Calling A Minecraft Movie a hit would be an understatement. In its first weekend alone, it grossed $163 million (more than most movies make in total), becoming the biggest opening weekend for a video game movie ever. But beyond that, A Minecraft Movie has also become a cultural phenomenon. Just like cult classics, A Minecraft Movie already has fans screaming lines and throwing things at the screen at designated scenes, the same way cult fans of Rocky Horror have been doing for decades.
As all Minecraft fans know, Chicken Jockeys are actual mobs in the game. They happen when a baby zombie spawns on top of a chicken. They’re fast, annoying, and surprisingly hostile. But no Chicken Jockey is as wild as audiences watching A Minecraft Movie. Since the film’s debut, it’s become a custom for audiences to yell at the screen during certain scenes, like “I am Steve” and “I yearned for the mines”. But no moment draws a bigger reaction than when Jack Black and Jason Momoa have to fight a Chicken Jockey. When Jack Black screams “Chicken Jockey!”, audiences absolutely lose their minds and yell the line along with him. In many theaters, viewers also throw popcorn and get up to dance.
This viral TikTok trend has gotten so out-of-hand that a theater in Oxfordshire, England has even banned anybody under 18 years old from the movie's evening showings. But A Minecraft Movie isn't the first time a movie has caused chaos in theaters. Whether it's an audience reaction to "so bad it's good" moments or the death of fan-favorite characters, here are 9 cultural moments that caused chaos among fans.
The Exorcist
Audiences having visceral reactions in theaters is nothing new. In 1973, The Exorcist hit cinemas and changed horror forever. Not only did it go on to be one of the most iconic films ever made, but it also scared audiences more than any movie had before. During screenings, audiences vomited, fainted, and ran out of the theaters trembling. But the wild stories actually stirred up more interest in the film, and before long theaters had lines out the door. The Exorcist had such an effect on its audience that reports of demonic possession skyrocketed after the movie’s release.
Game of Thrones
Although Game of Thrones was never available to watch in theaters, there were plenty of fan screenings all over the world for the show's finale episodes. By the eighth and final season, George R. R. Martin's iconic fantasy show had one of the the biggest TV fandoms of all time, and fans couldn't wait to see whether their favorite characters would survive 'The Long Night.' So, when (spoilers!) Arya Stark finally killed the Night King with a Valyrian steel dagger, crowds of people celebrated as if their favorite team had just won the Super Bowl.
Minions: The Rise of Gru
In the summer of 2022, Minions: The Rise of Gru sparked a viral trend that absolutely nobody saw coming. During the release of the Despicable Me franchise's prequel movie, viewers across America decided they would attend the animated children's movie dressed in suits. These audience members were coined 'Gentleminions,' and even the likes of YouTube star Mr.Beast got involved in the trend with a video that received more than 12 million likes on TikTok. Unfortunately, some fans' unruly behavior in theaters took the trend too far which, in some instances, led to suited-up viewers getting banned from screenings.
Avengers: Endgame
One of the most iconic moments in Avengers: Endgame is when we see Thor being overpowered by Thanos, and for a moment it seems possible that Thanos might actually win for a second time. Luckily, Captain America is deemed worthy to wield Thor’s hammer and comes to rescue his friend. When audiences saw the scene in theaters, they absolutely lost it and recordings of in-theater reactions went viral. Not only was it a huge moment for the MCU, but it’s a massive callback to the comics and a moment in Avengers: Age of Ultron where Steve unsuccessfully tries to lift the hammer. Even years later, it's remembered by fans as one of the greatest moments in any superhero movie.
Wicked
In late 2024, a debate was stirring at theaters around the world…can you sing during a musical? The debate started because so many people were singing along to Wicked in theaters, especially during the movie's finale song, ‘Defying Gravity’. During an interview with Today, Elphaba actress Cynthia Erivo chimed in saying that she loved that audiences are singing along in theaters. AMC theaters even joined the debate, giving audiences a mostly humorous warning, telling them “no singing, no wailing” in their theaters.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Nobody knows how to create a party better than Swifties, and when Taylor Swift released the film version of her record-breaking Eras Tour, her fans did what they do best and turned movie theaters across the globe into giant sing-along concerts. AMC theaters even broke with its normal code and allowed singing and dancing in theaters during Eras Tour screenings as long as audiences didn’t dance on top of chairs or hinder the view of someone behind them. Naturally, Swifties turned the theaters into giant parties.
Paranormal Activity
Paranormal Activity had a wild ride to theaters. The movie actually had its film festival premiere in 2007, but didn’t hit theaters until 2009. During that time, it was traveling around to different college towns across America building up hype through word-of-mouth as one of the scariest movies ever. Its found footage style and terrifying slow-burn horror drove audiences wild. Audiences were having such strong reactions in theaters that Paramount ended up using clips of audience reactions to promote the movie when it finally got its wide release in 2009.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, current-gen Spider-Man (Tom Holland) comes face to face with last-gen Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) and first-gen movie Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) who are Spider-Men from alternate dimensions in the movie. They even recreated the iconic pointing meme that originated from a 1967 episode of the animated Spider-Man cartoon. When we first saw the alternate dimension Spider-Men coming through a portal, audiences went wild in theaters. It was also the first time fans got to see Tobey Maguire reprise his role in almost 15 years.
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars
During the absolute pinnacle of Drag Race fame, season 3 of All Stars premiered with an absolutely stacked cast, including Trixie Mattel, Milk, and BeBe Zahara Benet. While Trixie ended up winning the crown, the season’s biggest moment was when fan-favorite BenDeLeCreme eliminated herself. As the moment happened, watch parties at gay bars across America shouted and gasped in disbelief. Many thought DeLa was set to win the season…and instead she quit during episode 6. It’s still considered one of the most memorable Drag Race moments ever.
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