I was just scrolling through the movies and seeing what was captioned this week. I don’t know about you, but I still haven’t really seen anything that I absolutely am dying to see.
There’s World Trade Center. I refuse to see this because I don’t advocate them making this movie, even though they say it’s about heroism. I don’t like the idea of people making money off of this movie.
And there’s Pulse–which apparently got bad reviews. So it’s a movie i’d rather wait til it comes out on DVD and waste four or five bucks instead of wasting 10 or 15 bucks in the theater.
Accepted–oh pulheeze. I’d lose brain cells if I watched this movie. It’s about some guys making their own college and basically it’s spring break all year round. That kind of thing.
I haven’t even seen previews of Talladega Nights, so I couldn’t tell you what it’s about or if I have any desire to see it.
*taps fingers*
Who picks these movies?!?! I mean, really? None of these movies are anything I want to see, nor are they blockbusters. There’s at least one movie that I do want to see: Step Up. I’ve been watching tons of music videos on MTV Hits and they make me want to see this movie. The only problem is I don’t want to just sit there and not really understand anything that’s being said.
Is there a place I can go where I can vote on what movies should be open captioned next? I’d love to be able to say, “Hey, this is a movie I’d definitely take the time to go see on a Sunday afternoon/evening.” Or maybe even during the week night (after all, I’m in Silver Spring by the Majestic 20 Theater). But it’s rare for me to scan the open-captioned listings, find a movie, and go “Ooh, I want to see that.”
I admit, I did miss Devil Wears Prada (but it was in the midst of all the chaos, otherwise I would’ve gone to see it).
You would not believe how many times my roommate goes, “Hey if that movie’s captioned, I wanna go.” I’m like, yeah, that’d NEVER happen. She gets disappointed because she wants me to enjoy movies like she does. At least I have my TV shows. =)
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23 Comments
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How true about the pathetic selection of open captioned films? The film studios kinda corral us to see their lackluster films, not blockbuster films.
Why don’t the film studios send out the pollings of pre-release upcoming films which we, deaf people would love to see? We ought not to let the film studios to dictate what films we are supposed to see.
FYI, I already lose my own motivation to view the open captioned films because I could not find the info in the Post or Times about which movie to be RWC at the Majestic Theatre in Silver Spring. I once go to the Majestic Theatre conssiesuer for inquiry on which movies to be shown in RWC.
I missed out on the film screening of “United 71″ film. I would go to see the “WTC” film today or tommorow. I really do not like the Regal Gallery’s illogical schedule of open captioned films like the real early morning - 11 am or pretty late evening - 10:30pm.
I also lose my personal interests in patronizing the films in RWC - too many hassles.
I usually patronize the Freer Gallery, Hishorn and the National Gallery of Art for film viewings (many subtitled films) on weekdays and weekends.
Those galleries rarely caption the English-speaking films. Is that the real violation of the ADA law for the equal and full accessibilty and accomodation of government-funded facilities?
What about several outdoor film screenings on the National Mall or in Bethesda? We should demand that they put on subtitles. That’s what I urge the DC’s GLBT Community Center and the sponsors of gay outdoor films at the Stead Park (17th and P Street, NW).
I went to the Alexandria’s GLBT Association for the potluck and block party few weeks ago about turning on the subtitle for the viewing of the gay film on the patio wall. They were very delighted to accompany my own individual needs. A lot of party attendees told me to me how pleased they viewed the film with subtitles due to public noise interferences.
The sponsors and organizers of outdoor films should realize that there are hard of hearing, elderly people and other people who could benefit from the viewing of film with subtitles.
Pros and cons of subtitles/captions sometimes block performer’s face. We seems not have much choice for placing subtitles on the Line 21 or 9 (television wave line).
RLM
DeafDC.com makes every effort to list all captioned films showing in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Our geographic area stretches from Fredericksburg, VA, and Sterling, VA to Frederick, MD, and Columbia, MD.
We include all four types of captioning formats: open-captioned (OC), rear-window captioning (RWC), DTS-Cinema Subtitling System (DTS), and subtitles.
In addition, our listings include theaters from more than eight movie theater chains.
DeafDC.com updates the captioned film listings on a weekly basis, either on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. Owing to its large deaf population, Washington, D.C. has one of the largest concentrations of captioned film showings of any metropolitian area, and DeafDC.com’s captioned film listings are the most comprehensive of any website.
don’t get me wrong. i like that deafdc.com does post what movies are captioned. It’s the movies that suck. I mean that’s the only place I look to check on what movies are captioned.
