Why I Miss Going to the Movie Theater

I’ve been a movie lover my whole life.  From Disney’s “The Lion King” to the hilarious "Zoolander," to the poignant “To Kill a Mockingbird,” I have loved my movies and more so I have loved watching them over and over again to recapture that feeling I get when the credits roll.  But not all of us get to see these movies in the theater.  Not all of us get to experience the thrill of grabbing food and drink, sitting with your best friend, excited for the previews, and watching the film.  I didn’t get the privilege of being in a theater when Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed graced the theater screens in It’s a Wonderful Life.  I didn’t get to be there, in a theater filled with people, moved by the storyline and crying at the realization that really, “no man is a failure who has friends.” 

Now, whether it be ticket prices or the fact that technology has allowed us to stay at home for just about everything, I don’t see many, myself included, going to the theater anymore unless a box office installment of vampires and werewolves comes our way.  Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a good box office extravaganza as well, but to go and see a movie just for the sake of seeing a movie, I miss that. 

This past Thursday I was able to remember that exciting feeling of walking into a theater and really experiencing a movie; roaming the aisles, rocking in the seats, talking to my friend before it all began, and finishing the popcorn way before the movie even started.  December 6^th was the 20^th anniversary showing of Pulp Fiction, one of my all time favorite movies.  It also happened to be one of my best friend’s birthdays, which presented a dilemma.  Could I convince him to go?  Could I convince him that, before we head to the bar and toast to another year of him being alive, we spend 168 minutes of pure genius in an actual theater and not on the couch with the DVD player? 

Yes, yes I could.  I thought perhaps I’d find a struggle, but what I found meant so much more.  He’d never seen the movie! Can you believe that?  A person who has not seen Pulp Fiction; I always thought that was akin to the likelihood of finding a unicorn but yet here we are and in the holiday season no less!  The fact that it’s right around the holidays just made it that much more beautiful to go see a movie filled with such meaning, blood, and violence.  It was a Christmas miracle and by the end of the movie I just knew my friend would be moved to say, a la Tiny Tim, “God bless us everyone.”

We arrived at the AMC theater and waited on line for about 45 minutes.  I’m not a fan of lines nor am I a fan of waiting for anything, but this movie was worth it.  We grabbed our popcorn and my movie-watch-enhancing blue raspberry Icee and got to our seats.  As I watched each scene it was as if I saw it for the first time all over again, especially sitting next to a friend who had never seen it before.  The feel of having all these people around me scrambling to get a good seat, laughing at the right moments, sharing in the excitement of seeing it on the big screen, or clapping when it was over, made me remember why I love the theater.

 

I guess the point I am trying to make is that even in this technology age of advancement, maybe we can make more time to spend with others and not instant messaging or “facebooking” them.  Maybe, we can make more time to go to the theater, buy a ticket, and enjoy some human contact and a great film.  I was reminded of that on Thursday; reminded of the timelessness of film and that even if an ipod, ipad, or i-something comes out that can showcase a new movie and make french-fries at the same time, we should still make time for the theater and each other. 

Now THAT’S a tasty burger.   

The Etiquette of an NYC Commuter

This is Manhattan coming at you from an undisclosed location, well, maybe not that undisclosed.  You may know me as the big apple, that city that never sleeps, Gotham, or just simply the city you live in.  Yeah, I know I’m pretty great.  What else could I possibly give you?  You get New Year’s Eve where I provide you a beautiful ball to drop (I mean how else would you know the new year has begun?), I give you a giant tree to light up for the holidays, which I have learned is now using LED lights (you hear that Mr. Gore?), I provide you more than enough hot dog and pretzel stands, stores, live entertainment, and a beautiful assortment of gum on the street forming little interesting connect-the-dot patterns.  But enough about me and my all-powerful awesomeness; this is about you. 

I’ve come to notice a bit of disruption and anger amongst my inhabitants when it comes to commuting.  Let’s get right to it.  I have gone out of my way to do the most I can for you to get from home to work, and then return you home from happy hour.  Now trust me, I get that it’s frustrating.  Sometimes buses or trains aren’t on time.  Sometimes you’ll see an electronic sign saying “Train will arrive in 6 minutes” and once it’s been 7 minutes you freak and curse the entire system.  Totally understandable.  But, I’d like us all to get into a more “Empire State of Mind” as Jay-Z puts it.  God I love that guy.  By that I mean, let’s put some sort of etiquette back into the commuting system. 

