Theatre Thursday

Week 18 - The Big Screen.

The very first movie I [Misty] ever watched on the big screen was Home Alone. Now that cute litle boy is being arrested for drug charges.

Do you remember your first time?

1. Do you remember the very first time you watched a movie on the big screen? Describe it.

I remember my dad took me to a re-release of Song of the South at Knoxville's Tennessee Theatre (this was back when you could actually see the movie somewhere). Googling the movie, this would've been in 1972 or 1973, so I was about 6 or 7. I remember looking up and marveling at the high, art deco ceiling (see photo).

As an aside, the first movie we took BrainyBoy to see was Mulan when he was two. There was a trailer for the remake of Mighty Joe Young that about scared him out of his wits - imagine your first time ever seeing a film on a screen that large, and it's a giant, roaring ape?

The first movie we took GiggleGirl to see was Fantasia 2000 (do you detect a trend here?) when she was just one - she was younger, and slept in her carrier for a good amount of the movie. The final segment of the movie, "Firebird Suite - 1919 Version" starts off all sweet, and beautiful and melodic - until the Firebird awakens with a great crash of percussion and drums, and frenetic, fiery action on the screen. Let's say GG woke up in a hurry, and let everyone in the theatre know it as well.

2. What was the last movie you saw on the big screen?

Benji: Off The Leash!, which is about the oddest little movie I've ever seen. It looked like Joe Camp's film school senior class project. Haphazard editing, 70's dialogue and an almost incomprehensible plot, but the but cute characters almost make up for it. Fun, but strange.

3. Did you ever like a movie so much that you paid to watch it more than once? If so, what movie?

All the original Star Wars movies I paid to see multiple times. I think I saw A New Hope about 17 times in 1977, all told.

BONUS) How much does a movie ticket cost in your neck of the woods?

Benji cost our family of 4 about $25 (2 adults, 2 kids). That may be the most I've ever spent for all of us to go to the movies.

I used to work at a theatre in Knoxville back in the mid-80's, and I remember then adult tickets were $4.00 and kids were $2.50, so the same experience would've only cost $13 bucks back then.