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Taking yourself to see a film in a movie theater is entertainment guaranteed. And it’s not because the film turns out to be top notch—oftentimes it’s quite the contrary—but rather because when you get 200 random people staring at a big screen, things can go from funny to hysterically comical in a sec. You see, just because people are not on the comfort of their couch doesn’t mean they don’t have a thing or two to comment.

So when a guy named Mike Ginn tweeted “the thing I miss most about movie theaters is overhearing someone say the dumbest fucking thing I’ve ever heard before the previews start,” it surely rang a bell to many. People started sharing the funny things they overheard in cinema theaters and the Twitter thread soon went viral with 341.4k likes and 33.7k retweets.

Because there are few things more amusing than sitting through ¾ of Benjamin Button only to overhear someone saying “oh, he’s getting younger!”

Since the start of the pandemic, the film industry has been in free fall. The Guardian reported that around 120,000 people are out of work in Hollywood, while in the UK, it is estimated that 50,000 freelancers will lose their jobs. Crowded movie theaters are now viewed as notorious petri dishes for the virus to spread and the entertainment industry has been forced to shut its doors to the public for the unforeseeable future.

As a result, two movie industries have collided. With theaters closing down, streaming services are booming, with more and more people crashing sites for their Netflix fix. And this is not just a metaphor. Netflix, which has been laying the grounds for a direct-to-streaming world since 2015, has added a whopping 10.1 million subscribers since March.

#4

Worst-Things-Overheard-In-Movie-Theater

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Scagsy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds like you were sat 4 rows away from a tiny little psychopath

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Many movie theater owners are now worrying that studios will be shifting away from the theatrical model to the in-house movie market. This is what happened with Tom Hanks' new film Greyhound, which steered its US$50 million budget directly to port on Apple TV+.

The prognosis for the movie theater business remains gloomy. “This was going to be the worst year in movie theater history before the coronavirus hit,” says Richard Greenfield, a media analyst at LightShed partners. “This is like pouring lighter fluid on the fire.”

TIME reported that movie theaters fared better the weekend after September 11 than they are faring now. As if that wasn’t enough, the box office hit a 20-year low, down 60% from a year ago. Meanwhile, the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) has been asking for help from the federal government. It requested a bailout to support the 150,000 people who work at and for movie theaters during the pandemic.

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Scagsy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I so love it when Freddie sings "Tommy used to work on the dock" etc.

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Alonso Victoria
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hahaha the same happened to me, some dude says it and everyone laught

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Viviane
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I prefer subtitles to dubbing. Original language = original acting. Plus, years back, I rented a so-bad-I-laughed drama that was dubbed - the worst lines were uttered by a gruff-voiced man. A few months later, my husband rented a dubbed version of a good movie -- and the same voice came up. I couldn't watch the movie.

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Raine Soo
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The two rednecks didn't want to read subtitles probably because they couldn't read. Stephen Chow movies are hilarious, by the way.

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Kisses4Katie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Alright, right NOW, if you haven't seen Kung Fu Hustle, go see it. Now! Hurry! Subtitles on so you can enjoy Brother Sum!!

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Daria B
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also Shaolin Soccer, God of Cookery and any other film by Stephen Chow. ♡ (yes, I'm aware he does not solely comedy, yep, seen some too)

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Eric Soliday
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe just look at the pretty pictures then don't hurt your brain too much

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OCDRobot
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagine missing out on such a good movie because you're that stupid! Hell, I use subtitles when I'm watching shows in my own language. They're so convenient.

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SandraG_lak
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would have started laughing before they left, not waiting until afterwards.

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Stephen Lyford
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They probably COULDN'T read and were too frustrated by that to stay.

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Josh Tall
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My wife got mad at me for taking her to see "spirited away" because it had subtitles....now is one of her favorite films

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B
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those sorts of people don't go ANYWHERE to read.

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ispeak catanese
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I grew up watching subtitled and dubbed movies. Subtitles are much better. In the 70's some movies sounded like they were dubbed by 3 men playing all the men men, women and children so that if you closed your eyes you had no idea who the hell was talking on screen. It was ridiculous.

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shado
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

good movie ... don't mind reading but so glad they finally did a dubbed version

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Blue Cicada
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Years ago, in college in Ohio, I was standing on the sidewalk talking to a classmate in German. Two white fraternity bros passed us, and one shouted out "This is America! Speak English!" As they laughed at themselves, I shouted "This is the 20th century! Learn a second language !" This was a very competitive college, which expected four years of high school foreign language to be admitted, and required two years of foreign language in college to get your bachelor's degree.

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Jonathan Armstrong
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't exactly know what they mean, but if the whole film was in a different language, I wouldn't be able to stand it, either. They didn't have to shout, though.

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Laugh or not
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My cousin, 4 or 5 years old, asked my grandmother where she lived when dinosaurs were alive.

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Truth Monster
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair, I'm not sure the graphic designers on the film knew what a rhino looks like

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Scagsy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hate people shouting out at the movies. If I wanted shouting I'd have gone to a football match

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Xandra, The Little Hufflepuff
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fairytales are really messed up, I own the complete grimm's brother and Hans Christian Anderson Set

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Flopsy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Rob Schneider was a an animal. Then he was a woman. And now Rob Schneider is ... a stapler!

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Kathryn Bain
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same except it was Rocketman and the woman kept calling John Reid Eltons "Friend" 😣

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kjorn
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

so people go to Watch a movie and have no idea what they are in for?

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