# And now for a brief intermission
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 19, 2000, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558 "2000-10-19T17:40:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2000, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/1 "2000-10-19T17:40:14Z")
What was the last major movie (in the US) that included an intermission?
With some movies over 3 hours (Three Kings, Magnolia, etc.), it’s a long wait to use the facilities, especially after a Super-sized Coke. I understand “get 'em in, get 'em out”, but I might buy something at the concession stand during intermission, so why don’t they put intermissions in films any more?
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### Author:  [@Aglarond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aglarond)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2000, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/2 "2000-10-19T18:14:38Z")
Can’t answer your question. Just wanted to say I liked your user name. Welcome to the boards, anyway.
The last movie I saw with an intermission was Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Probably not the last, though. And there’s was meant as a joke.
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### Author:  [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2000, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/3 "2000-10-19T18:18:32Z")
The way I remember it, movies didn’t have intermissions. Intermissions were placed between films at a double feature.
Now that the double feature has gone the way of the dodo, no more intermissions.
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### Author:  [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2000, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/4 "2000-10-19T18:26:00Z")
I am under the impression that _Gettysburg_, a mid-90’s movie that clocked in at around 3 hours, had an intermission.
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### Author:  [@RESOL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RESOL)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2000, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/5 "2000-10-19T18:33:29Z")
Joh Corrado is right, Gettysburg did have an intermission…that’s the only movie I can remember that did…
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### Author:  [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2000, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/6 "2000-10-19T18:58:20Z")
The last movie I saw that had an intermission was Kenneth Branagh’s _Hamlet_ back in about 1996.
What about movies that require more than one intermission, like _Berlin Alexanderplatz_?
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### Author:  [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2000, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/7 "2000-10-19T19:04:51Z")
Roman Polanski’s "Tess of The D’Urberville’s " (sp?) had an intermission.
```
Circa...1981?
```
Cartooniverse
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### Author:  [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2000, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/8 "2000-10-19T19:30:04Z")
The more I thought about this, the less sense it makes… Why the hell don’t more longer movies have intermissions? If nothing else, you would think Hollywood would want to please the movie theatres. The theatres make $0 off admissions… it all comes out of concession sales. During an intermission, a lot of people might leave to get popcorn who otherwise wouldn’t.
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### Author:  [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2000, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/9 "2000-10-19T21:41:22Z")
Didn’t 2001 have an intermission? And I’m sure Schindler’s List must have had an intermission, although I’m not sure.
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### Author:  [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2000, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/10 "2000-10-19T22:50:16Z")
Where I saw it, on it’s first run, at least, _Schindler’s List_ didn’t have an intermission.
The last movie I saw that actually had an intermission was _Lawrence of Arabia_, during its re-release around 1990.
Was _Three Kings_ really that long? Another reason to put it high on the best movie chart. (i.e. the fact that I didn’t notice its length, not that it was long)
As to why they aren’t used, I don’t know. I’ve heard some stories that in times gone by, it was not uncommon to enter & leave a movie while it was running – maybe because films were seen more as escapism and less as something to pay attention to. The intermission seems a little like that. As attitudes towards the movies have changed, those making them are perhaps more determined to hold your attention the entire time, and don’t want the interruption.
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### Author:  [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2000, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/11 "2000-10-19T23:20:11Z")
“The Right Stuff” was shown with an intermission when I saw it in its initial run.
“Little Dorrit” had an intermissions, but that was actually two 3-hour films shown together.
I kept expecting “Dances With Wolves” to have an intermission. It didn’t and my large bottle of water weighed heavy on my blatter.
When I saw “Nixon” I bought a bottle of water and as soon as the movie started I dropped it and it rolled under my seat for about 40 rows.
“Schindler’s List” had no intermission when I saw it. I didn’t see “Titanic” but I don’t recall hearing that it had an intermission.
If you see a good print of “Lawrence of Arabia” it should also have an overture and an entr’acte. So you can grab extra time in the lobby eating, drinking, and tending to bodily needs once you hear the music.
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### Author:  [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2000, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/12 "2000-10-20T00:52:14Z")
The last theater intermission I remember was “Barry Lyndon.” Looking back on it now, I wonder why I actually chose to return to my seat instead of running for the exit.
The most recent film that _should_ have had an intermission was “Topsy-Turvy.” Don’t get me wrong - it’s an outstanding movie, especially the performance by Timothy Spall - but about halfway through, I wish I could have been out standing in the lobby, just for a breather. Besides, it would have lent some verisimilitude to the experience of seeing a G&S operetta.
And now…
The Larch
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2000, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/13 "2000-10-20T13:51:11Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Da Ace \*
> What about movies that require more than one intermission, like _Berlin Alexanderplatz_?
This was actually not a movie per se, but a German TV miniseries (15 hours). I went to it over a weekend years ago–8 hours one day and 7 the next, with two shorter breaks and a meal break each day.
It was a marathon but very much worth it–Fassbinder was a genius.
One funny thing–on the TV show “Wings”, the womanizer brother is talking about this woman he is dating and how he is putting up with her wanting to go to foreign films. I forget the first one he mentioned, but then he says she dragged him to “Berlin Alexanderplatz” next. I guess they just looked the list of Fassbinder’s work and picked it for the name, not for them actually being able to see it in a night.
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### Author:  [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)
#### Post date: [October 20, 2000, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/14 "2000-10-20T15:22:43Z")
I’m quite sure Amadeous had one.
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### Author:  [@MDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MDS)
#### Post date: [October 21, 2000, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/15 "2000-10-21T14:11:29Z")
I do recall that when I went to see Titanic, there was an intermission. However, it wasn’t “built in” to the movie like the intermission for 2001 was - they just stopped it between reels. Must have been some goofy management decision.
Kinda makes sense given Arken’s comment - movie theatre owners could just start “making” intermissions like this in longer films, unilaterally. (Notice that I said “could”, not “should.”)
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### Author:  [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)
#### Post date: [October 21, 2000, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/16 "2000-10-21T14:14:29Z")
I saw _Dances With Wolves_ years ago, and they held an intermission to sell burgers and hotdogs just after Costner had eaten the buffalo’s innards.
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### Author:  [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/17 "2016-01-23T03:57:39Z")
Well if enough people simply peed in their seats about halfway through the long movies, theatre management might start having intermissions. So next time you go to a long movie, go.
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### Author:  [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2016, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/18 "2016-01-23T04:06:03Z")
Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight is supposed to have one of it’s releases including an overture and an intermission.
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### Author:  [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2016, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/19 "2016-01-23T04:12:07Z")
The Roadshow 70mm Version of _The Hateful Eight_, which is presently in release, has an intermission (and an overture beforehand).
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### Author:  [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2016, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-now-for-a-brief-intermission/37558/20 "2016-01-23T04:13:30Z")
The script for _The Hateful Eight_ hadn’t even been written when this thread was posted FIFTEEN YEARS AGO.
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