Some Movies in Japan Get Special Screenings Where Fans Yell in Excitement

[Aurica]

So I was just reading an interview with a Japanese musician, and she mentioned a phrase I wasn't familiar with: 応援上映. Special screenings where fans cheer on characters and get super into it. The same country where my friend and I felt guilty for laughing while watching Deadpool in theaters, because everyone else was silent.

A quick search on youtube led me to clips from one for Game of Thrones. Cheering on battles and fist fights:


And chanting kamehameha with Goku in the latest Dragon Ball movie:


I think it would actually be fun to see a movie you're familiar like this, but all I've witnessed for crowd participation lately was people clapping after Endgame in Paris. Not as fun. Unfortunately, I'm still not sure where I can go to watch Rocky Horror or The Room in a theater in Japan. That's the next step.

 

[Drewton]

I can’t remember what the Dark World option refers to

 

[Aurica]

I can’t remember what the Dark World option refers to

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Exactly!

 

[Fat4all]

YEAAAAAAAHHHHH

WOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[Midramble]

This sounds right up my alley.
Like a rock concert for movies.

Won't ever go because it'll never be as good as my imagination just made it.

 

[Notaskwid]

This is not common in my experience.

 

[Aurica]

This is not common in my experience.

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Nope! Not at all. Looks like mostly an otaku thing, but I'd never even heard of it before today.

So basically a regular American screening?

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With less clapping, though.

 

[Garou]

So basically a regular American screening?

 

[Sign My Guestbook!]

I only ever had one experience where I was like this, and it was Endgame.

Most of the time when people hoot and holler, I'll smile and maybe nod my head like, "yeah, that was pretty cool."

 

[AnansiThePersona]

If you aren't gonna scream and cheer when a character does something you like on the screen, get the FUCK out my theater

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Usually people are dead quiet in movie theaters here, but everyone

Spoiler: Endgame Spoilers

cried when Tony Stark died in Endgame.

 

[Aurica]

I'm reminded of the day I saw Spider-Man 3. There was a man who was yelling stuff throughout the movie, and he made it so much better. Nobody told him to be quiet in a full house on opening night, because he was so funny. After Harry returns near the end of the film, I distinctly recall him yelling out, "That mother fucker's still alive!?"

I was even more amused when the film ended and I saw that he had come alone. Whatta guy.

 

[MMarston]

YEAAAAAAAHHHHH

WOOOOOOOOOOOO

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OH MY GOD

 

[excelsiorlef]

Thor 2: The Dark World

 

[Aurica]

I'm still so happy that SunhiLegend made this a few years back. It's all I think about when I clap after meals, movies, and sex.

 

[Inuhanyou]

this was inspired by pretty much every type of movie screening outside of japan...its just not socially acceptable there normally to emote in movies for some reason

I know its not gonna happen anytime soon, but i hope something shakes Japan out of that borg mentality

 

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[FF Seraphim]

Never even heard of this. Interesting. Everyone just sits silently no matter what happens.

 

[tadaima]

This was in Tokyo (Marunochi area) –

My friend was really into Bohemian Rhapsody and wanted to attend the sing-along version after seeing the regular version four times. She brought me and two friends (sure, the movie has lyrics on display but this particular screening invites you to actually sing along). It was a Saturday evening and the theatre was packed, but I think most people didn't realise it was the sing-along version... or simply were reluctant to join in. There was one single guy with glow sticks near to the front and a very keen middle aged lady a couple of rows behind who was singing her heart out to songs even I didn't know the lyrics to, but aside from those and my enthusiastic friend, it seemed barely anybody was participating.

I suppose this is a bit different though.

 

[Aurica]

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All right. I don't think I need that level, though I now have the urge to see Singham in theaters.

This was in Tokyo (Marunochi area) –

My friend was really into Bohemian Rhapsody and wanted to attend the sing-along version after seeing the regular version four times. She brought me and two friends (sure, the movie has lyrics on display but this particular screening invites you to actually sing along). It was a Saturday evening and the theatre was packed, but I think most people didn't realise it was the sing-along version... or simply were reluctant to join in. There was one single guy with glow sticks near to the front and a very keen middle aged lady a couple of rows behind who was singing her heart out to songs even I didn't know the lyrics to, but aside from those and my enthusiastic friend, it seemed barely anybody was participating.

I suppose this is a bit different though.

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I saw clips on youtube of this, too. Definitely interesting. Did you enjoy it?
Edit: and wow your avatar is clever.

 

[Deleted member 14663]

everyone just sit down and be quiet. I'm trying to watch the movie. Thanks.

 

[capitalCORN]

Kinda sounds like two minutes hate, but wholesome?

 

[thetrin]

I honestly love watching movies in Japan, because everyone shuts up and I get to have a pure viewing experience.

JP theater subs annoy me though, because they're not only wrong sometimes, but the timing is off, and often spoils what a person is going to say next. I want to ignore them, but my eye keeps wandering down there!

 

[Classy Tomato]

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LMAO that's amazing.

 

[Deleted member 9932]

The should do this for people who chew popcorn and slurp cola.

