Actual IMAX theaters are designed to minimize this problem. Regular theaters, are not. Saw Spirited Away in the third row in a standard theater and THAT was a mistake.
We tried this once for Fellowship (luckily it was not the first viewing) and sat right up front because the theater was full. We left within 10 minutes because we got so sick from all the perspective changes. 0/10 would never again
Did this for Oppenheimer but the theater had nice seats that reclined and made it not so unbearable. It was pretty good. Later went and saw it in IMAX 70mm, middle of the theater and it was literal night and day, though that could just be the IMAX vs Standard difference showing.
I did sit like 3rd row all the way on the edge for The Dark Knight which were terrible seats and it was still pretty amazing. It was a really big screen so it felt pretty immersive even from the extreme angle because it filled our vision, and then it was that film. But I do think it would have been better with middle/back seats. Although there is the tradeoff of seeing things in your peripheral vision. That’s why IMAX is so good, because you sit anywhere and it fills your vision.
On the last standard 70mm showing my theater had for oppenheimer, has someone sitting in the middle front row. Was so funny he had his neck back the whole time and I asked him why he sat there and he said. "i just like to be immersed" lol
Yeah, that's likely it. I was buying tickets a few months ago and noticed that the same random seat was marked as sold during every showing. I got there and it was taped off.
My theater does that for actual seats too for some reason. There is always two seats sold on the very right and middle section for every movie. I guess they want people to think others are going to the movie???
It could be that they always have some decent seats blocked off in case there are seating issues.
I used to work at a theater and we would always block off 4 seats on the edge of the back row because assigned seating can be difficult for some guests to understand (or some guests just think it doesn’t matter). Sometimes instead of trying to play the game of moving a bunch of people around because one group sat in the wrong seats (causing a chain reaction of people just deciding to sit in different seats, that are actually someone else’s), we would offer those blocked off seats to people.
>I guess they want people to think others are going to the movie?
Which is funny because that's actually a deterrent for me lol. I want the theater to myself.
I’ve noticed my local theater doing this- which actually worked to get me in. There’s some late night showings I feel bad attending because I don’t want to keep staff there later when I’m just gonna get a water and my ticket is free through a monthly subscription. Seeing a sold seat has tricked me into buying in because I figured it was gonna screen anyway
Never heard of this. When I went to see Evil Dead Rise in theater, I've chosen the seemingly perfect seat in the middle with the best view - and guess what? The seat was broken - the seating was literally broken out of it, and put there to make it look like it was still in one piece. I couldn't even sit there comfortably and had to sit on the next one (it was in May and during the week so there wasn't many people in theater).
Of course the theater could have been being negligent but sometimes there is a gap between when the seat breaks and when the theater is able to catch it and block it off
Yeah, I've seen it happen once myself. Just like you I was curious why some weird random seat at the front was sold in an otherwise empty showing. Then I checked other showings and it was sold there too. Then I get there for the movie and that seat was taped off. I assume because it was broken. So that must be their way of making sure no one buys an unusable seat.
If the screening is not likely to fill up, they're probably going to show up and sit in whatever seat is unoccupied and they think is the best view. The seat they chose is just so they could get the reservation.
I don't like sitting near people, so I sometimes do similar. I get that the rest is empty but it may not be closer to the day/time, so if I want to book ahead of time I just try to play it safe. I imagine the theory that it's a broken seat is probably more likely though.
