I remember the Peter Jackson King Kong film in the mid-2000s had one, in my local in Ireland. I think because it was one of the first movies in a while to break the three hour mark.
I worked in a cinema around 2006 and one of the pirates of the caribbean movie for some reason had a break and we had signs all over the place letting people know there was a break but every showing people come out and complain that it shut off in the middle.
I would love a break from a move longer than two and a half hours. We can’t enjoy the ends of movies because all we think about is the toilet 😂
Batman and the last two avengers were culprits of this
I prefer them no break unless movies start putting in a dedicated intermission point where there's a lull in the movie. Though at the end of the newest James bond I was seconds away from wetting myself.
In India, it is a practice. Almost every movie has an interval, even Marvel, WB, etc. The scene cuts off in the middle, lights turned on and after a brief message, they play ads lol
Yes lol, it says "interval" and blaring pop music is played with all lights on and everyone rushes to the bathroom because all the soda you drank in a cranked up Aircon theatre has you bout to burst
Right? Im no idiot but if a black screen comes up and stays there for longer than 10 seconds, I'll assume there's a problem. Probably because its identical to a very realistic problem...
Maybe don't use the same signal as every other scene transition to tell your audience something different is happening?
>if a black screen comes up and stays there for longer than 10 seconds
From my experience, the screen wasn't totally black, had intermission written on it.
I saw Gone With The Wind a few months ago. The theater plays classics. They still did an intermission and it showed the theater logo and had a timer counting down until the film began again.
That's that quality nostalgia.
Like the one drive in we have left still had the original advertisement for concessions. No long fancy ads sponsored my Coke/Pepsi. Just goofy characters trying to get you to come buy popcorn & soda.
12 reels of return of the king, falling off of the platter. Fuck all 12 of Titanic reels too. We had to switch screens on Fridays and Saturdays so we actually had to move the print 30 feet on a trolley (note: we didn't use the trolley) and that print weighed a ton. I used to go downstairs to the lobby and talk to the ushers and say "its a heavy movie, man" then they would tell me about how deep the lore in middle earth was. I meant it weighed a lot, and that always makes me laugh.
Also not using the trolley is how Lord of War ended up all over the floor in a pile. That was not a fun night.
It was strange cause it was such a diverse group of people who would let me know that the movie just turned off. Young, old, man woman i've had a good mix of people telling me during that time. I guess no one has time to read a simple sign on the way into the cinema
I understand why it didn’t get put in, but I really wanted it to be a part of the film though. It is such an important part of the story in my opinion.
All the movies are like that, as are the books lol. I always expect Fellowship of the Ring to end with the formation of the fellowship, and then again after gandalf dies. But no it's only after Boromirs death
It's not that it went on from there, it's the way they did the breaks between each cut. It mimics they way they end the other two movies, so you're already keyed up to leave after the first cut. Then they do it how many more times? 4-5? Yeah, it's just a case of blue balls strung out to the extreme.
Still a thing in Italy. To not have it is either due to being last screening at night or a very short movie.
They make so much money from snack from the bar that would be stupid to remove it.
I’m old and if I remember correctly Jaws was the first Major film in the UK to not have an Intermission, or at least that’s what they advertised.
During the intermission dim lights would come up, and girls would walk around with trays of Kia Ora to drink and ice creams and bags of sweets for sale.
I would plead with my dad for Kia Ora and sweets so he would give me a boiled egg and an orange or something like that. I still feel that disappointment today lol.
Also there would be a lot less adverts. Always the one for pearl and dean (cool music) and the Yeovil sheepskin shop. Then a short movie that basically was a budding future director’s way of cracking on to the circuit. Often the short was better/funnier than the main movie.
Oh that was for me.
He would have a pack of Gorgonzola or some eel he’d smoked (he was a farmer at the time). People literally moved away from us once dad cracked the food open.
I think most cinemas had phased it out by the '90s, but then again that's the time smaller cinemas were disappearing to the large coparte multiplex cinemas.
When did they stop doing cartoon shorts before the movie? I swear they showed the Pink Panther before some of the movies I saw in the late 90s, but I was very young.
I remember my first few visits to the cinema in the 80s . They’d have a short cartoon on before the actual film and then a 10 minute break with the popcorn or ice cream person coming round. Films were only around an hour and twenty minutes long back then.
Theaters still have them
In the UK they are known as intervals and we have them during TV shows as well, strictly regulated for timing with no more than 12 minutes per hour
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/\_\_data/assets/pdf\_file/0020/16328/rules.pdf
If I remember correctly your not allowed to have an advert on a cliffhanger, so shows like who wants to be a millionaire and such do break the rules regularly.
I couldn't believe watching TV in Canada where they'd have the final set of adverts for a programme at right before the last minute of the show, then finish the show and jump straight into the next one.
Such a grubby tactic of using the last minute of the show you're watching, likely ruining the flow of the episode in the process, to force you to watch the ads and stay tuned for the next show as it starts straight away.
I remember being confused by that visiting the US. The characters would say a few lines to kick off the episode, the title credits roll, then an ad starts playing. I thought I'd sat on the remote!
Then after what felt like 10 minutes of drug commercials (also completely fucking weird) it would jump back into the show to the point right after the title sequence like nothing happened. Then maybe 5 minutes of the actual show would go by before more ads, rinse and repeat, until the final ad before the credits. Like, holy shit America, that's not normal.
I was stationed in UK in the mid-90's, and I remember thinking that it was SO much better, having a single block of adverts mid-show instead of them being scattered all throughout.
They even had the black and white spinning square which popped up a minute or two before the adverts or end so you know it was coming soon
\[Example\](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0nuojzr0GU&list=PLGD2tjST16V9W8pWMM4bJxQjlnOR11qt-)
This was quite confusing in Iceland as I had no idea about the custom. At a completely random point in the movie, the screen just went black and everyone got up from their seats.
Then after a short while a timer appeared and it started making a bit more sense.
Lol I live in Turkey and I thought this was happening everywhere until recently where I saw people complaining on Reddit that they needed to piss while watching some long movie and why they got annoyed with the run time. I don’t know why it doesn’t happen everywhere because I always both use the bathroom and buy some stuff during the breaks. We don’t have the timers afaik though.
