accessibility issues in movie fandoms

[dirty_diana]

A rant about movie fandoms and spoilers at my journal. I thought some people might commiserate. Or tell me to get over myself. Whichever. :)

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

I hadn't understood the connection between movie inaccessibility and spoilers -- thank you for taking the time to educate me.

(One situation where lousy memory is a plus: I can't stay spoiled and the fic is great every time. That doesn't mean your "accessible release date = DVD release" isn't a legitimate, and under-recognized, access requirement.)

[dirty_diana]

Thanks for reading. My memory's pretty sketchy as well; I pretty regularly get most of the way through a fic before realising I've read it before. But I don't tend to forget getting spoiled, because it annoys me so much. That would be a useful trick. :)

[inoru_no_hoshi]

Century theaters tend to have subtitling devices and (I think; I don't use these myself) descriptive audio devices, and you don't need to pay extra for them. This was a good discovery for me, since I rarely see movies in theater anyway, but when I do, I like knowing they have subtitling devices! Of course, they definitely aren't a cheapy-theater unless you're lucky enough to catch the first showing or two of a day, and as long as it's not a 3D showing. (I've been to a theater where 3D wasn't an automatic nope-no-captions - coincidentally, one of the only times I've actually had 3D work as-designed for me - but it's not nearby to me and is also $14 tickets which OUCH.)

Not a lot of theaters think of accessibility for anyone beyond wheelchair users, though, especially little hole-in-the-wall places (which may not even think of it for wheelchair users). :/ And most really don't think of the other points you raised!

TL;DR, people should definitely tag their spoiler posts better. Really not everyone can see movies in theater for a variety of reasons.

[dirty_diana]

Ah, that's interesting information about the closed caption devices, thanks! I checked it out and the big theatre chain where I live (Canada) does have them available free, but not in every theatre or even at every showing in those theatres. Descriptive audio it claims to have as well, but in practice I could only find availability for one film at one location on the whole country. So folks who need that should just stay home, I guess.

Not a lot of companies think of accessibility beyond wheelchair users, at all. I miss the big screen, I know that's how they're intended to be viewed, but for me it's just not worth the payback.