 

[Box]

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Yeah I'm gonna need my money back!

 

[Gibson]

Perhaps another quirk in the cinema in Japan is that 95% of people always sit until the very end of the credits, regardless of what movie it is.

In England people typically stream out as soon as the credits start playing.

 

[AdamE]

Yeah, it’s usually dead silent with the exception of a bit of laughter here or there.

But opening night Endgame was wild. Everyone was losing their shit.

 

[Teenage Fansub]

The glowsticks are weird. I know they use them in concerts, but is Goku gonna appreciate seeing his fans out there?

 

[tadaima]

I saw clips on youtube of this, too. Definitely interesting. Did you enjoy it?
Edit: and wow your avatar is clever.

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Thanks!

Honestly, aside from the three enthusiastic people I happened to notice (my friend included), it seemed totally normal. The music from the film itself could have been drowning things out, but it didn't seem like many others were participating.

I imagine a different location, such as Shinjuku, would be livelier.

Anecdotally, a bunch of (Japanese) people I know discovered Queen thanks to the movie, rather than the other way around.

 

[Aurica]

JP theater subs annoy me though, because they're not only wrong sometimes, but the timing is off, and often spoils what a person is going to say next. I want to ignore them, but my eye keeps wandering down there!

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I definitely relate. My friends and I would talk about the movie after and bad subtitles come up every time. I remember thinking Deadpool's translation fucked up a bunch of the jokes.

 

[Garble Slew]

As someone who only goes to the Plaza theater in Atlanta... this is every screening of a movie for me. It’s wonderful.

 

[oofouchugh]

If it would keep the goons in a different theater from me sounds wonderful.

 

[lvl 99 Pixel]

you'd have to pay me to watch movies with that kind of audience

 

[Chaeotic]

The one that always gets me is Marley and Me (spoilers following for those who haven't seen);

Spoiler

Right as Marley passes away on the table, the camera slowly pans back to the theatre door, out through the round looking glass, before complete silence for a handful of seconds. The amount of sniffles in my session was mind boggling, it was as if 300 people all decided to blow their nose at the same time.

 

[Lkr]

Maybe we can do this with marvel movies here? People so loud throughout

 

[Bamboo]

The Rocky Horror Picture Show was famous for its participation screenings. Never saw one myself unfortunately (meaning, I only saw the movie), but there was a whole elaborate shtick to yell phrases in response to what characters said on screen. The audience dresses up as characters from the film. And in some scenes props were involved, like throwing rice during the wedding.
Here's a script I found: https://www.mortaljourney.com/2011/...or-picture-show-audience-participation-script

Apparently the broadway show had a similar concept. There's a sound recording of a show, including the participation. The cinema screenings were probably similar.

https://youtu.be/UQMLnU06mCA

edit: If you google a little more, there are excepts of participation screenings on youtube!

 

[Galkinator]

Looks dumb, I prefer authentic crowd reactions like wowing or laughter

 

[collige]

The Rocky Horror Picture Show was famous for its participation screenings. Never saw one myself unfortunately (meaning, I only saw the movie), but there was a whole elaborate shtick to yell phrases in response to what characters said on screen. The audience dresses up as characters from the film. And in some scenes props were involved, like throwing rice during the wedding.
Here's a script I found: https://www.mortaljourney.com/2011/...or-picture-show-audience-participation-script

Apparently the broadway show had a similar concept. There's a sound recording of a show, including the participation. The cinema screenings were probably similar.

https://youtu.be/UQMLnU06mCA

edit: If you google a little more, there are excepts of participation screenings on youtube!

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"Was"? People still do it!

 

[shaneo632]

One of my friends is in Singapore at the moment and he was really surprised how there's a lot of ecstatic screaming during blockbuster movie screenings for movies like Avengers.

 

[WillyFive]

I see Avengers movies in the first day of screening so that I can be in a theater like this. Its part of the experience that makes it so good in the first place.

Making the screenings separate is a good idea.

 

[Refrain]

Just like all the precure movies. They encouraged kids to cheer for the heroines in the movie using some light toys.

 

[Zoe]

Sounds like this is more than just the typical audience in America.

The Drafthouse has special showings like this where participation is encouraged and props are handed out. I remember the Magic Mike ones were called "rowdy".

 

[WriterInTheDark]

There’s a regular thing with musicals now when they get sing along versions getting cinema releases. Doesn’t seem a million miles different from it.

 

[7threst]

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Oh wow, this looks like quite the experience

 

[Deleted member 56909]

It's stuff like this that's why I love going to riff screenings of bad movies with stuff like master pancake if your in Austin. Having the audience members participate in the joke in a crowded theatre is just the most entertaining. Live mst3k is an experience.

 

[HStallion]

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Are people throwing confetti?

 

[Dennis8K]

Here in the West we have Bethesda E3 conferences.

 

[Rendering...]

I turn every screening into a special screening by shrieking like a goat with burnt testicles whenever a character drinks something.

 

[Brinbe]

Adopt that shit. I'm sure avengers would get lots of extra BO if Disney marketed that shit right

Satisfy what everyone wants. Either quiet or unbridled enthusiasm