I'm researching attitudes on the subject for a forthcoming blog post. I'm happy to read any thoughts you might have on the subject as well. For the purpose of this survey, I am not concerned with how you feel about other people applauding.

I like when people applaud at the end of good movies when I go to the theater. Oddly enough though, I've never personally clapped.

Personally, it just seems weird clapping for performers and filmmakers that aren't even in the building.

Had to go with never. You applaud to show your appreciation, but the people responsible for the movie aren't there, they can't hear you, so why would I applaud?

Voted never. Even when it's a movie I loved, it just seems silly...

Only at a film festival, at the end of the film, and that's only if I actually enjoyed the film in question.

I've never felt the urge to clap at a "regular" showing. Who am I clapping for, the projectionist?

Only if another person starts the applause by clapping very very slowly...

My applause is really more of emotional release than giving kudos to the filmmakers. I've rarely clapped at the end of a movie, but when I have it's usually been when the movie has been entertaining throughout, the crowd has really been into it, and the movie ends on a real high note. Everyone's got a movie high and clapping is just another way for everyone to say, 'That was a fucking great movie!'

I voted for the last option, although I wouldn't phrase it as "absolutely," because it's only on rare occasions that I find a great line or badass moment worthy of clapping for. And it's usually when the audience is so dead that I need to perk it up a little. Or when the audience feels completely different from me and I have to make clear my opposition to them. This happened most recently during RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES' bridge sequence. I wanted to see those ape monsters shot to pieces, so when the helicopter flew over and the sniper starting shooting at them and hitting them I started to applaud, just to let the self-hating humans in the rest of the audience know that at least ONE PERSON cared enough to oppose those "Goddamned dirty apes." Of course, my daughter reached over and pulled my hands down to stop me. (As my brother tells his sons and my daughter: "WE can embarrass YOU. YOU can't embarrass US.") Another brother was with us at the APES screening and rooted for the apes because he's an ex-radical who's had run-ins with the San Francisco police and California state troopers and wanted to see them get hurt.

I got in trouble at a packed opening night screening of LETHAL WEAPON 4 back in June 1998 when I insisted on clapping for Jet Li everytime he overpowered the heroes. I was there as a Jet Li fan, dammit! At some point, people started to turn on me, so I stopped--right before Li started killing people the audience liked. It was a struggle, though. I clapped for Mr. T during the climactic bout of ROCKY 3 and my then-wife got mad at me. But then, I used to root for the villains in a lot of films. But not when they're apes (except when they're called King Kong), Nazis, aliens or giant insects. I draw the line there.

In the old days, when I would go see classic musicals on the big screen like SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, THE BANDWAGON and ON THE TOWN, the audience would always clap at the end of each musical number. A shared moment of enjoyment. How can you not clap after Gene Kelly finishes "Singin' in the Rain"?

Never...unless the projectionist went beyond the call of duty.

I've clapped on occasion, usually at the end.

I sometimes clap once or twice when I'm laughing hard but that's hardly regulated to just the movies.

I remember the entire theater broke out in applause after the first one-on-one combat scene in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The battle stopped, the drums went silence, and then BOOM - applause like we were all watching our darling children performing a preschool play.

/end of thread

I honestly view it as only people who never go to the actual theater applaud at movies. They just think it's something they should do, without realizing why it's ridiculous.

Never. What a dumbass thing to do.

I don't even understand why people stay to watch the ending credits (and I'm not talking about people waiting for a post-credits sequence either). Why the fuck for? To "give respect" to people who worked on it? Absolutely retarded. You "give respect" by paying your hard-earned shekels to see the movie in the first place.

Kinda torn between #s 3 and 4 (I voted 3). I agree it's kind of silly, but if I'm feeling pumped up and others start clapping, I'll join in as a community moment.

When I saw the movie of Sondheim's Company live at Lincoln Center, we clapped after most of the numbers, probably because that's what you do at live theater and because the on-screen audience did.

On the other hand, I always thought it was awkward at the end of High School Musical 3 in which the core cast walked forward at the end and the camera lingered on each actor for a few seconds, clearly intended to invoke applause from the audience. I get repulsed by that kind of attempted emotional manipulation. (I don't think I ever saw that in theaters so I don't know if it actually worked.)

This.

No shit. I don't even watch the movie, I just pay my $9 and leave. Fuck those pretentious "filmmakers". I don't need to waste my time sitting there and watching their stinkin' film!

Don't forget to blow the busboy every time you go out to dinner. You know, to give him his propers.

Never have and never will.

It rarely happens, but maybe once every few years at an "event" movie if it's great. One exception recently was the post credits scene of Captain America, where they showed The whole audience clapped after.

Only at a filim festival (only when I like the movie) because people associated with the film are there. It's silly to applaud a movie otherwise. It would be similar to Homer Simpsons writing letters to movies (ie. "Dear Die Hard").

If you're looking to research attitudes, I'd look up some of the concert-movie threads for possible discussion. I know it came up in the Company thread and maybe in the Glee one.

sometimes. usually if someone goes first.

No. I'm an adult.

Only if i'm caught up in the moment, never at the end of a movie.

If its a movie I really enjoyed and other people are doing it, then yeah, I'll probably join in, but I wouldn't ever start it myself.

If you can think of a better way for me to show my gratitude I'd like to hear it.