I went to the movies Saturday night. Well, actually I went to one movie at the multiplex. We do like to pluralize words unnecessarily, don't we? Walmarts, anyone? Hells yeah!
I don't go to movies in the theater very often. Frankly, it's too damned expensive – $8 for an adult ticket these days. I know, that's what big city folk were paying ten or fifteen years ago or more. Well, this ain't the big city. And really the experience isn't worth it. There's something to be said for seeing a first-run film in a full theater, feeding off of the collective vibe as everyone experiences something new for the first time. Gasps, jumps, jolts, shrieks, etc. But more often than not there's some buffoon who does all that at the wrong moment or has to jabber with his or her date/seat partner, clouding important dialog and generally spoiling the moment.
The last movie I saw in the theater was the lousy remake of "Conan," with a couple of friends. Yawn. The 3-D effect was poorly used and the film lacked the chutzpah of Arnold's versions. This time I went alone. There were others in the theater, but I had nobody with me. I don't mind so much, though especially for a ghost story it would have been nice to have someone to hold my hand and cuddle in close during the particularly scary parts. For her, of course, not for me (OK, I have been known to cover my eyes and peep through my fingers when I know it's gonna get jumpy).
Trailers are always part of the experience, and they can be almost as much fun as the feature. Saturday night gave tastes of: “The Raven,” “Snow White & The Huntsman,” “The HungerGames” and “7500.” I’ve always been a fan of Poe. And of John Cusack. Imagine my ecstasy when the trailer for “The Raven” played. Then there was the live-action “Snow White” tale, the incredible first part of the “Hunger Games” trilogy and terror in the skies with “7500.” Great-lookin’ summer lineup! (Creepy: I can't get the link to work for "7500.")
Knowing the ridiculous prices for concession snacks, I decided to take my own candy. Who knew Sugar Babies were a better deal than my old standby Raisinets? Fewer calories, lower cost per ounce. The only obvious sacrifice was the loss of antioxidants. I thought I might knuckle under and buy a soda. Small = $4.25. Seriously. WTF. I stayed dry.
There were about 20 of us in the theater. About half the crowd was couples (I say “about half” because I don’t recall if there were four or five actually paired up). That would have been nice for this one! Scariest thing I’ve seen since “The Exorcist.” There were a couple cheap scares and nearly all were punctuated by heavy audio augmentation (but that’s not rare). As expected, there was some giggling at inappropriate moments, but I chalk that up to the uncomfortable titter of fear.
I’m not about to attempt a film review. Read one here. I will say again it was the scariest thing I’ve seen since “The Exorcist.” Well done. My heart was pounding. Goosebumps ran rampant up my arms and back. I countered with my own internal humor. In one scene, as Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) inched down the hallway toward the haunted nursery to investigate a strange thumping, candle in one hand, hatchet in the other, I shouted in my mind: “Expecto Patronum!” I might have even laughed had somebody else said it aloud.
So how brilliant was it to complete my next run, 24 hours after movie night, in a darkened gym, listening to the music of a recently deceased pop star? Thankfully I saw no ghosts, though I did induce goosebumps a few times just by thinking about scenes from the movie.
Today's Stats
Temp: 31 degrees F outdoors
Distance: 3.1 miles
Weekly Total: 9.6 miles
Treasure: Goosebumps.
iPod Playlist (shuffle)
It seemed right to finish the Whitney playlist (actually I finished running before the last two songs could play - My Love Is Your Love and You Give Good Love)
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