Does anyone else take notes when watching films at cinema?

@AgrippinaX
“I usually go to the movies several times a week”

You go to the theater several times a week? Holy f***.
I have a feeling that I go to the theater less frequently than anyone else on this forum. The last movie I saw in theater was Megalopolis in early October. The last time I went to the theater before that was when I went to see Once Upon a Time in Hollywood back in August 2019, and the time before that was when I saw Dunkirk in August 2017. So I’ve been to the theater three times in the last seven years. A big reason why I never go is because it’s so expensive. Where I live, it costs $12 for ticket, and I’ve been told the cost popcorn, candy, and pop (which I never buy) are essentially price gouging.

“Quite often I find myself jotting down thoughts (in a notebook, yes, in the dark). I don’t do it to post it anywhere, or to inform a review, or even to tell anybody, necessarily — it’s more that I feel I’ll forget this or that thought that came to my mind by the time the film has ended. Is that utterly bonkers, or does anyone else do something similar?

If you have a purpose for taking notes (like the ones you describe) while watching a movie, I don’t think there’s anything strange about that. Whenever I do a retrospective movie review, I usually take notes when I’m viewing the film I’m going to write about.

Mark

I took notes one time for an HoF movie. I won't do it again as I had to keep pausing the movie which reduced the film's impact. Plus I couldn't read half my notes and I wrote them in broad daylight, can I say that

Back when I wrote reviews regularly and somewhat systematically I think I did bring in a notepad once or twice, but that would've been it. I mostly just made a point to write things down shortly after, which worked pretty well. Also, virtually every film I saw in theaters then I saw with my wife, anyway, so just talking about it on the drive home usually did a good job of solidifying things. Being in the habit of getting a first rough draft out as quickly as possible works wonders, anyway.

Obviously it was a bit difference when watching movies at home, though; I did it a bit more then, partially because I could use a device without bothering anyone, which is a lot smoother. And I took a lot of (relatively short, general) notes when I was watching films to discuss on the podcast.

Not bonkers if you're concerned about the details, but I wouldn't do that unless I was being paid for the review/comments. If it's on my buck (and it always is), I want to enjoy, or sometimes not enjoy, the movie without self-distractions.

If I want to make comments later, I just go to something like Wikipedia to catch up on the details. The details are mainly grist for my impressions.

When I was writing movie reviews, yeah I'd take notes on movies as I watched them; only for rewatches though, never first timers.

This sounds like a good approach.

I never take notes while watching films. Might be why I have nothing interesting to say about them.

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San Franciscan lesbian dwarves and their tomato orgies.

Thank you, friend!

Not actually AT the cinema. But at home I do sometimes. Maybe for a review, or maybe for a screenshot, or maybe for a piece of music I want to palgiarise.

I do, yes! It’s the only way I can relax/disconnect now, been this way for many years, so by now, the habit is ingrained. I enjoy it very much! Even if I dislike the film, I usually love the experience (though I try to watch films I expect to like on the big screen and then stuff I don’t care for as much at home; not that I can always predict these things).

I usually go on Wednesday night and Friday night, and then quite often over the weekend, too, on top of that. Last year in the summer, I spent an entire Saturday at the movies — watched three films in total, with a lunch break in between. It was great and I adored them all. I watched The Bikeriders, Kinds of Kindness and some third film that day, and it was honestly glorious, one of the best days I’d had in a long time. But to be fair, I don’t just do it because I’m committed to giving cinema its due and whatnot (although there is that). I’m also very introverted and I need a lot of space away from people and communication, so cinema gives me that.

Actually, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has also been one of my favourite cinema experiences of all time. I watched it in a small theatre in Chelsea and it was the best thing, everyone in the theatre laughed in unison, it was like a ‘60s time capsule, completely unironic and incredible.

It is all very expensive, but again, that’s one of the things I very purposefully treat myself to. I don’t tend to ‘eat’ as such during the film because NOISE, but I will get a glass of wine or a G&T. I have every available cinema membership in the U.K. and go to member screenings, get a glass of wine, work in members’ bars before films on weekdays. It’s a huge part of my life, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Actually, whenever I travel (whether across the U.K. and Europe or farther), one of the first things I research is where the nearest cinema is and what’s showing.

I also can’t do movie dates because I feel absolute rage if the guy distracts me, kisses me, talks to me, or otherwise ruins the experience for me and others (had one of those nightmare dates when I watched Smile, and though I generally like the film, I feel that I like it a bit less now after that experience, it has soured because the guy would not shut up or leave me alone and kept saying things like, ‘That was scary, wasn’t it?’).

Yes, I know I sound mean. Can’t help it.

The good old days. You go out with friends and take in the show and then laugh and argue about it with friends over pie and coffee.

Indeed. Next-best thing is to just marry someone you can do that with and spend almost all your time with them.

Absolutely. People underestimate how crucial that kind of compatibility is. If I have any so-called ‘dealbreakers’, it’s film taste (not just that he likes film, but that we have at least some overlap there — and I mean that very broadly).

I’m not saying we should like the same things, but my ex and I quite genuinely, without a modicum of exaggeration, broke up because we disagreed about GoT and quite a few fundamental (imo) film-related things. We talked again and again about film, and the more we did, the more I realised that his outlook, life philosophy and what have you were entirely incompatible with mine.

He’s a great guy, but he always rooted for different characters than I did (which, to be fair, is a ‘me’ issue I’ve struggled with all my life), and just generally valued such fundamentally different things about film I couldn’t get past it.

I began noticing that he was judgmental of characters/storylines/theses I felt quite protective of, and that eventually began to dampen my enjoyment of what we watched together. Neither do I dig many of his favourites, which is also quite telling (although this man forced me to finally watch Breaking Bad, The Leftovers and Mad Men, which I’ll forever remain grateful for).

It’s still a running joke with my best friend — I met some of her old friends last week, and she led with, ‘Hi, guys, this is AgrippinaX, who dumped an ex over The Game of Thrones’.

I take mental notes ALL THE TIME

I take notes but only at home. And actually only when a movie compels me to do so and/or I know I'm gonna do a write-up, it just turns out that is a LOT of the time.
Since I usually sit in the second row I feel like me taking notes at a theater could be distracting to other viewers.

Nah, I actually get what you're saying very much, when I take notes, as you, it's not a general outline or a jot-down of my feelings, it's specific thoughts that I might remember one or even two of at the end but really after 90-120 minutes the likelihood that I will forget one or other specific thoughts that felt meaningful at the time is very high.

I take notes at home, but usually pause the movie to do so. I can't pause a theatrical screening so I don't do it there.

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I do too, but then the next day they are mysteriously erased from my brain and I can't remember a damn thing about the movie, unless it really pissed me off then I can remember it all.

I haven't been to a theater since way before COVID. Last movie I remember seeing at a theater was Midway. That was six years ago and at a second run. So much time has passed that they've since closed down both second run theaters in town. So I don't see myself visiting one anytime soon. It's just not worth it.

EDIT: And no, I don't take notes.

You can transfer your mental notes to paper after the movie is over

OC I ain't.