Today I became a Jedi
So, I work at a movie theater…
And when you work at a movie theater, there’s a myriad of jobs you can be given. My favourite by far is running theater checks, which is basically following a list and making sure that all the screens are running A-okay the entire day, ducking in and out of theaters, and occasionally radioing in if something is wrong–I get paid to watch movie trailers for eight hours–and its glorious.
Then Star Wars comes out and everything is thrown into chaos. The AVX theaters are constantly packed, fans swirl around the lobby in their cloaks and robes, children have lightsaber duels in the arcade, and you have lines in the hall twenty-people-strong of guests trying to snag the perfect seats. To level with you, it’s pretty amazing and magical.
Naturally, any theater showing Star Wars gets put on priority for theater checks–God forbid something happen to mess up your perfect viewing experience, I understand.
When you do theater checks, you need to make sure that the picture is framed correctly, all the guests are quiet, and that the sound for the film is playing properly. You listen to a the first few notes of the opening logos and boom you’re free to move on.
The first bit of audio for The Force Awakens is the earth-shattering and iconic Theme that plays as the yellow text scrolls into its starry infinity.
After seeing the opening to the film for the up-teenth time, I could predict without fail exactly when the music would cue up, and I would often snap my fingers just for laughs, as if I were the one making the music play on command.
It’s my last Star Wars check of the day. I’m standing in the front, ready to go down the list.
In the aisle seat next to me is this kid, and I can see him staring at me behind his 3-D glasses, kids pack of popcorn clutched in his hands.
I give him a little wave, and he waves back. He won’t stop staring at me though, maybe because its just so scandalous to see someone stand in a movie theater.
The theater hushes. On-screen, the Lucasfilm logo glints–and here people clap, I’m still confused about that–fades, and is replaced by ‘a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away’ in blue.
The kid is still staring, and I think, You know what, what the heck?
The blue text fades.
I count, “One Mississippi, two Missip–”
Right before the music blares, I thrust my hand out Force-wielder style, fingers splayed with effort, and the walls vibrate with the opening chords of the Theme.
The kid’s eyes go wide like saucers. Ignoring the opening scroll completely, he mouths to me, “You can Force?”
I nod at him. Hell yeah I can Force, kid. Hell fucking yeah
tldr: I used my intense movie theater knowledge to convince a kid I was a Jedi.
(via fuckyeahisawthat)
