108

It seems everyone has a different sitting preference at the movies. I want the ultimate experience: the screen completely filling my vision, like I'm in the movie. Usually the third or fourth row. My wife complains we're too close. Then I see people way in the back and it must be like watching TV the screen is so small. I don't understand that at all. So, Lemmy, where do you sit with your popcorn and why?

Bonus question: best movie food / candy, and how do you sneak it in?

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] Izzy@lemmy.world 40 points 1 year ago

Middle Middle. The "True Neutral" of movie theater seat preferences I suppose.

OP is more like Neutral Evil.

[-] MaggiWuerze@feddit.de 3 points 1 year ago

Only right answer

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Cross@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year ago

You, sir, are a psychopath. I always sit about halfway up as close to the center as I can get.

[-] krayj@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Distance from screen: 1/2 to 3/4 back (2/3 back being ideal)

Horizontal position: as centered as possible

[-] Sequentialsilence@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago

As an acoustic engineer who would tune movie theaters, 2/3 of the way back in the center of the room. If it is a Dolby certified theater there will be a chair with a small plaque that is where the measurements are taken and the room is tuned to that seat.

[-] Sabin10@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

Center seat, about a third of the way to the back. This is where we setup to calibrate the surround systems back in the 90s and I'm not aware of any change to this so I still sit there.

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] paganini@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago

I prefer to sit on the chair.

[-] rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I prefer to sit on my butt.

[-] Echolot@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago
[-] pyrflie@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

Edge seat nearest the door. A lot of the movies I'm willing to spend money to see are over 2hrs and I typically have to piss somewhere in that time. A quick convenient exit lets me get in and out with no fuss. I wish movies still had intermissions.

Bonus: Bit-o-Honey, just stick a few in one of your pockets. The body heat warms it up so it's not rock hard. No loud wrapper, not particularly messy.

load more comments (3 replies)
[-] _cerpin_taxt_@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

Very back row, dead center.

Unless it's a huge movie on opening night, I usually have all the leg room my tall ass needs, have a perfect view of the entire screen so I can take the whole movie in, sound is usually the best there, and there's just something about the back row and having all of that free space for activities. I can use set my bag down, get up and stretch without interfering with other viewers, and something about it is just very soothing for me. It's like a comfort thing.

Same feeling I get when I go camping and have everything within arms reach in my tent, or in my car on a roadtrip. Something about that feeling just does things for me. Most comfortable feeling in the world lol.

[-] GolGolarion@pathfinder.social 12 points 1 year ago

havent been to a theater since 2019, but i used to go for center of the rows. My main reason being that the sound is "centered" there, so it isnt behind you like in the front row, or in front of you in the back.

[-] Cameli_Hostis@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

Regular theater: in the center, about 1/3 back from the screen.

IMAX: in the center, very back row against the wall.

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Chickens@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Right behind the crossing lane and the never-used handicapped section so I can put my feet up. It's six rows from the front. Only downside is every yahoo with a tiny bladder that insists on parking on the far side of the theater from the exit has to parade back and forth constantly in the movie, breaking the emersion.

Bonus: a couple of airplane bottles to add to my coke and some raisinettes from the drug store where they cost 1/5 as much. Just carry them in my bag. No one working in the theater gives a crap if you bring in your own food.

[-] mrbubblesort@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago

Ya'll can afford movie tickets?

[-] SuperIce@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

For $25/mo I can see all the movies I want. That's like a single IMAX ticket where I am, so even one movie breaks even.

[-] art@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

The theater by my house is only $11. That's worth it to me.

[-] ShadowCatEXE@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Way at the back, for 2 reasons. First, it’s easier on my neck. Looking up when sitting in a lower section is hell for me. Second, I really dislike people sitting behind me.

[-] _cerpin_taxt_@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Rear-center sitters unite! There's literally 2 of us!

[-] AlecSadler@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Wherever is easiest to get up and out and go pee because I snuck in beer and I have a small bladder.

[-] DoomBot5@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

The ideal viewing position is the center about 2/3 of the way back.

[-] WeDoTheWeirdStuff@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago

The entire theater is designed around the center seat. Anything else is objectively wrong.

[-] literallyacat@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago

Very back row and centered. Can't stand getting my seat kicked (though with the re-designed rows and reclining chairs its not so much a problem anymore). I also just hate hearing people talk behind me. Would rather have a worse view with peace than a great view and hearing chattering in back/front of me.

[-] counselwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 year ago

Probably middle middle as well, maybe a bit higher than middle depending on the theater.

I don't have perfect vision so I can't seat super far back

[-] KairuByte@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

The acoustic sweet spot… obviously.

[-] amenotef@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

More or less in the middle.

[-] d00phy@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Same. Middle kind of meets OP’s need to be “in the movie” while still being far enough away the you’re not looking up throughout the film. Middle == Goldilocks

[-] soulifix@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Always in the back. I get a better view that way. I've tried sitting in the front before, but I always had to have my head tilted up. I've tried sitting in the middle before and my eyes had to zoom around the screen still to try and catch everything.

So, the back it is for me.

[-] Chickens@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I've tried the back and hate it due to you get a view of the entire audience and all the yahoos who refuse to not light up their phones mid movie. We live in a society of entitled twats. Getting this confirmation a half dozen times during the movie I paid for just makes my BP go up.

[-] PlanetOfOrd@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Between the sticky Coke spill and the teen giving TikTok movie updates, and right behind the dystopian row of popcorn shrapnel.

[-] mpolden@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I've been going to the same theater for the past 15 years, the largest/best equipped one in my city. I always sit about half way back from the screen (row 6 of 13), in the center of the room. Rows 5 and 7 work too, but 5 is slightly too close and 7 too far. My SO still thinks I'm weird for having a favorite row and seat, and I keep trying to explain why it's important.

Will be seeing Oppenheimer in my favorite seat today!

[-] JokeDeity@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

Farthest back row, dead center. The screen still feels huge, I don't have to move my neck, and most importantly I have no one behind me.

[-] circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 1 year ago

Always in a seat, never on the floor

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] kratoz29@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

One or two rows before the last one, in the middle, I thought it was the preferred position, I guess I'm wrong.

[-] Osea_3@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I’ve always sat in the center seats way in the back. I feel like any closer and my neck and eyes will start to hurt. Plus I don’t have to worry about people behind me being annoying or disruptive.

[-] Perfide@reddthat.com 2 points 1 year ago

Middle on one of the edges. Best distance to screen but also easy to get up for the bathroom.

[-] Asudox@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

High up in a corner where people mostly never sit. Though I don't go to theaters and movies by myself. Never. So I just suggest it to the person going with me.

[-] 0x4E4F@lemmy.rollenspiel.monster 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I haven't seen a movie in a theater since... forever. Probably 20 years.

I do watch a lot of plays though. Would throw money for that any time.

load more comments (4 replies)
[-] dan1101@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

About 4-5 rows back, next to an aisle if it isn't too off-center. If the row is deserted I will sit in the middle.

[-] emmanuel_car@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

My local cinema with small screens has two rows of reclining seats at the front, so I always try to grab one of those as close to the centre as possible. If the only seats are too far to the edge though I’ll sacrifice the comfort to be further back but more central.

load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2023
108 points (100.0% liked)

Ask Lemmy

26301 readers
838 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS