A few weeks ago, I was back in Plano, Texas visiting friends and family over spring break. There are a lot of very public cons to being a teacher, but there's no denying the value of those breaks.
Whenever I'm back in town, my to-do list is pretty straightforward: Stay with my parents (sleeping in my brother's bed because my room was unceremoniously turned into my niece's home away from home), visit my sister's baby girl Ava, see my brother and exchange a bro hug (we invented that by the way) and then get together with friends for some Mambo Taxis at Mi Cocina before seeing a movie at my home away from home for many years: Cinemark West Plano.
One does not pick a secondary home lightly, and from 2014-2019, Cinemark West Plano was my happy place. I went there to escape the world, and eight times out of ten, my faith was rewarded. That'll put you in the hall of fame in any sport.
The ticket prices were reasonable, the popcorn was fresh, the theaters were clean (they better be because I was the one cleaning them in 2016), previews were not 25 minutes long, sodas weren't more than $5 yet, and fellow moviegoers were quiet, respectful and cognizant of the fact that they, like me, were at this wonderful place to leave the rest of the world behind and enjoy the bliss of the cinema for a few hours.
So, consider my indignation when my trip to see Creed III with CGI Fridays co-chairman Jake resulted in the following atrocities:
- The tickets were $13 each, which we knew was coming, but still ridiculous for a Wednesday evening showing of a film that had been out for weeks.
- The popcorn is no longer served fresh by concession workers, but rather left in premade buckets behind glass as if they were prisoners no longer allowed to see the light of day. Also, it's $8 for a large.
- A large soda was $5.50 and Jake knew it was flat after just a sip.
- The previews were as long as ever, which we've gotten used to. This is a problem anywhere you go, although Harkins (Arizona) and Alamo Draft House (Texas) mercifully limit the precedings to around 10 minutes.
- Right before the previews end, I inform Jake that I am unhappy with our two way mirror popcorn. I go back and find that there is indeed someone back in the kitchen who will give us popcorn straight out of the machine. I get a new batch... and it's worse than the first. Too late. The movie's starting.
- Mere seconds into the movie, someone a few rows ahead is on their phone. I graciously give them the chance to put it away --maybe they are notifying someone the film is starting, which is reasonable!-- but no, they are on it for minutes and nobody says a word. Jake knows I won't put up with bad theater etiquette so I politely call from a couple rows up: "Will you please get off your phone? Thank you!"
- They do, but about 30 minutes into the movie, a very young child in the back row starts to get fussy. I get it, it happens; that's the risk you take when you take a kid to the movies. (Not to mention an R-rated boxing movie without any shiny colors and numerous explicit rap lyrics.) Take them outside and calm them down. It's the decent thing to do. Well, like Harvey Dent said in The Dark Knight, we live 'in an indecent time."
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