I wish we could get average 2D/3D/Imax ticket price split. That would give us better way of calculating admissions. Only major Q2 blocbuster that was just 2D was Furious 7. All the rest were 3d and so it was expected to have high average ticket price.

While I have been in my share of disrespectful and loud audiences (The Village on opening night in 2004 is the winner in this regard), what I find troubling is how frequent bad projection/sound/general-tech-problems have become. And I don't go to a hole-in-the-wall theatre.

But people are sheep and don't seem to notice such technical issues. For example, when I saw Hereafter for the first time (I've since seen it again), the lights never went out. During the trailers, I thought, "Oh, they'll go out once the film begins." But then there's the Warner Bros. logo, the opening shot, etc., and the lights are still on. Now, I hate missing any of a movie, but I decided to run out and tell the popcorn person. So around three mintues later, during the big tsunami sequence, the lights go out.

On my way out, though, I noted everyone else (the crowd was rather large) was just watching the film with the lights on without, it seemed, a care in the world. I have no doubt they would have watched the entire movie with the house lights on full tilt.

When I saw (500) Days of Summer on a Friday night with a sold out crowd last year, the entire sound mix seemed to be coming out of one speaker. Everything sounded so small and mechanical, and one had to strain to hear the dialogue. I complained, and then the projectionist flipped a switch, I s'pose, and the sound became loud and full. But, yet again, I didn't see anyone else moving as I went towards the exit, nor were there any arms in the air in disgust at how poor the sound was.

I'm not sure: am I just too anal? Is it cool in the 2000s to pay $10+ to watch a film in a theatre with the house lights on, the sound way too low, part of the bottom of the image projected at the top of the screen, etc.? I've almost accepted the fact films often seem to be projected via Shrek's swamp so projector bulbs last longer... But at least give me a focused, steady image within the frame and crisp, loud sound.

My favorite movie blogger, Jeffrey Wells, does stories of this type now and then, and I'm always glad to see others have noticed the oft piss poor A/V quality at major theatres. I remember he attended a screening of The American (A.O. Scott was also in attendance) where the sound was so low Clooney's dialogue was fighting a losing war with the theatre's A.C.

A natural response to this rant is often, "Just wait four or five months, and then you can watch the movie on Blu-ray on the widescreen TV." But I just can't do it. I still love and believe in the theatrical experience, and I'm always so excited for movies. I'm sure when I buy Never Let Me Go on Blu-ray, the picture and audio will be sharper, more dynamic, etc. than any of the three times I saw the film in theatres, but I'm still glad I saw it on the big screen with an audience multiple times, and felt transported each time. So it's this frustrating give-and-take...but I won't give up on the theatrical experience the way others seem content to.

What is the average year increase?