Yesterday, as is my usual tradition with big-budget summer blockbuster films that are on my list of “must-see” movies, I went to Colonie Center to watch the new Marvel film Ant-Man.
First off, I thought I would try the RPX showing of Ant-Man at the Regal Cinema. $17.50 later, I had my ticket. Yes, let that sink in. To watch an “RPX” version of a film, which is normally a film on a larger screen and louder volume… it’s $17.50/adult. Man, if I was only eight years older, I could have claimed I was a senior citizen and only paid $13.50 for the ticket. Urgh. And I didn’t even get enough bonus points on my Regal Crown Club card to earn a measly free small popcorn.
So while I was deciding what snacks to order for the film, I glanced over at the customer service desk. And it was there that I saw something that piqued my interest – and changed my concept of watching this movie.
For the past year or so, Regal Cinemas has offered a descriptive view / closed captioned vision system for people with hearing disabilities. A special pair of glasses allows moviegoers to “read” the film, including all the dialogue, just like a movie script. It looks something like this.
Yeps.
Now one thing that you don’t know about me – I use the “closed caption” feature on my television. I have had some slight hearing damage over the years – a mixture of being too close to concert amplifiers and too close to angry fist-swinging stepfathers – and although I can watch a film or a TV show normally, it often helps to see the words on the screen in times when the dialogue gets loud or cumbersome. And yes, they do close-caption everything on TV shows – curse words, barnyard expletives, rapid-fire patter, song lyrics, curses in high Valeryian, secrets in Pennsylvania Dutch…
So after I spoke with the theater manager to confirm that there were enough caption-assisting glasses to go around for other patrons, and I provided my driver’s license to prevent against theft, I received a pair of Sony-branded access glasses and a small black receiving box. “Make sure that you don’t cover the receiving box,” the manager told me, “that’s the only way the signals can go from the theater to your glasses.”
I wasn’t sure if the glasses would work. But I’m willing to try something different. Especially if I’m going to pay $17.50/ticket for a movie, this is considered “something different.”
And sure enough, after the Regal Cinemas “roller-coaster” intro, I started to see captioning on some of the coming attractions. Not all of them, but definitely on the films Fantastic Four (yes I want to see this) and Everest (maybe I want to see this too).
And suddenly… with a cold opening… the film Ant-Man commenced. And within seconds, I could see the words that Michael Douglas (as Dr. Hank Pym) said to Peggy Carter (dang, Hayley Atwell doesn’t age at all).
But yeah, the words came right up on my glasses – well, the glasses I could wear over my current eyewear.
A few things to note. The caption-glasses provide the text in green digital print, so that it can be seen clearly. The text is usually two lines long, and doesn’t take up very much of your viewing area.
It does, however, force you to keep your head still. You will notice that if you move your head from side to side, in an attempt to watch all the action, the captioning will follow your head movement. This can be a bit disorienting, but you do get used to maintaining a still head and only moving your eyes.
The film itself? Decent Marvel Cinematic Universe fare, there were several nods to Ant-Man’s comic book legacy (look for a quick reference to the title of his debut comic book as a throwaway text line), and there was plenty of humor and action in the picture. Okay, it wasn’t on the same level as maybe Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Iron Man 1, but it was still fun nonetheless. And spoiler alert – there are two end-credit scenes. And Stan Lee’s cameo appears near the end of the film. And a certain Steve Ditko-co-created character is referenced in the picture. And no, I’m not talking about Dr. Strange.
But yeah, the glasses worked admirably, and it was a nice test to be able to watch a theatrical release in this format. The devices are available at local Regal Cinema complexes, including Crossgates Mall and Colonie Center, and are provided for free for those patrons who need their use.Just something to consider if you need a device like this. It will help you enjoy the motion picture. It works admirably.Besides, if I’m going to pay $17.50 to see a film these days… I’d better get something to make it worth my money. 🙂
Chuck The Writer 
I use closed caption at home and I wear the glasses at the movies; and also combine it with 3D glasses. It’s a bit of a strain. I need to take Ibuprofen before and sometimes after to ward off the headache. Well worth it. Especially loved Avatar. No movie has matched Avatar. It set a very high standard.
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