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I stopped going to theatres in the 80's when video rental stores and VHS players became available so my picks are all old. Not necessarily in any order:
2001 Space Odyssey seen upon opening in wide screen Cinerama at the Uptown theatre in Washington DC - 'nuff said McCabe and Mrs Miller This film's foggy cinematography in the Pacific Northwest added to this first "anti-western" Humanity in the opportunities and dangers of the frontier Performance When the lights go down and Randy Newman's Gone Dead Train theme begins to play, you are drawn into this remarkable dream Gimme Shelter A Rolling Stones concert/documentary climaxing in the cursed Altamont Speedway show. Theatres had a special four channel sound system installed for this film. Not on all the time, at each concert segment, the two rear channels would come up and the roar of the crowd would surround you. It was so great Das Boat In the original German with subtitles. No translation was needed for this eloquent story
And I would have to add many of the wonderful films of Ingmar Bergman that were shown in the art house theatres that thrived in 70's DC. They took you to a quiet, other world.
Hmm... surprising not to see any of my picks listed already. But, here goes:
Star Wars - In 1977, no theater experience previously could compare. Changed everything. Rocky Horror Picture Show - How could you beat that experience? Turned the movie theater into a party for the first time. Ghostbusters - Ok, kinda cheesy I guess, but at the time... great movie experience. Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, and Harold Ramis were no slouches, either. Pulp Fiction - The music and story wowed some pretty jaded people in the 90's, including myself. Stuck with you when you left. Travolta's comeback had to be witnessed in the theaters first, no torrents to spoil it yet. Saving Private Ryan - Opening scene was hard and immersive, and the rest of the film didn't disappoint. Ended up being a quite memorable movie experience.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? - Great movie, and still creepy today. My parents went to see that at the Drive-in with us kids in the back, supposed to be sleeping. I peeked and watched it and it scared me to death! I had nightmares about the Betty Davis character for a long time. ("I've written a letter to Daddy...") Yikes!
PLANET OF THE APES - The original. Why didn't my parents just hire a babysitter??!
STAR WARS- I was a junior in High School, we all walked out of the theatre like "WOW" We'd never seen ANYTHING like it before at that time.
GREASE - Great fun for me - but my date hated it! Decided to leave my own squeaky clean Sandra Dee image behind after watching that movie.
BACK TO THE FUTURE - The whole theatre had a blast watching that - FUN!
TITANIC - Best, most enthralling movie experience of my adult life - so far.
Honorable mention - The X-Men movies. Took my kids, didn't think I'd like them, loved them.
Slightly different take, these are best movies AND total experiences.
I doubt that the experience I had with the original Star Wars could ever be topped. I managed the theatre, and had a pre-opening private screening with a nearly empty theatre. A few employees and I had pizza and beer and sat in the sweet spot of the theatre, watching it in comfort prior to just about everyone in the nation. It doesn't get better than that.
You haven't experienced Gone With the Wind unless you've seen it at either the Fox in Atlanta or the Alabama in Birmingham. Both are movie palaces. Shows are lightly enough attended that you can get great seats. The only problem is that the sound systems can have echo.
Rocky Horror - an experience like no other, especially as manager of the theatre.
A Burt Reynolds double feature at a drive-in on a balmy night with a full lot. Quintessential Americana, right down to the concession ads, short feature, and two Warner Bros. cartoons. The smell of the onions frying on the grill (we used to do that to increase sales) and the movements of the cars in the back row...
Jaws. If for nothing else than standing at the back of the theatre when the shark makes a surprise appearance. It is HILARIOUS to watch an entire audience simultaneously scream, jolt about 6" up off their seats, and then settle back down.
I have a number of other memorable experiences, but you asked for five.
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