 2006)

My list of "walked-out-movies" just got bigger this weekend, with Two for the money, with Al Pacino and Mat McConaughey. An interesting story of "you can do it" at first, but it quickly became distasteful to me.

As far as Sin City is concerned, I watched a third of the movie looking at something else than the screen when the blood started to spill on all four corners (and sound off ). On the good side, the movie did promote self-sacrifice for a 'higher' ideal on behalf of all the male heroes, though the wrapping is really, really nasty.


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## Violanthe (Mar 7, 2006)

What did you find distasteful about it?


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## Barliman Butterbur (Mar 7, 2006)

Thorondor_ said:


> As far as Sin City is concerned, I watched a third of the movie looking at something else than the screen when the blood started to spill on all four corners (and sound off ). On the good side, the movie did promote self-sacrifice for a 'higher' ideal on behalf of all the male heroes, though the wrapping is really, really nasty.



You're kind that you actually found a good side... I found this movie literally pornographic in the legal sense that, IMO, it has _no_ socially redeeming value.

Barley


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## Starbrow (Mar 16, 2006)

The only movie I ever walked out of was Spinal Tap and I regret it now. There are so many pop cultural references to it that I feel left out. 
I guess I'll have to rent it someday I don't have anything better to do.

"But it goes up to 11."


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## Violanthe (May 16, 2006)

Why did you initially walk out of the movie?


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## Starbrow (May 16, 2006)

My friend and I left Spinal Tap because we thought it was STUPID.


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## Violanthe (May 23, 2006)

Certainly a legitimate reason


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## Wolfshead (May 23, 2006)

Starbrow said:


> My friend and I left Spinal Tap because we thought it was STUPID.


Sacrilege  It's a superb film.


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## Starbrow (May 23, 2006)

So I've heard. Maybe sometimes stupid is good.


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