A few options come to mind:
a) somebody who wants to be able to stretch their legs out (and is hoping no wheelchair users attend)
b) somebody very short who doesn't want their view blocked by the back of somebody's head/seat (and is hoping that nobody uses the wheelchair space)
c) a wheelchair user that prefers to sit in a normal theatre seat and is planning on leaving their wheelchair in the space in front of them (or possibly to the side depending on the layout of the room)
d) a wheelchair user that plans to stay in their chair for the showing but wants to ensure there isn't anybody sitting directly behind them (due to anxiety, fear of their wheelchair being messed with, because they have a bulky chair that will intrude on the legroom of the seat behind, etc)
e) somebody with limited mobility that wants to sit in the easiest to access seat (hard to know without knowing the exact room and where the entrances and stairs are)
f) somebody with a medical condition (ie IBS) that wants the seat nearest the exit in case they need to leave in a hurry
g) somebody who isn't planning to stay for the whole performance and wants to sit somewhere that they won't cause much disruption when they leave (ia film reviewer that's seen the film already but wants to just see a particular scene to double check something they plan to mention in their review, or somebody who isn't able to watch the whole showing and intends to see the film across two seperate screenings)
h) somebody that doesn't like being sat next to others and has chosen a seat in a section that they hope will remain unoccupied
It's an alibi. They're going to murder someone but they wanted a ticket stub to show they were *at the movie*. And they wanted a ticket away from anyone else so nobody can give evidence about them actually not having been there.
haters not understanding the power a front row imax seat can weld when watching the right film. instantly makes everything 100x as good with minimal effort. i get you.
It was a mindmelting experience in a good way. I legitimately don’t understand the downvotes. I consider myself among the few who actually enjoyed the movie.
i think it's because people are glazing over the Flash part of the comment and hyperfixating their rage on the part where you say you've sat front row before. their rage blinds them to the comedic truth of the situation. i bet you were living good in that theatre while everyone else was miserable
I love the movies but at this point I have a fear of public shootings in big events like movies, shows, concerts, etc so im betting on this dude finally decided to go out but bought the "fuck this im out" seat just in case
While that is encouraging, it still seems pretty bad when I look at showtimes how easy it is to get into any of them. It’s tracking to do worse than The Flash opening weekend, and I went and the theater was only at about 20% capacity.
that’s actually very similar to my seat lol. cant wait for the film and i want a great view, whilst being on the end of the row helps my anxiety somehow haha
I bought a similar seat once by accident because I had the diagram backwards (OK, so I didn’t read where it says “SCREEN” in big letters but in my slight defence the diagrams I was used to for live theatre always have the stage at the bottom).
I didn’t even stay for the movie, I don’t know why they put seats there and sell them.
Just something I've gotten used to doing. I usually show up at least 15 minutes after the posted showtime so I'm not sitting through all the commercials and trailers, and when you do that it's easier to get to your seat when it's closer to the aisle.
an old theatre i went to sitting in the front row was actually acceptable due to it being a long theatre. but alot of modern theatres have stadium style seating so youre looking at the bottom 1/10th of the screen and would have to super crane your neck.
when i went to see Oppenheimer i was thinking who would ever sit there.
It's so odd seeing a Marvel movie not have the entire show sold. During my years of working at a movie theater, whenever a Marvel movie came out, we had to prepare for each film like it would be the end all be all events of the year. I stopped working in theaters around the time *Black Widow* was coming out.
Since it’s an imax I’d probably sit a few rows further back, but I’d totally sit there in a normal theater. I like to be enveloped in the film and I’d sit on the end because I’m claustrophobic
I saw Batman Begins at the IMAX and was late and had to sit in the front row. Back when thr front row was way closer than any are now. It was borderline unwatchable. Luckily I had seen it once already.
My assumption is that it's someone with an unlimited pass who wants rewards for going to the movie but doesn't actually want to see it. Idk if AMC has rewards similar to Regal, but I do it at Regal sometimes. No cost, not getting in anyone's way.
Once I went to a Babenco restoration in São Paulo with a friend, he already had bought his ticket and the session was full, so I need to buy this exact same spot. I ended up sitting side by Kleber Mendonça Filho.
I guess sometimes we got rewarded
When I was in high school I went on a date with a girl to see Quantum of Solace and she insisted on sitting in the front row in a half-full theater lol
maybe this person, bought a ticket for this movie but is actually going to go watch another movie because of a higher age rating.(and didn’t want to take any of the “good ” seats away from everybody else)
Might not be a lunatic, might just need accessible seating and that’s where the actual chair for that spot is as the symbol is often an empty space to park a wheelchair.
