# Have you ever sat in the front row at a movie theater? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2013, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772 "2013-01-20T03:03:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/81 "2013-01-21T07:13:32Z")
The only time I remember was for “Rocky IV.” We had gotten tickets early in the morning. But spent too much time at the local arcade that by the time we came back to the theater, the line was around the building. This was before reserved seating of course. :-)) ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/82 "2013-01-21T15:25:19Z")
When I was a teenager I thought it was fun to sit in the front row so everything would look as big as possible. Nowadays I’d much prefer to avoid a stiff neck. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/83 "2013-01-21T15:52:48Z")
A few times, in small cinemas showing older films and so on. Only time I remember being in the front row for a major release was for _Master and Commander_. We were fairly near the middle and it was awfully big! No complaints, really, except that you had to keep turning your head to see the action at the sides. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/84 "2013-01-21T16:03:55Z")
_Die Hard 2_. My neck got kind of stiff but it wasn’t too bad. Last year I went to see _Avengers_ at the last minute and wound up sitting in the third row, on the end. That was a pretty bad seat but at least I had already seen the movie before (I ended up seeing that movie three times in the theater - first time I’ve paid for multiple viewings since _Empire Strikes Back_). ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/85 "2013-01-21T16:22:48Z")
Once – for _Rambo: First Blood Part II_. My neck hurt for three days after that. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/86 "2013-01-22T18:11:35Z")
First run of Star Wars back in '77. My sister and I (ages six and four) started out in the back row and gradually moved forward in awe as the movie continued. We were in the front row when the Death Star exploded. ---
**Author:** ![Adastra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Adastra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adastra)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/87 "2013-01-31T06:15:02Z")
I sat in the front row, at one of the Harry Potter movies. We got there late and it was packed. I remember the screen being distorted, and feeling slightly nauseous. Not for me. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/88 "2013-01-31T07:38:36Z")
Yes. And I was warned when I bought my ticket. But I didn’t know. Now, I know. Now I would not buy that ticket! Perfect view of bottom right hand screen, everything else distorted, including my neck by the end of the movie (which was Woody Allen’s MANHATTAN). ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/89 "2013-01-31T14:11:40Z")
The only time I was ever forced to the front was _Point Break_, the bank-robber surfing movie with Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. I was off to the right, too, so everything seemed so surreal. On the other hand, \* the big wave scene at the end was probably twice as impressive to me than most people. - mild spoiler for ending of the movie ---
**Author:** ![PaperBlob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@PaperBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaperBlob)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/90 "2013-01-31T15:20:14Z")
Twice that I can remember. 1. As a teenager, I went to see **Midway** (I think). We sat in the first row to be closer to the Sensurround speakers that were on the floor between the first row and the screen. We vibrated a lot, as I recall. 2. For my son’s birthday party, we went to one of the **Harry Potter** movies, got there late, and it was the only place left to sit. It was pretty painful. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/91 "2013-01-31T21:30:49Z")
I’ve never been to a theater that packed. ---
**Author:** ![PaperBlob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@PaperBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaperBlob)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/92 "2013-01-31T23:45:00Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I’ve never been to a theater that packed. If you were responding to me: I believe it was opening weekend for the VERY highly anticipated film. We usually time our visits to avoid crowds like that, but that day and time just happened to coincide with our son’s birthday. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/93 "2013-02-01T00:58:01Z")
Drunk. Front Row. Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter. Didn’t mind it except there’s no place to put your feet. I always want to sit closer. The last row of the front section is my dream spot but nobody I go with ever wants to sit in the lower section. I don’t mean to highjack but being in the middle is so much more important than distance from the screen. I don’t think I’ve ever sat off to the side for any movie, ever. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772/94 "2013-02-01T01:01:39Z")
A few times. In some cinemas it’s not a big deal. I’m curious - why are you excluding Imax? It’s still a cinema. I have sat in the front row at London Waterloo Imax, and I wouldn’t do so again - my companion found it nauseous and I just found it difficult to see everything on the screen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-sat-in-the-front-row-at-a-movie-theater/647772.md?page=4)