bray829–You won the Feb Theme Week Prize- A trio of books by Monica McCarty. I don’t have an email addy on you, so contact me with your home address by Saturday or I’ll have to pick a second winner!!
keriford @ hotmail. com (no spaces)
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I took Hubs to see Taken for Valentine’s Day and it reminded me of another movie I saw at the theatres. The movie was Titanic. Don’t know what made me think of this experience as Taken wasn’t at the same theatre as Titanic. But anyway, I was with a friend at the Rialto, in the big room. The Rialto is our oldest (and saddly, now closed) local theater.
It’s an old classic design and was orginally a stage theater and movie theater back in the olden days. 1929, I think. It’s rumored there’s a secret underground passage that runs from the courthouse (which a block or so away-behind the person taking the photo) to the theater. And from what I can tell, the sign reads “I’m haunted, but you know that.”
The bathrooms are on that second floor. The women’s to the right, and yep, those windows stare into the old potties. I’ve always found the bathrooms scary. And there used to be a beautiful, black baby grand piano sitting on the second floor too. It used to be just one big, HUGE room with a balcony over looking into the main theater, but they did some construction and split the theater to have more screens.
So anyway, why do I remember the release of Titanic? Was it the great movie? The fantastic costumes? How about the musical score? Crappy ending? No. Not at all.
My friend and I are seated towards the back. The theatre is packed out solid. We’re munching on our popcorn. Got our drinks with us. And we’re waiting. And waiting. And waiting. And the movie isn’t starting. We’re wondering what’s going on and then a police officer shines his mag light down our row and orders our entire row to stand up and go to the lobby.
I kid you not. This is the Titanicrelease, remember? There are rows and rows of packed out seats. And our row, the ONLY row is asked by a police officer to stand up and walk out.
We were then told to put our hands on the walls and spread ’em. No joke. I was all of 16 or so. My friend only a few days older than me. And there we were. With our hands on the wall, having no idea what the hee-haw is going. And then an officer goes down the wall of us kids, patting us down.
Yes, I got a pat down. Like I might be hiding weapons or drugs or something on me. The boys (who we were not with) along the wall with us looked like they’d done this pat down routine before and more or less groaning over the situation instead of scared-crapless like my friend and I.
You know what stirred all this up? A laser pointer. A freaking, laser pointer. Apparently someone in the audience, or someone working the projector saw the red light hit the screen and thought ”gun”. So the cops were called. For which I am eternally thankful for. Cause had the dork on my row actually had a gun, I would have been one of the first ones shot. Then again, if he had been carrying, there’s a very good chance my friend or I would have been caught up in the middle of one of those gun stare downs like you see on tv….
Anyone else had the cops scare the beejezzes out of you? Remember a movie experience for some reason?
Keri Ford
OMG, Keri, that would have scared me too. I do rermember a friend who had me ending up in the back of a police car for about 10 minutes just because they thought I knew what he may have done. Crazy story there, but I had no clue and they realized it and let me go. I knew right then and there I never wanted to do anything to get in trouble for.
Ouch, you got put all the way in the backseat??
Maybe my time spent on the wall is why I never did anything to get myself in trouble either.
Oh man, Keri! That’s awful! Can’t say I’ve ever had an experience like that. Just hearing stories about kids getting in trouble with the law usually kept me out of it. LOL Big chicken here!
But I did go with a guy in high school that was a drag racer. He ran from the cops once with me in the passenger seat and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Never been so scared in my life!
Melissa, I’ll cluck right along beside you.
I think I would have been crying had I been in that passenger seat instead of you!
Sounds like total overreaction! But I remember all the brew-haha about red laser pointers.
I got “busted” at a beer bash when I was a senior in high school. Everyone who was “someone” was there. The football team starting line-up, cheerleaders, drill team, etc. I cannot begin to tell you how many were there. We were out in the middle of nowhere (a field that we had to drive up a dry river stream to get there). We had a bonfire, but I wasn’t drinking (didn’t drink beer back then). I remember riding down the hill in David H’s car (there were 4 of us in there). I was getting a ride to my car to leave. I remember seeing two bright beams of light bouncing toward us. Cops. They got us out of the car, put the guys in one car and the girls in the back of another car. We watched as more kids were “caught” and put in the cars. I remember hanging onto the grill between the seats, freaking out about what my parents would say. The older cop opened the door and pointed to me and told me to get out. I did. He said, “go” and pointed to my friend, Vickie’s car. I ran, jumped in and we took off! Everyone else was dragged down to the police station and all the parents were called. As far as I know, no one got in trouble (no school suspension, etc). Besides, we were in the high school football finals. No way would the starting line-up be suspended.
So that’s my story.
That’s crazy, Cyndi! It’s a wonder how cops find those places out in the middle of nowhere. So did you tell your parents you were sorta, kinda caught by the police?
Didn’t tell parents at the time, but let’s face it… everyone’s parent was called but mine. Mom figured I was there but got away
No crazy police stories for me. Too terrified about what my parents would do if I messed up.
Keri I sent my addy to you. Hope I’m not too late. I’ve been cursing my Verizon Fios all this week since the power supply died and it took them a few days to get to me. The horror of not having TV and internet.