Last night I had the pleasure of attending the midnight showing of the much anticipated movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Well, you can imagine my excitement, as a girl who first picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in December 1998, I have grown up reading these books and watching the subsequent movies. I have all the books, all the movies and even a Voldemort bookmark, but that's where I draw the line.
After working all day, I got off at 4:30 pm, decided to hit the gym for an hour, grab a shower, get some dinner, and maybe take a nap. I'm going to need a nap, not as young as I once was, staying up until 3:30 am and trying to make it to work for 9:00 am is not as exciting as I remember it being during my undergrad years. Nevertheless, as I lid on my couch about to snooze away, I get a message from one of my staff members, "Sandi, the line is huge, you have to get here!"
Seriously? I have to go to the movie theatre now, at 7:30 pm and stand in line outside the movie theatre?
I thanked my staff member, messaged my friend who was attending with me and said, we better get there, or we'll be in the very front row. Well, after groaning that we would be unable to nap, we got in his car and made our way to the mall at 8:45 pm, where 3 rather long lines had formed for 3 separate theatres. Whoa! I know Harry Potter is huge, but really? The movie won't start for another 3 hours. However, this is when my story becomes interesting as I was surrounded by Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Why, may I ask, is it necessary for movie watchers to dress up as their favourite character from the books/movies? The onscreen characters cannot see you, it is not Hallowe'en, we are not having a theme party, there are no cameras from the local television network, there is no one to see you...but me. I know Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters are not real, but when I walk toward the concession stand and see a 5 foot Death Eater, I was a little disturbed. Movies are art, just as much as a painting or music. Would you go to the art gallery dressed up as Mona Lisa? No, I do not think you would. Therefore, why is it necessary to be Harry Potter? Luna Lovegood, or my personal favourite from the night, a girl dressed up as a Hupplepuff student who decided to scream Harry Potter trivia to those waiting in the theatre? As excited as I am to watch the movie, I do not need to hear the chant, "When I say Harry, you say Potter! Harry! Potter! Harry! Potter!" Nor do I need to hear you boo someone in the crowd who states their appreciation for the villain, Draco Malfoy.
Ok, so I know you're thinking, gee, for a girl who's annoyed with the amount of costumes, wands and random chanting at a movie theatre, you know a heck of a lot about Harry Potter - yes, yes I do. I told you, when you spend 12 years of your life reading and watching the series, you would remember all of the details as well, but that doesn't mean I have to wear a wig, buy an embroidered robe and scarf to wear to the movie. I don't even support novelty tees, let alone the Hogwarts attire of Ginny Weasley.
With all that ranting aside, I ask the question, what have movies come to these days? Is it necessary to line up for 4 or 5 hours to ensure a decent seat at the movies? Am I at the movie theatre or a dinner theatre? I believe I could have been equally amused last night by eating popcorn in the lobby watching the random chants of eager Potter fans in their cloaks and caps. But I suppose, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
After all the screaming, chanting, and movie watching, I was glad to get in bed at 3:30 am and snuggle under the covers, where as J.K. Rowling states in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, "dawn seemed to follow midnight with indecent haste."
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