Going to the Movies on Valentine's Day

Remember St. Valentine? Yeah, nobody else does either. So all day I've been wishing people a "Happy Valentine's Day! May it be more memorable than the reason we celebrate this day in the first place." And for some people, it is. But others turn to the more boring (or as some people call it "clichè) act of going to see a romantic movie after a day of conversation hearts from the 90's that still say "fax me." And that is totally fine and boring and have fun doing it for the next 20 years.

I joined those type A personalities and went to the movies tonight with some friends for V-day tradition, and saw The Vow. It was actually a lot better than I thought it would be, and I think I'd recommend it. But the movie isn't the important part about this post; it's the people. And the people in this theater were just too good not to write about later.

First, there were the pre-teens. The middle school girls who come in groups of 4 or 12 with one parent who probably regrets every life decision they've ever made leading up to this point. These are the girls who are giggling and texting each other while sitting an inch apart about how hot Channing Tatum's shoulder freckles are. And granted, they're right, but they're also wearing sweaters that say things like, "You wish I was your girlfriend" on them, which negates everything they've ever intelligently come up with in their short time on this earth.

Then there were the guys in the theater who were only there because it meant a huge payoff for them later. They bought the popcorn. They bought the drinks. They're just glad the run time for this movie was less than 2 hours because the sooner they could benefit from doing all this stuff for their ladies today, the better.

It's hilarious, too, because there are 2 different sides of the "couples on dates on valentine's day" spectrum, and we had both types sitting on either side of us. The first couple was a girl and a boy who were holding hands at first, but when the girl started crying about something sad going on (I don't remember what it was because she was kind of crying a lot, and I guess I'm an emotionless cyborg or something because I don't cry during movies unless an old person cries or a dog dies), he started trying rub her back. But he was so AWKWARD about it, and it definitely didn't help that she was wearing some sort of raincoat. So the sounds next to me were a mix of loud sniffling and someone scratching a plastic coat. Really helped the ambience. This guy was on the side of the spectrum where he was going to be on his best behavior. The whole time.

And then on the other side, by my friend, was the couple that was making out the whole time, because it's a wise investment to spend 10 dollars on a movie and then make out in public and not see most of said movie. You really can't get the same effect on a bed or a coach with a rental. To make things greater, the guy was paying NO attention whatsoever, so the girl took it upon herself to explain everything that was going on to him the whole time. "So...um...she just lost her memory and doesn't remember him because she was in an accident. And he's her husband and he loves her and she doesn't know who he is." Thank you, yes, that just happened. He's blind or stupid, honey, let it go. He's on the side of the spectrum where's he's locked things down enough that it really doesn't matter how he behaves during the movie, because he showed up.

And then there were the groups of single girls who go to see a movie like the Vow because they are determined to live out their valentine's day dreams....which probably never included seeing a romance movie with 8 of their friends. They have that "fuck you, social expectations! I don't need a man! See? I don't need a guy to watch this with!" They say they do this shit ironically, but they don't.

And finally there are was me and the group of awesome people that I went with. Cinema majors who really just like movies and can take this holiday for what it is: a nice day for people to appreciate their loved ones, and also a time where Hallmark executives laugh all day long without a single breath in between the ha's. Who can stand to not text during movies and sneak in fast food so we don't break the bank on concessions.


But hey, to each their own.


Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Movie Theater Etiquette

Remember my post about plane etiquette? Of course you don't; nobody reads this thing anymore. Well anyways, this one is about movie theaters. And how you should act in one. Or rather, how you shouldn't. Because, as a cinema major, I think that proper behavior in a movie theater is very, very important. And as a human being, I think that proper behavior in a movie theater is very, very important. Basically I hate everyone in movie theater audiences and you should read this post to find out why.

