Saw "Raiders" tonight... A full report.

Posted by ROB T. from 162.10.138.28 on July 06, 1999 at 22:16:38:

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" is playing at the Englewood Theatre in Independence, Mo. til Thursday and I saw it tonight and thought you all might like to hear about it.
I got to the Englewood at 7:00 and there was a line out front of about ten people so it took me a few minutes to get inside and get my concessions. I got a medium Diet Coke and got settled into my seat by 7:10. There was a certain energy in the room. When I was in the concession line, the guy ahead of me was talking to his friend about where they would sit and he said, "Who cares, it's 'Raiders,' man!"
The theatre seats 600 and was about half-full. Tuesday night is Two-dollar Tuesday so there's always a good-sized crowd.
I took my regular Tuesday-night seat, third row center, and settled in.
The movie was scheduled to start at 7:15 but on Tuesday it always gets started about 15 minutes late.
At 7:30 the curtain parted on the 50 foot screen and a trailer for "Rebel Without a Cause" came on since it's coming here in a few weeks. After that the Paramount logo came on and a round of applause rose from the crowd.
The print was in fairly good shape and only skipped two lines of dialogue and had one bad splice that repeated a two second shot of Indy opening his big book to show the Army guys a picture of the Ark.
Seeing "Raiders" on the big screen I noticed a lot of things that I didn't pay attention to on video. This is maybe the thirtieth time I've seen it at the movies so I can pay closer attention to the edges of some scenes and see things that escaped my attention earlier. I'll place another post just listing all the things I noticed that I've never noticed before.
One thing strikes me as funny. Every time I see "Raiders" with a crowd I get more out of the experience than when I see it alone. I envy the people in the audience who've never seen the movie before and to a lesser degree the people who've only seen it on video. Those virgin experiences are in the past for me and I come to the movie as an experienced lover knowing just what to expect. I still get a thrill but it's a different one than you get on your first time.
Some things about seeing "Raiders" are always the same for me. I seem to be the only one in the crowd who laughs when Jock says, "Come on, show a little backbone, will ya." I think it's one of the five funniest lines in the movie but no one else ever laughs.
There's always a round of applause when Indy shoots the Arab swordsman and a burst of laughter when Belloq swallows the fly.
When the movie ended there was another round of clapping and most of the crowd stayed through the end credits.
I saw the movie Saturday afternoon and I'm gonna try to see it again before the week is over since it will be at least another year before it comes back.
If you've never seen "Raiders" in a movie theatre with a good crowd then you should do whatever it takes to have that experience.

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: "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is playing at the Englewood Theatre in Independence, Mo. til Thursday and I saw it tonight and thought you all might like to hear about it.
: I got to the Englewood at 7:00 and there was a line out front of about ten people so it took me a few minutes to get inside and get my concessions. I got a medium Diet Coke and got settled into my seat by 7:10. There was a certain energy in the room. When I was in the concession line, the guy ahead of me was talking to his friend about where they would sit and he said, "Who cares, it's 'Raiders,' man!"
: The theatre seats 600 and was about half-full. Tuesday night is Two-dollar Tuesday so there's always a good-sized crowd.
: I took my regular Tuesday-night seat, third row center, and settled in.
: The movie was scheduled to start at 7:15 but on Tuesday it always gets started about 15 minutes late.
: At 7:30 the curtain parted on the 50 foot screen and a trailer for "Rebel Without a Cause" came on since it's coming here in a few weeks. After that the Paramount logo came on and a round of applause rose from the crowd.
: The print was in fairly good shape and only skipped two lines of dialogue and had one bad splice that repeated a two second shot of Indy opening his big book to show the Army guys a picture of the Ark.
: Seeing "Raiders" on the big screen I noticed a lot of things that I didn't pay attention to on video. This is maybe the thirtieth time I've seen it at the movies so I can pay closer attention to the edges of some scenes and see things that escaped my attention earlier. I'll place another post just listing all the things I noticed that I've never noticed before.
: One thing strikes me as funny. Every time I see "Raiders" with a crowd I get more out of the experience than when I see it alone. I envy the people in the audience who've never seen the movie before and to a lesser degree the people who've only seen it on video. Those virgin experiences are in the past for me and I come to the movie as an experienced lover knowing just what to expect. I still get a thrill but it's a different one than you get on your first time.
: Some things about seeing "Raiders" are always the same for me. I seem to be the only one in the crowd who laughs when Jock says, "Come on, show a little backbone, will ya." I think it's one of the five funniest lines in the movie but no one else ever laughs.
: There's always a round of applause when Indy shoots the Arab swordsman and a burst of laughter when Belloq swallows the fly.
: When the movie ended there was another round of clapping and most of the crowd stayed through the end credits.
: I saw the movie Saturday afternoon and I'm gonna try to see it again before the week is over since it will be at least another year before it comes back.
: If you've never seen "Raiders" in a movie theatre with a good crowd then you should do whatever it takes to have that experience.

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