In the wake of the film’s release, cinemagoers have been sharing footage of crowds watching the film, with certain moments prompting loud, vocal responses from the people in attendance.
One moment, which features prominently in the film’s trailer, sees Black and Momoa confronted in a boxing ring by a cuboid Minecraft chicken, who is ridden around the ring by another character. “Chicken jockey,” exclaims Black’s character, a reference to the video game that seems to be sending audiences wild.
Several videos captured by cinemagoers show audiences chanting the line along with Black, before whooping and clapping loudly. On social media, many people attested that they had witnessed, or participated in, similar outbursts.
“My theater clapped every time Jack Black name dropped a Minecraft item that was in the trailers, and when he said Chicken Jockey I s*** you not the entire row in front of me gave a standing ovation,” one person shared.
“Just got back from watching the movie myself, can confirm everyone in the theater collectively yelled ‘CHICKEN JOCKEY’ during that moment and it was glorious ngl,” wrote another.
“This is what made me love my experience more, bc even though the movie wasn’t as bad as i thought it was going to be, the packed cinema with everyone shouting, clapping and cheering whenever jack black name dropped something genuinely gave me so much joy,” commented someone else.
However, the phenomenon has drawn staunch criticism from others, with some claiming that audience participation had “ruined” the theatrical experience for them.
The people complaining about that movie would have heart attacks and die at a screening of Rocky Horror.
My favorite part was when the Minecraft guy said, “it’s craftin’ time” then he crafted all those mines.
So Jared Leto is in it!
Born to be a creeper
“Anyway, I started digging. Crunch, Crunch, Crunch.”
Mine was when Master Chief showed up in the post-credits and suggested he and Steve should team up and then both shouted “It’s time to play Xbox™ One™”
He actually does say “First we mine, then we craft. Let’s Minecraft!”
Oh thank god. I saw it the first night in theaters and it was just a damn riot. Like I get why people complain about the behavior. But the movie really goes well along with it.
I was in tears from laughter by the end of the movie. I don’t know what was intended and what wasn’t, but I definitely had more fun than my kid.
I too loved it. Its almost as good as watching keys being dangled infront of my face.
Really? I don’t get it. I chuckled a couple times at Momoa, but otherwise it felt like listening to a kid describe the game for 2 hrs. Like “HEY HEY HEY! We got Jack black to do his shtick to hide the fact that we didn’t use any writers!”
I think there’s much worse things going on in the world than audiences having fun at a silly movie. If it bothers you too much, just wait to watch the movie at home in like 3 weeks.
Yeah, nobody is gonna go into your own house just to say the line loudly.
I saw it yesterday with the kids and I though it was gonna be boring but then it wasn’t. I shouted at the screen in unison with the kids. Its a kids movie, they will shout.
Damnit Janet
A toast!
Meatloaf again?
I don’t even know what’s real anymore
Sounds fun, not sure what’s there to be theatrical about
Saw it last night, can confirm audience went wild with chicken jockey and flint and steel. Honestly didn’t think it was too bad, but I think part of the trend is also to fling fucking popcorn all over the place because when we went in the theater was spotless, and when the lights came back on, it was like a fucking popcorn bomb went off in there, the worst I’ve ever seen in my life; honestly felt bad for the employees.
Yeah I’ve been to my cinema a ton and every movie I’ve ever been to they leave the lights dimmed until the credits finish (basically lights off during movie, dimmed during credits, fully on after). They’ll also wait until everyone has left until they start cleaning.
This one they immediately turned the lights on fully (even before the first after credits scene that is almost instantly) and came in to start cleaning up, because it was so much worse than normal they needed that extra time.
Rocky Horror Picture Show vibes
Or the pirates from the SpongeBob movie.
It could be so good while high, imagine these bombs dropping ‘chicken jockey’. I don’t get it at all but it sounds funny
And that’s one more reason why I’ll never go back to a cinema.
Isn’t audience participation part of the theater experience?
For stage shows that have some audience participation as an element, sure. For most other cases, it just seems like people who don’t know how to behave themselves in public. Like, sure, go for it if you’re at a Rocky Horror Picture Show screening, or the theater advertised it as a sing along screening, but otherwise, it’s inappropriate and inconsiderate.
How did TRHPS experience become what we know it as today?
Imagine hearing about TRHPS in 1976 or 1977 and going to see it and experiencing it especially without knowing fully what you were walking into?
What is different about the emergence of a participatory memes for Minecraft vs. the established memes for TRHPS? The quickness of the behavior? The documentation of it? The fact that it’s new for us now and not something we inherited?
Quite Frankenfurtively, I’d rather be in theater with a bunch of people enjoying it as opposed to people sitting there rigidly watching what amounts to be a very silly movie.
And besides, if people are so upset, ask for a refund or comp ticket and leave the theater. The same raucous behavior happened every Friday night when a horror film was screening back in my day.
Eh, if I knew it was permitted going in, that’s on me. If it’s a new movie and there’s no notice that they’ll allow that behavior, and they allow some guests to be loud and obnoxious for the whole showing, I wouldn’t go back to that theater unless I heard things changed. That was more than enough to avoid teenagers being insufferable at Friday night horror films when I was growing up. Some of them allowed it, and they had ongoing problems with teenagers being little monsters (breaking stuff, causing fights, bothering other patrons outside the theaters, etc), and gained reputations for being dumps not worth going to. Others required teenagers to be accompanied by parents, to control them a bit and shame them into behaving. Others just didn’t indulge in it at all, and would just straight up kick out disruptive people.
I’d prefer more places had a system like Alamo Drafthouse’s, where they post on the site when it’s going to be a screening with audience participation, or a children’s screening, or whatever. Everyone is free to choose the sort of screening they want to attend, and those who opt for a quiet theater experience without some muppet feeling the need to scream “Oh no! He’s gonna get you bitch, run!” or similarly obvious outbursts, don’t have to put up with it.
Honestly, 9/10, I find the people shouting and carrying on really only add something to the experience for the friends that went with them and find them funny. Save that for when you’re watching at home with them, or when there’s a screening that explicitly allows it.
Same thing happened with the emoji movie and the minion movie. As a former teenager I can attest that screaming at a mediocre movie with friends is a good time
As long as it’s a thing just for shit/mediocre movies, seems fun. Might even be a fun new subgenre.
But I be fucked if I wanna see it at “real” movies where I’m invested in the actual film.
It happened with Snakes on a Plane too. Everyone was waiting to cheer when SLJ said that one line. Cool vibes.
Are there absurd transvestie aliens in this movie?
In fairness this is the only way to enjoy the film. Other than media literacy YouTubers that’ll praise it in a few years, I think this is the best it’ll get in a while.
Is this the new Rocky Horror?
Eddie! That’s a rather tender subject. Another slice, anyone?
He’s got no fucking neck!
Bedrocky Horror*
Does it have any catchy songs, like Time Warp? 🤔
Does it ever!
More like Vampire Disco Death Dance.