Just go to http://www.fomdi.com. No need to look at long lists!
I did check out the http://www.fomdi.com which I personally do not like it very much.
I tested this website with 40 miles proxmity of films with captions or RWC to be shown. The listing just end up with six theatres out of 102 theatres. *stratch my head*
DeafDC.com do have the comphrensive listing of films with OC or RWC or DTS so far!
RLM
Please do not misunderstand my recent posting about the lack of information about films being shown with RWC at the Majestic Theatre in the Washington Post.
I do not have a wireless pager at that moment. I just want to look up what movies being shown in RWC or open captions on the Metro subway to figure out where I will hop off the Metrorail station.
I wonder WHY the Majestic Theatre and its management did not post their movies with RWC in the Washington Post’s movie listings???
You, DeafDC.com did overlook one place which regularly show the popular films with RWC - Steve Udlay Center in Henderon, VA.
For past two months, the Steve Udlay Center do screen the “Superman Returns” in IMAX and 3-D with RWC.
You ought to call the Stephen Udlay Center, addition of the National Air and Space Museum for more additional info.
THAT’S WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT - LACK OF INFO REGARDING FILMS WITH RWC OR OPEN CAPTIONS. WHY NOT THE SMITHASONIAN INSTITUTION AND MAJESTIC THEATRE OF SILVER SPRING MANAGEMENT INSERT THE “CC” NEXT TO FILMS BEING SHOWN WITH RWC OR OPEN CAPTIONS?????
DeafDC.com did overlook numerous places which shown the films with subtitles and captions.
I will enclose the listing of places whenever I have substantial time. I gotta go now.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
That would be real NICE if the DeafDC.com post the advance notice of films with all kind of captions like 2 weeks notice.
So deaf people could make the advance plan with their friends or relatives or co-employees to view the film without any last-minute plan.
I sometimes am not sure which theatres will show that particular film this week or next week or next two weeks.
Almost all my friends prefer the Regal Gallery Theatre because of open captions. The showtime schedule at the RG could be illogical.
I really do not like the AMC’s Georgetown 14 after the Loews Theatre chain sold this theatre. The AMC theatre people are very rude and inconsiderate. The employee at the special needs desk refuse to exchange the smoked transparency screen with more clearer one and no stratches. I had left with the mangled one.
I will no longer patronize this AMC Georgetown 14 theatre until I have to.
Options among the OC and RWC and DTS films still are very limited. I could not see the new documentary - “Who Killed the Electric Car?” and other intellectual films.
I really do not care about “Posdeion” or “CARS” films.
RLM
You cannot blame any web site, be it fomdi or deafdc, for not posting movie information in advance. I believe it is up to the theaters to decide which movies to show and when, and they often make that decision weekly (not 2 weeks in advance). As for your complaint with fomdi, it searches 2 large movie databases automatically. In order to find movie thathers that are not in these databases, you would have to add those movies manually to fomdi. Unfortunately, that is illogical. We need to ask movie theaters to participate in a national database to make it easier for us to locate movies.
The issue here is, although DeafDC obviously provides more detailed information on where to find captioned movies (as compared to strictly-automated Fomdi), WE (the customers) should not be responsible for doing the legwork. The movie theaters need to be MORE PROACTIVE in letting the public know — and if DeafDC continues to make things easier for them in this area, they may be less inclined to take such initiative. And since this is a major metropolitian area, there may be a chain effect across the rest of the nation.
DP, I did not say tha the DeafDC.com ought to post the info regarding all kind of captioned films in advance.
Of course, the theatre managements and film studios ought to do their own publicity stuff in advance or get the e-listing of interested deaf movie patrons or e-reminder. Something like that.
DeafDC.com could make some money from talking out with the theatre managements and film studios for the advance notice of upcoming OC/DTS and RWC films.
You have to undy that hearing people have MUCH choices of where and when they want to see movies.
We, deaf people seems have less choice for the whereabout and when for seeing the movie. Why we have to let the theatre managements and film studios to dictate our options for seeing the first-run films?
I would make myself much clear when I communicate in ASL, not the language of oppressor(s).
RLM
Skip WTC. It was the Disneyization of Disaster. Try and see Little Miss Sunshine and The Illusionist.
