I'm reading the coverage of all these Star Wars fans camping out in anticipation of "Revenge of the Sith". The TV stations have spent several days at the theatre down the street from where I live, where there's a virtual tent city in the parking lot. Dozens of folks who've brought sleeping bags, lawn chairs (real chairs in some cases), pillows. A dizzying array of grills and coolers abound so the faithful can get their grub on. I imagine the local Publix and Dairy Queen are being kept pretty busy as people shuttle back and forth to get more food. To pass the time these Force supporters have brought checker and chess boards, decks of cards, books, magazines, comics. They've outfitted themselves with battery-powered televisions and boomboxes, iPods, Gameboys and PSPs. I've seen several guys with guitars (all plucking the Star Wars theme, of course). There are folks dressed up like Stormtroopers, Vader, or Princess Leia and her mother. (How they're managing the 80-degree weather in costume is beyond me). Lots of plastic blasters and lightsabers are being wielded, even a few mock battles spontaneously breaking out between "good" and "evil" . Young and old, black and white, professionals and college kids, the crowd's amazing. Some have been camped out since last weekend so they can make tonight's midnight premiere. Yes, these are the faithful indeed.
I'm not making fun of them. There are worse things to be in life than a Star Wars nut. Anyone who halfway knows me knows I'm a huge fan of scifi. Frankly, if I wasn't afraid--no, positive--that my wife'd fall asleep in the theatre, you know I'd be at the midnight showing too! As it is, I have Friday off, and am dragging my poor wife out of bed at 7 am to make our showing. So I guess part of me has a type of laughing admiration for the crowd.
But I keeping looking at them, and mixed in with that admiration is one thought: "Man that theatre is going to *stink* with all the funk up in there!"
I mean, some of those people have been there since last Saturday! And I know for a fact not everyone's going home to shower or change clothes. Most, but not all. Even those who are keeping up on the daily hygiene won't do it today, the last stretch. They'll all stick to the line, standing like soldiers as the sun comes and bakes them, the heat makes the sweat roll down their sides, and the funk factor grows like Anakhin Skywalker's dark powers. Can you imagine that confined space tonight, filled with the aromas of stale popcorn, fake nacho cheese, peppers, old hot dogs, dried sweat, and the inevitable cologne and perfume sprayed on in an attempt to hide the funk? Add all the body heat, stir, and you've got a fatal result.
I just pray those lazy theatre kids will give the place a good cleaning before Phyllis and I get there Friday morning, or the Force won't be the only thing that's with us.
Yahoo! Groups Links
- To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/
- To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
- Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
