Seeing Ghost in the Theater! Part 2
Ooof, this is a super late update on my last post!
So, as I said, on Oct. 22nd my IRL friend Robert (@president-long-boi) and I went to see Ghost at a revival showing in a local movie theater. Words like epic or incredible don’t even come close to covering it.
Okay, one, the visuals are even more stunning on the big screen. There were a couple times I almost cried just from being overwhelmed by how beautiful every single shot was.
I’ve always raved about how great the sets look, but I spotted even more tiny details this time, little subtle things that made spaces feel natural and lived-in. Even cooler, I got a ton of nuances in the acting I’d never seen before, especially for Sam (more on that later). I learned new things about characters I’ve known almost like my own friends since I was a kid.
The audience was a bit noisy, but mostly in a good way. At least a couple people had clearly never seen the movie before, and it was kind of thrilling hearing their reactions. I heard shocked gasps, laughter, and at one point, a soft but clearly audible “Go Sam!” (after Sam knocked over the picture frame). One nearby group started singing along quietly to “Unchained Melody” the second time it came on (when Sam possesses Oda Mae to touch Molly one last time). It was a little annoying at times, but mostly it was just so cool to hear how everyone was so actively engaged in this story that I love.
I remember, though, being worried about the audience reaction to Carl’s death. I thought to myself, I swear, if anyone laughs, I’m going to scream at them. And when it got to that point, not just one person laughed, but practically everyone. I had to bite down hard and grit my teeth to save myself from getting thrown out. (Later, Robert said he almost cursed people out then, too—he knows my feelings about Carl, and also sees more to him than a lot of people seem to.)
All in all, though, it was an almost miraculous experience for me. The theater staff were really cool too; I got to talking with a couple of them after the show, and they were so friendly and enthusiastic about movies! The tickets came with a free serving of sparkling wine in a glittery plastic champagne flute. I asked if I could take mine home as a souvenir (sadly, the tickets themselves weren’t real tickets, just printed receipts with seat numbers 😢), but unfortunately, I managed to break it while washing it at home, so meh. 🙁
Anyhoo, Robert and I discussed the film the entire bus ride home. He’s one of my few IRL friends who not only puts up with my enthusiasm for Ghost, but actually loves talking about it too, and has a ton of interesting observations and unique perspectives on the film.
Also, my entire month of October had been pretty nonstop hectic. It was so great for one evening to not worry about anything at all, and see an amazing movie with a good friend. As odd as this sounds, I believe it was one of the high points of my life thus far. Nothing huge or life-changing happened... it was just that, for a few hours, everything was perfect. 💙
