A Movie Worth Watching

The dark quiet movie theatre’s acoustics enhance our laughter volume as we shush each other only to release another burst of happiness. Although we sit in the audience seating, patiently waiting for Wolf Man to leap out of the humming projector, it is the silver screen that is getting a show for once. Two eager hearts exploring the reactions of one another through conversation; equip with a large bag of popcorn, a bag of almond M&Ms, a pickle flavor shaker, two soft drinks and a common curiosity, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. That line sounded like it should be read by that deep creepy voice guy in trailers, no? Her short blond hair dances as her animated face hints her nature to me, through stories, voice tones, and glances. The colorful hooded sweater that wraps her body holds a fragrance that I subconsciously embed in my memory. I will forever relate that smell to her beautiful smile. For a moment, we own this theatre, not so much because we are obnoxiously loud but more so because we are an hour early. Not a soul but ours occupy this entertainment space. You see, I have an obsession with watching trailers on the big screen and being excessively early insures that obsession is satisfied.

What’s not to love? A montage of the best parts in the film coupled with a great song and that creepy guy with the deep voice. Ah, now that's how life should be! Maybe minus the creepy voice, “One man, one love, with one agenda, set out to destroy the ones that killed his dog. Wesley Snipes, Barney the Dog in Revenge in the Name of Buddy.” Yeah, I know what you are thinking right now, possibly the most ridiculous movie ever right? But imagine what the trailer would look like!

First, the camera pans across a calm country side with soothing music faint in the background. It cuts to a slow motion clip of Wesley Snipes throwing a Frisbee with his golden retriever in an open meadow a mile from his secluded home. Laughter and barking echoes. Wesley mouths “I love you” to his shaggy friend as they roll in a bed of grass and diasies. The shots are long and beautiful. A diffused glow effect is used generously.

“Buddy? What chu got there?” Wesley Snipes’ character, Brady, calls. His smile fades. Ominous music abruptly enters. In Buddy’s mouth is a severed hand still holding onto a bag of cocaine. “Is that…oh hell no!”

“Your dog knows too much Brady!” screams a man, possibly a mobster. “Hand him over and walk away.”

“You and your mobster friends can go to hell!”

A struggle. A gun shot. A scream. A whimper.

An aerial shot spinning around a man holding his dead dog. Fade to black. A voice cuts through the darkness. A female voice. Possibly a love interest. “What will you do?”

“The only thing I can do,” answers Brady. His face flashes on the screen, “Kill them.” Wesley Snipes’ name appears in bold red font over a shot of him cleaning his dusty AK-47.

Enter the epic music, explosions, and the creepy deep voice man.

“No! Please no! All dogs go to heaven! All dogs go to heaven!” a mobster pleads as he crawls frantically through an abandon warehouse.

“Fetch.” Wesley commands in a monotone voice, throwing a grenade at the helpless mobster.

"For the love of God! When will the voilence end!?"

Brady puts on some kick ass sun glasses. "When they all roll over.....dead."

An explosion ends the trailer and introduces the credit summary.

“Coming Summer 2010”

Amazing right? Yeah, I can’t picture myself sitting for 2 hours watching that movie but that trailer was intense! The catchy/smart one liners! The action! The drama! It seems that trailers are almost always better than the movies themselves. In fact, sometimes, movies ruin trailers!

I leaned back in my chair and can’t help but think of how many times I’ve been in this very spot watching these trailers and thinking of the upset that will come from the actual movies. Then those movies just become noise in the background as the girl by my side and I make out through it; the same girls that are never to be seen again once the credits start crawling up that gigantic screen. Is that what life is? Just one disappointing movie after another? Are we better off with the trailers; the making outs; the short but satisfying highlights? Fuck the dialogues and raising action. Glimpses of the climax are all we need to conjure up our own endings in our minds right?

I study the hand that currently sits in mine and trace her arm with my eyes until I meet her beautiful greens. She moves in slow motion as she laughs, so honest and full of life. The dim lighting of the theatre catches her smile in a way that I’ve never seen before. This right here is a trailer. Her hair, her hands, her eyes, her smile – all highlights of something more. I’m pretty sure I just heard the creepy voice telling me to make out with her right now.

But I want more. The boring dialogue, the raising action, the fights; I want it. I think I’m going to watch this movie the whole way through. Wish me luck.