That's what it seems like - In the 3-4 years I've used them (usually to see whether there's a scene after the credits, which last time I looked was a paid feature but may now be free again) they've seemed to stay pretty good at it.
A friend of mine knows the guy and both he and his wife do attend all the movies. His Twitter handle is @PolyGeek.
I know people who won't go to a movie on opening weekend because it isn't on runpee.com yet. If Hollywood was smart they'd give them advance screening privileges.
I know the guy behind this fairly well. I think the movie watching is split up between 2-3 people (Creator, his sister, and someone else). I believe they also have a movie critic on board to get the pee-times early for expected blockbusters.
For many years he has had very busy Thursday/Fridays.
That's a common comment but actually isn't true. Some great movies have fantastic Peetimes. Take for instance Captain America: Winter Soldier. (Lets not debate how good the movie was. I think it was at the very least a well told story.)
At any rate it has a fantastic Peetime. There's an entire 4+ minute span of Steve and Natasha entering the old Army base where Shield began. There's almost no dialog, it's just them searching as the tension builds. As a story telling device it's an important scene - building the tension. But if you need to take care of some urgent biological needs this makes a perfect time to run and pee. :-)
I think you missed his point. He said "relative" amount of Peetime. Meaning if a 2-hour movie has 1 hour of Peetime, you may want to pass on that movie altogether.
I usually make sure I've emptied myself out before the movie starts, then return to the "loo" sometime after the movie has completed. If the director left a scene in a movie, at least one person thought it was important enough to be watched ... after screening a film, I sometimes think the whole movie was a pee-time.
I usually try to go during a scene I've seen online (for example, XMen:DoFP had the airplane scene that was available online well before the movie came out)
I'd rather have an app that screens all the other moviegoers so that I can arrange to sit in an area where I'm not surrounded by people who have some kind of Pavlovian response that 'movie' = 'feed my face with crunchy popcorn, slurpy drinks and sweets from a noisy plastic bag'.
People: You will not die if you go without carbs for a couple of hours.
There are theaters that don't have plastic bags, though. The best ones are all 21-and-over, in the US, which cuts down on the noise and crowding considerably. I like CinéBistro, for example.
For many, including me, going to a cinema is to treat ourselves and have a good time. If all I wanted was to watch a movie, I could've done that at home.
Well, like you, I go to the cinema because it has the facilities I can't afford to have at home - but while I sit there quietly, trying to enjoy a movie and not disturb anyone, all I can often hear is the noise of people around me eating, spilling popcorn, passing trays of food between family members and friends, or rummaging in packaging to fish out more food.
Seriously, this isn't worth developing into a long thread, and it's not personal, but it's not my idea of a "treat" to sit passively for an hour or so while ingesting over a thousand calories or pure carbs* - that's a diabetic and heart-crushing, self-harming time bomb.
*WebMD: "To save you money (how thoughtful), theaters offer combos. For example, for a mere $12 Regal hands you a medium popcorn and a medium soft drink, and AMC dishes up a large popcorn and a large soda," write CSPI researchers in their report published in the Nutrition Action Healthletter. "Where else can you be so distracted (by the movie) that you don't realize you've just swallowed 1,400 to 1,600 calories?"
I don't think you need an app to screen moviegoers for that, you need an app (or, really, a website) to rate theaters for that...Type and level of distracting behavior (whether its food related or conversation related) is a cultural preference, and different theaters serve different client bases with different dominant cultural preferences. This is in part an effect of geography, and in part self-selection through experience, but making it easier to share experience would make it easier for people to align their theater choices with their cultural preferences.
It is a really interesting idea dragonwriter, but it'd be rather impractical. most theaters within the driving distance you'd typically consider cater to basically the same kind of audience - so the culture would be the same. I'm sure there's some theater in South Dakota where they behave exactly like I want, but... I'm not going there to see movie!
In really urban areas, different theaters do attract distinctive clienteles. However, out in the 'burbs where most people live (and definitely in South Dakota), it's true that theaters basically just catch everyone nearby.
> In really urban areas, different theaters do attract distinctive clienteles. However, out in the 'burbs where most people live (and definitely in South Dakota), it's true that theaters basically just catch everyone nearby.
