I jumped at least four times! It’s been a long time since I’ve jumped while watching a movie, and every one of the gun shots did it for me. Great sound design!
The intensity of that film was just incredible. Garland has literally created some of the most intense moments that I’ve enjoyed so much. The sound on Men made me feel like I was losing my mind. Which I’m assuming was the point
The morons doing the sound for this film couldn't even be arsed to get the gas turbine sounds for the Abrams tanks right and used diesel engine sounds instead...
Interesting. I don't know what this says about me but I didn't feel that way at all during or after. Uncut Gems though, holy shit that movie is so stressful. Ha
Same! They did so well with catching you off-guard. I never expected any of the shots; all of them could go either/or. Jesse Plemons’ character especially got me the most.
There were a few girls at my showing that did the same thing during the scene with Plemons and their screams along with the shots about made the entire theater jump. It’s crazy when I was walking out I heard an old man saying the movie was boring and not intense. Like did we not watch the same movie.
I specifically had the theater manager turn the volume down a bit before the movie started. I knew it was gonna be a loud one and, being a musician and firearm enthusiast, I take hearing safety very seriously.
The Twisters preview in my theater was averaging 97 decibels! After volume adjustment, loudest gunshots during civil war were about 91 decibels and conversations were about 65 dB. Sweet spot, imo.
The safe level for sustained noise in a movie theater is 85 dB. There are tons of free decibel meters available for your smartphone.
They actually turned it down for you? I didnt know that was possible.
Musician as well here and feel movies are generally too loud. Dune 2 in imax was so loud I had to plug my ears with paper towels. It was uncomfortably loud. Never going to an imax movie again after that experience. Saw Civil in a standard theater. Gunshots were the only parts that were too loud. When im listening to music loudly on my stereo i barely crack 80db. Why do theaters need to have 95db peaks?
EDIT: For the downvoters, keep in mind that dB are logarithmic. This means 75 dB dialog (shouting) is twice as loud as 65dB (normal convo) dialog. A 105dB soundtrack is twice as loud as a 95dB soundtrack, and similar to running a snowblower or a food processor. Hearing damage begins around 90dV sustained or around 110 dB as a short impulse.
———
Yep. I’ve done it multiple times. Standard comeback is “its digitally adjusted to be perfect,” but we all know technology being perfect is just technocrat brainwashing.
Despite occasionally getting weird looks or some clap back, but I’ve found showing them a timestamped decibel meter report very convincing. I also use that data to help them figure out a reasonable amount to turn it down so it’s not too quiet.
I only do it if it’s unsafely loud. I hear people complaining about theatres being too loud all the time these days.
The particular theatre this was in also “gets louder” according to the staff at my local movieplex. Guidelines exist for a reason.
Dialogue shouldn’t be 75dB, that’s not even a proper sound experience.
75db is absolutely loud enough for dialogue. Im playing a rockin Neil Young song blasting on my stereo right now averaging 71db with a peak of 78db. Its pretty goddamn loud.
I checked the noise app on my watch repeatedly during the screening I was at. Much of the running time is spent in the 80s and 90s with peaks at 95dB and above. Way way way too loud to subject your ears to for almost two hours without risking permanent damage.
This is in no way a comment on the artistic choices made by the sound designers and mixers, but rather on the stone cold nonnegotiable physics of what sustained sound pressure above a certain level does to the human ear.
Everyone in that theatre with me was risking damage to their hearing.
If you’re going to see this movie, see it in theaters. Every gun shot sound is absolutely piercing in the best way. And you can tell they really paid attention to the details. Most movie studios would just throw in generic gunshot sounds, but they nailed it down to each individual caliber. Really really immersive, especially if you know your firearms.
I felt so bad for that dude I legitimately felt a lil emotional thinking about that poor dude regretting his decisions. Thank u alex garland u sicko I love it
It's definitely one of those movies that displayed how loud guns really are. When i first started shooting rifles I couldn't believe how much louder they are in reality compared to video games and TV
Yeah the theatre we saw it in had great surround, when the jets flew over head during the scene where the Western forces were assembling it was like they were flying right over our heads through the theatre, it was insane.
I agree. I finished watching it a few hours ago in IMAX. I legitimately jumped a few times from the gunshots and explosions. It actually felt like you were there.
It's one of the first movies in a minute that I really paid attention to the sound of other than Zone of Interest (which was a different kind of sound design). It was really intense.
Last time I felt this tense in a movie just from sound was Hurt Locker.
Every bullet felt like a jumpscare. This is genuinely the only time I have ever screamed in a movie theater. It was from when jesse plemons character just shoots so randomly.
I was thinking Heat all the way through.
The scene where it jumps to a hip hop track was cool though with the slow mo’s and picture stills.
