Whenever I go to the movies, I always feel that there’s something just not quite right with getting up and leaving before the credits have ended. I’ve noticed, however, that the vast majority of people (including my lovely wife) don’t seem to feel this way.
So here’s my latest inane question: do you stay until the credits have ended?
Of course I stay. Having worked in film, I want to see if anyone I know was working on the one I just paid to see… Can’t see any other reason though…
No. I don’t care who did what in a movie. The “stars” already had their credits at the beginning of the movie that I was forced to sit through and there is no reason for me to sit through the end credits too. (Why do I care who the best boy was?)
Absolutely. First of all, some of the best music in the movie plays while the credits are rolling. Second, after Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, you can never be sure whether the movie is completely over or not. And third, all the idiots get out of the theater and into their cars, and you don’t have to encounter them in the parking lot. They’re all gone by the time you get to your car. 
Only in demented comedies. That’s because they usually have either (a)Funny credits put in, or (b) a final short scene following the credits. I like to see those. Any other movie, I leave. I don’t care who did what, and you know why? I don’t know those people, and I will forget their names the instant I walk out of the theater anyway, so why waste 5 minutes of my time? Sometimes I’ll stay to see who played a certain character if I like what they did, and I don’t know who they are, but that’s rare.
Jman
I do, but then I’m a hardcore moviegeek. (See sig.)
I do it partly out of respect; some of these folks devoted a year of their lives to something we then consume in two hours or so. I don’t know a lot of disciplines where the ratio of work to result is so small.
But I do it mostly because that’s a big part of how I started educating myself about film. Reading the credits, and knowing who really worked on a movie, is a far better barometer of the quality of the film than who the topline movie stars are. Keanu Reeves is a good example; he makes good movies (Bill and Ted, The Matrix), passable ones (Point Break, A Walk in the Clouds), and horrible ones (Feeling Minnesota). So when I see the preview for Sweet November, the fact that he’s in it tells me nothing. I have to read the list of personnel to get a sense of whether or not it’ll be a stinker. And if I always walk out early, disregarding all the credits, I’d never be able to predict movies accurately.
Just my two cents.
I’m with Cervaise – it’s a sign of respect and appreciation, like tipping, or saying thank you.
Juliana’s reasons were good too.
In “The Color of Money”, the best song was saved for the credits, IMHO.
I almost always stay for the credits. It just seems right to. Plus more and more often there are cool things after the credits.
Sometimes they throw in an extra scene at the end, as an “Easter Egg”.
The best one was in “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice”, where at the end, after all the credits, the entire cast came out dressed in circus garb, followed by elephants, clowns on stilts, and a whole parade.
I usually want to stay to read the song credits which are last, to recall a name or singer.
Another diehard credit watcher here. It’s fun to watch for strange names and find out who the caterer was. Plus, I can check out the songs and figure out what’s missing from the soundtrack.
I usually do, same thing, kind of as a sign of respect… I have a friend who works in film (though mostly TV) and I picked up the habit from her. And for some reason, another friend and I picked up this tradition of clapping for the Foley Artists.
Geez…you’d think from this thread that 98% of people stay for the credits…from personal observation it appears that only about 5% actually do…maybe just the non-credit watchers are intimidated by all you guys to post.
As far as the sign of respect is concerned…do you think the best boy grip honestly thinks you’re going to leave the theater after watching the credits saying “Hey, that Jim Marcus sure was a great grip, don’t you think?” I honestly think most people wouldn’t care. I think that most people would simply like the people they know to look for them in the credits. If the audience member liked the movie, and liked the work they did, I think that’s good enough.
Jman
My hubby and I usually stay because we have some bet about whether the third soldier from the left in that some scene was the same guy from, you know, that one movie.
Also, I always want to know who wrote the score.
We started to walk out on the credits in “Proof of Life,” but the gorgeous helicopter shot stopped me in my tracks. We ended up standing in the back.
Yeah, I’m with Pod in saying that sometimes I stay to watch credits to see if someone played someone else in a movie.
I like the credits if they’re playing a cool song, which is most of the time, and I like to see who played what and how they refer to bit parts (ex. Disgruntled woman).
The only exception for me not staying is if
I don’t stay unless there is some specific fact I want to check, like a song or a specific actor. Even then it’s usually easier to check IMDB when I get home.
Except for comedies, animated flicks, and movies playing in really crowded theatres, I’ll leave as soon as the cast list is over. It;s not that I’m disrespecting the efforts of the Grips and the Foleys. Its just that there’s no reason for me to stay and strain my eyes to note some foreign names crawling up the screen. There will be no final bows at the end. They can’t here me applaud at the screen. And If I want to get a good seat for the next movie, I need to hurry.
However, as a young animation geek, I’m studying those credits, just so I can identify individual animation styles.
I rarely stay for the credits when I’m at the movies, unless its one for my daughter. She likes to hear the songs. I almost always read the credits on videos.
For good movies, I prefer to stay, just to soak up the extra ambiance. My wife prefers to skedaddle out ASAP, however, and usually drags me along in the process.
For bad movies, the sooner the better…
Without fail. Right before the Union label you get all the location stuff. Ex.: the tropical street that closed Silence of the Lambs was on Bimini Island. Repeat. Without fail. There is no reason to leave before, critical that the closing credits be seen. I’ve gotten some heavy sighs from ushers who are trying to clean between flicks. Some theaters are so rude as to turn the lights up. I stand my ground, and am often the only one left at finis.
Usually, but not out of respect for the people who worked on the movie. I hate the crowd, and if I stay, I can relax in my seat for a few minutes while the crowd clears. Plus, as it’s been mentioned, sometimes you get really good music and some extra stuff on the screen. Either way, I don’t feel like elbowing my way to the lobby in the race to be the first to my car.