Mini Ethnography project-Tae Kyung Eom

I went to Multiplex theaters, Amc Theaters to watch  one of Indiana Jones series movie, Raiders of the lost Ark. It rediscovers the adventurous archeologist in his best light. The film that made Indy famous is back and completely restored in IMAX.

To admit to a movie theater, I purchased a ticket  which is for an arbitrary seat(open seat). It means   first-come, first-served.  In Korea, we have assigned seat for the attendee. Sometimes the attendee cannot see the screen and has to make a choice based on still available seats.

The theaters are arranged such that tickets are checked at the entrance into the entire plaza, rather than before each theater.

With ticket, after coming into movie theater, each screen room has different movie.  No employees were in front of each screen room.

Thus, I could see every movie in the multiplex with only one ticket, which is sneaky and dishonest. In Korea, other employees checked tickets again in front of each screen room.

Admission to a movie was be restricted by a motion picture rating system. Children or teenagers below a certain age is forbidden access to theaters showing certain movies, or only admitted when accompanied by a parent or other adult.

Movie theaters are associated with dating, popcorn and expensive treats. In movie theaters, they sell various snack foods and drinks at retail counters. Foods usually served at movie theatres include popcorn, soft drinks, nachos, hot dogs, ice creams.

Some couples in a movie theater  came here for dating where the dark provides some privacy (with additional privacy in the back-row). They kiss each other sometimes. Couples sit together in the back row. They whispered each other.

This theater does not have love seats: seats for two without an armrest in the middle

There were cup holders on the arm rests and selling popcorn and soft drinks. A couple of people complained long previews and advertisement, “come on, let’s play”. In Korea, there are more advertisements than previews.

One child cried with big IMAX sound.  He was scared with three dimensional moves and sound.

Mom took him outside.

One child went to bathroom while eating soft drink. The dad took him bathroom. It was so dark inside the movie theater. However, they easily and softly got up and went to the exit.

Seats are really wide. In Korea, Seats are small for large audiences.

During the movie, cell phones were ringing.

One man talked to someone by phone with soft sound. One old lady watched him carefully.

One lady talked to her friend very loudly.  However, nobody say anything.

One  fat man kept eating snacks such as popcorn and hot dogs.

After movie finished, people stay calm, slowly came to exit. In Korea, after movie finished, people were in a hurry to come out and go home. When I came out from movie theater,  I looked through the interior of movie theater,  it was clean except place where children stayed