Movie Theater Diaries #4: What's In My Summertime Movie Theater Bag?

Plus: It finally happened. I went to the wrong AMC.

8pm Thursday, Materialists dir. Celine Song, AMC Burbank 6

One thing you’re not supposed to do in LA is make dinner plans in Pasadena at 6.30pm when you have a movie scheduled at 8pm in Burbank, yet that’s exactly what I did. Arriving in Burbank ten minutes to showtime I thought, finally, I’m one of those people who can time their entrance so they don’t sit through the pre-trailer commercials.

I went up the escalator by the Panda Express (iykyk) and into the AMC Burbank 8 lobby ready to find my friend Peyton. The usher took one look at my ticket and grimaced, and I heard the words no A-List member ever wants to hear: “So… you’re at the wrong AMC”. We looked at each other for a second and both started laughing. He said it happens more often than you’d think, given this one-mile stretch of Burbank inexplicably houses three separate AMCs. Thankfully the correct one was literally two blocks away, so I was able to make it right before Nicole Kidman sat down.

Everyone and their cousin already shared their take on Materialists including me, but if I had to contribute one original thought I’d say it was a good representation of accidentally becoming important at a job you later realize you hate. I also made a note to remember to go to Thursday evening showings more often. We had such a good audience - maybe that’s why I liked the movie more than most?

6pm Wednesday, Jurassic World: Rebirth dir. Gareth Edwards, Universal Studios Lot

I love when something comes along to remind me that moviegoing experience ≠ how good the movie is.