10 Memorable Movie Theater Experiences

There are so many movies that are released in a year and so many platforms on which to watch them that movie theaters should have been made obsolete years ago. Yet, people still go, and they are still the way in which we judge a film’s success. If you’re compelled to leave your home, put away your phone, and sit in a dark room with strangers for 80 minutes or more, that’s a pretty good gauge of whether or not a movie is successful.

Going to the movies is special. When you’re young, it’s new and exciting. When you’re old, it’s familiar and comforting, a way to get out of the house and do something without having to do anything. The setting forces you to pay attention, and the shared experience unites movie fans. The big screen makes the images pop, and the surround sound intensifies the scene.

I grew up going to the movies, and I’ve had some memorable experiences of the event, whether it was the movie I was watching, the unexpected things that happened during it, or the place where it was being shown. Below are my 10 most memorable movie theater experiences.

1. First experience – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

The first time I ever went to a movie theater, I was seven. My parents took my brother, sister, and I to a re-release of Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We had never seen Snow White, and my sister, who was four at the time, was deemed old enough to sit still for the duration of a Disney movie.

My dad, always the hype man, had teased an idea of what to expect in the theater: the size of the screen, the thunderous sound quality. But the thing I remember most were the rows of orange lights lining the stairs to the folded seats which were fun but difficult to operate.

As the lights dimmed for the previews, there was a collective gasp from the theater full of kids followed by a hushed silence and shushing from the parents of kids who hadn’t taken the hint. Then, there was mostly the sound of the crunching of popcorn. I don’t remember if we got popcorn that time. Chances are, my mom snuck in Capri Suns and fruit snacks for us instead.

I remember hearing a kid behind me whispering questions to their mom throughout the whole movie.

“Why is she doing this?” “Why did he say that?”

And their mom gave short answers to every question.

Overall, I wasn’t crazy about Snow White, and I’m still not, preferring the Disney renaissance era. But a Disney movie should be a kid’s first movie, and I still have a soft spot for Snow White as it introduced me to the movie theater experience.

2. My first horror film? – Casper

I’ve always liked ghost stories from the time I was a little kid, including the Casper: The Friendly Ghost cartoons. So, when the movie came out, I begged my mom to go see it. I was nine, and we had a new baby sister that year. So, my mom took my brother, sister, and I after my dad came home from work, and he stayed home with the new baby.

The TV trailers, Pepsi commercials, and source material all made us think that we were seeing a straight comedy. And it is. But the first act of the movie is all about Casper’s uncles working hard to scare intruders out of their house.  And they sometimes took things to the PG extreme.

In one scene, Bill Pullman’s Dr. Harvey is tiptoeing through the hallway, looking for the trio when they sneak up behind him and contort their faces into horrific shapes, complete with red eyes, sharp teeth, and blaring organ music. An adult wouldn’t bat an eye, but jump scares can catch a kid off guard.

I admit it startled me, but I immediately laughed it off.  My six-year-old sister, though, started to cry and bury her face in my mom’s arm.

“Should we go?” my mom whispered to us.

“No!” my brother and I hissed.

Luckily, there were no other major scares after that, and we all got really invested.

Then, halfway through the movie, the film broke. The crowd groaned as the lights came up. We were sure we’d never see the end. Luckily, they had it up and running again in just a few minutes. We made it through without any other interruptions, and Casper became one of my favorite movies of my childhood.

3. My first taste of fandom – Titanic

Titanic came out when I was 11. So, I was the perfect demographic. But no one was prepared for the massive cultural phenomenon that it became, and I definitely wasn’t prepared for how hard it would hit me. This tragic historical event paired with this fictional, big budget story and a total immersion into pop culture made it such a big deal.

I was late to the party, though. My mom took my brother, sister, and I to see the movie on an icy, February afternoon. The film had been out for months, but this Sunday matinee was packed as if it was opening weekend.

It was the longest movie I’d ever seen, but we stayed engaged the entire time. I remember the audience cheering when Rose spits in Cal’s face to escape his clutches after she throws him over for Jack, and it was the first time I’d ever heard crying in the theater when Jack meets his untimely end. I left the theater in full fan girl mode, immersing myself in the history, behind-the-scenes trivia, and the merchandise in an obsession that lasted years and returns every so often when I go on a nostalgic Titanic kick.

4. Movie Dining – Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

One family vacation to Virginia Beach brought us to a place called The Cinema Cafe to see the second Austin Powers movie on a rainy afternoon. Little did we know that this theater served dinner along with the movie. The six of us were confused when we entered the theater and were led to a long table with light brown leather chairs on wheels that were all facing the screen.

I remember the credits of the last movie were still rolling. The tables hadn’t been cleared, and it smelled like someone had dropped a bottle of mustard on the floor.

We were unprepared to eat there. So, when a waitress handed us menus and took our orders, my mom ordered two baskets of popcorn. And that’s how they came, in two bread baskets lined with napkins.

