Alone at the Theatre

So I am at the bus stop and I bump into a pretty girl that waitresses at the bar across the street from my apartment. And by pretty I mean stunningly hot girl with silver/blonde hair, great body and cool piercings. I am doing everything in my power to not openly drool while we’re talking and she asks where I am off to. I reply that I am going to go see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (in 3-D) and then she asked who I was going with and I wasn’t going with anyone. Her response:

“Oh, I’m sorry. I won’t tell anyone.”

And the sound of brakes goes screeching through my mind. In almost a roundabout way she was telling me that what I was doing was a social faux-paus and not to let others know. And it wasn’t that she was being malicious or heavily sarcastic, it was almost a reflex to something previously conditioned, like to give a sympathetic look pass a dog without an owner digging through the trash. To save myself some credit or respect in her eyes, I went off on how I now write for a film site and that I was working on a 3-D piece, which I wasn’t (but I really should). That did restore some points, it is just a shame that I lost points in the first place.

Now don’t get me wrong, some things are far better because you are not alone at the movies. There is the scary movie where your date clings to you or the comedy that you and your friends repeat the jokes for months, even years. There is that romantic or dramatic movie that makes you feel that you have witnessed something special with someone. I would tell you about how special Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is to me, but there might be children reading this.

Then there are times when it is better not to be with people. The classic example is the boyfriend being dragged to the chick flick by the girlfriend. For the whole time the boyfriend is sitting there pouting like a 4 year old who wasn’t allowed any candy and he is not having a good time. And it does not make it a fun time for the girlfriend either. At least when the girl gets dragged to the action flick, there is the sub-plot of the love story to keep her entertained. And it does, right? Right?

I will refer to this as the “Drag Me to Hell” factor. There are just some films that you want to see and that others do not. So you could drag them to it and deal with the consequences or just go and enjoy the flick on your own. For movies, as with theatre and some concerts, the act of going is not a socially interactive activity. You sit in the dark and for the most part, not talk to ANYBODY. Now the meal beforehand or the drinks after, social interaction can elevate the situation. The movie itself is what you are going for, or at least what you should be going for.

Then I have in impromptu film going. For example, this past Saturday I was down at the St. Lawrence Market enjoying a back-bacon sandwich (heavenly heart attack on a bun) when I noticed that Cirque de Freak was starting in 5 minutes. I had just finished a book set in a circus (Water for Elephants – AWESOME book, but this is a movie site, not a book site so I will not go into detail)  I bought my ticket and saw a flick. Now other then the fact that is was a more a vampire war movie (cuz we needed another vampire ANYTHING) than a circus movie, I had an enjoyable, relaxed time. And anything with John C. Reilly has already got something going for it.

If you cannot see yourself going to the movie by yourself, why would you want to go see that movie?

Related posts:

1. Bringing the Theatre Home: Home Theatre Essentials, Part 2
2. Bringing the Theatre Home: Home Theatre Essentials, Part 1