This past few weeks have provided a few really great movie conversations for me. Movie conversations can be really long and in depth where people get real far into a film, themes, characters etc, or conversely really light where a film’s greatness is simply celebrated as those celebrating think that it deserves. Film conversations do not even need to be all that long as a one off quip or anecdote can provide insight or inspiration will often suffice in terms of getting imagination flowing. In this week’s particular case I am remembering a response to the prompt from about three weeks ago and am now in the process of turning that one off comment into a Weekly Movie Thread Prompt as promised.

And for this week I am thinking about sometimes you gotta be there. In terms of music the sound at live concerts can be too loud, too quiet or just feel a bit off while studio recordings are meticulously prepared to sound as perfect as possible. So why then do we shell out 10s, 100s and in some cases 1000s of extra dollars just to hear it one time in person? The answer is the experience, specifically the shared experience with others who love the same thing you do. To see things you never get to see if you were to stay at home listening. Movies are exactly the same. Well not really exactly, if they were happening live in front of you, you are at the theatre seeing a play. But aside from the live experience you are getting that shared audience experience, you can laugh with a crowd, feel the tension with those around you, cheer, laugh when something happens and only one person screams. There have been so many fun and great experiences I have had with theatre crowds, it is the basis on me still clinging to cinema viewings today.

Which leads me to this weeks prompt And despite where you thought this was going I am going to rewind time a bit here and ask: What movie screening would you have liked to see on opening night? Seeing a movie with everyone the first means that you should be getting those initial reactions from everyone, people won’t be exchanging knowing glances for big reveals. Everyone is on the same level playing field and reactions are as such more genuine. For me I think back to what at the time might have been one of the biggest cinema reveals ever, and that of course is Darth Vader informing Luke Skywalker of his parentage (without Maury Povich and DNA tests no less) in Empire Strikes Back. How cool would it have been to be in that audience? I was like 18 months old at the release of Empire so it would not have registered at the time, but if I was old enough and there… wow!