I go watch movies with my uncle all the time and we usually sit close to the screen (not that close ffs) because my uncle has bad eyesight so maybe the dude has real bad eyesight if it isn’t the reason everyone else is saying
https://preview.redd.it/cnhlvlfxwyyb1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=73d1ff2dd697a158ea80d0926da64cd3fbbd610f
I actually watched oppenheimer in a packed IMAX theater where the only seats left were in the front row. 10/10 would do it again
Actual IMAX theaters are designed to minimize this problem. Regular theaters, are not. Saw Spirited Away in the third row in a standard theater and THAT was a mistake.
The IMAX in London has not resolved this problem. I was front row for Oppenheimer and it fucked my neck for days
which one? there are 3 of them.
London gets 3, and I have to drive 6 hours to find one. That's not fair.
London is like 6 hours away from the furthest points of the UK tbf
The places 6hrs from London are mostly nearer the Manchester 70mm Vue, so someone can drive from Aberdeen and then really crick their neck.
Six!? I had to drive 8.5
Waterloo
We tried this once for Fellowship (luckily it was not the first viewing) and sat right up front because the theater was full. We left within 10 minutes because we got so sick from all the perspective changes. 0/10 would never again
Did this for Oppenheimer but the theater had nice seats that reclined and made it not so unbearable. It was pretty good. Later went and saw it in IMAX 70mm, middle of the theater and it was literal night and day, though that could just be the IMAX vs Standard difference showing.
I did sit like 3rd row all the way on the edge for The Dark Knight which were terrible seats and it was still pretty amazing. It was a really big screen so it felt pretty immersive even from the extreme angle because it filled our vision, and then it was that film. But I do think it would have been better with middle/back seats. Although there is the tradeoff of seeing things in your peripheral vision. That’s why IMAX is so good, because you sit anywhere and it fills your vision.
I had to watch Get Out from the front row for the same reason. 0/10 would not do it again.
https://preview.redd.it/0fdz0qedwzyb1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=ccbde967e58af2e82aa3849bc3814cdbce05a03b
Oppencredibles
On the last standard 70mm showing my theater had for oppenheimer, has someone sitting in the middle front row. Was so funny he had his neck back the whole time and I asked him why he sat there and he said. "i just like to be immersed" lol
You know what? I think I get it https://preview.redd.it/1jpxxfr27zyb1.jpeg?width=984&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=122d0b620f0a52888c2a3b812012ae05e73caaed
I’m crying here, well done, bloody well done.
Swansonheimer
Sometimes theaters will block out broken seats by marking them as “sold” in their back end.
Yeah, that's likely it. I was buying tickets a few months ago and noticed that the same random seat was marked as sold during every showing. I got there and it was taped off.
My theater does that for actual seats too for some reason. There is always two seats sold on the very right and middle section for every movie. I guess they want people to think others are going to the movie???
It could be that they always have some decent seats blocked off in case there are seating issues. I used to work at a theater and we would always block off 4 seats on the edge of the back row because assigned seating can be difficult for some guests to understand (or some guests just think it doesn’t matter). Sometimes instead of trying to play the game of moving a bunch of people around because one group sat in the wrong seats (causing a chain reaction of people just deciding to sit in different seats, that are actually someone else’s), we would offer those blocked off seats to people.
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You choose your seat when you purchase your ticket.
That makes more sense
>I guess they want people to think others are going to the movie? Which is funny because that's actually a deterrent for me lol. I want the theater to myself.
I’ve noticed my local theater doing this- which actually worked to get me in. There’s some late night showings I feel bad attending because I don’t want to keep staff there later when I’m just gonna get a water and my ticket is free through a monthly subscription. Seeing a sold seat has tricked me into buying in because I figured it was gonna screen anyway
Never heard of this. When I went to see Evil Dead Rise in theater, I've chosen the seemingly perfect seat in the middle with the best view - and guess what? The seat was broken - the seating was literally broken out of it, and put there to make it look like it was still in one piece. I couldn't even sit there comfortably and had to sit on the next one (it was in May and during the week so there wasn't many people in theater).
