Skip to main content

Went to see the Simpsons movie

The wife and daughter were at church, and I decided to go ahead and catch one of the early morning shows of The Simpsons Movie at the Regal downtown. It was the first time in a very long time that I went to go see a movie by myself, and I thought it would be worth the trip.

I've been a fan of the Simpsons since the first season. I never really watched it on the Tracy Ullman show. In recent years, it's no longer necessary for me to watch every new episode, and I almost never watch it in re-runs anymore. So, why pay money to go see the movie?

For one, I thought it would be nice to see it in an actual theater for a change. The last movie I saw was Hot Fuzz earlier this year. I've not really wanted to see much of anything, as I've been busy with work-related things.

But, I think I might have been the only person in the theater by himself, which made me feel very self-conscious. When I was single in the late 90's, I saw everything that way, and didn't really mind sneaking in. Thankfully they had started the advertisements before I got there, missing a couple of fingers after purchasing popcorn. I was able to pick a spot right in the middle, not restricting myself to the aisles.

The previews beforehand were absolutely ridiculous. A sequel to Daddy Day Care. A remake of Alvin and the Chipmunks starring Jason Lee, featuring a pretty disgusting poop joke. Some other retread that I can't quite remember off the top of my head, but there really wasn't an original idea in the four previews. Odd that it took a television show to get me into a theater.

And then the movie. The reason I went on opening weekend because I was wondering if there would be any milestones in the movie. Would a character die? Would something different happen? How would they sustain the narrative? I was curious, so it was worth it to see it on the big screen without being spoiled.

Well, I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but the experience makes me wonder if the studios could make a lot of money off of people like me who would likely pay $9.99 on opening weekend to watch it in a one-time viewing on my computer or through pay-per-view.

The theater was maybe a quarter-full, and no one really laughed. There were a lot of kids in, and it was kind of embarrassing to laugh at some of the more adult jokes that got inserted into the film. It is a movie, after all. I was a bit self-conscious, and there were kids on either side of me, so I restrained most of my chortles and guffaws. I can imagine some of the parents were likely doing the same.

I'm not sure if it was worth it, but I did have fun, and it was a nice little distraction. A pure spur of the moment kind of thing, helped by the fact that I was able to get a space on Water Street (despite the Jeep thing eliminating over a hundred parking spaces) just outside the Regal. That alone made it something memorable!

But, was it Simpsonesque? If you're a fan of the show, go see it, and go ahead and spend the cash to see it in a theater. But, go see a late night version so you can really relax and enjoy it.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Running as sense-making

It's going to be a stressful day. I got up at 7:00 AM to start work and I could sit here in front of my computer for the next 10 days and still not get it all done. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but I'm prone to that awful habit when I'm under stress. I'm under stress at the moment as I try to balance work, my other work, and my need to run six miles or so every other day. In 14 minutes my feet will hit the street and I'll be off. No phone. No e-mail. Just me and my feet. I'm even going to skip the iPod today so I can hear the birds, and so I can concentrate on my surroundings. I don't know where I'm going to go. I know I'll leave the condo and will turn left up Commonwealth Drive. From there? I don't know for sure, but I can guarantee you the day will become a lot less stressful.

Video builds the radio guy

I'm watching the tail end of the debut of Max Headroom, one of those shows from the late 80's that seemed so amazingly different, refreshing. The premiere revolves around an advertising conspiracy that's killing people. When I was a kid, this seemed so futuristic and somehow important. A television show was critiquing television practices. Now, the irony comes in because I'm watching this show on Joost , which is a new service created by the makers of Skype and KaZaa. There's advertising, of course, but it seems so seamless, you hardly notice it. A friend of mine sent me an invite today, and there's a ton of content here that I can watch legally, as often as I want. And, the picture is pretty darned good, full-screen. Everything is changing, and changing fast. Steve Safran of Lost Remote was recently a guest on Coy Barefoot's show and continued preaching the gospel of convergence, and Joost is so far the best (legal) implementation I've seen. It lacks

The Fire at Court Square Tavern

My tavern is closed indefinitely tonight, after a fire that broke out early this morning. I had just dropped off my daughter at day care, and heard a bulletin on 1400 AM , one of our two sports-talk stations. I didn't even know they did local news, but at least on this occasion, they did. All I heard was "evacuation at Court Square" and I immediately thought I should drive over there. The big building at 500 Court Square was still standing, so that gave me a bit of hope. People were moving around Market Street, and seemed happy. Or at least, not burned. Then I turned up 5th Street, and saw one of the front windows, covered with a tarp, and a huge pile of debris on the sidewalk. Oh crap, I thought. I've worked at the Tavern since August of 2004, and have gone through many ups and downs while there. I started as a server, and became a manager and began bartending that December. It was the first place I was able to work since my separation from my first wife. Working the