When buying a ticket to see a movie at a theater, most movie fans expect a calm ambiance where they can quietly enjoy the film while munching on their popcorn without any unwanted disruptions. But do these usually unbending rules change when it comes to concert films?
Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour Movie—which premiered at The Grove in Los Angeles Oct. 11 and was released internationally two days later—has ignited a debate about what a concert film experience should entail.
While some devoted swifties treated their screening like a concert, singing along at the top of their lungs, dancing, and making signs, others complained about the lack of silence at the cinema.
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At the premiere, Taylor addressed her loyal fans with a special message: "I think you'll see that you're absolutely a main character in the film. Because it was your magic and your attention to detail and your sense of humor and the ways that you lean into what I'm doing…"
It seems like some of her loyal fans might have taken the “main character” comparison too seriously.
One viral clip with an on-screen caption that reads “crowd of broken swifties at the cinema shows the audience screaming out the lyrics to "Illicit Affairs", with some moviegoers getting on their knees to sing the dramatic bridge out loud.
This behavior didn't sit well with many moviegoers, who argued that concert films should be treated like any other movie
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The moviegoers also rose up from their seats and headed to the front section of the cinema to dance to 22, a bop from Taylor’s album Red.
“I love this for everyone there. They are a total vibe. But now I am very nervous about bringing my autistic Swiftie toddler who would not do well in this setting. I thought we all agreed we were sitting and singing along because the standing and screaming was for the stadiums,” one concerned mother said.
For families with children on the spectrum, seeing a film on the big screen can be a challenging experience, as extremely loud sound levels and theater distractions may be anxiety-inducing.
Some theaters allowed fans to sing and dance as long as they didn't block those behind them
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Others took issue with the loud swiftie singing because they feared they wouldn’t be able to hear Taylor’s voice. “Consider the people around you. Cinema sound is not even a fifth as loud as concert speakers. We wanna hear Taylor, not off-key fans,” an upset fan wrote.
Still, some theaters made it clear that movie rules would be rather lax. A sign from an unknown theater announced that singing and dancing would be allowed as long as Swifties didn’t block those behind them. In contrast, making signs and screaming wouldn’t be permitted.
Apparently, these rules didn’t apply to all showings. Wanting to show their support of Taylor’s recent relationship with Travis Kelce, a swiftie decided to take a cardboard cutout of the football star to their screening, moving it from side to side like a lit-up smartphone during Marjorie, an emotional song from Evermore.
You can watch Swifties go wild at the concert film below
There’s bound to be many more over-the-top reactions caught on tape. The film version of the commercially successful stadium tour surpassed $100 million in global pre-sales, breaking AMC’s record for the highest ticket sales revenue during a single day. In fact, the producer of The Exorcist: Believer delayed the premiere of his film to avoid competing with Swift.
The Eras Tour movie isn’t the only long-awaited concert film to hit theaters this year. The restored version of Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense allows viewers to relive the rock band’s 1983 concert—shot at Hollywood’s Pantage Theater—in 4K for its 40th anniversary.
The restored version of Talking Heads' concert film, 'Stop Making Sense', also had viewers getting up from their seats to dance
However, crowds decided to show their enthusiasm in more subtle ways than swifties. While dancing and singing did take place at theaters around the globe, the rock band’s devotees avoided screaming and upsetting other moviegoers.
Some theaters encouraged viewers to get up from their seats with special dancing screenings. “Interactive dance screening complete with in-cinema bar! Standing, dancing, singing, twirling, jumping are heavily encouraged (enforced). If you like watching your concert films in seated silence, this is not the screening for you,” Australia’s Cinema Nova’s site reads.
Some Swifties were happy about the loud reactions to the film
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However, most highlighted that a movie theater isn't a stadium
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