1) Cell Phones

I love my cell phone. Actually, that's a big fat lie. I hate my cell phone. I can't wait to throw it against a concrete wall and get a new one, even though that probably won't even work (it refuses to be killed; scientists should seriously start studying it). But that's a different rant for another post. Cell phones are great, modern inventions that allow people to have a conversation without looking at each other, talking out loud, or listening to what anyone else has to say. It's the greatest anti-social tool that's ever been created after the invention of the handheld gaming system (even though I kick major ass at Tetris..just saying). I condone using your cell phone to look up questions you can't remember the answer to on Google or Bing (actually, don't use Bing. I hate Bing). You can fake a call to get out of a real life conversation. You can use your phone! BUT one of the MAJOR times using your cell phone is absolutely not okay is in a movie. Why? I really shouldn't have to tell you. If you asked why, go walk outside. Find some traffic to play in. That was harsh, I'm sorry. I have a cell phone finding superpower, I swear. I can spot a cell phone on in the most crowded theater in the world. Actually, so can everyone else. BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS DARK AND YOUR CELL PHONE HAS A LIGHT. Thank you so much for illuminating the theater; now I can pick you as my new acquired target to pelt with popcorn.
And yes, I've heard all of the excuses, "I'm texting my mom/dad/brother/girlfriend/bus driver" or "someone I love/just met/looked up online is in the hospital" or "I seriously have to check my Facebook news feed; someone might have changed their profile picture!" and here's what I have to say to all of those, in turn: 1) That can wait. If it can't wait, and you know you were expecting a call, or it's an important conversation, GO OUTSIDE. You're missing what's going on on the screen anyways because you're looking at your phone; do you have to distract everyone else, too? Also, why do you have your bus driver's phone number? 2) I know that if I was waiting for news on someone in the hospital, I wouldn't be able to sit through a movie. So go home. Wait for the news. Make some tea. or something. But don't sit in a theater and bother everyone else. 3) Seriously? Seriously. Go get help.

Turn your phone off. If you can't sit through a movie without checking your phone, don't go to a movie theater. Or don't watch a movie.

(that was the longest one of this list, I promise)

2) Munching
Movie concessions are the best. The popcorn tastes worse than popcorn you'd make at home, and somehow it's still way better. The drinks are extra large because America is fat, and that's okay! You can get some nasty candies in a box, and good on ya, sir! No big thing. And all you have to do is pay a million dollars. Plus tax.
Popcorn and soda (and whatever candy if you're into that sort of thing) is like a right. It should be an amendment or something. But control yourself. Because you're in the danger zone. And that zone leads to me hating you if you're in my theater.
and here's why: You chew loudly. You do. You can't help it; the popcorn is crunchy. And that's fine- I do it, too. But you have to be considerate. There is almost nothing worse than watching a movie, and all of a sudden a slow, sad scene comes on, and you're adding to the soundtrack with huge crunches of buttery popcorn. Thanks for that. It really sets the mood, ya know?
Also, and I don't know why this is, but you will most likely wait until the very last minute to open your candy box. Which is inexplicably wrapped in the most hard-to-open, noisy plastic they could make. Why? I don't know; it's probably some cruel movie joke, like, "Hey Frank, let's wrap this candy so tightly in this wrapper that the poor sap can't open it, and then he pisses everyone off and doesn't even get to eat the candy! And we can charge him seven dollars! HA!" But you can one up that douchebag Frank. You can open the candy BEFORE the movie! Gasp! I know, I know, it's crazy. But it's so crazy that it just might work. And by that I mean, do it or run the risk of making everybody around you despise your very existence. tsk tsk. And all you wanted was a Sour Patch Kid.

3) Talking
This is my hypocritical one. I love to talk during movies. Not yell-at-the-character- "Don't open the door"-type talking; I keep it to myself. And my friends. I snort, kind of, at a lot of the idiocy I see on-screen...I don't know. And I'm sorry. But at least I'm being relevant. Do you know how annoying it is when someone is talking and it's not even to do with the movie!? And sometimes it's a whisper, which is worse, because whispers are always loud even when you think they aren't. "Hey, did you see 'Glee' before the season ended? OMG so good." NO. You stop that right there. Do you not see Harry Potter on the screen? What is wrong with you? AVADA KEDAVRA. Bam. Problem solved. Too bad that can't happen to me in real life (still waiting on that letter, J.K..)

Shut up. But what's even worse than talking is..

4) Shushing
Don't be a shusher. Just don't. I'm a shusher, Cady. I shush people. What does that even mean, like a drug shusher? Get it? HA. I'm so funny. Not really, but pretend I am. It makes me feel good. ANYWAYS. Isn't it always worse when someone is shushing? What a horrible invention of sound. It's just as LOUD as talking, and just as ANNOYING as talking, WE SHOULD ALL JUST STAB SHUSHING.