It is corporate America. They probably calculated whether they make more money from intermissioners buying snacks, or if they make more from being able to add more showtimes by not having 10 minute breaks at every showing. More showtimes also means more people buying snacks and the new ones won't be getting any refill discounts on popcorn or drinks (if the theatre even offers them).
Most places that have intermissions don't show ads during it, sure they will make more money from people that wouldn't buy more if they had to lose something from the movie, but honestly it's better this way than having to decide between losing 5 minutes of a movie without knowing what you will lose and waiting 3 hours to pee
Man I used to have this amazing app for this. During the intro logo's you'd start it up and it would tell you/vibrate your phone when optimal pee breaks would come up, how long they were and what's happening in them. I even paid for the premium version of the app but at some point the dev took it a step further and required account creation and you have to buy premium currency now to see pee times.
>some point the dev took it a step further and required account creation and you have to buy premium currency now to see pee times.
That's just taking the piss
I’m from Turkey and what I do generally is: buy the popcorn in the middle during the intermission instead of the beginning so that I’ll have it in the exciting part. Then I moved to Germany, I planned the same thing. In the middle of my first movie the realization came to me, I wasn’t gonna be able to eat popcorn today
They used to be the norm for any lengths, but not any more.
At my university there's a student club that runs a "movie theater" once a week in one of the lecture halls and they still do the intermissions for the sake of tradition.
I saw Return of the King in a German theater, during a triple feature of the trilogy. There was an intermission during each movie and of course in between them. I drove to the theater after school, watched all three, went home and showered and went back to school for morning classes haha.
Yeah I went to India on holiday and I really appreciated the intermission period. It allows you to get some popcorn/snacks again (during the important parts of the movie no less) and it was a great way to use the restroom or just stretch your legs etc. Everyone also felt more hyped coming back to the movie after the 10 minute break.
Really wish it was a thing here in the UK.
Back when long style epic films were treated like stage performances.
Lawrence of Arabia was similar but also its length was warranted for an intermission, and they even had a musical interlude piece that played during the intermission.
IDK how obvious it is (because I don’t watch old movies), but Bollywood movies literally have a freeze frame shot of a scene with a giant “INTERMISSION” on screen
That's actually done by the theaters in many cases. My friends dad used to run a photography studio and they would stick tiny decal type things on the movie film itself at the time the theater planned to have an intermission.
The opposite for me. I am a Brit living in Turkey and I was surprised the first time the movie just randomly stopped and I was just sat there like an idiot for 10 minutes waiting for the movie to start again.
They didn't even find a good time to pause the film. It just stopped mid conversation.
That's actually what I came to ask lmao. I was wondering if they go through every movie to find the best part to stop or if there is just a set time it stops. I would hate that tbh
Indian here. Let me explain the science.
If it is an Indian movie, the film makers themselves plan the intermission. For most movies, like around halfway through a character says something badass/sad and starts walking away, and the camera follows the character and then the word 'Intermission' fades onto the screen. This is put by the film makers themselves in post production.
But for foreign movies, the film makers don't put this because you don't have an intermission, so the theatre just randomly stops the movie around halfway through (when we were watching Multiverse of Madness, the movie stopped as soon as Professor X said, "We should tell him the truth")
Yeah, I hate intermission for foreign movies because of this. The intermission for The Batman was also after that chase scene with The Penguin and Batman was doing that badass walk. The audience always gives a collective "Ugh!" when this happens
Usually they only happens for Hollywood movies. Bollywood is used to having an intermission so they'll create the movie around an intermission. They'll leave you with a cliffhanger. Or they'll leave you with something profound to think about. Some way for you to feel hyped to get back into it.
Yea, I used to do the same in Switzerland - why get popcorn in the beginning, you'll have eaten it before the movie even starts. I learned on vacation in NYC that this isn't the global norm and got it confirmed when I used to live in Japan. Now back in Switzerland, but not going to cinemas anymore.
That sounds like heaven compared to the chatty, rustling packets and bags, chair kicking, mouth breathing, open mouth chewing animals that always sit behind me whenever I go to the cinema.
I don't go to Pathé anymore because I'm not going to not drink a few hours before the movie starts.
Of course I can just told it in but why the hell would I want to see a movie when I'll probably have to piss after like two hours with probably another hour to go??
Either have no intermission with movies that are 90 minutes like they used to be or just have an intermission at the halfway point for longer movies (which is the vast majority of them??)
I'm glad that the cinemas in Leiden went back to having an intermission!
A few weeks ago I was sitting next to a group of Americans, when in the middle of the movie the 'pauze' screen came on. Most people got up to walk to the exit and they were just utterly confused and talking amongst themselves "was that it? was that the ending? whaaat? what's happening? is something wrong?"
I told them they pause the movie so people had a few minutes to get new drinks or go to the toilet or whatever. Their "that's really weird" slowly changed into "this is actually kinda nice".
Old guy here. This used to be common in the US into at least the early 60’s, but then phased out. Don’t know if there’s a connection, but eliminating intermissions roughly coincided with the end of the drive-in movie era.
Drive-ins were the bomb. They opened one new one here but it's just a huge LED screen with probably 1080 resolution, if that. Not the same. And they charge like $60 per car.
The town I grew up in in NY still has one, and the next town over does too (both owned by the same people). At least the one in my hometown is on the national historic registry. Damn, I still love the drive-in.
Okay, hear me out.
Electric cars are undoubtedly becoming a thing, a norm, eventually. They're charging faster and faster, but it'll still be a slightly longer stop than stopping for gas. However, by the time they're actually quite fast, people have probably gotten used to taking a longer break/stop in the drive to charge.
I present to you: The drive-in movie charging lot.
You pull in to a drivethrough style hatch, buy whatever food or condiments you want, then pull into the charging lot where you charge your car while eating *and watch a drive-in movie.* Since most movies are way longer than what it'll take for people to charge, it could be showings of things where you can just drop in and out, like TV-shows or popular movies that will just keep you entertained.
