THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF MOVIE GOING ARE NOW WRITTEN.

Please note violators will be frowned upon and should be asked to leave without any inclination of a refund.

A few things bothered me at last nights screening of Jiro Dreams of Sushi. --As a side rant for those who don’t know Jiro is a great documentary  about one of the world’s leading sushi chefs.  It’s worth a glance.--Now back to my main rant I had some problems with the screening last night and NO THEY WERE NOT THE THEATERS FAULT.  Please kindly give them a break.  The following list I’m calling my list of approved movie theater behavior.  Please abide by them.

NO OUTSIDE FOOD 

This one I’m flexible on depending on a few factors.  Don’t sneak food into a theater that is more dependent on your business at the concession stand then others.  Your smaller theaters more so then your major ones.  

If your going to sneak in food please be considerate.  No you don’t have to share with complete strangers but nothing warm/hot that will smell up the surrounding seats.  (I am guilty of this just once.  I thought it ironic to bring in a big mac combo meal, drink and fries included, to a screening of Super Size Me.  And I only violated this amendment just once).  

Movie theater food is a great source of junk food.  I understand dietary needs so bring in smaller portions or sugar free if you are to sneak in food.  Last night the patron next to me had a bag full of carrots and what I assumed was ranch dressing but generally speaking it was a dipping sauce.  Really your paying a babysitter so you can trojan horse in raw veggies to a movie theater?  That’s just flawed to me especially because within a one mile radius of any given theater there is a gas station with cheap and a wide variety of candies to hide in your pockets.

CELL PHONES ARE TO BE OFF AT ALL TIMES

It’s cinematic blasphemy to text, talk, answer, or have your phone make any kind of light and/or noise during the movie.  And if your rude enough to have the phone on during the movie answer it quickly, quietly, and proceed immediately to the exit and OUT the door to talk.  Once you have turned off the phone only then can you reenter to enjoy the rest of the movie with me and the other movie goers.

The exception is emergency personal on call only.  You have reserved seating in the corner of the auditorium closest to the exit.  Utilize the exit to the fullest when your pager vibrates. 

KEEP TALKING TO YOURSELF!

I don’t understand the urger for people to talk during the movie especially about something completely unrelated to the movie at hand.  You really paid $9 a person to watch a movie only to face one another and talk about your prom dresses?  (Yes this particular conversation happened once and recently).  

Ideally don’t talk once the movie starts, trailers and car commercials are ok, but not the actual movie.  If you are going to talk whisper so others, especially me, doesn’t have to hear.  Please remember your at a movie not on live radio so the conversation must be minimal and quiet.  Nobody else in the theater cares what you have to say.

BE POLITE

If you have to get up for whatever reason be polite to the people in your row whose view you are temporarily a skewing. Simple things like ‘excuse me’ and ‘thank you’.  This goes both ways.  If somebody is walking in front of you let them pass.  Don’t be a jerk.  You don’t have to stand up but moving your legs out of the way is not only a grand gesture but makes it easier and quicker for somebody to pass.  

As a side note to this rant I have asked strangers from time to time to refill my oversized movie theater purchased beverage and they were kind of enough to do so.  You don’t have to do that but those who do are aces in my book.

WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG AT THE THEATER EVERYBODY DOES NOT NEED TO COMMENT TO THE WHOLE AUDITORIUM & TO THEATER PERSONAL

Sometimes things happen.  Bad weather cause power outages, movie sell out and start a few minutes behind schedule.  Get over it.  Your at the movies to have fun not to complain to everybody.  A comment to those who are with you will suffice.  Only one maybe two people need to talk with theater staff about what is happening.  Theater personnel are reliable about communicating information and apologizing for any unforeseen issue during the movie.  Most theaters also offer a concession such as a free pass for any major reason the movie must be stopped mid play.

The rules seem simple enough.  If you don’t like it go online and rent a movie from netflix.

Summer Movie Season

In my on going love of movie watching I am excited that May is just around the corner.  This means that the summer movie season is upon us,  3-4 months of mega blockbusters before the storm of Oscar Releases.  I’m not saying that summer movies should be left out of the Oscar race because there are some that are truly worthy of the academy award.  After all the best picture winner Crash was a summer movie.  

