The movie theater has always been a place where magic happens.

You walk up to the

theater and the bright lights and red carpeting make you feel as if you are almost a movie star

yourself. It’s always similar, and it’s always wonderful. You can take your time and look at all of

the flashy posters for the movies that just came out. When you make up your mind you go see

the ticket salesperson, who is surrounded by bright light, as if they hold a position of mystery

and power. The first of many grand oracles that you must visit before you can go see the show.

You get your ticket and then you are presented by the concession stand. A gourmet of

deliciously unhealthy expensive items stands before you. You have no choice but to get a large

popcorn, and a soda that is way too big to drink quickly. The people that are with you never

want you to stand in the snack line because it is very important to get good seats. After you

have loaded up on overpriced treats you get to proceed to the next portion of the adventure,

the ticket taker. Sometimes it takes a minute to find your ticket, especially if you are carrying an

armful of snacks. Not knowing where your ticket is can be a scary experience. You have come so

far already, and if you have lost your ticket then you are out of luck because the ticket taker

never shows compassion. He looms there at the gate like the boatman at the river stixs waiting

for a coin or in this case your ticket. After the moment of panic you remember that you stuffed

it in your wallet or gave it to your girlfriend for safe keeping. You give it to him and he rips it in

half, and in a monotone voice says “left” or “right”. You quickly look at all the signs, trying to

deduce which room you need to go in to watch the show.

You walk down the hallway and open the door. A bright blue light shines on you as if

you have found the entrance to a new dimension. Now you are presented with a very

important decision, where to sit. The seats in the back are usually the best because kids and
older people usually take the front so they can see well. Older theaters sometimes contain a

balcony that you can sit in. The balcony is always fun to sit in because it separates you from the

people below you. It is especially nice if the balcony has its own snack booth because that can

save you precious time especially if there are a lot of people trying to see the movie. If there is a

separate snack booth then the balcony is the best place to sit for sure.

After finding the best location for optimum movie viewing you can sit back and eat most

of your snacks waiting for the previews to start. If you are lucky no one will inhabit the seats in

your direct vicinity, and you will be able to watch the show in peace. While you are waiting you

engage in small talk with the people that you are with, and they usually decide that they are

hungry and eat your snacks because they didn’t stand in the snack line with you. Then

something magical happens and the whole theater goes silent. The previews start. You really

have to pay attention at this time so you don’t miss the opportunity to scope out new movies

that will be worth coming back to the theater for. Also the previews are usually a forecast of

how the movie is going to go. Bad previews usually mean that a bad movie is coming. Just when

you get bored of watching the previews the movie begins. Now you can turn off your brain for

two hours and absorb the ideas and images. The only thing that can ruin this viewing

experience for you is other people.

The most common problem in the movie theater is when someone that is much taller

then you is sitting in front of preventing you from clearly being able to view the screen. The

people around you might also be talking loudly or using their cell phones which are very

bothersome. If they are sitting directly in front of you, you just have to put your feet on their

chair and rock it back and forth so that it becomes extremely uncomfortable for them. Even if
they don’t stop you know that you have annoyed them as much as they have annoyed you. In

extreme situations you might have to throw a couple of kernels of popcorn at them. They

probably won’t notice, but if one goes down there shirt then you get the bonus of watching

them squirm around for the rest of the movie. Regardless of doing things like this there are still

situations that can ruin the movie for you. Sometimes you might have to put up with someone

who laughs at everything. The problem is your not watching a comedy, but this guy thinks that

the movie is hysterical and he laughs the entire time. The laugh that he makes is never a quiet

chuckle but a deep annoying noise kind of like a baboon having a heart attack. You might also

be stuck in the theater with a heckler. Nothing in the movie is good enough for this person and

they want to make it clear to everyone else that the movie you’re watching sucks. The worst

person to run into at the movies is kid that has already seen the movie three or four times. He

has to tell his friends how the movie is going to end. Knowing the ending ruins any suspense

that the movie could be trying to build. Sometimes if he has seen the movie enough times he

will say the lines as the actor says them which can drive you crazy. Another very common movie

problem is if the people that came with cant pay attention and constantly ask you what’s

happening. You cant pay attention yourself if you constantly have to recap the action for

someone else.

The movies are always a solid choice when you go out on a first date. You know it’s

going to be two hours where you don’t have to talk to the person. This can be important

because both of you are probably a little nervous and it can be a struggle to come up with stuff

to talk about. There are some important choices you have to make at the theater like who is

going to buy the tickets and what movie you are going to see. It’s best to find some middle
ground and pick a movie that you can both enjoy. If the other person wants to see something

that you have absolutely no desire to watch you have to turn it down. You can usually come up

with an alternative that you will both enjoy. The different movie genres provide time tested

solutions. Action films have a lot of explosions and cars smashing into each other. Scary movies

are truly frightening or extremely cheesy. You have to keep your dates personality in mind

when you go to a scary movie because some people don’t handle them very well. If you want to

scare your date you can always get up and go to the bathroom or go get more snacks during the

scariest parts of the movie, leaving your date there to be terrified in the theater by themselves.

Although if they leave you by yourself you can end up being the one who is terror stricken all

alone waiting for them to come back. Better than taking the chance of watching something

terrifying you can always go to a comedy. Even if the movie isn’t that good you should get a few

good chuckles out of it, and everyone usually leaves happy.

The movies are best as a social experience. They provide a place that is common and

can be enjoyed by all types of people. You can go at any age, and it is something that the entire

family can enjoy. The movies are a good place to take kids because it captivates them and fills

them with excitement. The movies are so amazing to kids that they will spend hours emulating

their favorite characters. Every movie that a kid watches lends him or her new inspiration for

hours of playtime. The movies that are made for kids are also usually enjoyable by adults.

Sometimes in a movie they will make certain jokes that are geared towards the children and

other jokes that are aimed at adults. This is Hollywood’s way of putting a little something for

everyone into the experience. If you are not with your family the movies are also a great place

to go with your friends or people that you don’t know very well. Going to the movie with
people that you barely know is a great way to become better friends with them. There is just

enough time throughout the whole experience for enough idle chit chat that you get to learn

about them, but do not run out of things to say.

The ending of the movie can be a confusing time. There are many options of things to do

after witnessing a cinematic adventure. The first and most important is to find the nearest rest

room. After drinking large sodas and holding it in to avoid missing important plot twists you

usually need to make a dash to the restroom right after the movie. After using the bathroom

you could just go home. Going home is not always a good option especially if it is still early but

you can go out to a restaurant or grab a bite to eat at a fast food joint. If you filled up on too

many movie snacks to go out to eat you can always go to the park or find a place to hang out

with your friends who will probably want to hear about the movie. It is always important to tell

everyone you see right after the movie what you thought about it because if it was really good

then they need to go see it also.

The movies are often magical. Sometimes the experience of going to the theater is

better than the movie itself. There is always a little mystery because you might see something

you never imagined. Every experience there is very similar but uniquely different. As long as the

movies continue to provide the same exciting elements that it has become known for, we will

continue to stand slack jawed in amazement for years to come.