We were lucky we’d gone to see a comedy because the jokes kept pulling our attention back to the screen. The noise level was forgivable because people were literally dining there. It was definitely the most unique and unexpected movie theater experience I’ve had.

5. My first trip to the drive-in – Scooby-Doo and Spider-Man

My family started to make annual trips to the drive-in when I was 16. That was the year of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, the film that reignited my love of superhero movies after a bit of an industry dry spell. But we were really going as a birthday surprise for my baby sister who was a diehard Scooby-Doo fan. And both movies happened to be playing as a double feature.

We were captivated by the picnic-like atmosphere as we drove up the gravel path to the first of four screens after paying at the window. As the sun set boys tossed footballs and frisbees. Toddlers walked around in their pajamas. Teens camped out in truck beds pigging out from the snack bar’s carnival menu.

We were instructed to park in one of the minivan spots marked by color-coded speaker poles that no longer functioned. Instead, you played the sound through an assigned AM radio station. My sisters climbed onto the roof of the minivan to watch while my brother and I stayed in the car seated behind our parents.

The first movie starts when it gets dark. I remember being very bored by Scooby-Doo, paying more attention to the bowl of fresh cut watermelon my brother and I were sharing and sneaking peeks at the screen behind us where Jason X was playing.

That changed when Spider-Man began, and despite my poor view from the back seat, I was engaged. The scene that got me the most was after Uncle Ben died, and Spider-Man chased down his killer. It’s the first time he actually swings through the city, and suddenly, Batman had some competition for my affections.

6. An atmospheric experience – Finding Nemo and Pirates of the Caribbean

Theater experiences have grown more creative over the years. I’ve seen photos of viewers watching Jaws in little boats on the water, and now there are 4D theaters that move your chair and spray water and snow at you. But I had a more natural version of this experience when we went to the drive-in to see Finding Nemo and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

As we became more familiar with the drive-in experience, we began to bring lawn chairs and a radio and sit out in front of the car as we watched both movies. For this trip, we still had our old minivan which was on its last legs by this point. The back seat could come out. So, my dad and brother unloaded it from the trunk and then placed it in front of the car. We three oldest kids sat on this back seat wrapped in blankets while my youngest sister reclined on a lawn chair next to me. She barely made it through Finding Nemo before she abandoned her post and crashed in the back for the second movie.

Though it was cold out, my brother, sister, and I were hooked throughout the entire movie, shivering under the blankets. Best of all, there was a full moon positioned just to the right of the screen and enough cloud cover that the moon would often disappear behind it, just like in the movie.

We, like the rest of the world, didn’t know what to expect from Pirates. The trailers gave little away. We did not expect it to blow us away like it did. It became a family favorite franchise. But for the three of us on that minivan seat, that first viewing was the best.

7. Growing up with a franchise – The Dark Knight Trilogy

The release of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy was a big deal for me. Growing up on the Burton and Schumacher Batman films along with the animated series made me adaptable to any iteration of the character that came next. And this trilogy came to define my young adult experience with the character. I was growing up, and so was the character, at least in his cinematic form. So, we both grew in sophistication, philosophies, and our place in the world.

Batman Begins

I went to see Batman Begins at the drive-in along with the Will Ferrell film, Kicking and Screaming.  Let’s just say I was extra relieved when the first movie was over. I was going to be a sophomore in college, and I just couldn’t handle the kid humor of the early 2000’s.

I settled in, my excitement spiking as the credits rolled. A woman in the distance asked aloud, “Is this Batman Returns?” She obviously meant Batman Begins, but the cocky fan in me wanted to shout, “No! You’re 13 years too late!”

The shift in tone and realism was jarring on first viewing. This was essentially a cop movie where the main cop was dressed like a bat and doing things his way. He was fighting crime in a real city with punches that hit hard without feeling over the top.

I remember walking to the bathroom with my sister halfway through and discussing how disappointed we were in their version of Scarecrow. However, I was impressed with how accurate Gary Oldman’s Commissioner Gordon looked and acted.

Driving home at 2am, the orange streetlights on the highway reminding me of the tumbler chase scene in the middle of the film. It took a while for Batman Begins to grow on me. But once I was acclimated, I couldn’t wait for The Dark Knight. And then the trailer dropped online which changed the game for everyone.

The Dark Knight

I went to the theater to see The Dark Knight with my brother and sister. I was fresh out of college and acclimating to my first full time job. This franchise was making it okay to continue to go to Batman movies without feeling like a child. They were made specifically for adults without veering far from the source material. And that first trailer that dropped may just be the greatest movie trailer of all time.

I remember sweating during the armored truck chase and nearly hyperventilating during the Rachel and the Harvey Dent kidnapping scene. The hospital sequence remains my favorite of the film, and I remember thinking I would kill to be an extra in such an intense scene.

I came out of the theater trembling with satisfaction. There in the lobby was my youngest sister waiting to get in for the next showing along with her best friend. Apparently, she was so upset that we’d gone without her that she had concocted a plan to get to the theater that day and make sure she didn’t miss out.

