A couple of weeks ago, I went to see Insidious: The Red Door at a local AMC theater like I’ve seen many horror films. There’s something about seeing a scary film in a theatrical setting with a bunch of people that has a certain synergy to it. Though the pandemic has done a lot to change our viewing habits concerning media, the recent successes of Oppenheimer and Barbie are examples that people will show up when you give them something of quality to show up for.
So, I sit in my seat and see bursts of lights during the film. Now, it’s been a known horror trope of somebody in the darkness using a camera to light up a dark hallway as the entity approaches them. The Red Door deals with paintings so it couldn’t have been that. Upon further looking around, two younger kids were snapping photos of various jump scares and probably posting them to their social media of choice (Threads? TikTok? The dreaded X?).
It wasn’t just the pictures – another person was taking video as if we were witnessing a live theme park ride of people going into The Further. After seeing Oppenheimer, I noticed that the complete ending had been posted, and even one person posted photos of every time they saw Cillian Murphy. This is extremely odd and, I could imagine, annoying to witness for people who went to the theater to see the movie of choice.
Going to a movie at the place of your choice is very costly considering the format you choose, so why can’t we focus in the present moment on something we’ve invested time and money into? Is it so far-fetched to think we can’t concentrate for a two-hour (often slightly longer) without checking our dopamine machines and devices? The theater is where to melt into the story being portrayed for you – a space reserved to let the outside world go and fall at the mercy of living in that exact moment. It could be good or bad, but giving art your undivided attention is an unwritten contract. Some people might argue, “Well, it’s my money. Why can’t I take in the experience the way I chose?”
You might as well wait for the film to come to video-on-demand – some seem to have a three-week run before they do that anyway (another issue). That behavior flies in the face of being courteous to others in this ultra-individualistic society. Another way to look at things is that society looks at media with the purview of “content.” People have turned daily, mundane tasks into branding. That same word has somehow merged and engulfed art. Not to mention the lack of decorum when people film others without their consent. The binge model pushes consumers to plow through a season of a show other than savoring and anticipating what comes next. Instead of allowing ourselves to be overtaken by the spectacle and stories – we now have the urge to become the story ourselves. Everything has to be a moment. Isn’t that exhausting?
Moments are best when you allow them to happen organically. For example, the concept of Barbieheimer was just a thing made up of people – eventually catching fire into the current phenomenon. But much like I fear with studios and future dual releases going forward, the issue will be pushed to capture the same spirit in an empty container. The need to be the main character (and sometimes downright rudeness) is impeding many artistic spaces like concerts and theaters – which is why you’re seeing a lot of artists getting petted with random things.
All these screens have trapped us in this weird Truman Show-like world. I’m shocked theater chains haven’t thought of seating where people can sit in the back and scroll. But I’m also glad places such as Alamo Drafthouse exists because kowtowing to those modes of behavior would send the wrong message. Actors, writers, producers, directors, etc., spend months going to different locations and meticulously working through scenes to make the product we all see. Giving them a part of your day that you paid for is not a big ask.
We are still feeling the effects of COVID isolation concerning how to act in social settings. I realize being confined to one place for so long and returning to things as they were before can be disorienting. However, decency was a common principle way before the onset of COVID. The downright lack of focus is hacking the experience of these shared spaces to bits; somehow, we have to reel things back before we lose these things for good.
