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PaperclipPerfector  4d ago (text post)   2156 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for March 20, 2026

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Watched Hail Mary in theaters. I read the book beforehand and saw it with a friend that had not read the book.

We both enjoyed it, really good movie.

Movie was more cinematic, less science heavy than the book, which was probably a very good choice. Still had the same heartfelt moments.

I can scarcely remember the last time I watched a movie in theaters. When I introspect, I never thought I was someone who ever quit watching the occasional movie, rather they just quit making the ones I’m willing to take a chance on.

Recently I caught part of Scanner Cop II (yeah, the 5th and last installment in the not-so-great B movie franchise) and it made me somewhat reminisce over movies of the 80’s and 90’s. There was just a certain quality of that time period that made those movies interesting to watch, in a way that I suppose the maturity of the cinematic industry overtime has left movies feeling hollow on the inside.

I do feel like theaters have been chasing a gimmick that will bring back moviegoers but ultimately it's good movies that would bring people out.

The theater I saw Hail Mary in had special vibrating and slightly rotating seats as their latest gimmick. I hadn't been to a theater in a while so I thought sure I'd try this out. It had two bad moments: one where I felt like some little kid was just kicking my seat and another when it pre jumped a jump scare. Some weird moments where I thought during a lull and sappy moment it was moving like a rocking chair. And mostly slightly positive moments where it was adding to the soundscape of the movie through vibration without having to blow out my eardrums.

It was a good movie with good cinematic moments. But if I had the option of watching it in my basement with my ~70 inch screen, with no worries about volume, with the same friend, and on my nice comfortable couch ... I'd choose at home.

The movie theater won out in this instance because I didn't want to wait, and inviting my friend over to watch a movie on my couch at noon is weird compared to inviting him to watch it at a movie theater with me.

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