5) Not my armrest, you bitch! (another HP reference, what is up).
At the movie theater, the movie gods have blessed you with a nice seat, a cup holder, and an armrest. That's right, I said an armrest. Not two armrests. Because if someone is sitting next to you, it is just plain rude to take up both. C'mon, people, learn to share. Please. Or else I will sit there for the entire two hours and elbow you into submission. I promise.





Fin.

Horror...and stuff.

Hello, fellow students/businessmen/nannies/mothers/fake tanners (I have no idea what the hell demographic reads this stuff that I write- anyone there? Hi, you.) I've adventured to my little blog to talk about Horror movies. Not specific ones, just generalizations and patterns that I've noticed. So if you ever find yourself in a scary movie, or situation that will later become a scary movie, here are some things you should keep in mind:

1) Don't go to the police. Or do, it really doesn't matter.
People in horror movies annoy me. Know why? Because they never take advantage of the men in uniform. Or women--I'm not sexist. The main characters go about spending ages and ages deciding what to do, and never does it occur to them that they're probably going to die whether or not they alert authorities. They also decide immediately that the police won't believe them. How do you know? Did you try? You have enough time to panic and have sexual tension and scream a lot, but you don't have time to dial 911? No. Inexcusable.

2) Nobody ever believes anybody.
Okay. This kind of contradicts the first point, but I don't actually care, so.. here goes: If you're a cop, and some kids come to you freaking out about an axe murderer/serial killer/stalker, horror movies have taught me that you are going to look at them, glance knowingly at your partner, and then laugh very loudly and say some line about how monsters under your bed aren't real. If you're a parent, you are either out of town or reassuring without paying much attention, and if you're a friend, you're going to scoff until something really terrible and related happens to you.

Read this and take heed: If your kid/friend/coworker is genuinely SCARED of something, you have permission to laugh. If they're still scared after that, hear them out.

See? I have you all figured out, horror movie characters.

3) Don't be funny.

If you're the comic relief, you're dead. Dead as a doornail. Dead as a doornail in a coffin in a cemetery. I think my point has been made. If you're the one wisecracking and making comments and trying to lighten the mood, soon you're going to be murdered. Know why? Because nobody can take a joke. Not even an axe murderer/serial killer/stalker (henceforth to be known as an axerialker--don't ask me how to pronounce that). You're like Simba; you laugh in the face of danger. Ha! Ha! Ha! And then BAM. Some hyenas try to kill you in the elephant graveyard. And they're the ones who are laughing now (although, aren't hyenas always laughing..?). It makes me sad that the funny ones are always the one to die. They're the most interesting to watch. But if my vanity is correct in telling me that I'm funny, I'll probably go down with the lot of 'em. See ya in Hell, guys.

4) You're hot. Bye.

Yup. Sorry body-builders/bikini-wearing teenage/young adult population of the world. If you're hot, you're going to die. Or scream a lot. (Note: If you scream a lot, I'm going to be the one in the audience WISHING you were going to die). I never understood why people just stand there and scream when they see something scary. Yes, it will draw attention to your impending doom. Yes, you're probably still hot even when you're screaming. But if you're screaming and the axerialker murders you, they're getting you to be quiet, and we thank them for that. It could also be why they killed you in the first place. Maybe if you hadn't screamed so damn much they would have left you alone! I don't know. I'm not an axerialker. I can't speak on their behalf.

5) Karma is a definite factor.

Who dunnit? Is it the butler? the maid? the scorned lover? If this was a game of Clue, it would have been Colonel Mustard in the Billiards Room with the candlestick. But we're talking about horror movies. It's most likely the boy you refused to date in high school, or the girl who you made fun of at slumber parties, or even the servant you treated poorly (also, we're in a recession. how the hell do you have a servant?). Golden rule, people. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Don't kill them. Don't backtalk them. Be nice. Or karma will get you. And karma's name is axerialker.

6) If you're a survivor, you're going to fall in love with the another survivor.

I really never understood this. When tragedy strikes, sure, stick with your loved ones. But if you're watching your best friends get hacked to bits by an axerialker, then how do you come out of that with googly eyes for another survivor? I'd look at that person and see my friends getting murdered every time. THEY'RE A CONSTANT REMINDER. Become pen pals. Go your separate ways. All that you have in common is that you were both at the scene of a crime. Now, is that a very nice wedding "how did you meet" story? I think not.

So ladies and gentlemen, I bid you adieu with the hopes that you take this to heart and use it to your advantage the next time someone is trying to kill you. Don't call me to help you. I'm busy. Sorry about it. Good luck.

