The Sold-Out Line

Friday night I called my gay, middle-aged friend Mark and told him about a double feature of All About Eve and Sunset Boulevard playing at the Thalia. We love black and white, old, campy classics. I asked if he would like to go to one of the movies. "One!" he said, "That would be crazy. We'll see both." I calculated that this would mean over four hours in the movie theater but agreed. The next day he called me and told me that a couple with whom he is friends would be taking him to a show so we could only see Sunset Boulevard. I told him that I would pick up the tickets ahead. "Don't forget," he admonished. "Remember what happened with Mommie Dearest..." It had sold out. Well, the day went by (see my swim blog), and I found that I had not picked up tickets for the movie. Mark called me on his cell and said, "I'm almost at the Thalia." I said matter-of-factly, "Buy us some tickets, and I'll meet you there." He sighed as we hung up. When I arrived, I found him in line, and he said, "This is the sold-out line. We're waiting to see how many people don't return from the break after All About Eve, so we can take their spots." As if to show his annoyance at my not having pre-purchased the tickets, he added, "It's hot in this line." The next people to join the line, a group of four older adults, were dismayed to hear from me that they were in a sold-out line. "What?" the bearded man with glasses exclaimed. "Spiderman sells out, not Sunset Boulevard!" The woman with him shook her head and said, "We passed the Thalia all day. We didn't even think to get tickets!" Soon enough a worker informed us that there were twenty-three spots. The folks behind us decided to leave before finding out if they'd made the cut, lamenting that they wouldn't even be able to sit together due to the crowds. Mark said to the man with the beard, "You'll watch your copy at home. It'll be nicer really." The man said, "I don't have a copy of Sunset Boulevard!" Mark was incredulous and began to lecture on the importance of this classic. If the group was ambivalent about whether or not to stay, this definitely pushed them out the door! Mark and I found seats in front, and as Mark looked at four empty seats in the front row he commented, "All the histrionics behind us in line and look at these great seats!" Once the movie started, our moods brightened. Mark cooed with delight during the classic lines. Afterwards, he engaged the couple next to us by sharing all the facts he knows about the film. They were excited by the information and followed us as we walked out of the theater. It was raining, but Mark is oblivious to things like rain, so despite my being the only one with an umbrella, he walked me home and we continued to chat outside my apartment, finishing off some Junior Mints in the process.