Ever been to see a film in the cinema where the sound was uncomfortably loud?

Karl Hungus

So, I was in the cinema yesterday, made quite an evening of it and went to see both Terminator Salvation and Drag Me To Hell. I was in a large screen for Terminator, which was grand, didn't have any issues there. But after that, I went into one of the smaller screens to see Drag Me To Hell, and I really felt that the sound levels were quite extreme, today, my ears feel like I've been at a concert without earplugs. I liked the film, but that really put a down note on my enjoyment of it.

In that particular cinema, I've often noted that the sound in the smaller screens could be so low that you could hear whatever was playing in the big screen next door, but never had it so uncomfortably loud. It was seriously annoying. The fact that there was a hole in the screen taped up with masking tape was another annoyance. Don't think I'll be going back there in a hurry.

Anyone else here ever experience this?

Voodu Child

Karl Hungus wrote: »

The fact that there was a hole in the screen taped up with masking tape was another annoyance.

LOL

Karl Hungus

Voodu Child wrote: »

LOL

Yeah, not exactly the most high-class establishment, I generally prefer the other cinema, but the one I went to was more convenient at the time. The masking tape didn't really bother me that much, it was noticeable but easily ignored, but the sound wasn't. I still have a bit of a ringing in my right ear at the moment.

rednik

I've been to most cinemas in the greater Dublin area. In most of them they play the film loud but some are uncomfortable and others are not. I would put this down to the sound system in the individual cinema. I've seen a lot of films in the Odeon in Leicester Square and the sound there is always loud but always perfect, just to give one example, I went to David Gilmour's Remember that night and the sound in my opinion was perfect. The acoustics in each cinema also have a lot to do with the experience of enjoyment. It is not a nice experience being in the cinema and sitting there uncomforatble due to bad sound.

ParalysedBeaver

I work in a cinema. I never change what level the sound is at for any film. But people still complain that "Drag Me to Hell" is too loud. Maybe its the film itself.

damonjewel

Can't say I've ever had a problem with sound, but I went to see the hangover last week and they had the houselights on along the sides of the cinema. I said it to the usher if it was a mistake and he said no its standard safety procedure. New one on me, but totally took from the experience

Das Kitty

Yeah, Drag Me to Hell is definitely really really loud!

As if you're not jumping out of your skin enough as it is.

senordingdong

+1 for this issue being the film and not the speakers.

I found the 'scary' scenes of DMTH to be very loud too, but there were no problems with the other parts of the film.
I put it down to Raimi utilising sound as another dimension to scare us through.

Karl Hungus

Hmm, I actually hadn't considered this to be a problem to be a problem with the film itself. Odd. I've never been to a film that was so loud my ears were ringing the next day, I really wished I had some earplugs with me.

Nolanger

No, but I've been to several cinemas where the sound is too quiet. Ormonde in Stillorgan shame on you. Ah yes, the thrilling experience of straining to hear the movie while a bunch of kids at the back chat away to their hearts content.

Red Sleeping Beauty

ParalysedBeaver wrote: »

I work in a cinema. I never change what level the sound is at for any film. But people still complain that "Drag Me to Hell" is too loud. Maybe its the film itself.

Yeah I'd second this. It's the sound mix. With sound levels personal tastes vary. In a screen where there's old people watching a film you usually get the complaint it's too low (cause they're half deaf) but then you'll get a complaint from some that it's too high.

The walls in the UCI in Tallaght are pretty thin. No one thought a multiplex would take off here ... it was built so it could be torn down in a few days hence thin walls I suppose. During the quieter moments in some films you'll hear the explosions in the next screen.

JamesTaylorfan

Yes...I've had this experience too and had to mention it to the manager

trustno1

I totally agree that it was the sound of the film as our local cinema has a brutal sound system - and the sound for Drag me to Hell was excellent!.. excellent film too!!..

rizzla

When I saw House of Flying Daggers I thought it was uncomfortably loud. I considered it to be on purpose for the film though, cause the girl was blind so everything had to be louder just so people got it.

TheIrishGrover

Van Helsing. As well as making my eyes and brain bleed with its awfulness I came out of the cinema with my ears ringing. I thought it was just me being a grumpy auld f****r until I heard these kids behind me saying: Jaysus, me bleeeeedin' ears're killin' me, wha' (And I think they really meant "wha'")

My only problem with the sound during Drag Me to Hell were the two bints behind me whou refused to shut up. Neither could follow the plot and would ask one another the most retarded questions, at one stage I heard this gem of a concersation:
Girl 1: "Is the guy dancing on the table her boyfriend?"
Girl 2: "I'm not sure, it's hard to tell."
Girl 1: "Do you think I should let Gary cum inside my ass without a condom?"