Abbreviations

Totes. Awes. Presh. Obvi. Awk.

...What? I know. Abbreviations (abbrevs- see that? ha. clev. clever.) are a cultural phenomenon of my generation that I will probably never understand, and they annoy me to death. Why is it so difficult to use an entire word? It certainly doesn't make you sound any smarter when you shorten a word to half its length, and you're probably making your vocabulary feel bad by not using it to its full potential.
Using abbreviations doesn't even save you that much time. A lot of the time, abbreviation-illiterate people (such as myself) have to have the abbrev explained to them, which takes MORE time, when the whole situation could have been avoided if you had a Sassy Gay Friend..just kidding. But it could have been avoided if you just said what you were trying to say in the first place.
I have a theory that one day in the not-so-distant future, abbreviations will just be shortened to letters. "Wanna H today?" "T."

And all of the conversationalists of the world will drop dead on the spot. Their eulogies? "They L'd a good D. RIP :( "

And of course, as a hypocritical being, I admit that I use abbreviations from time to time. But ONLY because "legitimate" does not rhyme with "quit." Obvs.

Don't Worry About It

Is there a phrase out there that's more annoying?

"Hey what are you up to tonight?"

"Don't worry about it"

(Person one hits person two with a shovel)

This is basically the appropriate response to being told not to worry about something.

Do people really think that they're so important that other people spend all their time worrying about them? That's very ego-centric.

I mean, I've lost ages of sleep just worrying and worrying about what particular people are doing. You know, the usual, things like: what did you just say? when is that thing we're going to? did you dye your hair? what are you thinking about?

I may as well just give up on trying to live my life with all the worry that consumes me daily...


..but not really.

I have never seen the movie Titanic
(insert the gasps and "OH MY GOD, WHAT?!"s here).
Lately, this has been coming up a lot for some reason. But I don't see what the big deal is.
A 3-hour long movie where I most likely will not cry, a big boat sinks, the driftwood was definitely big enough for both of them, Leo dies, and Celine Dion sings. What is the big deal, people?
Everyone talks about this film like it's a rite of passage. But you know what? The movies that I consider to be important steps for everyone's movie life progress are listed as follows:
- The Breakfast Club (friendship. misfits. what more do you want?)
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off (everyone needs to learn about freedom)
- 10 Things I Hate About You (Heath Ledger. done did.)
- Mean Girls (relevant to everything)
- Shawshank Redemption (Morgan Freeman and a badass escape)
- The Princess Bride (for miracle max if nothing else)
- The Goonies (they never say die!)
- Big (it's necessary. just watch it.)
- The Prestige (mind. blown.)
- El Orfanato (everyone needs to see at least one movie with subtitles)

And that's just the tip of the movie iceberg (see what I did there? ehh??) There are so many others, but 3-hour tearjerkers don't make the list. Who has time to sit down and watch a bunch of rich people drown while Celine's heart goes on?? There are more important things to do with your time. In 3 hours, you could volunteer at a shelter, do your laundry, eat, take a walk, drive to another city, give blood, have a party, etc. SO MANY THINGS. Yet people choose to watch an iceberg dominate a cruise ship. Epic for the iceberg. Not so much for me.

Romantic Comedies

I should write them. For a living.

Seriously. People love this stuff. It's insane.

It's so classic that it's almost more classic than Phil (Hangover reference- anyone? anyone?)

I think that romantic comedies are good for the world. Not in a "this-movie's-cutesy-sentiment-could-cure-cancer-and-turn-a-serial-killer's-heart-pure" kind of way, but in the way that when you're having the worst day in the world, a happy ending for an adorable, yet fate-battered couple can do the trick.

But this post is not to rave about the bad day/rom com relationship. On the contrary- I'm going to smash through romantic comedies like Godzilla wrecked Tokyo.

Not because I hate them (I don't. I'm a current offender of eating brownies in my pajamas while wishing that I could be Julia Stiles in "10 Things I Hate About You).

Not even because I just saw one that I particularly disliked (which I did).

But because this is my blog. And I can.

1) Ridiculous Premises-

Now. Let's think about the last time you fell in love with someone who completely bothered you for most of the time that you'd known them (I'm lookin' at you Letters to Juliet). That's right. I'll bet it was never. Because unless annoying people with attitude problems who constantly put you down are your idea of Prince Charming, that would absolutely never happen. And it wasn't like you found them charming in the first place and then they annoyed you and then you forgave them; it's like that one guy who refuses to back off even when you're having a bad day. *Sigh* True love.