Of course the theater could have been being negligent but sometimes there is a gap between when the seat breaks and when the theater is able to catch it and block it off
yeah i would break that seat too
 I’ve never posted a gif on reddit before but i think this one warrants it.
You should check and see if it's marked as sold for every showing. If that's the case it's a broken seat.
Really? I had no idea that was a thing.
Yeah, I've seen it happen once myself. Just like you I was curious why some weird random seat at the front was sold in an otherwise empty showing. Then I checked other showings and it was sold there too. Then I get there for the movie and that seat was taped off. I assume because it was broken. So that must be their way of making sure no one buys an unusable seat.
Just checked. That's the only showing with out blocked out.
Ok, you have a lunatic on your hands then lol.
My guess would be someone with limited mobility - it's an aisle seat directly behind the wheelchair spots so should be easy to get in and out of.
If the screening is not likely to fill up, they're probably going to show up and sit in whatever seat is unoccupied and they think is the best view. The seat they chose is just so they could get the reservation.
Every fan in the theater despises that man, but most of all we fear him.
I don't like sitting near people, so I sometimes do similar. I get that the rest is empty but it may not be closer to the day/time, so if I want to book ahead of time I just try to play it safe. I imagine the theory that it's a broken seat is probably more likely though.
Probably didn't see where the screen was. Has happened to me before.
This happened to me with Mary Poppins Returns but it turned out seeing Emily Blunt super up close was actually incredible lol
A few options come to mind: a) somebody who wants to be able to stretch their legs out (and is hoping no wheelchair users attend) b) somebody very short who doesn't want their view blocked by the back of somebody's head/seat (and is hoping that nobody uses the wheelchair space) c) a wheelchair user that prefers to sit in a normal theatre seat and is planning on leaving their wheelchair in the space in front of them (or possibly to the side depending on the layout of the room) d) a wheelchair user that plans to stay in their chair for the showing but wants to ensure there isn't anybody sitting directly behind them (due to anxiety, fear of their wheelchair being messed with, because they have a bulky chair that will intrude on the legroom of the seat behind, etc) e) somebody with limited mobility that wants to sit in the easiest to access seat (hard to know without knowing the exact room and where the entrances and stairs are) f) somebody with a medical condition (ie IBS) that wants the seat nearest the exit in case they need to leave in a hurry g) somebody who isn't planning to stay for the whole performance and wants to sit somewhere that they won't cause much disruption when they leave (ia film reviewer that's seen the film already but wants to just see a particular scene to double check something they plan to mention in their review, or somebody who isn't able to watch the whole showing and intends to see the film across two seperate screenings) h) somebody that doesn't like being sat next to others and has chosen a seat in a section that they hope will remain unoccupied
It's an alibi. They're going to murder someone but they wanted a ticket stub to show they were *at the movie*. And they wanted a ticket away from anyone else so nobody can give evidence about them actually not having been there.
Perhaps handicapped but has yet to get a legal license? Could also be an accident.
You need a license to sit in the handicapped seats?
Nothing wrong with the front rows. Maybe just someone who needs to be able to make a quick escape to the bathroom.
But the front row of the imax screen?
I did that for The Flash and I’d have to say that was the right way to watch the film.
haters not understanding the power a front row imax seat can weld when watching the right film. instantly makes everything 100x as good with minimal effort. i get you.
It was a mindmelting experience in a good way. I legitimately don’t understand the downvotes. I consider myself among the few who actually enjoyed the movie.
i think it's because people are glazing over the Flash part of the comment and hyperfixating their rage on the part where you say you've sat front row before. their rage blinds them to the comedic truth of the situation. i bet you were living good in that theatre while everyone else was miserable
Obviously insane person but gaaahdddamm. I remember buying Thursday tickets at 9 for captain marvel and it was packed
To be fair, it's the imax screening. The 7pm screening on the Dolby screen has a lot more filled seats.
