If you want to witness the decline of western civilization, just go into any movie theater.
Against my better judgment I went and saw a movie the other day. I wanted to get out of the house and enjoy some time with Miss BiggerBoat. I only see maybe 1 or 2 movies a year in the theater any more, and I was reminded why.
People talking. Idiots resting their feet on the back of my chair. People who act mortified when I turn around and ask them to quiet down and get their feet off my chair.
Seriously, what is up with human beings?
It's not just kids, either. It's children and senior citizens and everyone in between.
Movies were a big part of my childhood. They were part of what inspired me to be creative. Back then, you'd stand out in line in the rain for a single-screen theater, and the movie was like a communal experience. People got involved with the movie rather than the people they came with. They laughed at the right places, they cheered when the bad guy got his comeuppance. At the end, if it was good, they'd applaud. Back then, going to movies was a hell of a lot of fun.
Am I just looking back on things through rose-colored glasses? Has it gotten worse? Is this an American thing?
I will say that there is one theater that offers a consistently good experience: the Cinerama in Seattle. This is a restored single-screen theater, and it takes me back to how it used to be. Problem is, it's hard to justify the 50 minute drive and the $12.00 in parking when the movie's going to be on DVD in a few months.
Man, I am getting to be a cranky old man.
Against my better judgment I went and saw a movie the other day. I wanted to get out of the house and enjoy some time with Miss BiggerBoat. I only see maybe 1 or 2 movies a year in the theater any more, and I was reminded why.
People talking. Idiots resting their feet on the back of my chair. People who act mortified when I turn around and ask them to quiet down and get their feet off my chair.
Seriously, what is up with human beings?
It's not just kids, either. It's children and senior citizens and everyone in between.
Movies were a big part of my childhood. They were part of what inspired me to be creative. Back then, you'd stand out in line in the rain for a single-screen theater, and the movie was like a communal experience. People got involved with the movie rather than the people they came with. They laughed at the right places, they cheered when the bad guy got his comeuppance. At the end, if it was good, they'd applaud. Back then, going to movies was a hell of a lot of fun.
Am I just looking back on things through rose-colored glasses? Has it gotten worse? Is this an American thing?
I will say that there is one theater that offers a consistently good experience: the Cinerama in Seattle. This is a restored single-screen theater, and it takes me back to how it used to be. Problem is, it's hard to justify the 50 minute drive and the $12.00 in parking when the movie's going to be on DVD in a few months.
Man, I am getting to be a cranky old man.