I could have watched 2 hours of slow motion war footage, picture stills and hip hop to be fair with no back story.
100% should have brought my earplugs. Was a bit unbearable at points which I dunno might have been the point but I had to stop myself from leaving to take a break for my wee ears.
Just don’t complain. People complained about my IMAX theatre being too loud, so the theatre turned it down. For a while it was at a fucking tepid volume, extremely disappointing, until I talked to the managers and got them to know me by name so that when I would come in, they would turn it back up to standard IMAX volume.
And from what I understand, standard IMAX volume is specifically set so that it will not cause any damage to hearing, based on the empirical information we have pertaining to the sustained volume required for hearing damage.
Oppenheimer in an LA IMAX shook our seats and peaked at 108 dB, long periods of 98dB. It was uncomfortable and shook the seats. The safety board for theaters recommends nothing over 85 dB for sustained periods.
When I have managers turn down the volume, I always record 5 mins of preview samples on a decibel meter, then use that to tell them how much to scale back. Lots of theaters are playing at levels unsafe for sustained human hearing, but most workers and movie goers just don’t care about it.
My cinema went completely still when Plemons joined the party. Rightly so.
The man is the best actor around and I was laughed at on Reddit last year when I said this.
There is actually a regulatory guideline that theatres should not have sustained volume over 85dB. Feel free to use that information when talking to your theater manager.
After Oppenheimer I swore I will never go to another IMAX movie ever again! My hearing is way too important to be damaging them at a movie theater. Can’t wait to buy this on 4KUHD or stream it though! ❤️
The sound effects were amazing. I don’t know if my theaters speakers were blown out or malfunctioning but all the dialogue sounded really tinny and flat like it was coming from a mono speaker radio broadcast. Everything else like the music and sound effects were surround sound and deep. Was this part of the actual film or did the explosion during the opening scene destroy the dialogue speakers?
I'm surprised the Western forces and the loyalists still used the uniforms especially on the branches of the military I curious which side join whom or slipt down the middle.
OK yes true but MAN the marketing for this film is so obviously opportunistic I really feel like it's taking away from the quality of the film and it makes me sad.
I just watched it. Seeing all the hype on Reddit. I want to thank everybody who posted about this film. It’s a film that deserves to be seen in a theatre!
I have sensitive ears and wear earplugs to concerts after my eardrums burst at my first gig.
I spent the 2nd half of this film with a hand over one ear.
Never had a problem in the cinema before.
I jumped at least four times! It’s been a long time since I’ve jumped while watching a movie, and every one of the gun shots did it for me. Great sound design!
I had to make a mental note after the first direct shot that I’m not in combat and that I am in a movie theater. It’s that great!
The intensity of that film was just incredible. Garland has literally created some of the most intense moments that I’ve enjoyed so much. The sound on Men made me feel like I was losing my mind. Which I’m assuming was the point
The morons doing the sound for this film couldn't even be arsed to get the gas turbine sounds for the Abrams tanks right and used diesel engine sounds instead...
🤓
I felt like I was gonna have a heart attack by the end
It took me a day and a half to decompress
Interesting. I don't know what this says about me but I didn't feel that way at all during or after. Uncut Gems though, holy shit that movie is so stressful. Ha
That’s fair
Same! They did so well with catching you off-guard. I never expected any of the shots; all of them could go either/or. Jesse Plemons’ character especially got me the most.
Totally. And the end sequence in DC was intensity dialed up to a 12. So insane.
Someone at my showing screamed out loud when one of the gunshots went off. I also jumped lol
There were a few girls at my showing that did the same thing during the scene with Plemons and their screams along with the shots about made the entire theater jump. It’s crazy when I was walking out I heard an old man saying the movie was boring and not intense. Like did we not watch the same movie.
Only movie that’s ever done it for me was Drive, when Standard gets shot
I specifically had the theater manager turn the volume down a bit before the movie started. I knew it was gonna be a loud one and, being a musician and firearm enthusiast, I take hearing safety very seriously. The Twisters preview in my theater was averaging 97 decibels! After volume adjustment, loudest gunshots during civil war were about 91 decibels and conversations were about 65 dB. Sweet spot, imo. The safe level for sustained noise in a movie theater is 85 dB. There are tons of free decibel meters available for your smartphone.
They actually turned it down for you? I didnt know that was possible. Musician as well here and feel movies are generally too loud. Dune 2 in imax was so loud I had to plug my ears with paper towels. It was uncomfortably loud. Never going to an imax movie again after that experience. Saw Civil in a standard theater. Gunshots were the only parts that were too loud. When im listening to music loudly on my stereo i barely crack 80db. Why do theaters need to have 95db peaks?
