Who’s excited about the Barbie movie?

[Imzadi]

But also the attention span within the story, so emotionally or mentally. To keep a story going to keep someone interested over a 3 hour period is hard. The story needs to be at the right pace, but at certain points you have to slow down to give your audience (and your characters) time to process. For some this can be too long, for others it is too short.

Yes, I felt this about the Mission Impossible movie too. Usually the movies/TV series aren't just all sleight of hand and sleight of face mask techniques. They have a very cerebral/intellectual element to them. I didn't feel the movie had enough slower times to watch and process some of that. And the pacing was off during the Ving Rhames & Simon Peg scenes who provide much of that. The movie was just geared toward the pacing of action, action, action for much of the film.

I still liked it. I will see Part 2 when it comes out.

 

[AustinTink]

And the pacing was off during the Ving Rhames & Simon Peg scenes

My husband and I both commented that something seemed off about Ving Rhames.

 

[NotUrsula]

Once Upon a Time, long films had intermissions, which made more money on concessions for the theater, and allowed people to get up and stretch, use the restroom, etc. Lawrence of Arabia, for instance, was 228 minutes in the originally-released cut; it was later cut to 187 for a re-release, but has since been restored. I've seen it on the big screen several times, but never without an intermission.

Intermissions are rare now for films; though you still get them in live theatre. I'm not sure of the reason, really; perhaps to squeeze in more showings in a day?

 

[bcla]

Once Upon a Time, long films had intermissions, which made more money on concessions for the theater, and allowed people to get up and stretch, use the restroom, etc. Lawrence of Arabia, for instance, was 228 minutes in the originally-released cut; it was later cut to 187 for a re-release, but has since been restored. I've seen it on the big screen several times, but never without an intermission.

Intermissions are rare now for films; though you still get them in live theatre. I'm not sure of the reason, really; perhaps to squeeze in more showings in a day?

Monty Python and the Holy Grail had a joke intermission. I think there was "action" that happened during the intermission and they just ended up with a conclusion to a particular scene after the "intermission".

2001: A Space Odyssey had specific music during its intermission. I think they were trying to make it such that someone in the lobby could hear it as it got increasingly louder as it got close to the end.

Apparently theaters aren't going to do it these days because they've run the numbers and more showings will make them more than selling concessions by bringing in more customers who will go to concessions before the movie. And I think free refills (which mostly get used by a few people after a movie has finished) might cut into their potential concession revenues. I remember the last time I saw a movie with an intermission, there were long lines at concessions and they really couldn't sell that much in maybe 12 minutes. The lines might also get long really quickly compared to people filtering into an [correction] auditorium.

 

[gmi3804]

Monty Python and the Holy Grail had a joke intermission. I think there was "action" that happened during the intermission and they just ended up with a conclusion to a particular scene after the "intermission".

2001: A Space Odyssey had specific music during its intermission. I think they were trying to make it such that someone in the lobby could hear it as it got increasingly louder as it got close to the end.

Apparently theaters aren't going to do it these days because they've run the numbers and more showings will make them more than selling concessions by bringing in more customers who will go to concessions before the movie. And I think free refills (which mostly get used by a few people after a movie has finished) might cut into their potential concession revenues. I remember the last time I saw a movie with an intermission, there were long lines at concessions and they really couldn't sell that much in maybe 12 minutes. The lines might also get long really quickly compared to people filtering into an auditorial.

Also, in the past, most people didn't always have to be eating, and an intermission wasn't provided as a time to fill up again.

 

[bcla]

Also, in the past, most people didn't always have to be eating, and an intermission wasn't provided as a time to fill up again.

I never really understood those little concessions ads. Of course the traditional anthrapomorphic food and drinks from Let's All Go the the Lobby. I never really understood that since that was usually shown right before the previews and there wasn't likely much time. But they had versions that showed just before the intermission.

I have seen a few drive-in movies, although I didn't quite understand the strategy where they allowed outside food and drink as long as alcohol wasn't consumed on premises. But I think they had one of those traditional shorts showing right after the end of the feature if there was a double feature.

 

[sk!mom]

They really need to get over this urge to make everything 2 1/2 or 3 hours. The movies would be so much better.

Agreed. The excessive length is probably the biggest reason we rarely see movies in a theater these days.

Interesting that people thought Barbie was too long. I was surprised that it was almost 2 hours as I felt that it went by quickly. It does have pacing issues for sure but I didn't feel like it was too long.

Being too long is why I probably won't check out Oppenheimer (also not interested in the subject matter). Don't want to sit in a movie theater for 3 hours.