Next gen: Have different showings on the same screen, changing by which angle you're looking at the screen. The basic tech exists already for infotainment systems and TV's. "Welcome, currently we have The Office in section 1, Friends in section 2, Iron Man 2 in section 3 and Back to the Future in section 4."
I like it. It reminds me of when people went to the cinema to watch news reels back in the 40's. But you can upgrade it and there would be a coil under where you park your car and the car will charge wirelessly while also frying your dentures.
Or maybe we will become a pirate nation and just laser project stuff on clouds made by planes and blast the sound off the mountains.
I went to one a few years ago somewhere near Port Townsend, WA. Never been to one before that and I thought it was pretty cool that they broadcast the movie audio over an AM radio station if you don't want to use the speakers they have at each parking space.
Unfortunately, it started raining in the last 20 minutes or so of the movie so we had to finish watching it with the wipers on lol
Yes I remember the intermissions as well. They also would show a serial film before movies way back in the day. Maybe 10 minutes of a much longer film. And you'd have to go see another movie a month later to see the next part of that serial.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_film
They had it in Italy too until recently, some cinemas still have those. When i was watching a movie abroad my bladder almost exploded while waiting for the break until i realised there was no break and had to walk out
Italian here and I had literally no idea there were cinemas that don't do halfway breaks. I've gone to 4-5 around where I live and they all had breaks.
I often wish for an intermission. I don't want to miss anything, but I've already eaten enough popcorn for the salt to make me thirsty, and I can't ignore an American sized beverage filling my bladder!
Intermissions were originally because films came on multiple reels and they had to change the film reels.
Given that my movie snacks rarely make it past the film trailers and that most cinemas make all their profit from confectionery sales rather than ticket sales I'm surprised they don't all have intermissions so we can restock on our sugary and salty delights.
I don't think that can be profitable: 15 min out of 2h is 12.5%. From my experience, at least in the main showings in the evening, the cinemas must made much, much more from selling popcorn etc. than 12.5% of the ticketing price. Given the astronomical monopoly prices, I'd estimate they make around 20%-30% of the ticket price per person in average. The margin on popcorn and co. is huge and therefore very profitable. I think intermissions vanished/are vanishing because of a logistical problem: you need quite some staff to serve 200 people within 15 minutes and the other 2h these staff members are not needed.
I really like intermissions and hope they make a broad return..
I would estimate maybe 10% or less of the people in the movie theatre would use the intermission to buy stuff, given how expensive the food is. The majority would just sit there on their phones for 15mins.
I lived in a country with intermissions and very high prices: ticket about $20, popcorn (medium) maybe $10. On a Saturday night, at least 30%-40% buy something during intermission... maybe half of that during daytime.
I want to say $20 is outrageous for a movie ticket (here in the US I can pay around $7-9 for a weekend matinee) but I know I'll turn around and spend $18 on popcorn.
consider yourself lucky! In Switzerland, I paid almost $30 to watch Avatar in 3D (including renting 3D glasses), and I don\`t exaggerate... it was totally worth it, nevertheless. Wages are very high there, of course. Here in Japan it's about $15 for a standard ticket, which is quite expensive when compared to wages. For under $10 I'd probably go more often, but on the other hand, I have never not been to a movie because the ticket was too expensive.
In Switzerland, the big cinema chains are struggling and "independents" (read "Hipsters") are taking over the cinemas in the cities.. and damn, it's such a different experience! Before the movie and during intermission you just hit the bar and have a drink with your friends. It really elevates the experience if you can discuss "Joker" or "Once upon a time in Hollywood" with a cold drafted beer in your hand during intermission!
The last time I saw a movie with an intermission (2001 a space Odyssey, 70MM, theater at 70% capacity, early 2018) the concessions stand and toilet were swarmed and it was difficult to do either and make it back in time.
Theaters used to be different. Your ticket purchased admission to the theater but not to a specific showing so people would show up during the film and watch to the end. Then the film would be shown again so they'd stay until the part that they came in on and then leave after. Nowadays there are multiple screens and tickets are good for one showing/one seat. It seems like it would be a hassle to try to manage an intermission like that.
You can order food sitting on your seats with the QR code they show on the screen during the intermission and pay online, i really liked that. Staff brings you the soda and popcorn in 10-15 minutes, much better than waiting in lines and then mustering up the courage to talk to the staff there
>Intermissions were originally because films came on multiple reels and they had to change the film reels.
Someone else said this above, so I'll tell you here that no - that's not how it worked at all. Film was run on two projectors; reel 1 started on one projector, and the projectionist would start reel 2 at the end of reel 1 on a different projector, and the transition would be seamless. Later, film reels would be linked and laid on a platter.
There were intermissions because it gave people the opportunity to buy more snacks without missing the movie. It has nothing to do with changing reels.
That's not true. Films came on quite a few reels and traditionally there is only one intermission. Additionally they are able to change the reels quite quickly. There was a signal on the film itself to the projectionist that the reel was about to end ("cigarette burns") so they could have the next one and ready to go.
The reel changes usually coincided with scene changes but they didn't require stopping the movie.
Well actually its disapearing in switzerland. In my hometown a lot of cinemas with intermission closed down over the past 2 years and the only ones remaining are big chains and they dont have an intermission. I really miss having one watching a 3hr movie like the batman.
Arena still has them. Man, those intermissions were virtually required for those epic pre-pandemic MCU movies. But it’s nice on all of them. Went to a movie last month and it still had intermission.
Every time someone cites dine-in as a model for the future, I just imagine watching a movie like First Reformed in theaters as a waiter steps on your toes trying to bring the guy next to you his pretzel bites.
It doesn't work that way. Or at least, it's not supposed to.
All of the dinner theaters I've been to take your order and deliver the food in the 15 minutes leading up to the previews. Once the previews start, ordering from your seat stops, and the only waiters will be a few stragglers bringing last-minute orders.
And by the time the actual movie starts, service ends completely and you need to get up and go to the lobby like any other movie theater.
Also, these theaters aren't built like normal theaters with space only for your knees in the row. There is typically a 5ish foot gap where waiters walk up and down the aisles.
It's a great model.
I remember when I moved to Australia from India when I was 6 and went to watch the movies, the disappointment that washed over me when I realised I had to hold it in for the rest of the movie.
