This next movie has to be mentioned.  Even if only for the purpose of an interesting crossroads that I will explain in a future post.

This is the second movie that I got to go to on opening night that my parents dropped me off at in the theater and left me to go with every other kid in my junior high…and I’m talking every other kid in my class was there.

I was 12.

The last time that I got to go to the theater without my parents was in 1985 when “The Goonies” premiered and I went with my friends that were a few years older than me at the time.  They were more like older brothers watching out for me as opposed to being equals.

I was on equal ground with everyone at this movie.

I remember feeling somewhat alone.

In the “Goonies situation,” a group of us decided to go together to a movie I had not heard of, but my peers were excited to see it, so I became excited.

In this situation, I wanted to go by myself, not knowing that everyone in my class had the same inkling.  Looking back, I probably should’ve known better, but all I was thinking was that I wanted to go.

I had a strange sense of longing, yet I noticed that a lot of people trickling in were people I went to school with; making it feel like I was attending class in a weird way.  I felt odd excitement and I had a little bit of adrenaline flowing through me as I was in a situation that was foreign.  When I got excited, I didn’t stop talking.  I said hello to everyone that I knew and I moved from one person to the next so quickly that they rarely had a chance to respond to my initial greeting.

Every seat in the theater was filled, and it was thrilling to experience a movie with that large of a crowd that were my peers.

We all laughed together at the same jokes.  We were all sitting in awe when the heroes were in peril.  I like to believe that we all had a sense of relief at the climax of the film as well.

Before we’re jaded, we like to be right alongside the heroes following them through their conflict.  I need to believe this.

I know…I’m neglecting to give away the title.  I don’t know why it is so embarrassing.  I was 12!

It was “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” okay!

Yes, there was a period in my life when I was excited to see silly movies.

Yes, I couldn’t stop talking about it with all of my friends at school when we watched it together.

Yes, we recited the movie line-for-line multiple times throughout a given day.

Yes, we acted out scenes from the movie on the playground at recess.

Yes, Michelangelo was my favorite turtle.

Yes, I went to the movie in the theater more than once (wasting good allowance money).

Yes, I tried to talk everyone that I knew into going to the theater with me (including adults), because it was the greatest movie I had ever seen!

…

I feel your judgement.

I get it…

Experiencing a movie like that with so many of my classmates on opening night added to the enjoyment of the movie.  If I had decided to go to that movie for the first time on a weeknight when there might have been 10-15 people there, I probably wouldn’t have liked it as much.

I learned that the atmosphere of the people around you can affect the movie experience for you.  We always remember the jackhole who can’t shut up during the movie.

Think back.

Do you subconsciously hold a grudge against that movie because of that jerk?

Something to ponder…

At the end of the day, I feel we all have a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle phase in our life, and that is okay.

I’m jaded now and would never get caught attending a TMNT movie by myself…

*Pish posh*

…but…

I do have a 3 year old that might give me a great reason to experience my youth again when we watch it together some day.

That’ll be worth more than a million bucks.

——

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