Myself and 4 others heard this conversation clear as day. Was a rather surreal experience.

s. lacker

Does anyone remember that star trek generations film, the one when the two captains met because of that pinky purble time warpy thing floating around space, well that was really load in the cinema, and actually very painful! Still haunts me to this day!

eagle eye

Munich: The gunshot in the first killing is just so loud and affective.

TheIrishGrover

s. lacker wrote: »

Does anyone remember that star trek generations film, the one when the two captains met because of that pinky purble time warpy thing floating around space, well that was really load in the cinema, and actually very painful! Still haunts me to this day!

That was a load on DVD too. It was just plain BAD! :pac:

johnny_ultimate

The 'too loud' issue is definitely a Drag Me To Hell complaint. I for one loved it - film is meant to be an audio-visual assault, and I think excessive volume added to the lunacy - but yeah the two friends I went with both complained that there the decibel levels were unusually high.

What annoys me though is crackly audio. A few of the smaller screens in IMC Dun Laoghaire particularly have a small but irritating noise problem. Can be too low sometimes though. You can usually ignore it by the half-way point, but a good Dolby setup would make all the difference.

Also: if you want too loud, check out 2001 in the cinema. The scene where the obelisk starts 'screaming' is great.

niallon

Cloverfield I thought was pushing the audio limits in terms of loud films in the cinema, But then, like Drag Me To Hell it was necessary.

Liffey Valley sound I always rated quite highly though I have to say having seen The Dark Knight in The Big Fella then seeing it next day in Savoy 1, there's room for improvement in Liffey Valley.

Neo#

I think just like music cds, films have been getting louder over the past few years and its not just the cinemas although most have upgraded their sound systems. I usually have a high tolerance for it but I saw Knowing a while ago and its the first time I was uncomfortable with the high volume. And I wasn't the only one as I know several people who thought the same.

The Maverick

I saw Quantum of Solace in the Odeon in Leicester Square and I thought the sound in the opening car chase was verging on the uncomfortably loud.The rest of the film was grand though so maybe it was just meant to be that way.

senordingdong

Deleted User wrote: »

My only problem with the sound during Drag Me to Hell were the two bints behind me whou refused to shut up. Neither could follow the plot and would ask one another the most retarded questions, at one stage I heard this gem of a concersation:
Girl 1: "Is the guy dancing on the table her boyfriend?"
Girl 2: "I'm not sure, it's hard to tell."
Girl 1: "Do you think I should let Gary cum inside my ass without a condom?"

Myself and 4 others heard this conversation clear as day. Was a rather surreal experience.

Hahaha, gripping stuff.
It's a wonder you managed to keep focused on the plot.

A friend of mine saw this recently and made the same complaint as the OP.
I'm pretty sure it was a different cinema so I think that clarifies it.

MooseJam

dark night was very loud in tallagh - only time I have experienced it

sillyputty

Saving Private Ryan - after the first 15minutes i was so deafened it took me another 20 to actually hear the dialogue again.

tok9

terminator 4 was extremely loud in the cinema in killarney... the bike scenes were ridiculously loud

yerayeah

tok9 wrote: »

terminator 4 was extremely loud in the cinema in killarney... the bike scenes were ridiculously loud

SNAP!!:)

Generally if you feel the sound is too loud, tell a member of staff and they can get in contact with the Projectionist who can then turn down the volume.

But sometimes it's a problem with the movie itself. I remember when we screened Once and the sound was terrible, yet the projectionists couldn't do anything about it as it was an issue with the reel (I think); it's usually one of them problems with limited release movies.

Handsome Bob

Drag Me To Hell was definitely quite loud but I think that was something done on purpose in order to add to the atmosphere of the film.

Funnily enough I had heard a lot of complaints about Terminator Salvation being too loud, I had no such complaints when I saw it.

Other than that, there are no other experiences where I thought a film was too loud to the point where I couldn't concentrate. On the other hand, I thought TDK was extremely low in volume at times.

ryoishin

The last Rambo film in VUE in Liffey Valley when hes on the back of the truck riddling half of Aisa into extinction.

corcaigh07

saw drag me to hell in Bantry Cinema, the volume is usually at a decent volume, not too loud or quiet but drag me to hell was crazy loud. definitely the film!

corcaigh07

Deleted User wrote: »

My only problem with the sound during Drag Me to Hell were the two bints behind me whou refused to shut up. Neither could follow the plot and would ask one another the most retarded questions, at one stage I heard this gem of a concersation:
Girl 1: "Is the guy dancing on the table her boyfriend?"
Girl 2: "I'm not sure, it's hard to tell."
Girl 1: "Do you think I should let Gary cum inside my ass without a condom?"

Myself and 4 others heard this conversation clear as day. Was a rather surreal experience.

lucky Gary, lol!

goldenbrown

paper in and pop a ball of same into each ear