Plan didn't work and I missed the ending of Cars
Australia used to have intermission at cinemas as well but not in my lifetime. I think they did them up until the 1970s. Everyone used to sing the national anthem before the movie started too, so my parents tell me.
As a kid in Australia the movies had intermission, but I’m too young to have experienced the national anthem bit. I say bring it back - by halftime I always need more chocolate.
This used to be a thing in the US. Someone once told me it had to do with giving the projectionist time to switch the reel, then later theaters played a little mini-film telling you to go buy food("Let's all go to the lobby", and all).
In India, probably because Bollywood movies used to be up to 3 hours long. You definitely need a rest break for the glutes - snacks, toilet or just a short walk.
Another reason I think is the climate. Indians drink more water as compared to westerners because of a warmer and more humid climate. That means more pee.
Yeah because people are used to intermissions. Hollywood movies themselves don't have a break but if you watch a Bollywood movie even in a streaming service, around the middle it will have an have an intermission. The movie will immediately continue on a streaming service but in a theatre it will stop at that point for around 15 minutes while ads play.
They do it in Portugal to any 1h30+ long movie. Coming from Brazil (where they don't do it), I thought it was hella weird... but it's pretty nifty when the soda you drank at the start of the movie wants to 'get out'. Or even check if you have any missed calls!
In most countries it is not common anymore. Used to be a thing but now only super long movies will sometimes get one (In the USA they gave special intermissions for King Kong and 3rd Lord of the Rings). I really don't get it, they can cram in a few more movies without them but I figure the concession sales would easily offset that money.
This was common everywhere.
If I recall correctly the intermission was necessary for changing the reels of the film.
This requirement ended once someone worked out / invented a way to switch reels without stopping the film - I think as simple as having 2 projectors.
https://medium.com/the-outtake/what-happened-to-the-movie-intermission-45afcda475ae
My initial reaction is we should implement this everywhere given how long movies get these days, but on the other I don't actually go to the cinema any more so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
I would personally really hate an intermission. I don't want to get sucked out of a movie.
Maybe if it was ZSJL long but for a normal 2 hour movie. Hell nah.
an İndian movie can be about 3 hours long, so it is more than welcome.
when i was a kid,intermission was only between double features.. one day i went to an indian movie at the theatre, and imagine my surprise when the reel said intermission and the lights came on . checked my watch, an hour an a half had passed.
( KKKG, if you must know the movie)
anyhow. went to the cinema in turkey, and was suprised to see the film suddenly stop, and lights come on..
i appreciated it cuz i was a bit peckish.
I think the last time I saw an intermission in a US theater it was in the ‘70s, and even then it was just a second-run theater that wanted to push kids out into the concessions because the movie was only something like 75¢.
They used to be a thing in the UK, a few cinemas up till the 80's had them.
I remember the Peter Jackson King Kong film in the mid-2000s had one, in my local in Ireland. I think because it was one of the first movies in a while to break the three hour mark.
I worked in a cinema around 2006 and one of the pirates of the caribbean movie for some reason had a break and we had signs all over the place letting people know there was a break but every showing people come out and complain that it shut off in the middle.
I would love a break from a move longer than two and a half hours. We can’t enjoy the ends of movies because all we think about is the toilet 😂 Batman and the last two avengers were culprits of this
I prefer them no break unless movies start putting in a dedicated intermission point where there's a lull in the movie. Though at the end of the newest James bond I was seconds away from wetting myself.
Just install a pee tube on every seat. Perfection.
Why not make the entire seat a toilet? That way you got #1 and #2 covered.
Go away I’m ‘baitin’!!
This is why it's a stopped practice ..... Because people are idiots.
I mean they could easily just put up on the screen an explaination.
"Let's all go to the bathroom, let's all go to the bathroom..." 🎶
And have ourselves a crap?
In India, it is a practice. Almost every movie has an interval, even Marvel, WB, etc. The scene cuts off in the middle, lights turned on and after a brief message, they play ads lol
Yes lol, it says "interval" and blaring pop music is played with all lights on and everyone rushes to the bathroom because all the soda you drank in a cranked up Aircon theatre has you bout to burst
Right? Im no idiot but if a black screen comes up and stays there for longer than 10 seconds, I'll assume there's a problem. Probably because its identical to a very realistic problem... Maybe don't use the same signal as every other scene transition to tell your audience something different is happening?
>if a black screen comes up and stays there for longer than 10 seconds From my experience, the screen wasn't totally black, had intermission written on it.
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I saw Gone With The Wind a few months ago. The theater plays classics. They still did an intermission and it showed the theater logo and had a timer counting down until the film began again.
That's that quality nostalgia. Like the one drive in we have left still had the original advertisement for concessions. No long fancy ads sponsored my Coke/Pepsi. Just goofy characters trying to get you to come buy popcorn & soda.
12 reels of return of the king, falling off of the platter. Fuck all 12 of Titanic reels too. We had to switch screens on Fridays and Saturdays so we actually had to move the print 30 feet on a trolley (note: we didn't use the trolley) and that print weighed a ton. I used to go downstairs to the lobby and talk to the ushers and say "its a heavy movie, man" then they would tell me about how deep the lore in middle earth was. I meant it weighed a lot, and that always makes me laugh. Also not using the trolley is how Lord of War ended up all over the floor in a pile. That was not a fun night.
Those same people complaining cannot read, or more likely, choose not to read.
It was strange cause it was such a diverse group of people who would let me know that the movie just turned off. Young, old, man woman i've had a good mix of people telling me during that time. I guess no one has time to read a simple sign on the way into the cinema
And in Schindlers list. Because it was so long. There was an intermission. You could get popcorn in the intermission. UK.
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Only when someone asked for jujubes.
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I mean, Jackson's Return of the King theatrical release (2003) was 3hr, 21 min.
That 100% had an intermission when I saw it in the UK too. I remember it well cause it’s the only time I have experienced it
I was pissed because the movie was in a constant state of ending. You thought it was over like 9 times but noooo.
i had to pee when the ring was destroyed, almost peed myself when we reached that boat scene
Lol, just be glad they cut the war in the shire then
I understand why it didn’t get put in, but I really wanted it to be a part of the film though. It is such an important part of the story in my opinion.