Its always exciting to sit and watch the mega hits roll out.  This year this is plenty to excite me.  Starting with The Avengers in early May and concluding with The Expendables 2 in mid August.  Along the road of summer releases many exciting pit stops include The Dark Knight Rises, Prometheus,The Amazing Spider-Man, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.  

As always I look forward to the pixar release.  This years title: Brave.  I’m a bit more excited about this movie then most that Pixar has released.  For starters it is there first non sequel since 2009’s Up.  Also its there first movie featuring a female hero and is set in the time of swords and sandals.  I always enjoy that particular movie setting.  

Summer is also when I get to see most of my Midnight releases of any given year.  I always enjoy going at midnight because 98% of the audience truly wants to experience the movie at hand.  This is when you see some of the truest fans of any particular movie.  Crowded theaters, long concession lines, and applause to the rafters when the movie starts tend to ensue.  

With all that said I need to finish planning my summer movie must see list.  If your ever up for seeing a movie or just hanging out give me a call.

WHAT A FEELING

Just after 8 this fine April evening the lights went down at the colony theater and the projector roared with the April installment of Cinema Overdrive.  The movie playing was a new movie.  Ok a new movie to me.  The movie was 1984’s Night of the Comet. Thanks to the folks behind the series it was presented in what is fast becoming a lost art  of 35mm film presentations.

Sure I could of rented the DVD but then some of the fun would of been lost.  Please don’t misinterpret this as a negative to DVD viewing.  In fact anybody who has seen my movie collection can attest to the fact that I ENJOY MY DVDS.  With that said there’s a magic about seeing a movie in the theater.  I see many new releases in a given year and during the past handful of years have been introduced to the world of repertory screenings.  I have enjoyed falling back in love with the James Bond series over the past few years by getting to see them all in a theatrical setting as well as many other movies including 1974’s Gone in 60 Seconds, the immortal The Wizard of Oz, and Spielberg’s classic Jaws.  

What I have come to love more as time passes are movies that I did not see when they were originally released.  There are a variety of reasons that include to young, not interested in a particular movie at the time, or they predate my birth in 1986.  Tonight’s Night of the Comet screening joins a proud list that includes, but is far from limited to, The Spook Who Sat by the Door, Saturday Night Fever, & 1947’s Miracle on 34th Street.  I get excited seeing older movies for the first time from the comfort of the movie theater with friends, family, strangers, whoever happens to be sharing in the enjoyment of movie watching at the particular time.    The experience is often like that of a 16 year old getting his or hers drivers license and that first bit of freedom behind the wheel.  What a feeling indeed! 

Until next the next screening I say may the texters be sparse, the movies good, and the times with those close to you unforgettable.

Adventures in movie Going

Lets get something out of the way. I love watching movies and there’s very little I do not dis-enjoy. This means I enjoy laughing till my gut hurts watching Superbad, being scared by The Exorcist, and mentally challenged by watching something like Michael Moore’s excellent Bowling for Columbine. (If you can get three movies more diverse, that you honestly enjoy, in the same breath please call me so we can go to the movies.  I would love to talk with you.  Odds are though you are already in my fold of regular movie going adventures) 

Movie going is an experience that should be shared with friends, family, and complete strangers alike.    The lights go down, images rush the screen, and begin to play with one another in perfect harmony.  It’s the experience I enjoy more then anything.  For example as much as I enjoyed The Hunger Games, I enjoyed cooking dinner with friends and then standing outside the theater for two hours waiting to get a seat for the midnight debut much more.  The atmosphere of excitement, the conversations that ranged all over the board, and a pre movie dvd viewing of Dogma will forever never be forgotten. I still look back on that night and others like it with great enthusiasm.  Each night may have a similar structure but no two are ever alike. 

What I plan to do with the space here is to write about my movie going experiences, for better or worse.  I will do my best to keep names anonymous and try even harder to entertain the reader.