movies, movies and more movies

I love going to the movies and my passion started when I was young. Let me give you a little background info, I grew up in a really small town in Iowa. It was a great place to be a little girl and I will write more about my hometown on another post but for now...movies. We had one movie theater called "The Holland Theater" and it was a one screen theater that would typically get the "new releases" months after they came out. The films would stay for 2 weeks at a time and then the movie reels would be packed up and move on to the next small town theater down the road.

Going to the movie as a child and a teenager was an exciting event...first of all I would wait for the movie listing to be posted in the local newspaper and fingers crossed it would not be rated PG-13 or R because it was just not allowed in my family..no exceptions. I remember vividly when really big movies would come to town it was an event and you would hope and pray you could get a ticket before the 200 seat theater sold out for the one showing that night. When I got old enough my parents would drop me off in front of the theater to meet my friends. Of course a pre-scheduled time (no cell phone back in the 80's) had been arranged for the pick-up. When I got to middle school and if the showing was early enough I was able to head over to "The Soda Jerk" or George's Pizza with my friends afterwards. With out fail the movie reel would break at least once...sometimes twice during the film....the seats and floors were just a little sticky and there was a big velvet curtain on either side of the rumpled screen. It was so much fun especially in a town with very little entertainment other that the roller skating rink, slumber parties and school or church sponsered activities. I believe the little Holland Theater closed shortly after my family moved away in 1989 and a multi-plex was built in it's place.

So after hearing my story you understand why I love the shiny new theaters with their stadium seating and seats that lean back with head rests and the smell of fresh popcorn in the lobby....ahhh! No waiting for movies to come around...you can see whatever you want when you want.

This weekend in Dallas the AFI Film Festival is starting and I am all ready to kick back in the theater and watch film after film...I just love going to the movies!