Going to the movie theatre

Last week, I decided spontaneously to go watch Paul at a movie theatre in Sakae （栄え）.  I want to talk a little about my experience going, because I realized watching a movie at an actual theatre here in Japan (or at least in Nagoya) is a bit different than at American theatres. . .


First, the theatre I went to has been probably the smallest theatre I've ever gone to.  It had only one theatre, which limited the number of shows it could have for each film, and the times it can show it.  For my movie, I had to wait more than 2 hours before it was being showed.  During that time, I had a light dinner and shopped around the area.

After sitting down in my seat, I looked all around me and realized that for a Friday night, the people here weren't what I expected.  I would say that the majority of the people who were there were middle aged men who looked like salary men.  There were also a number of women, also around the same age or younger.  Looking back, I would say there were more people by themselves than couples.

The movie itself was interesting.  It got a few out-loud laughs including from me.  However, at the end of the movie something strange happened.  Normally in America, most theatres will turn on the lights a bit while the credits are rolling, unless the credits themselves are 3D or had a special clip, but at the theatre I went to the lights remained off during the whole credits.  They weren't even special credits - it was an additional 5 minutes of reading the names of everyone who was a part of the filmmaking process.  BUT almost everyone stayed in their seats and silently continued to watch the screen like it was still an important part of the movie that they couldn't miss.  Only one old man left in the middle of it, but he was sitting in the far side of theatre too.  I remember I was even feeling a bit awkward as I turned around to look at everyone, because I felt like I should've been watching the credits roll too.  In any case, no one got up until the credits were done and the lights turned on.

So that was my movie night experience.  Even though I first went because I had nothing else to do that day but I didn't want to go back to my dorm, it ended up being a really nice experience.  I guess days by yourself like this can bring good results and good times too.  ^_^