Mine would be Breaking Dawn Part 2. The entire movie was a blast to see in theaters with other fans, but the fight scene in particular is honestly one of my favorite movie theater experiences. I’d been a fan of the books before the movies came out, and so I was not at all expecting the fight scene or that twist. I remember the entire theater gasping and screaming at once. It was just such an awesome collective experience to have.

Wicked: For Good is one recent experience that we adored. We were there with fellow fans, and everyone was clapping at the end of it. I love experiences like that. How To Train Your Dragon (live-action) was also that way.

Endgame on opening night was just an unprecedented event. Whole theater was locked in.

More personal pick for me would be Force Awakens because that movie made me feel like a kid again

The Last Jedi. Seeing the throne room scene for the first time was peak

I could just be boring and say Avengers: Endgame, which would be true, but I'll throw in a curveball.

Seeing Pacific Rim on an IMAX screen was life changing and I absolutely loved it.

I'm going old school with this one: The Land Before Time! I don't remember much, but everyone just seemed so happy back then. I remember seeing all the families together watching it and it's a memory I think about from time to time. Going to the movies felt like a big deal back then.

A Quiet Place. In Brazil, people are usually loud in theaters (which has led me more than once to argue with moviegoers). However, A Quiet Place is so... quiet that even chewing a single popcorn would echo in the room. As a result, everyone was embarrassed to make noises. I never experienced a commercial screening so silent as that one when I was in Brazil.

Hereditary, The Witch, and The Lighthouse were also wonderful experiences going in blind.

In general, I miss midnight releases of new movies. In my soul I know I'd probably never be willing to stay up late for one again, but going to see Twilight at midnight is a core memory for me. Everyone lined up and hyped in the middle of the night was so cool.

Jurassic Park - but only if I could relive it the way I did as a kid. In awe of all the effects and everything.

The Sixth Sense is up there too. But only if I could forget the twist.

It might be recency bias, but Weapons was so much fun, and my crowd really got into it. Might have to wait until Cregger's Resident Evil movie to feel that way again.

17 hours ago, FantasticJerome said:

I'm going old school with this one: The Land Before Time! I don't remember much, but everyone just seemed so happy back then. I remember seeing all the families together watching it and it's a memory I think about from time to time. Going to the movies felt like a big deal back then.

Same! I remember An American Tale this way as well

5 hours ago, Amanda Kay Oaks said:

In general, I miss midnight releases of new movies. In my soul I know I'd probably never be willing to stay up late for one again, but going to see Twilight at midnight is a core memory for me. Everyone lined up and hyped in the middle of the night was so cool.

Midnight releases of the Twilight movies were amazing! I saw all of them at midnight, and the excitement in the crowd was always so palpable. I don't think I've been to a movie since where the atmosphere has been quite the same (but I'm admittedly too tired and old to hit up those midnight releases now).

2 hours ago, MattAguilarCB said:

Same! I remember An American Tale this way as well

Yep! I barely remember my mom taking me to see that one, but it's there somewhere lol. It's funny how we don't necessarily remember the movie, but the experience stays with us forever.

6 hours ago, Amanda Kay Oaks said:

In general, I miss midnight releases of new movies. In my soul I know I'd probably never be willing to stay up late for one again, but going to see Twilight at midnight is a core memory for me. Everyone lined up and hyped in the middle of the night was so cool.

Midnight releases were fun back in the day, but I know for a fact I wouldn't be able to stay out that late anymore lol

1 hour ago, Allison Schonter said:

Midnight releases of the Twilight movies were amazing! I saw all of them at midnight, and the excitement in the crowd was always so palpable. I don't think I've been to a movie since where the atmosphere has been quite the same (but I'm admittedly too tired and old to hit up those midnight releases now).

I think the first one was the only one I went to, but it was so fun! I just want the next generation to have that experience for new movies, even if I know I'll be in bed and seated for a matinee instead lol.

54 minutes ago, FantasticJerome said:

Midnight releases were fun back in the day, but I know for a fact I wouldn't be able to stay out that late anymore lol

I feel the same way about midnight game releases. I used to do those on a regular basis, and now I would be like "nah"

21 minutes ago, Amanda Kay Oaks said:

I think the first one was the only one I went to, but it was so fun! I just want the next generation to have that experience for new movies, even if I know I'll be in bed and seated for a matinee instead lol.

We were just watching Breaking Dawn Part 2 and damn, I love that battle sequence. It still rules

On 12/3/2025 at 3:17 PM, ChrisA90 said:

Endgame on opening night was just an unprecedented event. Whole theater was locked in.

More personal pick for me would be Force Awakens because that movie made me feel like a kid again

Yep! That would be a great one to see again!

The Cabin in the Woods. We went back the next night and watched it again so we could experience it knowing exactly what was coming (while the audience was clueless)

Can I cheat and say a movie I wish I had been there for? Empire Strikes Back would be a fantastic movie to see opening night, where no one knows what's coming.

Get Out. It was ruined by an unruly viewer who got kicked out mid-film, which was an epic distraction during a movie I did not want to be interrupted.

Every beginning of Star Wars movies. Just a black screen for six or seven seconds then…BUMBUBUBUM! And the title. I think everyone feels like a ten year old WHOOOING! With the whole theater.

Saw the first Avengers movie at 3 in the morning and had pancakes after. Great day.

Lord of the Rings for me. I was actually only newly into movies at the time, so I didn't appreciate them as fully. It didn't help that I was dragged along to see the last one before I'd seen the first two. Goes down as my biggest film regret lol.

The Force Awakens at midnight. The most I've been hyped for a movie; the moment between "a long time ago..." and the opening crawl was like a perfect moment of anticipation, and when the Star Wars Disney era peaked in terms of fandom (because everything after became so divided and toxic). Not a perfect movie, but a near-perfect experience

Edited March 23Mar 23 by James Hunt