The experience I drew the principle from was experience in the suburbs; its true that theaters are more widely spaced there, but since people have to use cars to get anywhere anyway (which is less true in the city), the radius of consideration tends to be much larger, too. It evens out.
I pee right before a movie starts. I try my best not to have any soda during the movie for this very reason. Still, sometimes, I have to go. You realize that bladders get naturally weaker for some individuals as they age right?
I hate seeing the bright phone screen in the middle of watching a film. [I have no idea if cinemas have a formal policy on that, though]
That said, the app had a "low key" design so it doesn't shine bright in the theater. ( Theoretically anyway).
When the movie starts you start the timer, and put the phone in your pocket. The the phone vibrates when a pee-time comes up. You don't have to take out your phone [until you're in the bathroom and want to read about what you're missing].
I've put a lot of thought into that. If you take a look at the app - it's free for now - you can see that it's easy to use without bothering others in the theater. The Timer feature is the most obvious method of using the app unobtrusively, but there are also other ways, like simply memorizing the time/cue for the Peetime of choice and looking for it during a film. We try our best to make the "cues" as memorable as possible.
That being said, there's nothing I can do to prevent, how to put this, less than considerate people from abusing the app.
I work for a relatively major cinema chain and we're experimenting without outright phone bans in a few of our trendier cinema sites. Seems to be going well so far, people respond well to it in general. Hopefully we can push it out to more sites.
We think 4D movies; movies that gets the audiences' devices involved into the experience could be a way of the future. Similar to the texting PSA in China created by Volkswagen (very effective).
>We think 4D movies; movies that gets the audiences' devices involved into the experience could be a way of the future.
That is certainly an interesting idea. I'm thinking, though, that getting it to work and be stable across the many devices we have is prohibitly difficult.
If I were to do something like this, I'd look at the Firefox OS phones. I don't think they are ready yet, but crazy cheap Firefox OS phones will come. They target developing countries, but would also be good for something like this. So when people buy their ticket, you also sell them this cheap device which you've prepared so that it'll work out of the box. It'll be similar to the way they currently sell 3D glasses at the cinemas.
This is new(ish) type of technology that requires solid and FAST Internet. It may or may not work in various countries based on Internet speeds (10Mbps or higher is recommended ... Possibly 5Mbps of higher could work too.
)
For future versions, maybe you could do local position tracking and use that to make surround sound?
Or better yet, if the audience is on numbered seats, print a QR code on their ticket which gives them an URL that includes their seat number as a parameter.
Oooooh, how smart. I imagine a soccer/football game, give speakerblast your seat number for timing/placement purposes, rolling vuvuzela/team cheer-wave. Me likey!
Very happy to hear it. I'd love to hear exactly how you use the app and if there's anything you think I can do to improve the experience. It's certainly a tricky situation: making an app usable during a movie without bothering the other people around you. Email me: Dan@RunPee.com if you have any feedback.
yes, please use your bright-ass smart phone in the middle of the movie theater. distract every person behind you while you figure out when would be the most convenient time for you to pee.
The idea seems to be that you open it when you go in. The app has settings to vibrate during the times when you are safe to leave, so you aren't taking your phone out to check, it's a push notification to you that you can go.
For guys, if you use this app too often you might want to have your prostate checked out. I used to leave in the middle of a movie but post-op cancer surgery I luckily don't need this app anymore. I was in my early 40s when I was diagnosed so it's not just old geezers who should be aware. Luckily most cases are benign, though.
Is it safe to assume that since I have always peed a lot, I am OK?
At university (nearly 20 years ago) I had a friend who was the same (or worse) than me. He was a bit of a hypochondriac, went to the doc, got tested for diabetes, and a number of other things. They shoved an endoscope up his parts (most painful thing ever, he said) and told him he had a weak bladder, deal with it. Since hearing that story, I have basically ignored the problem.
I have CFRD (Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes) and even if I make it through an entire movie, I'm usually just toughing it out, really not enjoying the movie.
I don't think that's the case at all. Most good stories ebb and flow. It's important to give the viewer a chance to relax and build up tension before another exciting scene. But you're right, "Crank" is one of those movies that puts the peddle to the metal and doesn't let off. There is of course merit to that type of story telling as well.