My friend’s review of Oppenheimer, “Good movie and then it carried on for another hour.”

I have zero interest personally in the Barbie movie but I love the energy it has created. I know people who aren’t into movies or dressing for anything that are dressing up to go to see this.

It’s fun to watch and I’m glad to see so many people getting so much joy from it.

You sound like my DH. We had some good laughs last night as I explained “Mojo Dojo Casa houses” to him and showed him a few TikToks. That moved on to “my Ken’s job” TikToks. He enjoyed the laughs but still doesn’t plan to go to a theater to see it.

What I don't understand is why you have a pre-conceived notion about how long a movie has to be, and if it goes over that that it's "too long."

For me, once it passes 2 hours, I’m usually restless and want a break. I don’t like trying to decide when might be the best time to race to the restroom. The length is a big factor that pushes me to wait until I can watch it at home so that I can pause it for breaks and discussion.

 

[lisaviolet]

Ryan Gosling was perfection

Oh man, talk about just going for it - he was.

So happy to hear you loved it. What a great memory for you all.

 

[China Expat]

Saw it last night. I laughed and cried. Strong messaging about women's independence, empowerment, resilience, and body image. I will be taking my all girls' dorm to see the movie when they arrive!

 

[longboard55]

So how many weird Barbies will we see for Halloween.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Why? Running time has nothing to do with quality.

Barbie runs 114 minutes.

Roger Ebert famously observed that all bad movies are too long, and all good movies are never long enough.

The Sound of Music, Gone with the Wind, LOTR trilogy...all long but great films..just to name a few.

 

[gmi3804]

The Sound of Music, Gone with the Wind, LOTR trilogy...all long but great films..just to name a few.

Yes. Well, maybe not Gone with the Wind....

What's your point?

 

[Smugpugmug]

The Sound of Music, Gone with the Wind, LOTR trilogy...all long but great films..just to name a few.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy (extended cut, NOT the theatrical cut) would be the only movies I would willingly sit through in a movie theater for 3+ hours.

 

[Imzadi]

Intermissions are rare now for films; though you still get them in live theatre. I'm not sure of the reason, really; perhaps to squeeze in more showings in a day?

I wonder if someone did an analysis and realized that the concessions stands made more money at the start of every movie than they did during intermissions? Thus, movies became shorter so they could fit in more showings each day?

Back in the day, "hit songs" had to be of a certain length, around 3 minutes. Record companies used to really push to have the songwriter write or shorten songs to that magic amount of time. Another reason why was that radio DJs just wouldn't play long songs. Not sure why. Bohemian Rhapsody broke that rule at nearly 6 minutes. There have been other longs songs too that became hits in spite of the rule and DJs played them.

 

[bcla]

I wonder if someone did an analysis and realized that the concessions stands made more money at the start of every movie than they did during intermissions? Thus, movies became shorter so they could fit in more showings each day?

I don't think movies have necessarily become shorter. The whole thing about "artistic integrity" and all. I think I mentioned earlier that the numbers likely support that more showings brings in more overall concessions than having intermissions.

I've heard that a lot of animated movies that are about 90 minutes long means more showings. But then again they often have more children attending, with lower child ticket prices.

 

[mousefan73]

Once Upon a Time, long films had intermissions, which made more money on concessions for the theater, and allowed people to get up and stretch, use the restroom, etc. Lawrence of Arabia, for instance, was 228 minutes in the originally-released cut; it was later cut to 187 for a re-release, but has since been restored. I've seen it on the big screen several times, but never without an intermission.

Intermissions are rare now for films; though you still get them in live theatre. I'm not sure of the reason, really; perhaps to squeeze in more showings in a day?

Sounds of Music was like that too I remember.. The intermission was when she packed up to leave and ran up the stairs and looked back.

 

[gmi3804]

Sounds of Music was like that too I remember.. The intermission was when she packed up to leave and ran up the stairs and looked back.

Most of the big '60s movie musicals had intermissions.

 

[AustinTink]

Barbie broke another record…

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie will finish Sunday with well more than $700 million in worldwide ticket sales at the box office after serving up the biggest week in history for a Warner Bros. movie with $578.5 million.

 

[longboard55]

Barbie broke another record…

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie will finish Sunday with well more than $700 million in worldwide ticket sales at the box office after serving up the biggest week in history for a Warner Bros. movie with $578.5 million.

The last movie I have seen with this much buzz was Jaws, which was way before most of your time. Everyone seems to be talking or writing about it

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I saw it yesterday.
I absolutely LOVED the movie!
I'm in my 60's and played with Barbies for many years! Oh the memories