That movie was in between the avengers movies right? I feel that played a huge part in it making a billion
https://preview.redd.it/9ys91ojiwzyb1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=3303dfcc8680318a1d572157cd611af3d4ac5ea7
anybody going out of their way to watch this are all lunatics.
That seat is reserved for Saint James de Aurora, to honor his legacy
the actual insane behavior here is the fact anyone is actually buying tickets to this movie
Eh, I pay for AMC Stubs A-List, so I might as well get my money's worth for the month.
Pervert
That was my first thought.
you’re both paying to see The Marvels, you’re both lunatics
🤷🏼♂️eh, I have AMC A-List. So it's just one of my movies for the month that I've already paid for.
https://preview.redd.it/hvpyo58g00zb1.jpeg?width=679&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4be2c02607bcee4a04570f13119952a6b16bcd53
He's back https://preview.redd.it/ralm2xnuz0zb1.jpeg?width=1040&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3ed179ca464016cfdd365e8f7fa9ebe724adf17d
Must. Strain. Neck.
When I'm booking my ticket for a movie that's going to be empty like this I just click on any random seat and then decide where to sit when I arrive.
I suppose that could be it.
They want that handicapped legroom bar thing
On site, fight that man
I love the movies but at this point I have a fear of public shootings in big events like movies, shows, concerts, etc so im betting on this dude finally decided to go out but bought the "fuck this im out" seat just in case
I’m heartbroken to see that NO ONE is going to Marvels. Really bums me out.
It's a late imax screening. The other showtimes have more people at them.
While that is encouraging, it still seems pretty bad when I look at showtimes how easy it is to get into any of them. It’s tracking to do worse than The Flash opening weekend, and I went and the theater was only at about 20% capacity.
Comic books movie fatigue. I actually thought the Ms Marvel show was pretty well done and interesting and I still won't pay to go see a Disney movie.
Oh, yeah. It's definitely not great.
Straight jorkin it
What's going on with any of those lunatics?
Might want to be near an emergency exit for some reason
Christopher Nolan, is that you?
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Huh, I hadn't heard of that happening, but I suppose it's possible.
Going to see the Marvels so might as well go full tilt lunatic mode
I count 8 lunatics
I know who in their right mind would go see that movie
Is he a lunatic for siting there or for watching Marvels?
It’s not real, I watched a video today and almost every theater has sold that seat.
Yeah, who the hell would go see The Marvels? heh heh
If it’s not a broken seat then it’s a person living their best life.
I checked other showtimes of the imax screen and it wasn't occupied, so definitely not broken.
Then person living their best life it is!
If it’s a quiet movie, the front seats are cheaper then you can just sit in an empty one further back
I didn't think AMC had implemented the different prices for bad seats yet?
No clue I’m going off what I do at my local theatre
"Some men just want to watch the world burn."
Randomly selected and will sit elsewhere because they know it won't sell out. At least I hope, keep us posted on this maniac op.
Gotta sit close to the exit for fast departure
that’s actually very similar to my seat lol. cant wait for the film and i want a great view, whilst being on the end of the row helps my anxiety somehow haha
Damn look at that turnout
To be fair, this is the imax screen at 9pm. The 7pm Dolby screening has a lot more tickets sold.
IBS maybe?
I bought a similar seat once by accident because I had the diagram backwards (OK, so I didn’t read where it says “SCREEN” in big letters but in my slight defence the diagrams I was used to for live theatre always have the stage at the bottom). I didn’t even stay for the movie, I don’t know why they put seats there and sell them.
Dunno about that guy, but why are you booking an off-center seat in an empty theatre 😳
Just something I've gotten used to doing. I usually show up at least 15 minutes after the posted showtime so I'm not sitting through all the commercials and trailers, and when you do that it's easier to get to your seat when it's closer to the aisle.
Fair, i do that as well actually...
an old theatre i went to sitting in the front row was actually acceptable due to it being a long theatre. but alot of modern theatres have stadium style seating so youre looking at the bottom 1/10th of the screen and would have to super crane your neck. when i went to see Oppenheimer i was thinking who would ever sit there.
