Sometimes you watch something and you think Man, I could’ve watched this at home. With almost two years of not being in a movie theater, I just miss being outside my living room. There’s only so much a movie fan can do from the comfort of their couch and a 65″ TV. I miss the times when I’d spend 2-3 hours lost in a story I could see, hear, and feel. And, thanks to Miss Rona, the place I loved the most was shut down. Closed. Not open. The tragedy.
Obviously there’s a responsible reason why, I get it, but I still missed it.
Movie after movie after movie had their releases pushed back months at a time. What was supposed to be an exciting year for entertainment ended up being one of the darkest years in (Disney) history. What’s even more wild is I didn’t know the last movie I would watch in a theater for almost two years was s DC film. The third time I watched Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn on the big screen was my last. And I didn’t cherish it. What a way to go out.
While stuck at home with endless time to think, I let my mind wander. What movie would I want to see in theaters again? What movie would I have liked to have seen in theaters but didn’t go? It wasn’t hard to come up with a few.
And with that, I give you some of the movies I wish I’d seen on the big screen:
The Goonies (1985)
Well, obviously this is impossible since I wasn’t earth-side until almost a decade later. But still!
This movie is an American classic and should be inducted into the Library of Congress for how great of a movie it is.
A bunch of ragtag kids running around trying to save their homes from being gentrified only to discover an adventure they never knew they needed. Though this wasn’t my first introduction to Sean Astin’s acting (thank you, Lord of the Rings), I could appreciate the fun he so obviously had playing this role.
I’ve always said I should’ve grown up in the 1980s because of my love of bright colors, funky fashion, and legendary pop music of that time. I was Cyndi Lauper one year for Halloween thanks to the masterpiece of a song that is Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. With the title song for this movie being a Cyndi Lauper classic was the cherry on top of making this one of my favorite movies of all time.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
If this isn’t the most obvious, I don’t know what to tell you. But, again, impossible. Unless time travel is a possibility …
I’m kidding! I know it hasn’t been invented… yet …
Getting back to my original thought, there’s just something about the contrast of Ariel’s bright red hair and the blue of the sea that probably reeled me in as a baby. My aunt told me that she had this VHS on every time she babysat me…
I saw her almost every day for at least three years.
Maybe that’s why I can’t watch a movie only once, with some exceptions, of course.
*coughs* The Revenant *clears throat*
Along with being the best Disney Princess of all time, Ariel’s antagonist, Ursula, is one of my favorite villains.
The girls that get it, GET it. And the girl’s that don’t…
She has an unforgettable song, some funny looking henchmen, and nothing other than a woman scorned that which furry Hell hath no.
A staple in Disney’s collection of poor unfortunate souls.
Hercules (1997)
Again, this wouldn’t have been practical since I was a baby and who likes babies in theaters?!
If this isn’t one of the Blackest soundtracks (aside from A Goofy Movie’s Powerline contribution), I don’t know what is. The Muses make the entire movie a musical masterpiece. I mean, who doesn’t know the lyrics to I Won’t Say (I’m In Love)? With bright colors and funny characters, Hercules is one of Disney’s highlights from the greatest decade in animation. With Mulan in a close second, Hercules is by far my favorite Disney animated movie.
And don’t get me started on Hades. Talk anger issues, man. Not that I’m judging as I am constantly using the gif in my tweets:
There’s nobody like him, anywhere at all.
The Dark Knight (2008)
I know, I know. This one’s on me. It’s Summer 2008 and I’m still reeling from Iron Man’s introduction to what would be the most legendary decades in entertainment, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I din;t need another super hero movie to watch right after.
I was wrong, oh so wrong. But also 12 years old.
Cut me some slack.
I think watching a movie like this at 2AM on a random night during winter break would be an easy mind-changer. I’ve never seen a movie like it, especially one that claims to be a “superhero”.
But what got me hooked was Heath Ledger’s performance as the infamous Joker. The sheer madness and violence perpetrated by one man with a plan and a mission to show humanity’s truly evil nature only to come face to face with an ordinary (albeit extremely rich) man trying to preserve the sanity of the city he loves. Unstoppable force. Immovable object.
Come to think of it, this was one of the first movies where I enjoyed the portrayal of the villain over the protagonist of a story. And the final installation of this Batman trilogy confirmed that, all right. But I saw that one in theaters, I made sure of it!
Inception (2009)
Okay, this one’s also on me. I was 13 and uninterested in anything other than Twilight.
But this movie right here?!?!?! One of the greatest films to have been made in the 21st century without exaggeration. Christopher Nolan became my favorite director after this gem premiered.
The first time I watched Inception, I was on my mom’s couch, catching up on some homework, when she decided to use her new Blu-Ray player with a movie she picked up from Target. Because I can’t just ignore the TV, I watched the entire movie without blinking. I remember my heartbeat accelerating as the movie progressed and when the actual Inception was complete, I almost started crying.
This is one of my favorite stories told in a visually appealing and audibly amazing way (thanks to my guy Hans Zimmer). I can’t remember how many people I told to watch this movie but I did make half of my family watch it so I could have someone to talk about it with.
A 30″ Toshiba TV the size of a baby hippo is not comparable to a movie theater screen, let alone the sound systems. If I saw this in theaters, I probably would’ve been a different person. Maybe that was the Universe telling me I couldn’t handle this on the big screen. I don’t doubt it.
And that’s only a few I could think of off of the top of my head.
Due to the pandemic, the entertainment industry had to get creative in order to continue storytelling. My go-to movie theater, AMC, reopened their theaters in Spring of 2021 to the public. A new feature they’re promoting is the ability to rent a theater (by yourself or with others) and watch a movie of your choosing. An entire theater!
Trust me when I say I’ve thought about it but if I see one movie, I’m going to want to see 13 more (and I don’t have the money to ball that hard yet).
Even with the chance to watch certain movies on the big screen, there’s something about going to the theater when a new movie premieres that builds adrenaline and feels exciting. Though I don’t really like being in groups of people, watching a movie in room full of strangers waiting to be enveloped in a story alongside you is unlike any other. I can only think of going to a concert as another experience that gives off the same type of energy, but those are expensive and few and far in between.
The movies is where I feel most at home aside from my couch and because I’m an adult (with adult money), I can be at the movies as much as I want. As a big supporter and participant in escapism, watching a new movie in theaters is a way I get to forget about whatever I have going on and immerse myself in a visual/audio experience that has nothing to do with my real life.
Honestly, if there’s any excuse to go see a movie, I’ll use it! I’m trying to beat my 2019 record of going 68 times in a year and I intend on doing so in the near future (but not now since I’m still trying to get back into the swing of things).
Let’s just hope the movies are good enough to watch on the big screen.
KrashingWaves 
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