The GGA Project -- Day #193 "Down in Front!"

If you've been reading this blog over the past few weeks, you'd think I watch movies all the time.  I'm actually the least movie-watching person I know though.  I fall asleep watching movies at home--when I even make the attempt--about 85% of the time.  Going to the theater is typically a very rare thing for me.  It just happens that for some reason I'm more interested in seeing movies lately.


Even, apparently, movies I've seen about 687 times.


Today's New Activity: Outdoor Viewing of The Princess Bride


Oh, The Princess Bride.  Where to begin in extolling its virtues?  This movie was probably the single most-often viewed movie of my childhood, and I think I could be down for watching it 687 times more.  In fact, as it progressed I kept thinking, 'I wonder how old Monkey will have to be before he'll get that joke,' and the thought made me very excited for the one-day prospect of showing it to him.


My friends Nicole and Jesse came too.  One thing we learned (this was the first time attending a movie in downtown San Jose's Starlight Cinema series for all of us) is that chairs would be a very very good idea.  This movie is mercifully short, if you happen to be sitting on a blanket on the asphalt, but still I was squirming and shifting the entire second half.


People start gathering in chairs and on blankets at about 7, and that leaves about 2 hours to kill before the movie starts at dusk (9pm in this case).

They do a bit of trivia before the movie begins, but mostly you are left to entertain yourself in this waiting time.  Good thing there are a bunch of restaurants on the block from which to order take out.  We even noticed that the people seated on the patio at one of the nearby restaurants had made it a dinner/cinema by taking in the show over food and drinks.  Brilliant!


When the movie got underway with the familiar sound of the Fred Savage character's baseball video game, I was instantly transported to my 9-year-old self, remembering what magic that movie held.

And I can't believe that in 20 years I don't remember having watched it with Nicole.  We sat and giggled like the little girls we were when we met during the Battle of Wits scene (Vizzini's faces are priceless).


It feels so good to be outside at night on a summer day.  And though it got cool and I'm pretty sure I have about 25 mosquito bites in the aftermath, it was well worth it.  Oh.  That's another thing.  It was free.  Can't really beat that.


I can't wait to see The Big Lebowski in a few weeks ;)