Believe me, this is something I've been thinking about. Hopefully by year's end I'll have some integration like this. Not that it takes that long to develop, but I have a lot of other things on my plate right now.
Sounds like a good idea on the surface of it, but I think most Google Glass owners would probably take it off during a movie in the cinema. It would probably feel slightly distracting with such a big screen in front of you. Glass does sit a bit above your right eye, but not to the extent that it's completely unnoticeable.
In India, we have mandatory breaks somewhere in the middle of all movies. Even for Hollywood Movies, it is just shut off, sometimes right in the middle of a fight or an intense scene. We pee, have snacks and make phone calls. :-)
My first reaction when I saw Sin City somewhere in Detroit was, "How long is this movie?" Then I realize why everyone had popcorns and everything before the movie starts.
I remember my local cinema in the UK having an intermission back in the 80's. I remember my dad buying me an ice-cream during Back to the Future 2 from a lady that came round.
My local cinema (although it's part of a chain) still does. It's pretty cool, although it does seem to be more for buying a snack than using the toilet.
It also helps in increasing popcorn and coffee sales. I have witnessed many folks buy items at the start and during intermission (break during the movie)
This is before my time, but I have heard from a few people that there were a few, at least one Hindi classic movie [1] back in the 70's that had a running time of 255 minutes and this movie was screened with two intermissions, understandably.
That's because Bollywood movies tend to be on the "longer side" its crazy how short most Hollywood films are now....catering to the short attention spans of their viewers.
having said that.....this app must die, its a terrible idea :)
Yes, we Americans are far too unintelligent to understand the subtleties of the extended length Bollywood film. I'm frankly surprised that I can even find the movie theater before I get distracted by a fast food sign.
Perhaps have you considered that most long movies are complete trash and are just inefficiently telling a story that could be told much better in 2/3 or 1/2 the time?
That's because Bollywood movies tend to be on the "longer side" its crazy how short most Hollywood films are now....catering to the short attention spans of their viewers.
having said that.....this app must die, its a terrible idea :)
The only US movie that I've seen this for was Gettysburg when they showed the Director's Cut in theaters for a limited run. My father, rest his soul, took me to see that. I recall playing Street Fighter on the arcade machine at some point during that trip. Thanks for bringing up that memory!
TIL that intermissions don't exist in a lot of countries. I always get pop-corns and coke during the second half.
No wonder the theaters often cut to black (for a break) at abrupt points during Hollywood films. A lot of Bollywood films on the other hand have well defined "half time" or intermission.
I'd love to see an app the combines Popcorn time with this. Instead of just reading about the missed parts, it'll stream the relevant part on your phone.
Obviously it would have to be legal, therefore with some kind of partnership with the studios, and should recognize the scene you left the movie.
That is, if you're ok with using a phone while peeing.
There is another, less high-tech, approach. Use Depend(TM)underwear or equivalent and simply pee as needed. Simple and non-disruptive to the movie experience of other patrons in the theater. Seems to me that the urge to solve all problems with an App is not a good trend.
Last I used it, they pushed an update that completely broke the app, because the performance was so bad. I loved it before, but the ratings suggest it's still bricked, so let someone buy the app, before you do.
What? No one told me. Sometimes things get crossed up during updates. Happens to all apps, iOS and Android. Uninstall and reinstall fixes it 99% of the time.
135 comments
[ 6.6 ms ] story [ 205 ms ] threadI know people who won't go to a movie on opening weekend because it isn't on runpee.com yet. If Hollywood was smart they'd give them advance screening privileges.
For many years he has had very busy Thursday/Fridays.
At any rate it has a fantastic Peetime. There's an entire 4+ minute span of Steve and Natasha entering the old Army base where Shield began. There's almost no dialog, it's just them searching as the tension builds. As a story telling device it's an important scene - building the tension. But if you need to take care of some urgent biological needs this makes a perfect time to run and pee. :-)
One is free but ad supported; the other has a single upfront cost and no ads.
* A link in the app to an "Unlocker" which is detected by the main app and removes the ads
* An IAP that removes the ads
* A pro vs free version of the app.