I second that suggestion.
Prior to meeting my step brother I would regularly go out to the movies 4-5 times a month usually, but now that I’ve been pretty disappointed with the selection of OC and DTS movies (really wanted to go see the Ant Bully but it only showed up out in Anapolis). When we do go out, we usually call up a couple of his friends as well and go out and have a good time as a group - too bad this only happens once or twice a month, but kudos to Regal 14 for having these showings!
I was annoyed that an OC “lady in the water” wasn’t in the DC area…and the choices available are definitely aimed at the lowest common denominator.
I also forgot to include “an inconvenient truth.” that was a film which should have been OC, too.
Yeah the movie selections aren’t always great, but at least they show the TOP blockbusters (i.e. Star Wars). That’s fine for me.
As for Fodmi…they don’t list EVERY THEATER.
I go to the Mopix website to update myself on theaters in my area then I go to http://www.movieticket.com and ist those theaters as my preffered theaters. Usually the theater will list “RWC” weekly. If they forget, get on their asses about it.
As for open captioned flicks..the thing I HATE about them is the timing..it’s always Tuesday or Thursday at like 5PM…I’d have to leave work early just to make it.
Then again I hate RWC because I have to be there early to get a good seat so I can even read the RWC thingy.
However, remember..we have come a long way. I remember my first open caption flick in 1993, “Jurassic Park”…it was an EVENT! Nowadays, we have a choice of 3-4 movies a week…that’s PROGRESS.
Yeah..could be better tho’
I kinda miss the ole’ day of open captioned films back in the 90s which the majority of deaf people get together for the film viewing of ‘Titantic”. So we get the feeling of “deaf club” during the rare film screening of open captioned film like “Titantic”.
Same thing with the deaf clubs showing the open captioned film.
That would be really nice if we view deafcentric film from time to time at the special deaf event. I still want to see Peter Wolf’s deaf film - “Think Me Nothing” which cause many deaf people very upset back in the heyday 70s.
We ought to have the film lecture on deafcentric films in DC area like “Deafula”. We could discuss why the character with “tin can” hands symbolize.
We do not have any deaf film festival in DC about six years. Joey Barrish was the festival organizer at that time.
We could ask the National Gallery of Art of Washington to host the symposium on deaf films. I hope that the NGA could persuade the BBC to show “The Count of Solar” film, too.
Robert Mason
I have to say that you guys should appericate the fact there are open captioned movies around here. I lived in Cincinnati for several movies and there was never any captioned movies the whole time I lived there. A true reflection of the Deaf Community over there.
I am kinda surprised that Cincinnati area do not show any open captioned film(s) so far. I recently check out the Insight Cinema website for the listing of open captioned films in Cincinnati. The sole movie theatre usually screen the OC films - National Am(usement?) Showcase Western Hills, 5870 Harrison Ave. The Insight Cinema website clearly point out that the list of theatres whose previously show OC films.
What about the films with RWC?
I do not meant to look like a whiner. What good about the underattendance by deaf people watching the OC films within incompliable showtimes?
The movie theatre managements seems not really engage in marketplace study of their own local people.
We, deaf people never have been asked by the business world what we would like to patronize the first-run movies.
The business world should not make any assumption about us being commerically submissive.
More to life than movies anyway!
I used to live in Rochester, New York where I attended NTID. Open-captioned films are very convenience to access for deaf and hard of hearing patrons at Regal Cinemas in Henrietta, NY, a suburban of Rochester, NY. It is very easy to see the movie at certain time even though each patron encountered each other at the theatre house almost every weekends like deaf club or coffee gatherings.
Unlike the Chinatown Regal Gallery in D.C., their schedule change different in certain days in a week which disappointed me. The theatre should remain the same schedule for deaf and hard of hearing patrons to visit at any time which is more comfortable in respect for our community. At the same time, we can use our friendly gatherings to watch the movie.
Perhaps, the movie theatre could be a center of the city where the deaf and hard of hearing patrons could visit to watch those blockbuster films in the metropolitan. Good reminsience of old days at deaf clubs.
I second you! How true! Why don’t we write a letter of request to the Regal Gallery Theatre management? The management people are very nice at this theatre.
I saw Miami Vice at Potomac YArd. And 3-4 movies at Sterling’s Regal. If you don’t like those movies, then shut up and sit down. Be patience when your favorite movies will be OC.