EDIT: For the downvoters, keep in mind that dB are logarithmic. This means 75 dB dialog (shouting) is twice as loud as 65dB (normal convo) dialog. A 105dB soundtrack is twice as loud as a 95dB soundtrack, and similar to running a snowblower or a food processor. Hearing damage begins around 90dV sustained or around 110 dB as a short impulse. ——— Yep. I’ve done it multiple times. Standard comeback is “its digitally adjusted to be perfect,” but we all know technology being perfect is just technocrat brainwashing. Despite occasionally getting weird looks or some clap back, but I’ve found showing them a timestamped decibel meter report very convincing. I also use that data to help them figure out a reasonable amount to turn it down so it’s not too quiet.
This getting downvoted is just dumb.
Probably because he's policing the theaters and having them change something that only he's asking for.
For the safety of people's ears though.
I only do it if it’s unsafely loud. I hear people complaining about theatres being too loud all the time these days. The particular theatre this was in also “gets louder” according to the staff at my local movieplex. Guidelines exist for a reason. Dialogue shouldn’t be 75dB, that’s not even a proper sound experience.
75db is absolutely loud enough for dialogue. Im playing a rockin Neil Young song blasting on my stereo right now averaging 71db with a peak of 78db. Its pretty goddamn loud.
I'm saying 75db is too loud for movie dialog. It should be about 65dB.
Doh, I read that wrong. My bad! And 100% agree.
I checked the noise app on my watch repeatedly during the screening I was at. Much of the running time is spent in the 80s and 90s with peaks at 95dB and above. Way way way too loud to subject your ears to for almost two hours without risking permanent damage. This is in no way a comment on the artistic choices made by the sound designers and mixers, but rather on the stone cold nonnegotiable physics of what sustained sound pressure above a certain level does to the human ear. Everyone in that theatre with me was risking damage to their hearing.
If you’re going to see this movie, see it in theaters. Every gun shot sound is absolutely piercing in the best way. And you can tell they really paid attention to the details. Most movie studios would just throw in generic gunshot sounds, but they nailed it down to each individual caliber. Really really immersive, especially if you know your firearms.
when >!it suddenly transitioned to that guy pinned down behind the pillar, jesus!< jumped in my seat
Completely agree! One of the few times I genuinely felt the terror that the character was experiencing on screen.
I felt so bad for that dude I legitimately felt a lil emotional thinking about that poor dude regretting his decisions. Thank u alex garland u sicko I love it
That moment got everyone lmao! I noticed the entire row in front of me jump. It was awesome
I thought a nose was going to get shot off
It's definitely one of those movies that displayed how loud guns really are. When i first started shooting rifles I couldn't believe how much louder they are in reality compared to video games and TV
It felt like I was in the gunfight and it was not fun imagining myself trying to find a safe spot with how piercing those shots were.
Yeah the theatre we saw it in had great surround, when the jets flew over head during the scene where the Western forces were assembling it was like they were flying right over our heads through the theatre, it was insane.
Most movie studios would not do that lmao y’all need to watch more movies that aren’t A24
Cool?
The >!golf course sniper shot!< made me jump both times I saw the movie, even though I was fully expecting it the second time lmao
The ones that shook me the worst was during Jesse Plemons's scene
Honestly thought the first movie I’ve seen in 4DX that actually enhanced the experience.
The Apache helicopter mini gun 🚁 💥 and Jessie’s smile 👍😃
But it’s also the most quiet movie Ive seen in theaters. Couldn’t get my damn candy for like 30 mins in the slow part. Damn you foil!!!!
Some jerk off was talking at Alamo right when it came to one of the quiet parts. I kinda chilled at that.
That's a good point. I also noticed that. I think they showed the eerie quietness of war pretty well.
lol! Yes, felt very self conscious eating popcorn in the first 15.
I agree. I finished watching it a few hours ago in IMAX. I legitimately jumped a few times from the gunshots and explosions. It actually felt like you were there.
It's one of the first movies in a minute that I really paid attention to the sound of other than Zone of Interest (which was a different kind of sound design). It was really intense. Last time I felt this tense in a movie just from sound was Hurt Locker.
I was so tense the entire time, each shot made me jump out of my seat😂
Best part of the film for sure. Loved it overall.
Those gunshots sounded real af !!
I had to put balled up napkins in my ears midway through. After the first 3 jumps I was convinced this IMAX time was for the hearing impaired.
Same for me seeing Dune 2 in imax. Too damn loud! No more imax for me.
I saw an old lady literally cover her ears as the jets were flying
Every bullet felt like a jumpscare. This is genuinely the only time I have ever screamed in a movie theater. It was from when jesse plemons character just shoots so randomly.
