Everyone should adjust to my way. Chat before or after the movie. Snacks, phone-checking, bathroom breaks must also happen before or after. It doesn't matter who initially suggested watching the movie, once you settle down to watch with me, you have consented to my rules. It's a binding contract. A movie is an art form and nobody should interfere with another person's enjoyment of it. Just like if we visit the Louvre together, it would be unacceptable for either of us to block the other's view of the Mona Lisa. Doesn't matter who bought the tickets to Paris or whose idea it was. Small digression: We have a friend who invited all of us to watch a movie at his place in his new media room. Then he played the movie at a volume that was barely audible. We had to really strain to hear. Someone asked him to raise the volume ... he magnanimously raised it a teeny tiny bit ... 5 minutes later he had readjusted to a volume that was just below human hearing. Oy vey! .
Do you mean “adjust to the quiet way”, or adjust to my way (even if you theoretically happened to be the chattier type)? I think you meant the former?
I think the silent one has the advantage. They can focus on the movie and the chatty one has to give in due to lack of responses.
Movie watching is a soulful experience for me, I want to be completely immersed in it. I like to not talk and watch. Sometimes, I keep TV on for company or the radio, I am not really watching, so np if people are talking. I save the good movies to watch ‘ by myself’, when kid is not disturbing. My husband anyways doesnt want to watch anything with me. I love to be immersed in good movies, to honor the many hours the people behind the scenes, have put in. Same with a good sitcom, I want to savor every nuance in dialogues and eye movement. Desi masala movie, give ample opportunity for a running commentary, but now adays, I am hardly watching any. But my husband won’t suffice for that kind of chatter, he doesn’t talk at all. We were taught as children to not constantly talk while watching something, especially in theathers. I think, I will be annoyed if a bunch of people are talking near me while in theatre, but I will enjoy to be a part such group say, that makes the movie more enjoyable and annoying someone else- as a group- can be a thrill seeking adventure- kinda
If the movie is really that good m the watchers will be stunned into silence. and remain engrossed. Of course the advantaged of home movies except those on TV channels is you can pause, jump boring sequences, particularly unmusical songs. Of course some movies are such that they provoke chatter. You can t help playing movie critic for some movies, particularly the bad ones. There chatting and making nasty comments is part of fun.
I am the chatty one. I want to discuss the scenes, yell at the villain, praise the actor/director/photographer, critique the absurdness of a scene, then and there. Whereas my H needs pin drop silence when he watches a movie. So we start watching a movie with DH strictly saying no discussion during the movie, of course I cant control some of my reactions, after a while DH walks off shrugging his shoulder like he just cant watch a movie in peace. He resumes watching later on after I am done. This was pre-2-year-old-son era. Now with my DS, DH can watch a movie with any background noise. He still sulks, but has learned to watch the movie with us
Can’t watch a movie without chatting at home. And if it’s English movies will have lots of questions. If it’s hindi I will not say a word. If korean half the time will go in getting my doubts clarified. If I watch alone most of the time I have to repeat next day as I would have dozed off somewhere. Once my friend took me for a movie next time I was told that I will get free tickets and will even get picked or dropped but I am on my own to watch it
So, looks like it is ghar ghar ki kahani.. : ) happens in every household. I didn't mind keeping my "can you pause it.. I don't get that part" questions to myself when I started to realize that if the movie is paused for water or bathroom break without even checking with me, we should also pause it for my questions. Luckily, we agree on fast-forwarding the songs in Hindi movies if not worth listening.
This thread ought to encourage people to google the phrase "strong and silent", the type of guy who always gets his girl -- most likely for watching TV together at home (a longer descriptor of the word "Life"). Go on and google the phrase, and see the results.