Eclipse Midnight Showing Etiquette

Whitley | June 23, 2010 | 7 Comments

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As you already know, Eclipse is only ONE week away and many of us already have tickets to the midnight showing at our local theaters in our hot little hands. With every TV ad for the movie, every Burger King commercial you see (This one is my favorite), and every time the soundtrack pops up on your iPod, the excitement builds.

But, like I posted about last year, we all need to be considerate of each other while we are waiting in line and during the actual movie. I’ve already discussed how when I went to see Twilight, I was cut in front of, and last year while I waited to see New Moon, it happened AGAIN! Kind of.

Last year, Jeremy and I got to the theater right when it opened, at like 9 am. No, I’m not joking. I had no idea how many people would be there and I definitely wanted to make sure we were going to get a decent spot in the line. We also were seeing the movie with a large group of my friends and family, but since I’m the only lameo amongst us, I was the only one there that early. This left me and Jeremy in charge of saving spots in line.

When we got to the theater, no one else was there to wait in line (because they aren’t crazy). Finding ourselves with more than a few hours to kill and literally nothing else to do, Jeremy and I went to go watch a movie.

When we got out of our movie around 12, there were two women (adults) sitting down against the wall where the theater employees had set up the line. By now, we were good buddies with them, and they came up and told us that they had tried to tell the people sitting down that people got here ahead of them and they had said, “No, WE want to be first.”

Yeah. Bitchy. But I just blew it off. I wasn’t going to let anything bring down my excitement that day, and the fact that we had other people coming later didn’t really make me want to be first in line. It would be really too close to cutting for my comfort, so we just held back. Eventually everyone got there, we all sat together, we all watched the movie, and things were alright with the world.

My point is that very shortly, as Twihards, we are all going to be gathered into big groups into small spaces, and it’s very easy to be annoying without realizing it. Let’s take a moment to go over some guidelines so that June 29th (or 30th) can be pleasant experiences for us all.

1. Show up in a timely manner : I’m not saying you need to roll up to the theater at 9am (needless to say, I will not be doing that this year). But if you know your show starts at midnight and you know the tickets have been sold  out, showing up at 11:45 and expecting to find a seat easily is just not going to happen. Nothing is more distracting than a group of people who arrive after the lights go down. They usually stare in awe at the nearly full seats (like they didn’t think anyone else wanted to see this movie), then realize they have to split up and take up all the spare seats left between groups. Then you have to deal with people picking their way through the aisles, almost spilling your $8.00 Coke you thought was ok to set on the floor.

I will let you make the judgement call since you know how big your theater is and you can estimate how many people are going. I will say that for very busy theaters, showing up 3-4 hours before midnight is reasonable. Bring a book or something. Re-read Eclipse while you wait!

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2. BE RESPECTFUL OF “TEAMS”! Seriously, people sitting behind me during New Moon, I could care less how much you love Jacob and why think he’s better for Bella. There was no need for y’all to discuss it loudly during Bella and Edward’s reunion scene.

I also have my own opinions about certain characters, but I choose to wear them proudly on my shirt, not loudly state them during the movie. It’s also why I have a blog.

This lead in to my next rule:

3. Keep the noise/talking during the movie to minimum! This is a midnight showing. Part of the reason I absolutely LOVE going to see these movies for the first time with a big bunch of other fans is the reactions. I still remember the first time I saw Twilight at midnight, and how everyone squealed and clapped when Edward first walked in to the cafeteria. I LOVE that stuff, so I certainly don’t expect, or even want, the audience to remain completely silent the entire time. That would just really be no fun at all.

But let’s all keep in mind that we can react without being obnoxious. Squeeing, clapping, and laughter (especially at the scenes with Charlie) are all to be expected. 5-minute soliloquies on how the movie is deviating from the book is not. If you must discuss that stuff with friends, keep your voices to a whisper. Only the people right beside you should hear you.

Please keep in mind too that if you discuss a plot point or future event too loudly, you might be spoiling someone near you. These movies are becoming more and more popular, leading to people entering the fandom for the first time, so they may not be finished with all the books yet. Your loud discussion on Breaking Dawn could cause someone to wonder, “What in the hell is a Renesmee?” Trust me, you need to leave that hot mess for people to find out on their own.

Another little thing that is especially important to me: DO NOT SING ALONG TO THE SONGS FROM THE SOUNDTRACK. I have not listened to one note of the Eclipse soundtrack yet, choosing instead to hear the music for the first time during the movie. Don’t ruin it for people by impeding people from hearing the actual song because you feel you need to share the gift of your voice with the world.

Do not be this lady!

Lastly, please put your cellphone on silent. If I hear an obnoxious Ke$sha ringtone go off during the leg hitch scene, I cannot be held responsible for any injuries that may occur.

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4. Leave your merch at home! There is really no need to bring every piece of Twilight stuff you own and spread it out in the seat beside you. There should be a picture of someone doing this in the dictionary next to the definition of unnecessary. Honestly,your Jacob Black lunch box doesn’t want to see the movie, and even if it did, it doesn’t need it’s own seat.

Yes, people actually do this. I shouldn’t have to detail why this is obnoxious, but here goes. The main reason is that someone, an actual human being, could be using that seat. In fact, they are made for human butts, so that’s all that should be in them.

If your theater will allow you to, bring a tote bag and put your Twilight pillow and blanket, along with your book or magazine you brought to pass the time in there and keep it close. At my movies last year, everyone had to put their stuff in the car because there were so many of us. Everyone having a giant tote or backpack created a fire hazard, so don’t put anything in there you can’t live without.

5. Lastly, HAVE FUN! Unless you get to go to Cons or Twilight Conventions, this is the one of the only times all the Twilight fans are gathered in one place. You are going to be spending a few hours in the company with people that share at least one interest with you! Don”t be afraid to introduce yourself and talk to people. It will help pass the time, and you might make some new best friends!

Have any rules to add? Did you have a craptacular experience waiting in line to see any of the other movies? Share in the comments!

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