WAITING IN LINE FOR THE FORCE AWAKENS

Since the Alamo Drafthouse has reserved seating, I'll probably get there about 30 or 40 minutes prior.

 

Yes!

This is where we heft you up on shoulders to parade you around in celebration!

Good on ya, man!

 

Well I had to make sure all eyes were fixed on the screen even though I was a paying customer, sometimes the wanting to see a film takes over me,back in my dad's day the biggest distraction was magazines & books brought in if a scene was boring then the popcorn pelting would begin, luck enough for dad that happened in the front row so order could be restored quickly.

 

Nope, no assigned seating at my theater, so yes, it's a first-come, first-serve in terms of getting the best seats. Which is why I'm arriving at the theater that morning for the 7pm showing that evening. I did it for all three prequels -- I waited an average of 10-12 hours in line, plus however long we sat in our seats after they took us into our auditorium.

Back then, it was all midnight showings, so, for example, when Revenge of the Sith came out, they sold out all 20 screens at my theater for the midnight screenings. At 2:30-ish in the morning, everyone who came out of that theater was someone who had just seen the new Star Wars movie. Good chunk of the hundreds of people then stood outside and talked about the movie with their fellow fans, strangers or not.

Man, I miss midnight showings.

 

Wow. That kind of dedication is right up there with the movie marathon enthusiasts. I wish you all quick waiting times and comfortable theater seats.

 

Thank you! It's honestly really fun. I remember when waiting in line for Attack of the Clones, I brought Oreos to share with my fellow line inhabitants to celebrate my birthday (I turned 17 the day I was waiting in line). There were a couple guys behind me who had brought a laptop, and all of us closest to them gathered around and watched The Phantom Menace together. I had also brought my Star Wars Trivial Pursuit, and we "played" (just took turns answering questions on the cards) that for a while.

There is only one other franchise that has hit the same level of camaraderie present at Star Wars midnight showings, and that was Harry Potter book-openings (particularly of the final book) and HP midnight showings. I've done midnighters for other franchises, like LOTR/Hobbit and Marvel, and none of them have ever come close to how fun the SW and HP line waits were.

 

I'll be getting to my local cinema at around 8am Thursday morning for the 9am 2D showing, no queues and no need to buy ticket in advance

 

You're the first person I've ever "met" that sits in the front row. Congrats.

 

When revenge of the sith came out the theater was so packed had to stand up to watch the movie.

 

I went the opening day after school in 6th grade and the theater was nearly empty .

 

I would have asked for a refund TBH. That is, unless the standers were told up front what they were getting into when they bought the ticket.
Yeah, what was the story behind that?

 

They let my watch the movie and i got a refund.

 

Wow, I've never heard of a theater having "standing room only." Only way I can imagine that happened is that groups of friends who bought their tickets separately got assigned to different auditoriums, met up in line, then all went to a single auditorium.

I do recall at my theater for the, I think it was fifth Harry Potter, they didn't even check ticket stubs once you were in the theater; they let people roam from auditorium to auditorium so they could sit with friends. It was utter chaos and the theater never let that happen again, far as I know.

 

I'm facing a similar dilemma, I bought an RPX 3D ticket from my new Regal theater that is medium to large sized (at least 14 auditoriums) for the 10:15 pm showing on the 17th ( my theater is one of the lucky ones showing it on the 17th and not 18th as in the rest of the U.S). Last I checked on Fandango there were still tickets available for the showing I'm going to, but for 2 out of the three regular 2D showings were completely sold out.

I am not good at gauging turnout, my friends and I are planning at having dinner at one of the restaurants attached to it (the theater I am going to has a strip mall attached to it) and then proceeding to go inside the theater around 9 ish, do you guys think that'll be a good time or should we plan to go earlier? We don't have assigned seating and we want to sit in the middle. I am also assuming that there will be many people who will buy their tickets at the theater as opposed to pre-purchasing so we are factoring that in.

 

I think most theaters in the us are showing it on the 17th.

 

I didn't know if most were I apologize, I heard some were but not most,

 

Thursday screenings are a common thing now.

 

I don't how the crowds are in your city but I was planning on going about 3-4 hours before showtime to ensure a decent seat until I saw my theater is now offering assigned seating. This will be the first major opening where they offer it and I'm pretty happy about it. For those who have experienced assigned seating do they put numbers/letters on the seats and isles like at a stadium? Just curious.

 

I always sit at the back when I go cinema, so I can make out with my imaginary girlfriend.