Magical Movie Moments

I want to see one or two more new flix before I review the year in film, so meanwhile, here are my most memorable theater experiences of all time. DVD, VHS, laserdisc, and filmstrips do not qualify. Also, I did not count movies that were memorable because of girls who sat beside me.


Comedy


Dirty Work (1998)
Shawn, Phil and I went to see this at the now defunct Cinema's West theater in Wichita, home from college for the summer. The hardest I have ever laughed in a theater.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
The second hardest I've ever laughed in a theater.

There's Something About Mary (1998)
I got sneak preview tickets, for a reason or skill I can no longer recall. I went with my pal Julie, who thankfully could appreciate jokes about kids named Mongo.

Rushmore (1998)
As a surprise gift, I given the new Sheryl Crow cassette, and was driven two towns over to the closest theater showing Rushmore. I still like both of those things, but one much more than the other. A few weeks later, we watched it again with my friend Chris, who said, "I'm pretty sure that used the word 'handjob' more than any movie I've ever seen."

Zoolander (2001)
This the first movie I saw with Jeff, who is probably the best person to watch a comedy with, because he'll laugh loudly at almost any decent joke.


Drama


A Time to Kill (1996)
After returning home from this movie, I told my mom that it was "probably the best movie I've ever seen". To my dismay, she brings this up a lot. (Not to be mean, just because she's got a good memory, and sometimes assumes things I said twenty years ago still apply to my current preferences. I know you're reading this, Mom! I like sweet potatoes now! Get over it!) Anyway, it was 1996. I had not lived a lot of life by then, or seen a lot of great dramas.

The People vs Larry Flynt (1996)
Memorable only because Nathan asked the box office attendant for "Two tickets to the porn."


Action


The Dark Knight (2008)
The most anticipated movie of my lifetime, I think. Action from start to finish. Seeing it in a sold-out IMAX theater took it up a notch. Plus, I'm always proud when I make it through a long movie without the nagging urge to urinate. That's always the cherry on top.

From Dusk Til Dawn (1996)
My high school friends and I got in the car to head home, and someone said, "Ha! They were all vampires!" and we all started giggling, and we laughed and laughed about how crazy and stupid it was. I went to see it again the following night, and then a third time the night after that. So dumb. So fun.

Pulp Fiction (1994)
I think we headed over to the east side of town to see this after a half-day of high school. We got there a few minutes into the movie, but that was corrected easily enough by seeing it again after a few days. Surely the first movie I saw where the soundtrack and action and dialogue all came together in such a cool way.