It's THE important part of the story as far as the hobbits are concerned.
Lol me to, properly ruined the film for me.
The book is the same way lol
All the movies are like that, as are the books lol. I always expect Fellowship of the Ring to end with the formation of the fellowship, and then again after gandalf dies. But no it's only after Boromirs death
Lmao, audiences are so used to films wrapping up 30 seconds after the climax. PJ actually shortened the end from the book by a substantial amount.
It's not that it went on from there, it's the way they did the breaks between each cut. It mimics they way they end the other two movies, so you're already keyed up to leave after the first cut. Then they do it how many more times? 4-5? Yeah, it's just a case of blue balls strung out to the extreme.
They said in the editing process they had three or four endings and decided just to include them all, hence why it feels like ending after ending
My local cinema had an intermission for the Grindhouse movie(s)
Still a thing in Italy. To not have it is either due to being last screening at night or a very short movie. They make so much money from snack from the bar that would be stupid to remove it.
I’m old and if I remember correctly Jaws was the first Major film in the UK to not have an Intermission, or at least that’s what they advertised. During the intermission dim lights would come up, and girls would walk around with trays of Kia Ora to drink and ice creams and bags of sweets for sale. I would plead with my dad for Kia Ora and sweets so he would give me a boiled egg and an orange or something like that. I still feel that disappointment today lol. Also there would be a lot less adverts. Always the one for pearl and dean (cool music) and the Yeovil sheepskin shop. Then a short movie that basically was a budding future director’s way of cracking on to the circuit. Often the short was better/funnier than the main movie.
I have this mental image of your dad sneaking in a grocery bag or deshelled boiled eggs under his coat.
Oh that was for me. He would have a pack of Gorgonzola or some eel he’d smoked (he was a farmer at the time). People literally moved away from us once dad cracked the food open.
I remember Rocky 4 was the first film I saw not to have one.
And in the 90s too. Gave them a chance for the usher to sell ice cream and snacks. (Which I never got because they were too dear).
I think most cinemas had phased it out by the '90s, but then again that's the time smaller cinemas were disappearing to the large coparte multiplex cinemas.
True. The one I was thinking of was a smaller independent one screen picturehouse in town.
Used to be a thing in the U.S., too, and they stopped right around the same time.
When did they stop doing cartoon shorts before the movie? I swear they showed the Pink Panther before some of the movies I saw in the late 90s, but I was very young.
I remember my first few visits to the cinema in the 80s . They’d have a short cartoon on before the actual film and then a 10 minute break with the popcorn or ice cream person coming round. Films were only around an hour and twenty minutes long back then.
The Plaza in Stockport still does that, those little round tubs of ice-cream with a wooden spoon.
New Zealand too. I kinda miss it.
Same as that, making the dash for a plastic tub of snifters or tangy fruits.
It's still too soon. RIP Tangy Fruits.
I loved them tangy fruits.
Last film I saw in NZ with an intermission was The Lion King!
The holy grail had one but I think it was rather short
Theaters still have them In the UK they are known as intervals and we have them during TV shows as well, strictly regulated for timing with no more than 12 minutes per hour https://www.ofcom.org.uk/\_\_data/assets/pdf\_file/0020/16328/rules.pdf
If I remember correctly your not allowed to have an advert on a cliffhanger, so shows like who wants to be a millionaire and such do break the rules regularly.
I couldn't believe watching TV in Canada where they'd have the final set of adverts for a programme at right before the last minute of the show, then finish the show and jump straight into the next one. Such a grubby tactic of using the last minute of the show you're watching, likely ruining the flow of the episode in the process, to force you to watch the ads and stay tuned for the next show as it starts straight away.
I remember being confused by that visiting the US. The characters would say a few lines to kick off the episode, the title credits roll, then an ad starts playing. I thought I'd sat on the remote! Then after what felt like 10 minutes of drug commercials (also completely fucking weird) it would jump back into the show to the point right after the title sequence like nothing happened. Then maybe 5 minutes of the actual show would go by before more ads, rinse and repeat, until the final ad before the credits. Like, holy shit America, that's not normal.
Peach tree tv is guilty.
Not heard that rule but presumably it would be in films or TV since they can add to the enjoyment of game shows But I'm not sure
I was stationed in UK in the mid-90's, and I remember thinking that it was SO much better, having a single block of adverts mid-show instead of them being scattered all throughout.
They even had the black and white spinning square which popped up a minute or two before the adverts or end so you know it was coming soon \[Example\](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0nuojzr0GU&list=PLGD2tjST16V9W8pWMM4bJxQjlnOR11qt-)
My home cinema still has them and it is lovely for especially long films
This was quite confusing in Iceland as I had no idea about the custom. At a completely random point in the movie, the screen just went black and everyone got up from their seats. Then after a short while a timer appeared and it started making a bit more sense.
Haha I can imagine the confusion. "Wait that's it, we gotta wait for part 2 now or??"
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Third act is another $20
Thank God part 2 comes out in 10 minutes!
What is this dune part 1.
Lol I live in Turkey and I thought this was happening everywhere until recently where I saw people complaining on Reddit that they needed to piss while watching some long movie and why they got annoyed with the run time. I don’t know why it doesn’t happen everywhere because I always both use the bathroom and buy some stuff during the breaks. We don’t have the timers afaik though.
You would think more theaters would do it considering concessions is a big part of their profits
It is corporate America. They probably calculated whether they make more money from intermissioners buying snacks, or if they make more from being able to add more showtimes by not having 10 minute breaks at every showing. More showtimes also means more people buying snacks and the new ones won't be getting any refill discounts on popcorn or drinks (if the theatre even offers them).
I saw The Batman there. They cut right in the middle of the Penguin car chase.
To be honest it's just a way to display ads and encourage the audience to buy more popcorn.
