[Mods: wasn’t sure if this should have been in CS due to the subject matter. Relocate as you see fit.]
Yesterday, we went to see the re-release of “Michael Clayton,” as we’d missed it the first time around. Great movie, by the way. During the end credits, I had the pleasure of catching what may be the best name in the history of the film industry: “Chris P. Bacon.” I just couldn’t stop laughing. I’m thinking of changing my name. But I digress. Quite often, my wife and I go to the movies with a good friend of ours. My wife and I always stay until the end of the credits, but our friend gets up to leave as soon as the credits start and waits for us outside.
I’m not sure what our friend finds so horrid about the credits that he feels the need to get up and leave right away. I would think it would be more boring standing outside alone than to sit with us until the very end. It’s not like he’s running out to the bathroom. But maybe others will have insight.
On our end, there are several reasons I can think of as to why we sit through the credits. First, we know that every once in a while, there will be just a little something thrown in at the end as a gift to those who sit it out (“Cloverfield” being the most recent example I know of). Second, my godmother works in the industry as a location manager, so I always like to keep an eye out for her name. And last, I guess we’re just geeks and like looking at the various information within the credits: cities used for filming, who contributed to the soundtrack, etc.
So, having gone into all that detail – and please feel free to elaborate as much or as little as you like – here are my questions for you:
**1. Do you stay until the end of the movie credits?
2.)We want to see if they’ve stuck something at the end of them*. Also, I’m a credit-reader
The Zucker/Zucker/Abrahams bunch use to stick jokes in their end credits. Grem,lins 2 has animated characters riffing on the credits. So did others, like Robocop, although they were subtler. Then people started sticking in “stingers” at the end of the credits. Extra scenes to “reward you” for sticking around: The Howling
Young Sherlock Holmes
Adventures in Babysitting
Airplane!
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Some movies run the credits over ouittakes, like Being There, Grumpy Old Men, and others.
Now, it’s really common to stick a little lagniappe at the end of the credits. All the Pirates of the Caribbean movies did it. Pixar movies stick in “outttakes” that aren’t really. And so on.
And some movies now have interesting graphics on the close credits, like a Series of Unfortunate Events, or several of the Harry Potter movies.
I leave when the credits start, unless I want to hear a few bars of whatever song is playing over the credits, or I want to identify a particular cast member.
I really don’t get the point of staying for them unless you’re waiting for one of those extras that some movies stick in. Do people really care about anyone involved except the actors and the director?
Even if I know there are extras, I’m not staying. No gag is worth sitting through credits for.
And, if I were your friend. . .yes, I would find standing in the lobby less boring than sitting through the credits.
I always stay (we even watch the credits at home when we rent movies).
I think it’s polite to acknowledge all the people behind the scenes who worked so hard. You can also find great names in the credits (Chris P. Bacon is really good!). I like to read the music credits too.
And then there’s the fun extras some movies have. Pixar movie credits are required viewing.
I almost always stay through the credits. For one thing, there might just be an Easter egg. For another, I consider the credits, and especially the score, to be an integral part of the movie.
If it has an original score, and not just some pop song, it’s worth a listen. It’s often the best music in the entire movie, as the composer is not hamstrung by any critical timings.
Sometimes it’s to see who played a particular part.
Often times I’ll just look for familiar names, those like a Huston, Coppola, whatever.
The titles are always interesting, as is who’s the assistant for so and so bigshot.
As much as anything it’s to see where much of it was filmed and for what groups or associations are thanked for their support.
I’m not the greatest at recognizing people’s faces or voices, so I’m sometimes surprised to find out whose performances I’ve been enjoying. It’s not always an obscure character actor in a minor role, either. “So that was Christian Bale? Cool.” But I like seeing the names of all the craftspeople too. It helps me appreciate the work that went into the film and rationalize the $10 ticket price.
It also seems like the polite thing to do. I know that’s not logical at all because the chances of anybody who worked on the film being in the audience with me at the end of its run in my local theater are slight, but there you go.
Sometimes, it really depends on how badly I need to go to the bathroom vs, if I think there will be something ‘neat’ in the credits.
I think I like the Ferris one the best because the movie just sort of kept going with a little scene on the bus. “Do you want a gummy bear?” Out takes are OK, the Grumpy Old Men one is hysterical.
The problem I have with staying for credits is they’re so damn long these days. They all seem to run five or six minutes which is silly if the movie itself is two hours long. Plus, the credits still run so fast that by the time I’ve figured out the name of the actor I’m looking for the actor’s name already flew by. I rarely go to kid’s movies, where those goofy scenes everybody mentioned seem to pop up. If I really want to find an actor’s name, the internet is far more convenient.
I like the easter eggs and add-ons, and I also enjoy staying for soundtrack information and film spots. I do, however, have serious back and neck issues and if one or the other is acting up I’m out of the theatre as soon as the credits start to roll. It hurts more to sit than to stand at that point and I need to get the kinks out… Pain is a great motivator!
I could list a bunch of reasons–all true (I work in the industry myself, I enjoy listening to the music, I like reading credits, it’s a gesture of appreciation for the collaborative effort involved).
But essentially, the most simple answer is–the movie isn’t over until the movie’s actually over. The closing music cue, the final song, the design of the credits, any additional add-ons: they’re all there for a very specific reason. Sure, more often than not, they’re simply cursory, but very often, a song or anthem or final plot element will be judiciously placed that can often add to my enjoyment of the film (and if nothing else, it allows me a few minutes to think about the film, processing it before the lights go up).
It depends on the movie watched, what movie theatre I saw the film in, etc. Lately its been standard ops to get up as soon as they start because the local movie theatre is actually a torture chamber in disguise. The movie may entertain, but the chairs destroy your back. So I get up as soon as humanly possible. If I am comfortable, I will usually sit through the credits for the song, a continuing story (Better Off Dead, for example), or just so I don’t get pushed or prodded by other impatient movie goers.