In The Movie Theater

I went to see a movie last night. I went alone, as is common for me when the movie I want to see is not one my wife cares to see. Actually, it’s not uncommon for me to go alone even if the movie is one the wife wants to see (always a month after it’s been out — to avoid the crowds).

Some people consider it strange to go see a movie in the theater alone. I don’t understand why they think that, I mean, it’s not like sitting the dark, quiet, staring up at a screen makes for a particularly interesting social event. I’m told, even by some friends, that only weirdoes, losers, and social rejects go to the movies alone. Well, maybe they do, but I offer myself as evidence that they are not the only ones who do so.

Tuesday nights are apparently not a big day for movie theaters. There were maybe 15 cars in the parking lot at 7:00. There was no one in either of the ticket booths (which have four windows each). I walked in behind two young women, and we all went up to the inside manager’s desk to buy our tickets. I ended up following the two women across the foyer, down the entrance hall, and all the way down the side hall. I didn’t hear the movie they bought tickets for at the desk, but apparently we were there to see the same movie.

They stopped outside theater door number 12, and talked for a moment. I walked past them, and into theater number 12. I wondered if they were pausing to see if I was stalking them.

The theater was dark, and the projector was rolling when I entered. There was an older couple in the center seats, about half-way up the rows. I took a seat in front of them. A few moments after I settled down, the two women came in and took seats in front of me.

There was 17 minutes of commercials before the movie. Geez, but it’s getting ridiculous. Half the commercials were not movie trailers — there were at least two car commercials, two soft drink commercials, and a marine recruitment ad.

About 20 minutes into the feature, another couple came in the theater. A woman in a motorized (but quiet) wheelchair, and a walking man. They parked the chair at the bottom of the steps, and the man helped the woman very slowly up the steps to my row. He helped her sit down very slowly, and then went back down to move the chair out of the steps path. He brought back up an armload of popcorn and drinks.

I’ll review the movie later, in my movie section.

A couple times, I heard the woman behind me ask the man with her a question about what was going on. When the movie was over, they immediately started discussing the plot. It wasn’t annoying, really, even when she spoke during the movie. I just noticed it, because, well, I notice things like that.

I waited till the credits finished rolling, but found no after-credits scene. I kind of wish movies wouldn’t ever have anything after the credits. Only about half the movies do have such end scenes, but about half such scenes are actually relatively important to the movie. If it is important for the movie, or important for a potential sequel, it should be in the movie, not after it.

Before the credits finished, the couple behind me and the two women in front of me had already left. It took the man beside me the full time of the credits to get the handicapped woman back down the steps and into her wheelchair. I got out the door before they were ready.

Outside the multiplex, the two young women were standing and talking in the parking lot, and the older couple were standing on the curb. I heard the couple talking about the movie, and the woman was still trying to figure out parts of what had happened.

I passed them all and got in my car. Just a weirdo, all alone, going home to my sleeping family.

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com