Dinner and A Show--All in One!!

This past weekend, the husband and I did something that we haven't done for quite a while. (Minds out of the gutter people!) We went to a video rental store (the word video is so eighties isn't it?) and actually rented a DVD. It was an experience so out of the ordinary, that we actually had trouble locating the membership card and our slightly addled, middle-aged minds could not remember if the card was still valid. We dusted off the DVD player, made some popcorn and settled in for a surprisingly wonderful hidden gem entitled "The Savages" with Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman. (I love both of these actors in that they never seem to repeat themselves and play it easy. The stretch is always there but never seen. Truly brilliant actors-both!!) I mention the uniqueness of this mundane little episode because it highlighted a different issue, in that we rarely go out to the movies anymore. It is true that other forms of technology have enabled us to bypass the Cineplex. Pay-per-view and On Demand have brought first run films into the home much faster than ever before. Regular purchasing of DVDs to own is much more commonplace. Like many others, we have far more than we will ever watch. (Why I felt it necessary to own "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" will remain one of life's enduring mysteries!) It is so much more expensive to go to out to the movies. It has become increasingly commonplace to question whether or not the film on the screen is actually worth tickets and snacks in excess of $30.00! But, after all of that, it must be said that I am a movie freak. I love the movies. I love good stories and even better acting. I love seeing something that I have never seen before. With the glaring exception of slasher films, (Can somebody please explain the appeal of some nymphette being chased around the village by a sicko in a goalie mask?) I can find redeemable entertainment in almost any film! I am a sucker for a good "chick flick", but I also really like Aaahnold and his kind. I love animation! I think Hitchcock and his modern incarnations The Coen Brothers and M. Night Shymalan are geniuses!! I think that we here in North America forget how good the foreign film market truly is and I think that Hollywood has neglected it's golden age! I truly believe that film is an art form that can provoke, entertain and energize. And, I USED TO love the feeling of sitting in a semi-comfortable chair with several hundred other movie-goers, munching on heart unhealthy popcorn, eagerly anticipating the lights dimming and waiting with bated breath to be entertained. It was a true group experience. I have never subscribed to the idea that movie going was a very alone experience. My brother and I would have this argument (among many others) constantly. It was his thesis that the movies discourage human interaction and conversation. My thoughts were that the movies stimulated these conversations. In fairness to my only sibling, he shares my affinity for film and it is one of the topics that we can discuss without it devolving into a cage match!! But, the theatre-going experience has changed. Commercials now flood the screen for a good 20 minutes before the inevitable trailers, which last another 10! I believe wholeheartedly that anything that I have shelled out 30 bucks for, should be ad free. We are actually paying to be pitched and it really sucks! The trailers are not much better. Sequels, comic books, video game remakes and those still horrible women in crisis films are prominent. (We all know that Hollywood is all about the bottom line and the true fact is, is that males 18-30 makes up the ideal movie going demographic. Hence the boobs, babes and bombs!!!) I could deal with all of this, if only my movie was an uninterrupted and enjoyable experience. HA!!! When was the last time you were in a movie theatre and at least one phone didn't ring? Worse yet, these idiots actually take the calls!!! During Christmas break, the husband and I went to a movie in Florida. (As bad as it is here in the Big Smoke, mostly geriatric North Miami is much worse!) Just as the lights were dimming, a woman sat next to the husband and proceeded to make a phone call. She gabbed through the first 15 minutes, annoying the husband to the point of smoke curls exiting his earlobes. After she had completed her business, she then asked the husband to catch her up on the plot!! It is not uncommon to watch people bring their meals to the theatre, giving a whole new meaning to dinner and a show. Plastic wrap and tinfoil unwrapping! Styrofoam containers that are crunched and salads that are munched, interrupting everyone within earshot-which is basically everyone in the entire theatre. I think that this is why the films are so loud, to drown out the chewing and slurping. How about the talkers, the kickers, the hard of hearing, (HUH???) the seemingly incontinent, the theatre jumpers (you know the type-they don't like the movie they paid for, so they sneak into yours!) the less than sparkling bathrooms, the sticky floors-all making the theatre experience a lot less fun than it should be. The husband has proclaimed that he will not go to another movie theatre in Florida and is less than enthusiastic about attending here! I, on the other hand, am not yet ready to pack in the popcorn. I want to find a way to continue the experience. I want the theatre seating and surround sound. I want the social experience of being there with my friends. I want the excitement of seeing a film on its opening weekend. How? Maybe this should be our next reno project!! Husband? What do you think?

The Shithole was FINALLY here yesterday. Fixed the deck on the same day that the pool was opened. I hope to never ever see this moron again. If I didn't think there were liability issues I would publish his name, address, phone number and company name to warn you all away from him. Caveat Emptor!!!

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