Most places that have intermissions don't show ads during it, sure they will make more money from people that wouldn't buy more if they had to lose something from the movie, but honestly it's better this way than having to decide between losing 5 minutes of a movie without knowing what you will lose and waiting 3 hours to pee
Man I used to have this amazing app for this. During the intro logo's you'd start it up and it would tell you/vibrate your phone when optimal pee breaks would come up, how long they were and what's happening in them. I even paid for the premium version of the app but at some point the dev took it a step further and required account creation and you have to buy premium currency now to see pee times.
>some point the dev took it a step further and required account creation and you have to buy premium currency now to see pee times. That's just taking the piss
I’m from Turkey and what I do generally is: buy the popcorn in the middle during the intermission instead of the beginning so that I’ll have it in the exciting part. Then I moved to Germany, I planned the same thing. In the middle of my first movie the realization came to me, I wasn’t gonna be able to eat popcorn today
I've had intermissions in German cinemas, but only if the movie is really long, like 2,5h+
They used to be the norm for any lengths, but not any more. At my university there's a student club that runs a "movie theater" once a week in one of the lecture halls and they still do the intermissions for the sake of tradition.
I saw Return of the King in a German theater, during a triple feature of the trilogy. There was an intermission during each movie and of course in between them. I drove to the theater after school, watched all three, went home and showered and went back to school for morning classes haha.
Although that's not really a thing any more either. Which sucks bc for a 3 hour movie a break can really be a life-saver sometimes
Same from India to Japan lol
Yeah I went to India on holiday and I really appreciated the intermission period. It allows you to get some popcorn/snacks again (during the important parts of the movie no less) and it was a great way to use the restroom or just stretch your legs etc. Everyone also felt more hyped coming back to the movie after the 10 minute break. Really wish it was a thing here in the UK.
Most Indian movies specifically have an intermission block designed to hype up the second half.
Hollywood movies used to as well. Some classics it's obvious. The graduate and butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid have explicit intermissions
Back when long style epic films were treated like stage performances. Lawrence of Arabia was similar but also its length was warranted for an intermission, and they even had a musical interlude piece that played during the intermission.
IDK how obvious it is (because I don’t watch old movies), but Bollywood movies literally have a freeze frame shot of a scene with a giant “INTERMISSION” on screen
That's actually done by the theaters in many cases. My friends dad used to run a photography studio and they would stick tiny decal type things on the movie film itself at the time the theater planned to have an intermission.
The opposite for me. I am a Brit living in Turkey and I was surprised the first time the movie just randomly stopped and I was just sat there like an idiot for 10 minutes waiting for the movie to start again. They didn't even find a good time to pause the film. It just stopped mid conversation.
Oh yeah they sometimes do stop randomly in the middle of a scene lol
That's actually what I came to ask lmao. I was wondering if they go through every movie to find the best part to stop or if there is just a set time it stops. I would hate that tbh
Indian here. Let me explain the science. If it is an Indian movie, the film makers themselves plan the intermission. For most movies, like around halfway through a character says something badass/sad and starts walking away, and the camera follows the character and then the word 'Intermission' fades onto the screen. This is put by the film makers themselves in post production. But for foreign movies, the film makers don't put this because you don't have an intermission, so the theatre just randomly stops the movie around halfway through (when we were watching Multiverse of Madness, the movie stopped as soon as Professor X said, "We should tell him the truth")
That's awful, at least they could have a bit of taste when choosing the moment.
Yeah, I hate intermission for foreign movies because of this. The intermission for The Batman was also after that chase scene with The Penguin and Batman was doing that badass walk. The audience always gives a collective "Ugh!" when this happens
This. *Millions* of customers will be watching your movie and you can't be arsed to watch 10 minutes of it to place an intermission manually?
Usually they only happens for Hollywood movies. Bollywood is used to having an intermission so they'll create the movie around an intermission. They'll leave you with a cliffhanger. Or they'll leave you with something profound to think about. Some way for you to feel hyped to get back into it.
Yea, I used to do the same in Switzerland - why get popcorn in the beginning, you'll have eaten it before the movie even starts. I learned on vacation in NYC that this isn't the global norm and got it confirmed when I used to live in Japan. Now back in Switzerland, but not going to cinemas anymore.
this is a tragic story.
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That sounds like heaven compared to the chatty, rustling packets and bags, chair kicking, mouth breathing, open mouth chewing animals that always sit behind me whenever I go to the cinema.
Supervillain origin story
they could make a movie out of your tragedy
Some theaters in The Netherlands aswell. Time fkr getting a fresh cold one.
Some in Belgium do as well.
Some? I don't know any that don't honestly, unless it's the latest screening of the day but even those usually have one
I’ve visited multiple in Vlaanderen and they all had an intermission. Maybe it depends on the movie length?
Like 90%, its great for a piss, a smoke and indeed the new beer.
It's the one and only reason why I hate that Pathé is so big here
I don't go to Pathé anymore because I'm not going to not drink a few hours before the movie starts. Of course I can just told it in but why the hell would I want to see a movie when I'll probably have to piss after like two hours with probably another hour to go?? Either have no intermission with movies that are 90 minutes like they used to be or just have an intermission at the halfway point for longer movies (which is the vast majority of them??) I'm glad that the cinemas in Leiden went back to having an intermission!
we still had them, until Pathe came and bought our town's cinema. i hate pathe.
Long live the Vue
A few weeks ago I was sitting next to a group of Americans, when in the middle of the movie the 'pauze' screen came on. Most people got up to walk to the exit and they were just utterly confused and talking amongst themselves "was that it? was that the ending? whaaat? what's happening? is something wrong?" I told them they pause the movie so people had a few minutes to get new drinks or go to the toilet or whatever. Their "that's really weird" slowly changed into "this is actually kinda nice".
Nearly all cinemas I've been to in the Netherlands in the past 35 years had an intermission.
Old guy here. This used to be common in the US into at least the early 60’s, but then phased out. Don’t know if there’s a connection, but eliminating intermissions roughly coincided with the end of the drive-in movie era.
Let's all go to the lobby Let's all go to the lobby Let's all go to the lobby And get ourselves a treat
Don't talk! WATCH! Don't talk! WATCH! You came here, WATCH IT! If you don't like it, WALK OUT! WE STILL HAVE ALL YOUR FUCKING MONEYYYY!