2) The Best Friend (Female)

I have yet to see a romantic comedy where the best girl friend of the leading female isn't a completely one-dimensional idiot who is also insatiably horny. Either that or they are really negative about everything. They either push their friend to go out to bars and meet men, then leave their friend when they find a one-night-stand on their own, or drink heavily and whine about how "Mr. Right just isn't out there. Give up. Drink up." For some reason, this is always the case in romantic comedies, and if you think about it, would you really want to end up with someone whose best friend is a total killjoy/slut? Aren't we taught that we can judge a person's character through the characters of their friends? And yet, men in romantic comedies are unfazed; they're so head over heels in love that they seemingly don't acknowledge the best friend at all, or they ask them for advice about their beloved (bad call, male lead), or find them endearing (which they definitely are not.) And don't you just feel bad for the best friend? She's wandering around but never gets a happy ending, and yet her best friend ends up in the perfect situation. How nice.

3) The Best Friend (Male)

Dude. Stay single. But bang that chick, she's hot.

OR

Dude. My girlfriend and I have been together forever and she's the love of my life and I wouldn't change a thing because I'm entirely whipped and haven't even glanced at another girl since high school.

Here's what romantic comedies have taught me. Either the guy best friend is taken and therefore gives the most insightful relationship advice to his friend to get the girl or they are as one-dimensional and sex-crazed as the female's best friend (can you say double date? eh? eh?) OR they are way funnier and have a better personality but are significantly less attractive than the male lead (because that happens in real life. extraordinarily good-looking people often are friends with ugly people because of their personalities. ha.) Honestly, I prefer the best friend to the "hero" sometimes (oh hello Ron Weasley...you read my blog?) and I'm sure that other ladies out there do too, because I wouldn't want to meet a guy who's so entirely clingy that he can't leave me alone, stalks my work, and waits outside my window until I finally agree to go on a date with him (unless it's you, James Marsden...all these famous people read my blog!) and neither would anyone else. Let's be real, here.

4) Aesthetics

Someone raise their hand and tell me the last time they saw a gorgeous single man who looks like Matthew Gray Gubler (are you sensing a list of my celeb crushes?) or Joseph Gordon-Levitt in real life. Nobody? Okay how about a woman who resembles Jessica Alba or Emma Watson trolling around with all of life's troubles on their shoulders? Yeah. Exactly. Nobody is out in the world who is that beautiful and also hopelessly lost in the romance department. It just doesn't happen. That's nature. And for all the Rom Coms who try to make their story "relatable," you are failing miserably. The single people of the world aren't young Brad Pitts and Angelina Jolies. They're that guy from your math class who sometimes doesn't shower and the woman on the airplane reading Twilight fan-fiction. Oh, and me (for the record I dislike math and Twilight). May the force be with us and our ridiculous expectations because of your misleading, false premises.

5) The Breakup/Makeup

Classic situation. Boy meets girl. Boy wrongs girl in publicly humiliating way, such as writing a newspaper article about her before he got to know the real her (finger is now pointing at you, 27 Dresses). Girl forgives boy. No harm, no foul.

^ this situation is wrong. obviously there has been a foul, and plenty of harm done. But Rom Coms suggest that all women, in the end, are pushovers and therefore can be wronged because, hey, it's true love.

Under this topic I'm also going to add the classic misunderstanding, such as in Letters to Juliet or any other movie when the girl sees the boy with another woman, freaks out, and later finds out that it's his cousin. Or a girl kisses another boy only to realize that he's not the one, but instead the other guy who's waited all along is! Happy day! ...except not. because you had to make out with someone else to realize they weren't for you. Do that enough and what do you get? A bad reputation and possibly Mononucleosis.

IN CONCLUSION

Romantic Comedies are made to make lonely/sad people feel that there is hope out there with a beautiful man who is tough, but sensitive, handsome, but nice, and who can change.

Does nobody watch House anymore? People rarely change.

Not that I don't believe there isn't someone out there for everyone, but if you're inside all day long watching tear-jerkers about your favorite fictional couple, how are you ever going to meet them? Have some sensible expectations and attainable goals.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go watch 500 Days of Summer.

*steps off of soapbox*

Thank You.