The first time I went to the Ritz theater in downtown Austin I went alone. The Ritz is one of the Alamo Drafthouse movie theaters, the smallest location with only two screens. It was the first theater built in Austin exclusively as a movie house in 1929 and has a varied history, ending with the Drafthouse’s renovations and reopening in 2007.
I don’t go to the Ritz often. Mostly because the two screen limits what is actually showing. Partly because I hate parking downtown. The Ritz tends to host specials of the Alamo Drafthouse – old movies back on the big screen, movie parties, or foreign films. The movies I do want to see there (for example, right now there’s a host of Studio Ghibli screenings) tend to be at odd times like 10 pm on a Monday night. When bores like me are going to bed, not going downtown.
The first time I went in the fall of 2014 I took myself to Back to the Future. I hadn’t seen the movie since I was a kid and remember none of it. I bought a ticket on a whim to see the Sunday afternoon screening. I ordered popcorn, I think, and a Diet Coke.
The movie, as we all know, was fantastic. Seeing a film like that as if for the first time on the big screen in a historic movie theater while getting a free Diet Coke refill made me feel, maybe for the first time, okay on my own in a new city. I was entertained and overjoyed at discovering a good film (that granted, everyone else already knew about). And it’s silly, but being able to get that Diet Coke refill brought to my seat halfway through the movie felt luxurious. Life was abundant and I could be a part of it.
I went to the Ritz today with my friend to see a screening of Friends with Benefits. It’s one of her favorite films and we often have debates about its merit compared to No Strings Attached. The two romantic comedies have essentially the same plot, but I’m partial to Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman.
I skipped the extra Diet Coke today (should I just retitle this blog “Life is About Diet Coke” … I sure talk about it a lot) but I had fun watching a movie I hadn’t seen in years on the big screen. It reminded me of that first time alone and then most of the times after, not alone. It reminded me how a little bit of special can mean a whole lot. An old theater, a good movie, and yes, a drink of Diet Coke right when you want it.
With Love,
Natalie