The Movies

Do you like going to the movies? Do you go often? Let me rephrase that. In the golden, olden days, like last January, did you enjoy going to movies? I love movies, and ages ago, I used to love going to the theater to see them. Of course, back then, we didn't have any other options. It could take years for a movie to show up on tv. I used to read the TV Guide each week, looking for the movies I wanted to see. As time went on and we acquired children and a house, our movie-going dropped off significantly. Whenever we had time to go, there wasn't anything we wanted to see. Nothing at all. Conversely, if there were a movie we both really wanted to see, we couldn't make time in our schedules with a crowbar. Now movies stream so soon after their theater runs that I barely have time to blink. And, in many ways, it's easier to watch movies at home. I can microwave popcorn, and pause the movie when I have a question or need to make a bathroom run. And the theaters have changed. I remember the first time I saw the loungers in my regular theater. I had gone to a matinee with a friend and when we walked in we stopped. Stopped walking and talking, which takes something big, and just stared. The lounger was comfy, but I kept pondering the difference it made in the experience. For one thing, I'm a talker. I try to keep my whisper very soft, because I also hate it when people chatter away as though they were in their own living rooms, but I have things to say. A funny remark or a question--I lose track of who's who when it's nighttime and all the men have beards. But it's almost impossible to communicate with the person next to you. By the time I get their attention and we both lean forward and in, the moment has passed. And I miss holding hands with my husband. We can still do it, but it's awkward. Which made me wonder about going on a date. Absolutely no cuddling in the modern theater. The other problem I have is that if the movie gets the least bit slow, it's easy to doze off. I've fallen asleep in the old-style theater seats, but now? It's dark, there's a lot less noise due to a lot fewer people, and I'm reclined. I'm gone. That may be the best use of my time right then. But $12.50 is a lot to pay for a nap.