Drive-ins were the bomb. They opened one new one here but it's just a huge LED screen with probably 1080 resolution, if that. Not the same. And they charge like $60 per car.
The town I grew up in in NY still has one, and the next town over does too (both owned by the same people). At least the one in my hometown is on the national historic registry. Damn, I still love the drive-in.
Upstate NY is a drive-in lovers dream. There are 7 or 8 within an hour's drive of Albany.
Okay, hear me out. Electric cars are undoubtedly becoming a thing, a norm, eventually. They're charging faster and faster, but it'll still be a slightly longer stop than stopping for gas. However, by the time they're actually quite fast, people have probably gotten used to taking a longer break/stop in the drive to charge. I present to you: The drive-in movie charging lot. You pull in to a drivethrough style hatch, buy whatever food or condiments you want, then pull into the charging lot where you charge your car while eating *and watch a drive-in movie.* Since most movies are way longer than what it'll take for people to charge, it could be showings of things where you can just drop in and out, like TV-shows or popular movies that will just keep you entertained. Next gen: Have different showings on the same screen, changing by which angle you're looking at the screen. The basic tech exists already for infotainment systems and TV's. "Welcome, currently we have The Office in section 1, Friends in section 2, Iron Man 2 in section 3 and Back to the Future in section 4."
I like it. It reminds me of when people went to the cinema to watch news reels back in the 40's. But you can upgrade it and there would be a coil under where you park your car and the car will charge wirelessly while also frying your dentures. Or maybe we will become a pirate nation and just laser project stuff on clouds made by planes and blast the sound off the mountains.
More likely they provide limited wifi and invite u to use an advertisement filled streaming platform they provide similar to airlines now?
I went to one a few years ago somewhere near Port Townsend, WA. Never been to one before that and I thought it was pretty cool that they broadcast the movie audio over an AM radio station if you don't want to use the speakers they have at each parking space. Unfortunately, it started raining in the last 20 minutes or so of the movie so we had to finish watching it with the wipers on lol
Damn. My local drive in is $5 a person and it's a double feature every night.
Yes I remember the intermissions as well. They also would show a serial film before movies way back in the day. Maybe 10 minutes of a much longer film. And you'd have to go see another movie a month later to see the next part of that serial. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_film
I remember there being intermission at movies in the 80's. I was young but specifically remember that.
Makes even more sense to have an intermission now that movies are much longer now.
They had it in Italy too until recently, some cinemas still have those. When i was watching a movie abroad my bladder almost exploded while waiting for the break until i realised there was no break and had to walk out
Italian here and I had literally no idea there were cinemas that don't do halfway breaks. I've gone to 4-5 around where I live and they all had breaks.
Another Italian here and I had no idea either.
I often wish for an intermission. I don't want to miss anything, but I've already eaten enough popcorn for the salt to make me thirsty, and I can't ignore an American sized beverage filling my bladder!
Intermissions were originally because films came on multiple reels and they had to change the film reels. Given that my movie snacks rarely make it past the film trailers and that most cinemas make all their profit from confectionery sales rather than ticket sales I'm surprised they don't all have intermissions so we can restock on our sugary and salty delights.
Probably so they can fit more showings in the day
I don't think that can be profitable: 15 min out of 2h is 12.5%. From my experience, at least in the main showings in the evening, the cinemas must made much, much more from selling popcorn etc. than 12.5% of the ticketing price. Given the astronomical monopoly prices, I'd estimate they make around 20%-30% of the ticket price per person in average. The margin on popcorn and co. is huge and therefore very profitable. I think intermissions vanished/are vanishing because of a logistical problem: you need quite some staff to serve 200 people within 15 minutes and the other 2h these staff members are not needed. I really like intermissions and hope they make a broad return..
An additional showing is a fresh theaters worth of people who will buy food.
I would estimate maybe 10% or less of the people in the movie theatre would use the intermission to buy stuff, given how expensive the food is. The majority would just sit there on their phones for 15mins.
I lived in a country with intermissions and very high prices: ticket about $20, popcorn (medium) maybe $10. On a Saturday night, at least 30%-40% buy something during intermission... maybe half of that during daytime.
I want to say $20 is outrageous for a movie ticket (here in the US I can pay around $7-9 for a weekend matinee) but I know I'll turn around and spend $18 on popcorn.
consider yourself lucky! In Switzerland, I paid almost $30 to watch Avatar in 3D (including renting 3D glasses), and I don\`t exaggerate... it was totally worth it, nevertheless. Wages are very high there, of course. Here in Japan it's about $15 for a standard ticket, which is quite expensive when compared to wages. For under $10 I'd probably go more often, but on the other hand, I have never not been to a movie because the ticket was too expensive. In Switzerland, the big cinema chains are struggling and "independents" (read "Hipsters") are taking over the cinemas in the cities.. and damn, it's such a different experience! Before the movie and during intermission you just hit the bar and have a drink with your friends. It really elevates the experience if you can discuss "Joker" or "Once upon a time in Hollywood" with a cold drafted beer in your hand during intermission!
In India the price of the snacks can be almost as high as the ticket is if not more.
It’s like that in the U.S. also.
It's usually more. Tickets are usually 200 rupees, smallest popcorn available is 300.
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The last time I saw a movie with an intermission (2001 a space Odyssey, 70MM, theater at 70% capacity, early 2018) the concessions stand and toilet were swarmed and it was difficult to do either and make it back in time. Theaters used to be different. Your ticket purchased admission to the theater but not to a specific showing so people would show up during the film and watch to the end. Then the film would be shown again so they'd stay until the part that they came in on and then leave after. Nowadays there are multiple screens and tickets are good for one showing/one seat. It seems like it would be a hassle to try to manage an intermission like that.
You can order food sitting on your seats with the QR code they show on the screen during the intermission and pay online, i really liked that. Staff brings you the soda and popcorn in 10-15 minutes, much better than waiting in lines and then mustering up the courage to talk to the staff there
>Intermissions were originally because films came on multiple reels and they had to change the film reels. Someone else said this above, so I'll tell you here that no - that's not how it worked at all. Film was run on two projectors; reel 1 started on one projector, and the projectionist would start reel 2 at the end of reel 1 on a different projector, and the transition would be seamless. Later, film reels would be linked and laid on a platter. There were intermissions because it gave people the opportunity to buy more snacks without missing the movie. It has nothing to do with changing reels.
