Ok folks, this has been an ordeal to see this film for me. Usually I always see movies at least 3 days before they come out, and on this one I actually went to go pay for the Pay Sneak two weeks ago, but it was sold out all over town. Bummer. Well, then a friend had five extra free sneak tickets on Tuesday of this week, but ummm, neglected to adequately inform any of his friends of this. So instead, that same night, I had to see the truly awful PREACHER'S WIFE. Well I figured nothing could stop me from seeing it on opening day. Well that was until my grandparents showed up and took me out, fed me, and made me happy. So I decided, what the heck, I'll treat my Dad and Sister to the midnight showing of MARS ATTACKS! I mean there hasn't been a Tim Burton film made that wasn't perfect midnight fodder, and I was positive there was no way this one would put me to sleep. I went early by about 4 hours to buy my tickets, and all showings but the midnight showing were sold out. So I scooped up my three tickets and went home to pass the time till madness was unleased.
I arrive at the theater with family in tow, only to be met with a gigantic line snaking it's way out the lobby doors. I get in line. We go in. Got to see the trailers for MURDER AT 1600, METRO, MOTHER, MEN IN BLACK, STARSHIP TROOPERS, and TURBULENCE (yuck). The crowd cheered MIB and S.T. Well I was psyched. The movie comes and goes. I loved it. Actually twice in the film, my glasses fogged up, due to the heat generated by my internal laughing machine. Fantastic film. IMHO. I stayed till the last frame.
My family and I are walking out of the theater as a man with a ski masks rushes by with the MARS ATTACKS! vinyl banner under his arm. However, no theater employees are giving chase, or yelling stop, or are even around. The theater is devoid of theater employees. Hmmmmmm. Martians killed em, entered my mind.
As my family and I were walking to our car I see the theater employees gathered around a body laying perfectly still in the parking lot. One of the theater guys, takes off his coat to prop up the head, as he does I recognize the guy. He was the man sitting next to me in the theater. I go over to see what's wrong, when I see a pool of blood growing beneath him in the asphalt. And there is a bullet hole in his bare chest. My family and I sat in our van until the ambulance hauled his body away. He left with a sheet over his body.
Strange world we live in. Went from laughing hysterically over the death and maiming of human beings, birds, cattle, and dogs to the real thing to a real person outside the theater. Did it leave a bad taste in my mouth. Did it make me look at Burton's film with a different set of eyes. For awhile it did. But then I thought about what I knew about this person. What we shared in that theater for 2 plus hours, beginning at the witching hour. He loved Will Smith in the MEN IN BLACK trailer, he clapped wildly during the insane hordes of bug creatures in Starship Troopers and yelled out Verhoeven Rocks! loudly. He laughed and clapped during the film. He held up his hands a produced a crucifix when Tom Jones appeared on screen. He thought the "solution" was hilarious, he laughed hardest at the Washington Monument scene. And he left immediately as the credits rolled. Then he died. Strange world we live in. Many wonders for sure. He loved the last film he saw, hope I will be able to say the same.