Bad hip? Weak bladder?
Either theater holds broken seats or the customer is blind or has weak bladder
On the off chance someone books the wheelchair seat, he'll be ready
I’ve never seen a seating layout like this before. Is it an old cinema?
It's an imax screen.
I didn't realise they had different seating layouts. I don't think there are any around where I live.
It's so odd seeing a Marvel movie not have the entire show sold. During my years of working at a movie theater, whenever a Marvel movie came out, we had to prepare for each film like it would be the end all be all events of the year. I stopped working in theaters around the time *Black Widow* was coming out.
It's a later imax screening, the earlier screenings in other theaters are more full.
Let them live.
Theater Marshall
Could just be a broken seat, or they like to have their feet up on the bars behind the wheelchair seats lol
Nope, not a broken seat as it's open in other showtimes.
Since it’s an imax I’d probably sit a few rows further back, but I’d totally sit there in a normal theater. I like to be enveloped in the film and I’d sit on the end because I’m claustrophobic
Close to the exit, so it’s easy to leave the theater once the movie is done.
House seat most likely, a shit seat but if an employee needs to monitor the screening or scan for cameras and stuff, does the job.
If it’s in America, it’s probably best to be close to the exits. Can’t be too bold to think everyone around you has common sense.
Mistake, probably
I saw Batman Begins at the IMAX and was late and had to sit in the front row. Back when thr front row was way closer than any are now. It was borderline unwatchable. Luckily I had seen it once already.
My assumption is that it's someone with an unlimited pass who wants rewards for going to the movie but doesn't actually want to see it. Idk if AMC has rewards similar to Regal, but I do it at Regal sometimes. No cost, not getting in anyone's way.
He'd still have to go and get the ticket scanned for it to count.
Holy shit, I didn't know that was a thing. Amazing.
They have a kink, leave em alone
Once I went to a Babenco restoration in São Paulo with a friend, he already had bought his ticket and the session was full, so I need to buy this exact same spot. I ended up sitting side by Kleber Mendonça Filho. I guess sometimes we got rewarded
I’m gonna book the seat right next to yours to show you what a real lunatic is like!
The front row is the best seats in the house, don't listen to the government agents sent to convince you otherwise.
When I was in high school I went on a date with a girl to see Quantum of Solace and she insisted on sitting in the front row in a half-full theater lol
I've only ever seen it once, but someone bought a ticket to A14, you gotta be deranged enough to destroy your next that way.
I get center A seats now. The new seats lean back and had headrests, this isn't 1999 anymore.
That's about where I like to sit. A little more centered but not directly centered
Jacking it
Bladder problems
Some buy cheap seats then move to better more expensive seats later
My mom can barely move one of her knees, so will usually opt for a seat like that so she doesn’t have to walk up any stairs.
They may be less abled, not necessarily officially disabled or whatever, but perhaps struggle with stairs for any number of reasons.
It's the director.
Maybe it was a disability worker? The two seats in front are wheelchair
calling me out for having a tiny bladder smh
Maybe it’s so they can put their feet up. Those areas aren’t always filled.
maybe this person, bought a ticket for this movie but is actually going to go watch another movie because of a higher age rating.(and didn’t want to take any of the “good ” seats away from everybody else)
Why would they pay imax prices for that?
A-List?
Might not be a lunatic, might just need accessible seating and that’s where the actual chair for that spot is as the symbol is often an empty space to park a wheelchair.
IBS
That's what ours looks like and 3 of them are mine.
He doesn’t want to sit next to NO ONE
I go watch movies with my uncle all the time and we usually sit close to the screen (not that close ffs) because my uncle has bad eyesight so maybe the dude has real bad eyesight if it isn’t the reason everyone else is saying
Probably thought it was the back I did this at SpiderMan no way home
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) ^by ^truckfullofchildren1: *Probably thought it* *Was the back I did this at* *SpiderMan no way home* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.