I can't answer your question directly but I know that the IAP is a few lines of code in Google's billing APIs.
People: You will not die if you go without carbs for a couple of hours.
There are theaters that don't have plastic bags, though. The best ones are all 21-and-over, in the US, which cuts down on the noise and crowding considerably. I like CinéBistro, for example.
Seriously, this isn't worth developing into a long thread, and it's not personal, but it's not my idea of a "treat" to sit passively for an hour or so while ingesting over a thousand calories or pure carbs* - that's a diabetic and heart-crushing, self-harming time bomb.
*WebMD: "To save you money (how thoughtful), theaters offer combos. For example, for a mere $12 Regal hands you a medium popcorn and a medium soft drink, and AMC dishes up a large popcorn and a large soda," write CSPI researchers in their report published in the Nutrition Action Healthletter. "Where else can you be so distracted (by the movie) that you don't realize you've just swallowed 1,400 to 1,600 calories?"
The experience I drew the principle from was experience in the suburbs; its true that theaters are more widely spaced there, but since people have to use cars to get anywhere anyway (which is less true in the city), the radius of consideration tends to be much larger, too. It evens out.
Rural areas are a different issue, to be sure.
That said, the app had a "low key" design so it doesn't shine bright in the theater. ( Theoretically anyway).
When the movie starts you start the timer, and put the phone in your pocket. The the phone vibrates when a pee-time comes up. You don't have to take out your phone [until you're in the bathroom and want to read about what you're missing].
That being said, there's nothing I can do to prevent, how to put this, less than considerate people from abusing the app.
We have a live demo on our site if interested - http://speakerblast.com.
We think 4D movies; movies that gets the audiences' devices involved into the experience could be a way of the future. Similar to the texting PSA in China created by Volkswagen (very effective).
That is certainly an interesting idea. I'm thinking, though, that getting it to work and be stable across the many devices we have is prohibitly difficult.
If I were to do something like this, I'd look at the Firefox OS phones. I don't think they are ready yet, but crazy cheap Firefox OS phones will come. They target developing countries, but would also be good for something like this. So when people buy their ticket, you also sell them this cheap device which you've prepared so that it'll work out of the box. It'll be similar to the way they currently sell 3D glasses at the cinemas.
Here's a live demo where we turn a small crowd & their devices into the movie's sound system. http://vimeo.com/71647538
Here's the movie clip I speak of above http://vimeo.com/m/93899424
This is new(ish) type of technology that requires solid and FAST Internet. It may or may not work in various countries based on Internet speeds (10Mbps or higher is recommended ... Possibly 5Mbps of higher could work too. )
Or better yet, if the audience is on numbered seats, print a QR code on their ticket which gives them an URL that includes their seat number as a parameter.
(this is why i don't go to movies anymore.)
(this is why i dont go into the comments section anymore.)
At university (nearly 20 years ago) I had a friend who was the same (or worse) than me. He was a bit of a hypochondriac, went to the doc, got tested for diabetes, and a number of other things. They shoved an endoscope up his parts (most painful thing ever, he said) and told him he had a weak bladder, deal with it. Since hearing that story, I have basically ignored the problem.
I guess "Crank" comes quite close.
Now I haven't seen the movie, but that doesn't sound unimportant...
They should implement something similar, given the watch concept is significantly less intrusive and… bright.
Also, integration with Google Glasses. #WIN
My first reaction when I saw Sin City somewhere in Detroit was, "How long is this movie?" Then I realize why everyone had popcorns and everything before the movie starts.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mera_Naam_Joker
having said that.....this app must die, its a terrible idea :)
http://www.slashfilm.com/by-the-numbers-the-length-of-featur...
Perhaps have you considered that most long movies are complete trash and are just inefficiently telling a story that could be told much better in 2/3 or 1/2 the time?
having said that.....this app must die, its a terrible idea :)
No wonder the theaters often cut to black (for a break) at abrupt points during Hollywood films. A lot of Bollywood films on the other hand have well defined "half time" or intermission.
That is, if you're ok with using a phone while peeing.
http://robots.thoughtbot.com/arduino-bathroom-occupancy-dete...
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=626083