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The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

    Midnight movie premiere survival guide

    Summer movie season is already in full swing. Just ask the herds of people who stood in line for the anticipated hits such as “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “Magic Mike,” “Prometheus,” “The Avengers,” “Moonrise Kingdom” and the upcoming Batman movie.

    While some fall subject to the allure of midnight movie premieres, others are still unconvinced and don’t understand the allure.

    It’s the anticipation. It’s the group comradery. It’s the feeling running into the theater once the attendants open the doors. It’s scattering to find the best seats.

    Once 12:01 a.m. comes around and the lights dim to reveal a track of trailers, the lines and sore feet are all worth it.

    Stick to these tricks for the rest of the summer, and you will have a wonderful movie-premiere experience.

    Plan ahead

    Choose your theater wisely. Think about which theater will be the least busy for the premiere or will have the least annoying demographic of people. Sure, it’s close to campus or your apartment but that means it’s close for everyone, which means lack of parking and seats.

    Also, be sure to buy your ticket online weeks prior to the movie. You don’t want to run the risk of them being sold out.

    And to make things run smoothly, create a game plan and stick with it. What time do you want to get there? Let all members of your group know this so none is blind sighted. Create a Facebook event page to ensure everyone in the group gets the same information.

    Sleep

    Movies require a couple hours of your attention, so you’ll need to be perfectly alert. Choose to either nap the day of the premiere, or prepare to acknowledge that your body will hate you the next day. Even a half-hour power nap will help you survive the night.

    Snacks and Munchies

    If you can’t live without the movie theater popcorn, go ahead and indulge while knowing you are willing to spend on a bucket of popcorn just as much as you spent on the ticket. But leave the other munchies to your convenient Circle K or 7/11.

    Have a variety of snacks with you. In addition to junk food, fruits and veggies are good, too: Bring along a bag of grapes, some garlic hummus for carrots sticks and some cheese.

    Food runs are also acceptable once you’ve established seats. The theater lobby will offer the generic movie stuff but it’s not weird if you go off and get a big bag of McDonald’s fries or four meals from Taco Bell.

    Coffee or Caffeine

    Have at least two caffeine drinks: one before the movie and the second during the movie. Combined with your power nap, caffeine will make you unstoppable.

    In-Line Entertainment

    Tablets, laptops and MP3 players are great to have while waiting in line but a deck of cards is just as entertaining with a group of friends. “Apples to Apples” is another favorite, along with “Scattergories,” to keep everyone happy.

    Attire

    Be comfy. You’re not going to a midnight movie premiere to get a date, or to be hit on. So own those sweat pants and oversized hoodies. It gets cold in theaters, no matter how sweltering it is outside, and you know you won’t be able to concentrate on a plot while your goosebumps protrude from your jean shorts and tank top. A fleece blanket isn’t that bad of an idea, either.

    OR

    Dress the part. Whether it be an Anne Hathaway-inspired Catwoman, Meridia from “Brave,” or a male stripper from “Magic Mike,” it’s fun to get into character. If you’re doing so, though, you have to commit. Go all the way.

    Common Courtesy

    For the novices: Be courteous to those who are seasoned veterans of this tradition. Don’t ask questions during the movie unless you want to be shushed, smote or have popcorn thrown at you. And for Pete’s sake, turn off your cell phone or you will feel the wrath of movie-lovers.

    Embrace the Culture

    Welcome and own the silliness that comes from sitting around waiting for a movie to start. Make friends with the people around you, because you are all in this together.

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