I Guess I Haven’t Gone To The Movies In Awhile
by Jenners • 09/29/2009 • Life, My Take On... • 22 Comments
This past weekend, Mr. Jenners treated me to an actual date night for my birthday—complete with a movie, dinner and a hotel room. It occurred to me that perhaps I haven’t been to the movies for awhile because there were some big changes that surprised me. One was bad and one was good—very good.
The bad thing was that apparently matinees are no longer considered shows before 5:00 p.m.—as they were “back in the day” (and by “back in the day” I mean “just a few years ago”). Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t you think a matinee should be a movie shown before 5:00 p.m. and that you should get a reduced price? I was stoked that we were going to save some money because we went to the 4:45 p.m. show. To our amazement, there was a poster in the lobby that said that matinees are movies BEFORE NOON!
Now I looked up the definition of matinee and Merriam-Webster defines it as “a musical or dramatic performance or social or public event held in the daytime and especially the afternoon.” But perhaps AMC Theatres are going with the etymology of the word, which is as follows:
Etymology: French matinée, literally, morning, from Old French, from matin morning, from Latin matutinum, from neuter of matutinus of the morning, from Matuta, goddess of morning;
Why not just list your movie listings in Latin, Mr. Hoity Toity AMC Theater Chain? Perhaps us regular poeple don’t know all the history behind the words you toss around like “matinee” and “discounted pricing.” And if you’re charging me $10.50 for a movie, I want that loud, phlegmy coughing guy removed from the theater post-haste!
The good thing was so amazing, so wonderfully perfect, so exciting that I literally stopped in my tracks and ogled it for a good 5 minutes—clutching Mr. Jenners’s arm tightly and muttering “Is that what I think it is?” And it was, ladies and gentlemen, it was. The greatest thing to hit movie theaters since sound: a machine that lets you PUMP YOUR OWN BUTTER FLAVORING ONTO YOUR POPCORN! I kid you not! There were stations set up all around the lobby where you could apply as much butter flavoring to your popcorn as you wanted—totally unsupervised! I literally could not believe my eyes. Why was I not notified about this development? Why was this not a major news story?
Needless to say, I immediately purchased a (small) popcorn and went to work applying copious amounts of butter flavoring. I was in heaven. Even though I could literally feel my arteries hardening with each bite, even though I began to feel really ill after about four bites, I had a fleeting moment of pure happiness. (And, as is typical, this feeling of joy was followed by nausea, regret and stomach cramps.)
Want to add 4 cups of butter to your popcorn? No problem!
Check your local theater for unsupervised butter dispensers!
They do exist! I saw them with my own eyes!
What was that you say? What movie did we see? Due to Joel McHale’s not-so-subliminal advertising on The Soup, we chose to see The Informant! I have to say, it wasn’t as funny as I was expecting based on the previews and the critic blurbs. It was OK and there were moments that made me laugh, but I think the tone didn’t completely suit the material. I appreciate what the filmmakers were trying to do and they came pretty close to almost getting it, but I think in the end it fell flat. Anyone else see it? What did you think? Did you have trouble remembering what time frame the movie was happening in?
So, score 1 for Mr. McHale. You got us.
My revulsion that you would voluntarily consume "butter flavoring" is somewhat mitigated by your use of the word "post-haste."
Well it doesn't sound like you had the best experience. Hope you enjoyed the rest of your birthday – but I guess we don't want a motel review – lol. We do have 4:45 matinees around here and you can shake buttery powder in various flavors all over your popcorn but no oily pump.
Before noon?! That's crazy! BUt, I would have DEFINITELY paid 10.50 for just the popcorn with extra butter…
Ooooh! I'm so going to see if the theater Princess Nagger and I are going to this weekend has the pump your own butter thingys… Of course that means we might miss the start of the movie, because PN will want lots of extra butter on her popcorn…which means we better get there early, and I better have her wear something that can repel the greasiness…
HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY!! Very cool that you got to celebrate with your hubby! That's a bummer they don't have 'true' matinees at your theater – ours has a couple of showings before 5, all of which are 2.00 cheaper than 5pm and later.
Butter pumps? Who knew…
Too bad about The Informant…
Some theaters near us list the bargain price for the first showing only (small print: provided first showing is before noon).
When we go to the movies I forbid anyone in my family to use buttered topping of any kind. They get salt. That's it!
sounds like a good time…maybe hubby and I should go out for our anniversary this weekend….hmmmm
What a sweet night out together. I'm so glad you had some alone time.
And those butter dispensers? They're evil! …but so tasty.
I had no idea! I can not even tell you the last time we went to a movie as a couple. I know we took the kids (OMG) christmas of 2007!
I have a love/hate relationship with that butter pump! Thanks for the news on the Informant! I was wondering if it was worth seeing- by the way- you should've seen Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs- so funny. (Okay, maybe not on a date, but with Little one)
The matinee times are ridiculous. Soon they'll want you there at 8 a.m.! Unending butter could get addicting.
Honestly I would say that a matinee would be anything prior to 5 … what a bunch o junk! And YEAH for DIY butter!
Even if you do go to see a matinee they still rip you off. It's like a $2 savings…remember when it was like HALF OFF??? *shaking head* what is this world coming to?? =)
OH MY GOD!
Pump your own butter stations?????
I think I need to go your YOUR theater!
Matinees here are in the afternoon, though a few movies do start in the late morning hours.
Even the reduced price isn't all that cheap anymore. Add to the cost of the concessions, it invariably costs us more to eat at the movies than to see the actual film.
And since I seem to nod off at ALL films suited for children (and that's really all I ever see), I consider it my paid nap for the day.
The first showing here is the cheapest, but they're still called matinees if they start before 5pm and they are discounted.
That butter spray is awesome but you can't set the bag down because the counter grease sticks to the bag and then gets on your lap in the theater. Nastiness.
I'm glad you had a wonderful date with hubby. Happy Birthday!
Matinee's are still before 5:00 here.. sorry
Sounds like a fun weekend.
Eric and I used to LOVE Blast O Butter popcorn.. and now that we are older and wiser (ha!), it just makes us kind of sick
I guess they had to hike their prices to account for the automatic butter machines.
The movies have gotten so expensive. And the food even more so. Good thing they do offer unlimited butter for those prices!
LOL! loved the definition of matinee, glad you cleared that up. And the symptoms of over-indulgence, perfect. great story. Oh and Happy Birthday!
yyyyuuuummmmmmmyyyyyy
Sounds like a great evening.. although I don't like butter flavouring myself…
And yes – a matinée is in the afternoon – any performance before 5 pm…