Ahh the subways.  Let me say, that I love you all, but you guys have got to get your acts together. When you get to the subway and you have that moment of “Oh shit, I need to add money onto my card!” just relax, breathe, and go to the line.  Yes, I know the line is torturous and feels like a slow death but it’s your only hope.  Please don’t harass the woman in the booth that you need a card immediately because you have somewhere important to be because:                                                                

          (a) she will not care or help you faster and…                                                                          

          (b)you are not the only person with somewhere to be. 

Once on line, do not, DO NOT under any circumstance cut the line.  I repeat do not cut the line.  This will only result in an altercation where someone will be bitch slapped.

We now move onto the manners on entering and exiting the train.  Now that you have your metro card full of money, you’re feeling pretty good.  You’re feeling pretty solid that you can go wherever you want.  Thumbs up to you.  But that was just the easy part.  To all commuters, this is crucial.  When you are on a subway you are not a puzzle.  What do I mean by that?  In puzzles, people often start with the outside first and then fill in the center.  This is NOT the case for you.  You are not a human puzzle.  When those doors open, please move out of the way so people can exit and enter the train.  Please do not, stand there to “hold your spot” so that people have to ninja their way into the train car.  It’s not pleasant for them, and the glares you will receive won’t be pleasant for you. 

Ahh, now the doors have closed and the subway is moving.  Should be fine right?  Hahahahaha.  Oh sorry I just crack myself up.  No this is far from over.   These moments in the moving train car are what separate man from beast.  Take the pole for instance.  We all need something to hold onto, but when so many hands grab for that pillar of strength at once, you’re left to balance in the middle, which  let’s face it, never ends with you standing upright and always ends with you flat on your ass or flat on someone else’s.  To those holding onto the poles, please try to make room for all hands to be on deck.  To those in the middle, use your judgment; grab for the ceiling, grab for the wall, or be confident enough to think you can stand there vertically the entire time. 

Lastly, I’d like to move onto the most crucial rule of all.  If your bag doesn’t have an ass, it does not belong in a seat.  When someone comes into the train looking for a seat and you have already placed your Gucci, or your Prada, or your whatever kind of bag on that seat, it is beyond infuriating so either keep it in your lap, or if you have a lapse in judgment and already placed it on a seat, swipe it away before someone comes over.  Your bag has no ass, it therefore belongs in NO seats on my subways. 

If you find these commutes are too treacherous, once again I apologize.  I have tried to accommodate to the best of my ability.  I know the system brings frustration.  So please, try to be human about it all.  Let’s not go onto the subway as if we are hyenas in the pride land.

God speed my commuters, and remember you are a New Yorker, so hold that metro card with pride!

Sincerely,

Your New York City 

7-Eleven vs. Starbucks and How I Sister Wived My Coffee

I'll be the first to say that as a New Yorker it seems to be a requirement to love Starbucks.  I must confess, I have NEVER liked Starbucks.  I have always been truly devoted to my kindred spirit known as 7-Eleven.  Growing up outside the city, 7-Eleven was the equivalent of a Starbucks for me.  I looked forward to it every morning especially the coffee bar with numerous milk choices; I mean it wasn't just half-n-half, skim milk, or whole milk.  It was that PLUS the delicious flavors of pumpkin cream, hazelnut cream, white chocolate mocha and most importantly, scratch off lottery tickets.  
 
Since I moved to the big city, I have been forced to accommodate myself to Starbucks.  I guess it seems more chic, more city girlish.  I've gotten used to it.  It's not exactly my cup of tea, or well, coffee, but it's grown on me.  I wake up looking like something out of the "Walking Dead" and one sip, the caffeine runs through my veins and I start to feel and look human again.  But now, I face a dilemma.  A mere 4 blocks from me a 7-Eleven has opened.  It's like I've been living in a foreign country and all of a sudden have found my embassy!  
 
At first I felt an incredible rush of excitement and nostalgia hit me.  But I also felt uneasy.  My past was now in my present.  Could I go back?  Could I leave the "mocha-frappa-sundae-exra whip cream-hot fudge-cherry on top" Starbucks coffee choices?  As you can imagine I struggled.  The second the 7-Eleven opened I went in, made myself a cup of coffee, and it was like I was in "Field of Dreams."  They built a 7-Eleven store, and people did come.  I thought, this is it.  It has come back into my life and I'm settled on my new coffee place.  Yet there was still a nagging feeling in my mind, my heart, and let's face it, my stomach, that I missed Starbucks.  I had a decision to make.  My Starbucks, or my 7-Eleven.  

Of course, I've always been a tad indecisive when it comes to choosing food and drinks, so I settled for being a polygamist.  If I couldn't choose just one, then there was surely room for both of them in my life a la "Sister Wives" style.  Now I break up my time.  A little 7-Eleven magic here, a little Starbucks extra caramel latte wizardry there.