The applause at premieres like “Mission: Impossible” or “The History of Sound” is often timed and reported breathlessly. But there’s more to the story. Paul Mescal, right, with his “History of Sound” ...

Somewhere between a film’s final scene and the exalted audience’s first clap at either the Venice or Cannes film festivals, cinema loses its dignity. We have entered a standing ovation arms race. What ...

If standing and clapping for more than 15 minutes sounds a bit tiring then you might want to steer clear of film festivals, where standing ovations are becoming increasingly epic affairs. The Venice ...