Friday night I went with two friends of mine to see World War Z. Despite the lukewarm reviews I really liked it. Brad Pitt and non-stop intensity from beginning to end. The friends I was with were a couple and usually they are really good at not making me feel like a third wheel, but this night...not so much. Given it was the opening night of the flick, we arrived close to 40 minutes early which gave them about 35 minutes to argue about what they would be doing on the one week they are off together in late July.
After about 10 minutes of trying to involve me in the discussion, they, and I decided it was best I remain out. That gave me close to a half hour to sit and think, and try to save some of my popcorn for when the movie actually started. We were in the back row so I had the perfect vantage point to view, and of course mentally mock and judge, the others in the theatre.
The usual suspects were all there. The young couples on dates, the old couple bound to be bothered by the movies violence. A group of young girls, sitting close to a group of young guys. Parents with children far too young to be at this movie and couples who really didn't need the large bag of M & M's that came with their popcorn combo. What surprised me as I watched all these people were how many people were attending the movie all alone.
There was a time in my early twenties when I traveled a lot, usually to visit friends who moved away for school after high school. During some of these trips, I would go to movies on my own, usually a matinee when my hosts were in class or at work. There was something sort of cool about attending a movie alone in a strange city. No one knew me, no one cared. I am older now, living in a pretty small town and would never think to go the movies alone now.
As I watched the many people sitting by themselves, I have to admit they earned both my fascination and my respect. There were no real similarities between them, there were men, there were women, there were older people, there were younger people. Many were attractive, which stupidly had me wondering why they were there alone, dumb of me. They were alone of course, in that theatre, in the dark, by choice. A choice, I am not sure I would be brave enough to make myself these days.
3 comments:
I used to go to a movie alone all the time. My friends don't always want to see what I want to see or they have already seen the movie on a day I couldn't go or didn't want to go. Doing things alone is fine with me because I don't always need the company of others. I'll also eat alone sometimes in restaurants.
-Chris
Since October 2011, I'm single and do many things alone and I enjoy those moments...
I must say that sometime I'd like to share some of those moments with somebody.
I went to see three movies in the past 3 weeks and I like being alone becaus I can choose when and where I want to go.
Again, sometimes, I'd like to be able to share my experience with a friend...
After all, I don't feel so bad being alone.
I have many friends to speak to afterward.
Cheers
xxx
90% I either go alone or end up wishing I HAD gone alone.....I think watching the movie alone is fine but it's nice having someone to chat with while waiting for the movie to start.....it's if the person you go with then decides to talk during the movie "who was that?", "what did she say","what just happened?" etc. etc. Then I wish I was alone. I remember dragging my then BF to the opening of Lord Of The Rings,he hung in there 'till almost the end then started asking me when they were going to throw the ring in.....When I told him there were 2 more sequels to come (why he didn't know is beyond me) he blurted out in a packed theater "ARE YOU F*****G KIDDING ME 2 MORE?????!!!!" And I wanted to crawl under my seat!
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