"The Movies" - Time Out #24

The word movies has various meanings to today's folks.

It might mean watching the plethora of choices available via television, computer or on other personal devices. It may mean traveling to a brick and mortar store to rent or buy one for viewing somewhere else.

I like to think of them in the old-fashion way, getting in a car and driving to a theater Once walking inside, I am always overcome with the smell of fresh popcorn, and enjoy looking at the other various foods to consume. I guess that's all just a package deal in my mind.

Entering theater is as exciting for me today as it was way back when???

As I've related in previous writings, as a local youth, I thoroughly enjoyed going to the movies during Stillwater's hot summers. Forever ago for me, our five theaters were one of the few places in town that provided "refrigerated air" now known as air conditioning. Walking through their doors from a heat outside was like entering a cool, magical kingdom, not to mention the delicious junk food available to buy on-site. This buying and eating was especially great because our parents seldom knew just how much of that "sugary" stuff we ate!

Speaking of magic, that is a great descriptive word of all the possibilities that exist once the big screen lights up and the movie begins. Be prepared to be taken completely away from your present state of mind.

You may be treated to incredible scenery, sound effects, profound dramas, frightening situations, love stories, war-like violence, emotional scenes that bring you to tears, a profound underlying message, etc.,etc.etc.

How weird do you feel, too, when closely watching an intense scene, the bogey man jumps out of the darkness, and that action causes you to scream (hopefully, just to yourself?), and jump up in your seat?

A super strong feature for me is the educational aspect.

I can't relate how many times I have watched a movie and the facts I have gained from it have stayed with me for years. That is not to even mention many times after viewing a movie, my curiosity is sharpened to study much more about a subject, and that additional knowledge has proved so valuable to me in everyday life.

How, also, about those scenes that you can directly identify with in which you have "been there, done that", but you want to see how Hollywood handles the situation on the big screen. Nice for your ego, huh, if they use your approach?

Modern movies in big cities are making it easy to impress a date with their huge, cushy, super comfortable chairs, reserved seats and even a host of employees to come to your seats and take your drink and food orders, then deliever your order to your seats. Talk about an easy way to get spoiled?

The big city complexes also make choice so much easier with the huge array of different movies under the same roof. Some of these complexes are inside shopping centers with their supporting restaurants, so you may go to these particular locations, and literally spend hours, shopping, eating and capped off by seeing an excellent movie.

With all the rapid changes in our society in the past few decades, the entertainment value of going to a movie is not likely to go away soon.

Besides, their popcorn is just too good.