The Dark Knight Rises

I went into The Dark Knight Rises feeling just as pumped about it as its predecessor, relieved that this one wouldn’t be marked by tragedy as The Dark Knight had with Heath Ledger’s death. And then some psychopath decided to open fire at a crowded theater on opening night.

Tensions were high after that, and that made going to see it at the drive-in feel like a safer experience. Still, I was extra vigilant as I continuously scanned the woods for a gun-wielding lunatic who might emerge to pick us off as we sat out in front of our cars. And the violence onscreen was more noticeable and impactful.

Maybe too it was the fact that I was no longer a kid at this point. I was a few years into the workforce, had moved into an apartment and then my own house, and I was trying to come into my own.

To counter that, this was the first (and only) time I went to a film that I was actually in. I had spent a day the summer before filming as an extra in the football stadium scene, and it was shocking to see the final cut. Not so sadly, I didn’t appear in the film except as an unidentifiable body in a crowd of spectators who go from cheering on their favorite football team to cowering for their lives as Bane terrorizes us from the field.

I loved The Dark Knight Rises more than most fans. For me, it was easy to overlook the plot holes deemed unforgiveable by others. I feel like this cast and crew could have easily told three more Batman stories in this world. But that universe-building technique was already being utilized by another studio.

8. Meet and greet experience – Follow That Bird

When people ask me if I’ve ever met a celebrity, the biggest name I can boast is Big Bird. A few years ago, a local theater hosted a meet and greet with Caroll Spinney where fans could get a picture and autograph and then file into their single, giant theater to watch a screening of Follow That Bird.

The screening took place in the morning with an autograph signing held before the movie. He was out of costume, in his old and frail form but still very nice and lucid. His wife sat next to him and helped to greet the fans. There was a charge for both the signature and the photo, but it was well worth it.

When it was my turn, I was overcome with nerves. But the usher along with Mrs. Spinney really helped to disarm the awkwardness. Mr. Spinney focused on the task at hand, signing an old pennant that I’d gotten at a Sesame Street Live as a toddler and then smiled when my sister took a photo of us.

The snack bar sold breakfast food that day. So, we bought a donut and drink before filing into the theater which played old Looney Tunes cartoons while we waited.

Once everyone was seated, Caroll Spinney came to the front of the theater and talked about the film for a few minutes. He didn’t stay to watch the film, but as he left, Big Bird’s voice suddenly filled the room saying, “Enjoy the show! Don’t fall asleep!” Everybody gasped in surprise.

Once the movie started, the adults seemed more engaged than the kids they had brought. You could see that the experience was more important to the kids who had grown up with the movie than the ones watching it in the theater now.

9. A movie with a live orchestra – E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial

Certain elements of a movie are more elements than others. Music plays a huge role in Stephen Spielberg movies, thanks to John Williams, who has scored most of his films. I don’t often go to see older films that I’ve watched at home hundreds of times before. When I do, it’s usually unremarkable as there’s really nothing surprising about seeing a movie that I’m already familiar with.

In this case, the score to the film was going to be performed live by the symphony orchestra. So, we would be watching at a concert venue rather than an actual theater. And because it’s such a memorable and symphony-friendly score, it felt worth it.

There is an added layer of tension to watching a live performance. You find yourself worrying for the orchestra, making sure that their cues are syncing up with the film and are playing as fluidly as the edited version that you’ve been watching your whole life.

What was surprising about this film, though, was getting to experience a classic with a bunch of younger audience members who weren’t as familiar with the film. For some kids in the audience, this was their first viewing, and the kids in our section were actually engaged despite the distraction of being in a crowded theater with snacks and public restrooms and people-watching opportunities.

The last fifteen minutes of the film is where the score really shines. And the orchestra really gave it their all, creating a grand finale that won them a standing ovation from the audience of all ages.

10. Solo outing with fellow fans – Avengers Endgame

My appreciation of the MCU was a slow burn. It took several films before I was totally onboard. But by the time Avengers: Endgame was released, I was hooked. So, I had to go see it opening day, and I decided to go myself.

It was a rainy morning. The crowd waiting outside had to pack in together under the small roof near the door so that we didn’t get wet. Somehow, I still did.

In line, almost everyone was dressed in Captain America gear, including me. As I was about to enter the theater door, the woman in front of me turned to me and said, “I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”

“Same,” I should have told her.

The theater was nearly full despite it being a Friday morning. Aside from a father and son chatting a little too loud nearby, it was a pretty respectful crowd as well.

As the third act kicked in, though, so did we. We stood up and cheered when Cap grabbed hold of Mjolnir. We screamed when the portals opened up, and when Tony’s light on his chest went out to signal that he was gone, there were audible sobs. I went back to see this movie two more times on my own, but neither time compared to that first time when you didn’t know what was coming and the people around you were just as excited as you.

What are your most memorable movie-going experiences? What is the first movie you ever saw in a theater? Leave your answers in the comments below!

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