Audience Misbehavin’

Back before video rentals became big business with the opening of the first Blockbuster Video store in Dallas in 1985, people went out to theaters for much of their entertainment.

In my city, it wasn’t too far off the mark to see groups of people to going to late Friday night showings of either Talking Head’s ‘Stop Making Sense’ (“Once In A Lifetime”, above) or Frank Zappa’s ‘200 Motels’ (excerpt, below) at the local repertory movie house, The Princess Theatre. However, excessive singing and dancing in the aisles, as well as excessive public inebriation, led these two films to be eventually permanently banned from the theatre.

Sure, now in the digital age we can all possess a copy of these films and watch them whenever we feel like it – yet there really is something missing about not experiencing, say, “200 Motels” communally. An experience I certainly do cherish. There is something awe inspiring to see so many freaks in one place, arm-in-arm, singing “Lonesome Cowboy Burt” in unison.


Author: urbangraffito

I am a writer, editor, publisher, philosopher, and foole (not necessarily in that order). Cultural activist and self-described anarchist.

8 thoughts on “Audience Misbehavin’”

  1. Strange. Just finished listening to the Stop Making Sense LP five minutes ago. The film had been on public TV (Arte) here in Germany at night on Sunday morning (August 2nd). I had watched the movie several times at theaters in the 80s.

    I had nearly forgotten what a good band they had been at that time and what a good concert film SMS is.

    Th.

  2. He stole the whole thing from me! It was MY idea. You should pay ME royalties to play this clip on your page!

  3. [quote comment=”6880″]He stole the whole thing from me! It was MY idea. You should pay ME royalties to play this clip on your page![/quote]

    Not very funny, Bob, er, I mean Ted. Unless you are suggesting that I can read your mind, or somehow KUR is stealing your thoughts, I suggest you stop worrying about those unpaid royalties and invest in plenty of tin foil…

  4. I thought it was pretty funny tho’!
    Yet again, I’m sporting a brand new tin foil hat, just in case *they* could come and get me. Ted/Bob/Rance is right: let’s all sue KUR!
    Or at least Herb Cohen! All this may be his fault…

  5. [quote comment=”6890″]I thought it was pretty funny tho’!
    Yet again, I’m sporting a brand new tin foil hat, just in case *they* could come and get me. Ted/Bob/Rance is right: let’s all sue KUR!
    Or at least Herb Cohen! All this may be his fault…[/quote]

    Can I expect your Cease & Desist letter shortly, Sharleena? I sue, you sue, he sue, she sue…oh oh peggy sue sue

  6. Speaking of ‘going to movies’, I just did, and had a little “Rocky Horror” moment. There was a scene at the end of the latest “Harry Potter” movie where everyone lifted their wands, and little lights were at the top of them. I turned to my wife, and said, “What is this; a rock show?”. Then, I pulled my lighter out of my pocket, lifted it up, and flicked it on! Everyone in the theatre laughed….. I hadn’t felt that kind of ‘group-think’ since the last time I went to a mid-night Rocky…… but, those days are gone.

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