encoded notions

Ok. Today I wanted to see V for Vendetta today on the big screen. Right now I am willing to pay the $10 or so for the experience.

People in Austin have this sick adoration for cult movies, indy music, and the general hippie lifestyle. I know that there is an Austin Film Club or Society or something like that. Apparently “film” does not equal “movie” around here, because there is not a damn movie theater playing “big name” movies anywhere within (reasonable) walking distance of the downtown area or the damned university campus. I know that Austin prides itself on being “weird”. Because of that, they deliberately keep chain stores and the like away from the downtownish area. But movie theaters too? Why?

I do not want to spend more than an extra hour of additional time traveling to and from the theater. You would imagine that the local bus system would ferry moviegoers to and from the Big Name Theaters that are “so far” away. Ha! You’d be wrong.

I found a bus to take me to a “close” theater with local flair in the fall to see Serenity. My ticket was for the evening showing because it feels weird to be seeing a movie during the daytime. I wanted to see it at night and that’s what I did.

After the movie let out I discovered that the only bus servicing vicinity of the theater had stopped running for the evening, and that the nearest pickup spot was approximately 8-10 blocks away (and not in a straight line). After walking that far, I just gave up and walked the rest of the way home—you know, why the hell not?

I should point out that I do not have a car. I do not feel that it is financially wise to own a car living on a graduate student income. I would imagine that there are many people like me.

This is why people like in similiar low-income situations like me have a propensity for the less-legal methods of watching movies.

Right now I am sitting here wanting to spend my $10 to see a movie. The money is practically already spent. I want to see V on the big screen today and I don’t want to dick around getting to and from the theater. I live in a city and why can’t I do this? Something about this equation doesn’t add up. In movies depicting life in other cities like New York City you see happy people walking down the sidewalk to their local theater with box offices out front and then happily walking inside to see their movie. After it’s over sometimes they walk down the sidewalk to wherever. My point is why the hell does Austin have to be “special” and not have theaters like that? Especially around a university campus where I am sure that there are undergraduate students who are having the same dilemma as me. They know that downloading movies is bad, but they want to watch new releases, but if they can’t get to the theater the chances are much higher that they’ll just download a bootleg copy for free.

Not having a theater around a university is just stupid on so many levels.

Grr. I think I’ll just end up angrily programming tonight instead.