If movie audiences were limited to the well-informed Hollywood would go broke. Smart theater managers will put a sign up at the box office. "The Artist is a SILENT movie."

I'm only posting in here to inform you all that I'm giving you the silent treatment.

Not entirely silent.

I'm pissed The Iron Lady didn't have flying robots with repulsor beams.

foo monkey: Not entirely silent.

Like this?

ZMugg: foo monkey: Not entirely silent.

Like this?

[t2.gstatic.com image 294x171]

Mel Fun, Marty Eggs, and Dom Bell were ahead of their time.

/off to throw myself on a live soda can.

ZMugg: foo monkey: Not entirely silent.

Like this?

[t2.gstatic.com image 294x171]

If only I wouldn't have answered the wife's text message!

brigid_fitch: JerseyTim: MaudlinMutantMollusk: Well, at least those asshats talking on cell phones don't interfere with the dialogue

Crazy enough, when I saw it, people were extra quiet. It's like because there was no dialogue, any talking in the theater would stand out even more.

That's how it was in our theater. Husband & I even got shushed for laughing at parts.

I couldn't enjoy my popcorn because the crunch was thunderous.

Um....

it wasn't. There was a soundtrack. At the end, there was even dialogue.

Just because most of it was music doesn't make it silent.

Objection, your honor!

The pod race WAS pretty cool...

There's an urban legend that tells of The Madness of King George being changed from the original title of The Madness of George III because American audiences would have thought that it was the third film of a trilogy.

All too plausibe. Dumbass yanks.

I'm telling you, these non-talkies are going to ruin Hollywood.

I remember when I found out that the Star Wars movies weren't documentaries.

ALL LIES.

I actually RTFA and was shocked - SHOCKED, I say - to see that this happened in the UK as opposed to mid-America.

Next you'll tell me Titanic wasn't based on an actual old lady with a diamond.

Its really a shame that laughing at stupid people to their face isn't socially acceptible. It might help fix problems like this.

Mugato: CommieTaoist: Whenever I see a musical I usually think, "This movie would be pretty cool if everyone didn't stop and sing and dance for no reason". Because they usually have good actors and production values but the whole concept of shoving dance numbers into a narrative that isn't The Blues Brothers just makes no sense to me.

You know, it's funny. I make musicals for a living, I think they're a great form of storytelling, but movie musicals give me the same reaction you have. Even animated ones. I just watched a Disney movie last night, and every time a song started I was like, "oh shiat, I hope this song is short, I was just getting into the scene!"

I'm not sure why that is, I guess we're just conditioned to being fed information in a certain way based on the genre. Sort of like how these people are upset because they went in expecting a talking picture and got a silent film. You have to be in the mood to be receptive to it.

CommieTaoist: I had no idea Sweeney Todd was a musical, remember thinking, "ok, an opening musical number, lots of films have these" then, when another song started up I leaned over to my friend and loudly whispered "It's a musical?!" Thankfully the cinema served beer.


I saw that when it came out (I think it was an Xmas release), and the theatre was about half-full (matinee), and the couple in front of us got up and walked out while Johnny was still singing his way into harbour on the ship.

I've never walked out of a film (maybe because I only see about 5 a year in theatres), but I just had to laugh at how quickly they made their decision. "Oh! He sang! I totally heard him sing. That's it, we're leaving. C'mon, Jeannine."

/This theatre served no beer...

CommieTaoist: I had no idea Sweeney Todd was a musical, remember thinking, "ok, an opening musical number, lots of films have these" then, when another song started up I leaned over to my friend and loudly whispered "It's a musical?!" Thankfully the cinema served beer.

Ooooooo Roxy Roller.

Jim_Callahan: Um....

it wasn't. There was a soundtrack. At the end, there was even dialogue.

Just because most of it was music doesn't make it silent.

Technically, it does - it's still classified as a silent film.

Old enough to know better: Its really a shame that laughing at stupid people to their face isn't socially acceptible. It might help fix problems like this.

Your ideas intrigue me, and I will vote for you in the next county election.

Mugato: whenIsayGO: I'm not sure why that is, I guess we're just conditioned to being fed information in a certain way based on the genre. Sort of like how these people are upset because they went in expecting a talking picture and got a silent film. You have to be in the mood to be receptive to it.

For me, as someone who appreciates and (tries to make) films, there's a certain level of suspension of disbelief. I can buy guys from the planet Krypton who can fly and Jedi running around with lightsabers because all the crazy shiat is explained in some way in the narrative, no matter how far fetched the explanation. But everyone just stopping and breaking out into song and dance just sort of takes me out of the story.

Not to take away from what you do, I sure couldn't do it.

I know what you mean. When I see a musical I think of it as seeing the world with kind of an extra layer of perception that doesn't exist in everyday life. Like in addition to hearing people talk and seeing them walk around, you can hear music that isn't actually playing in their world and their inner thoughts are visible/audible in song and dance. But you have to really buy into that, so when it pops up in places you don't expect, or is badly implemented where the use of song feels inconsistent, it's jarring.

Jim_Callahan: Um....

it wasn't. There was a soundtrack. At the end, there was even dialogue.

Just because most of it was music doesn't make it silent.

Um.. dude. Silent films always had soundtracks. Usually played by live performers during the show. "SIlent" referred to dialogue only.

skylabdown: Jim_Callahan: Um....

it wasn't. There was a soundtrack. At the end, there was even dialogue.

Just because most of it was music doesn't make it silent.

Um.. dude. Silent films always had soundtracks. Usually played by live performers during the show. "SIlent" referred to dialogue only.

[pedantry] There was no soundtrack whatsoever with silent film. So no dialogue, no sound effects, no music. The music was played simultaneously alongside the film, but the film itself was completely silent. Ergo silent film. [/pedantry]