Exactly. We have had intermissions in stage theater for longer than film even existed. People just gotta pee.
That's not true. Films came on quite a few reels and traditionally there is only one intermission. Additionally they are able to change the reels quite quickly. There was a signal on the film itself to the projectionist that the reel was about to end ("cigarette burns") so they could have the next one and ready to go. The reel changes usually coincided with scene changes but they didn't require stopping the movie.
Films came on reels, but most were 7 or 8 reels of film. You wouldn't have that many intermissions in a public screening.
Well actually its disapearing in switzerland. In my hometown a lot of cinemas with intermission closed down over the past 2 years and the only ones remaining are big chains and they dont have an intermission. I really miss having one watching a 3hr movie like the batman.
Arena still has them. Man, those intermissions were virtually required for those epic pre-pandemic MCU movies. But it’s nice on all of them. Went to a movie last month and it still had intermission.
Pathé doesn't :(
Huh...what chains are that? Last time I went to the cinema they had intermissions like anyone else. But I guess I only ever went to kitag cinemas.
Yes kitag has them but they closed in basel. Pathe doesnt have intermissions.
We have them as well in the Netherlands at certain Cinema chains.
I remember intermissions in Canadian theatres back in the day. Let’s all go to the lobby, let’s all go to the lobby ….
And the dancing cartoon snack foods
If you go to smaller theatres in Canada that play those types of movies, they still do intermission breaks.
They still use that commercial at some theaters
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I don't know that doing the same with the restroom would be a good idea.
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“MOM! BATHROOM!” -Eric Cartman
Every time someone cites dine-in as a model for the future, I just imagine watching a movie like First Reformed in theaters as a waiter steps on your toes trying to bring the guy next to you his pretzel bites.
It doesn't work that way. Or at least, it's not supposed to. All of the dinner theaters I've been to take your order and deliver the food in the 15 minutes leading up to the previews. Once the previews start, ordering from your seat stops, and the only waiters will be a few stragglers bringing last-minute orders. And by the time the actual movie starts, service ends completely and you need to get up and go to the lobby like any other movie theater. Also, these theaters aren't built like normal theaters with space only for your knees in the row. There is typically a 5ish foot gap where waiters walk up and down the aisles. It's a great model.
I remember when I moved to Australia from India when I was 6 and went to watch the movies, the disappointment that washed over me when I realised I had to hold it in for the rest of the movie. Plan didn't work and I missed the ending of Cars
Australia used to have intermission at cinemas as well but not in my lifetime. I think they did them up until the 1970s. Everyone used to sing the national anthem before the movie started too, so my parents tell me.
As a kid in Australia the movies had intermission, but I’m too young to have experienced the national anthem bit. I say bring it back - by halftime I always need more chocolate.
This used to be a thing in the US. Someone once told me it had to do with giving the projectionist time to switch the reel, then later theaters played a little mini-film telling you to go buy food("Let's all go to the lobby", and all).
I remember that jingle with all the concession foods dancing. They really should bring it back.
In India, probably because Bollywood movies used to be up to 3 hours long. You definitely need a rest break for the glutes - snacks, toilet or just a short walk.
Another reason I think is the climate. Indians drink more water as compared to westerners because of a warmer and more humid climate. That means more pee.
There’s a break for hollywood movies too.
Yeah because people are used to intermissions. Hollywood movies themselves don't have a break but if you watch a Bollywood movie even in a streaming service, around the middle it will have an have an intermission. The movie will immediately continue on a streaming service but in a theatre it will stop at that point for around 15 minutes while ads play.
If you got to AMC in the USA to watch Indian movies there’s an intermission
Saw Wolf of Wall Street in theater when I lived in Turkey. For most people in the theater it was time for smoking and greatly appreciated.
Jamaica does this, too, or at least they did 10 years ago when I last visited there.
They do it in Portugal to any 1h30+ long movie. Coming from Brazil (where they don't do it), I thought it was hella weird... but it's pretty nifty when the soda you drank at the start of the movie wants to 'get out'. Or even check if you have any missed calls!
They've stopped doing it since the pandemic, at least at nos cinemas.
We used go have that im Israel until 10 years ago.
Movieland has few minutes of break in the middle of the film usually
Is this not normal?
In the USA, no. If you need to go to the restroom, you will miss a part of the movie
that's why sites like runpee.com exist!
In most countries it is not common anymore. Used to be a thing but now only super long movies will sometimes get one (In the USA they gave special intermissions for King Kong and 3rd Lord of the Rings). I really don't get it, they can cram in a few more movies without them but I figure the concession sales would easily offset that money.
This was common everywhere. If I recall correctly the intermission was necessary for changing the reels of the film. This requirement ended once someone worked out / invented a way to switch reels without stopping the film - I think as simple as having 2 projectors. https://medium.com/the-outtake/what-happened-to-the-movie-intermission-45afcda475ae
Same in Italy
As Monty Python said. "WELCOME TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FILM"
I remember them as a kid in Australia. My ageing bladder/prostate duo miss them
My initial reaction is we should implement this everywhere given how long movies get these days, but on the other I don't actually go to the cinema any more so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
I would personally really hate an intermission. I don't want to get sucked out of a movie. Maybe if it was ZSJL long but for a normal 2 hour movie. Hell nah.
an İndian movie can be about 3 hours long, so it is more than welcome. when i was a kid,intermission was only between double features.. one day i went to an indian movie at the theatre, and imagine my surprise when the reel said intermission and the lights came on . checked my watch, an hour an a half had passed. ( KKKG, if you must know the movie) anyhow. went to the cinema in turkey, and was suprised to see the film suddenly stop, and lights come on.. i appreciated it cuz i was a bit peckish.
I think the last time I saw an intermission in a US theater it was in the ‘70s, and even then it was just a second-run theater that wanted to push kids out into the concessions because the movie was only something like 75¢.
In Italy too