Probably a few times a year. It’s something I’ll do when my wife is out of town or she’s busy with her friends, or if there’s a movie which I really want to see, but I can’t interest my wife or my friends in seeing (for example, the recent movie Rush).
If I can ever get over this thing where I get dizzy having too much of my visual field covered up, I’ll do it, just to prove I can handle it, but, otherwise, no. Back when I did go to the movies, it was a social thing. Why go out to watch movies when I can watch them at home? I’ve never been the type of person who has to see or have something as soon as it comes out.
Didn’t answer the poll, because there wasn’t an option even remotely close.
Before I was married, I used to go to movies alone with some regularity.
During my married life, but before fatherhood, I’m sure I saw a few movies by myself along the way.
Since I became a father, the only times I’ve gone to the movies have been with the Firebug, to see movies targeted at the preschool and early elementary school demographic.
So neither of the ‘frequently’ or ‘occasionally’ options comes close to applying, but the ‘rarely’ options are way off the mark as well.
Up to age 26: I almost always went to the movies with friends or family. The only movie I can remember seeing by myself in that time period was Congo in 1995. I probably saw a movie every month or two in this time period, although during my undergraduate studies there were periods when I’d go to the midnight show with my friends almost every week.
Age 26-30: I was living alone in a new city and I almost always went to films alone. I’d go to the movies once a month or so.
Age 30-present: After meeting my future wife, most of the time we go to the movies together (maybe once a month), but I’ll go see a movie by myself every so often if I don’t think she’d like it (maybe two or three times a year).
I think it’s nice but not necessary to have someone to share the experience with.
I’m much like this. I don’t go to the movies a lot - every 2-3 months (but then there are months I’ll go 2-3 times), and I’m almost always alone.
The first and only time I ever did this was to see 2001 early in my freshman year of college before I’d really made friends and definitely wanted to see the movie.
This is a time of year when I got to more movies then usual. I like to wait until they hit the discount theatres and now’s the time when all the summer blockbusters are coming to the end of their runs.
Does anyone ever feel weird going to movies alone?
The only time it bothers me is when I’m seeing a movie targeted toward kids, like an animated Disney movie or something. Nobody else in the audience has ever seemed bothered by it, but it does make me feel a tiny bit awkward.
Those are the only kids of movies where I’ll make an effort to find a friend or family member to go with me.
I wonder if there is a gender discrepancy. When I go to the movies (whether alone or with others), I notice that the singletons tend to be male. But I’m not sure if this observation is accurate.
Among the couples I know, I can see the men going to the movies alone, but I can’t imagine the women doing the same.
The last movie I can remember seeing alone was Deliverance, however long ago that would have been.
I haven’t been to a theater for a movie in a long time. Years. With or without somebody else.
I’m hooked on Netflix and TV. No need to pay all that much and listen to idiots talking in a theater. I’m too hooked on closed captions and being able to rewind to see any value in a theater experience.
The first couple times, maybe. After that, nope.
The last time I did it was out of spite. I was arguing with my wife, wanted to get out of the house, and went to see a movie I knew she wanted to see.
That was almost a decade ago.
Pretty much the same. I voted “Occasionally”, but it’s more like between that and “Frequently”.
My best friend is also a movie buff and we have similar tastes in movies. We usually talk about the film before and after the showing. However, he also works crazy hours and is married, so I do go now and then by myself. Last couple ones I saw by myself were Ted and The Iceman.
I used to do that quite often. But then I saw a lot more movies at the theater. Sometimes it was because I wanted to see the same move multiple times.
I started doing it again just so I can see the movie at the theater, especially if it’s one I want to see in 3D.
Sometimes.
Theaters have made advances since then. If it’s been that long it may seem like an alien experience to you.
Did the seats have cup holders last time you went? I think these have helped prevent spilled drinks and reduced the stickiness problem.
Rarely now. Always go with the wife, always. But there was a spell when she had to be out of the country for a month or two at a time. And she was gone the whole summer of 1996 for a workshop at the U of Michigan. So then I would go alone. But she doesn’t have to do that anymore. As a young adult in the US, I’d go alone all the time.
I’ve gone alone twice in my life. Both occasions were just me killing time due to some work thing; in one case I had to kill some time in Phoenix before going to the airport, so I saw “Poseidon,” and in retrospect I’d have had more fun going out into the desert and dying of thirst. The other time I wandered out of the office one afternoon to go watch “Fahrenheit 9/11” just because I was that bored.
I suppose I might go alone again someday if a similar situation arises.
At least once a week, and often twice.
It helps that I live about 5 min walk from a cinema that always has a really good range of independent and mainstream movies. And wine.
I have only been to one movie in the past ten years and that was a birthday treat for my girls to see Tangled. I just don’t get into sitting in a dark room with a bunch of strangers, plus you can’t stop the movie when you gotta go to the restroom.
Not at all. I don’t get why there’s supposed to be something wrong with it. I love having friends and family along with me to share the experience, but when you can’t find anyone to go with you, why should that prevent you from seeing movies you just want to see?
Edit—Although I haven’t done that for many years now, and am very unlikely to do it these days, for various reasons.