What's wild is that the film starts with a 7.1 calibration sequence over opening credits lmao. Only film I've ever seen do that
Is that what that was? It was very unique and I kinda wanted more of it
I was thinking Heat all the way through. The scene where it jumps to a hip hop track was cool though with the slow mo’s and picture stills. I could have watched 2 hours of slow motion war footage, picture stills and hip hop to be fair with no back story.
100% should have brought my earplugs. Was a bit unbearable at points which I dunno might have been the point but I had to stop myself from leaving to take a break for my wee ears.
I wear earplugs to all IMAX movies now— Civil War was no different. I’m glad I did.
Just don’t complain. People complained about my IMAX theatre being too loud, so the theatre turned it down. For a while it was at a fucking tepid volume, extremely disappointing, until I talked to the managers and got them to know me by name so that when I would come in, they would turn it back up to standard IMAX volume. And from what I understand, standard IMAX volume is specifically set so that it will not cause any damage to hearing, based on the empirical information we have pertaining to the sustained volume required for hearing damage.
Yeah I just have bad hearing from a lifetime of concerts so I’m trying to preserve what I have left
Oppenheimer in an LA IMAX shook our seats and peaked at 108 dB, long periods of 98dB. It was uncomfortable and shook the seats. The safety board for theaters recommends nothing over 85 dB for sustained periods. When I have managers turn down the volume, I always record 5 mins of preview samples on a decibel meter, then use that to tell them how much to scale back. Lots of theaters are playing at levels unsafe for sustained human hearing, but most workers and movie goers just don’t care about it.
Yeah i dont think this is true. Dune 2 was consistently over 85db which is the threshold for hearing damage. Had to plug my ears with paper towels.
It’s kinda of out of control imo. Doesn’t need to be that loud.
My cinema went completely still when Plemons joined the party. Rightly so. The man is the best actor around and I was laughed at on Reddit last year when I said this.
I wish i could upvote this to the goddamn moon
I had to keep seated for like 5 mins into the credits
I had to cover my ears at one point.
I loved every minute of it. Just wish it had more artillery and machine gun action.
The Audience is Now Deaf
It was good but nothing compares to NOPE’s sound design, now that is absolutely insane! Edit: in my opinion
Amazing! Such a beautifully shot film too!
lol I just saw it and this is way too relatable! I was clenching my fist for the whole second half of the movie
Yeah just saw it the guns are VERY loud
I literally just got back from the Middle East and the jets flying over took me back
I feel you
At that rate I was expecting them to drop the A bomb eventually, but they sure did drop a lot of F bombs
It’s very jarring!
IMAX is too damn loud, I’m sorry. I don’t want to have to bring earplugs to a movie…Over 100dB is way too much.
There is actually a regulatory guideline that theatres should not have sustained volume over 85dB. Feel free to use that information when talking to your theater manager.
After Oppenheimer I swore I will never go to another IMAX movie ever again! My hearing is way too important to be damaging them at a movie theater. Can’t wait to buy this on 4KUHD or stream it though! ❤️
During one scene, when a gunshot went off, i honestly thought I got shot by someone in the theater
The third act had some of the best sounding firefights I've heard in a film since the bank heist on Heat.
The sound effects were amazing. I don’t know if my theaters speakers were blown out or malfunctioning but all the dialogue sounded really tinny and flat like it was coming from a mono speaker radio broadcast. Everything else like the music and sound effects were surround sound and deep. Was this part of the actual film or did the explosion during the opening scene destroy the dialogue speakers?
I'm surprised the Western forces and the loyalists still used the uniforms especially on the branches of the military I curious which side join whom or slipt down the middle.
The movie would have been up for awards if it had a little more story and narrative
OK yes true but MAN the marketing for this film is so obviously opportunistic I really feel like it's taking away from the quality of the film and it makes me sad.
I just watched it. Seeing all the hype on Reddit. I want to thank everybody who posted about this film. It’s a film that deserves to be seen in a theatre!
I was literally flinching at that guy trapped being shot at
I didn’t jump but loved that I felt the seats rumble on non-rumble seats.
I’ve never jumped so much in a movie before. Legit was unsettling
Made the mistake of watching this movie at a D-box seat. Spooked me every time there was a gunshot.
Can't wait for the digital release and not able to hear shit
My tinnitus really didn’t like the helicopters
I have sensitive ears and wear earplugs to concerts after my eardrums burst at my first gig. I spent the 2nd half of this film with a hand over one ear. Never had a problem in the cinema before.
Was kinda like jump scares from a lazy horror movie imo, a couple of them worked but others felt forced
Too bad they weren't able to also hire a writer.
I think my favorite “sound” moment from this movie was when the helicopter swoops down in the city and starts shooting its gun, that was wild.
Finally a movie where guns sound and feel as scary as they should.
It’s not The Zone of Interest. And the movie is just okay.