This was written yesterday so I had the appropriate time to get all my thoughts out. You're welcome.
As I sit here writing this, in approximately 24 hours, I will be starting my personal Summer Movie Season which from here on will be referred to in future blogs as SMS for short. As I have been counting down towards the starting line, thoughts about myself, the movies themselves, the theater that I inhabit like a second home, and the friends that join/mock me in my endeavors deserve an explanation. I feel compelled to explain the complex nature of my movie-going experience and, because you find my neurosis entertaining on some level and I like to express my opinions to the world, you now have the immense pleasure of hearing some of them.
(This is like my version of a thesis, hence the verbiage and hoity-toity attitude. You'll survive.)
First and foremost, I know many of you are thinking, "Hey Kate, how do you keep track of all the movies that you want to see?" and if you weren't, well shame on you for failing the most basic requirements of reading my blog. (To agree with everything I say and always wanting my opinion. Duh.) Well readers, I'm glad you asked! My fellow movie-going partners and I were waiting for a movie to start a couple months back and we went through a list of all the movies slated to come out in the year 2013. From that we made a list of all the movies we (or at times, one of us) was interested in seeing. (If you are interested in what my list consists of, just ask!) Quite simple, even you can do it!
You all know that I like to get to places early. (Understatement of the century, I know.) Well, I'll explain that a little bit. I have some mild OCD tendencies and one of those tendencies is being early, to most events. There is the occasional time where I am late or not as on time as I'd like to be but for the most part you can always count on me to be somewhere early. I began, as most of you know, with the last Harry Potter movie and from there has taken on a life of it's own. I am known at my movie theater, mostly by name if not by sight by most of the employees. (They did hire a bunch of new people so I now have to train them and get them to help me out with insider scoop but it's all part of the fun.) For most people the movie starts only minutes before the actual film hits the screen; for me, depending on the popularity of the movie, the waiting time begins 24 hours or more beforehand.
Earlier today, I felt the familiar clutch in the chest that signals a midnight movie premiere. I begin planning my getting to the theater, what I need to bring, who I need to remind about the movie, and other miscellaneous thoughts that zoom through my already crowded mind. On days where it is essential for me to get there as early as possible, I can usually leave work early. This take the pressure off of my chest, and yes I do mean the literal pressure of the early of a panic attack that I make a lesser deal by calling it anxiety. I know most of you are now actually concerned for my well-being. 'Kate, this is not normal. You really need to get on some kind of medication or relaxer for that.' Relax, guys. I'm used it. You know that it actually benefits you for me to get there early. So you never actually do anything about it anyways. You're forgiven.
When I can't leave early from work, a whole new level of anxiety takes over. Part pride, part crazy, part OCD, and part for the fun of it, I love to be first in line. Scratch that; love isn't a strong enough word for the pulsing desire that runs through my veins as I drive to the theater. (Get your head out of the gutter Jake. Sheesh.) My pulse races as I park and like an old pro of the theater executing a costume change, I whip out of my car all the while grabbing my essentials and power-walking like it's an Olympic event. ( I think it might actually be, and if not it one day might be.) I throw open the door and walk a righteous purpose to the second set of doors and get my first glimpse of the waiting area: empty. Triumph, and still some agitation, wash over me as the attendant rips my ticket and I finally breathe an easy breath as I claim the first spot in line.
Now I know I have lost most of you; you truly think I am insane. Honestly? I don't care. I am passionate about the movies and the movie-going experience. Too often we find ourselves with a careless attitude towards something that we once had a fierce passion for and now are lacking.
At this point in the experience, I may or may not be joined by some of my friends. Some are newer than others, some come because they enjoy the movies, some come because they enjoy the overall experience, and some come because I ask them. I am known for making friends at the most random of occasions but I can easily say that some of the friendships that have been forged by attending the movies the way I do has truly allowed me to meet some of my favorite people. I am so glad that some people share my movie-crazy.
Depending on the movie event, several things may happen next: I may get some solitary time and do some reading, writing, or just general relaxing before the (often non-existent) horde of amateurs show up in line. Sometimes I make a t-shirt that is dedicated to the movie itself, and since my amazingly traced Mockingjay Pin for The Hunger Games, I have been determined to one-up the previous design. Some succeed, some fail epically. If I have company we may watch previous movies in the series, look at timely magazines, talk about the next midnight movie, and just generally fangirl out. It's the greatest.
I know you all thought the anxiety ended once I got in line; wrong! It starts up again as the time to enter the theater draws near. Usually we have some idea of when they will let us into the theater; sometimes it's because I'm psychic (or I just have been to so many movies that I know when the previous movie ends and how long the theater takes to be cleaned) or because the wonderful theater workers tell us. As that time approaches, the line is usually starting to get antsy and walk in front of the designated area. I gently (or sometimes quite frighteningly) explain that the lines starts behind us and the other people milling in the designated area that is ROPED OFF. This is what I don't get: if you see a group of people waiting behind a roped off area, what makes you think that you get to just walk in front of them and go in before? I don't care if you are elderly, injured, or just plain filled with a sense of entitlement: GO TO THE BACK OF THE LINE!! There is movie theater etiquette and you make me look and feel like a stupid person when I have to explain this to you.
Now that you know to never cross me when I am in a line, I'll get back to the point. The anticipation of the attendant coming over and lifting the rope fills me with another round of anxiety. I have only made one mistake in my storied history of line waiting (Rookie Mistake!!) and I am lucky enough that my movie theater workers know the importance of me getting into the theater first. Once the rope is lifted, I move like The Flash. This is a superhero reference in case you didn't understand. Maybe Tasmanian Devil is more appropriate and relatable. I digress. Our group of movie goers have permanent dibs on a specific section (that I am not going to tell you in case any of you decide that it would be hilarious to see the look of horror on my face if you took them) and I speedily walk (read: sometimes am forced to run) to them and flip up the arms rest like my life depended on it. And in that moment: it does. Once all the seats have been accounted for and counted through twice, I secure my middle seat (dead center with the screen of course) and sit down and watch the rest of the attendees stroll in and claim the lame leftover seats.
And the end game begins, we wait. The anticipation of the movie is at it's highest once I am in the physical seat and now I can move with ease about the theater. I usually take a stroll and peruse upcoming movie posters, go the bathroom, or just get up and walk around to ease the remaining adrenaline. As the clock ticks closer to start time, a healthy excitement replaces the early anxiety. The screen goes black. As the previews roll across the screen, I can sometimes be seen leaning forward to fully experience the trailers as if I were physically there. This can be said for the actual movie as well, depending on the scene.
Now that you have had a play by play description of a normal midnight movie premiere event for myself and my friends, you may understand my crazy a bit better.
Or you may believe that I am certifiably insane.
You might be right. I guess, we'll never know.
(Unless you get me tested.)
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