I still go to movie theaters.
You can laugh, but if I were Tommy (Joe Pesci) from “Goodfellas,” I’d say . . .
Funny how? What’s so funny about it? No. YOU said it.
Going to the movie theater is one of my go-to activities. It can be date night, an evening with the fellas, or lunch-and-a-movie with my mother. (We live 90 minutes apart, so we meet at AMC Burlington.)
Let’s see. I recently watched “Project Hail Mary,” starring Ryan Gosling. It was epic, but let’s not forget Gosling’s character was a complete liability at cornerback in “Remember the Titans.”
So, why do I love the movie-theater experience?
It’s relatively cheap (compared to a ballgame or something), it smells like popcorn, and it’s vibrant — full of movie posters, red carpeting, soda machines I can barely work now that they’re practically digital, and cardboard cutouts of action stars.
But, perhaps most importantly, you don’t worry about life’s problems for a few hours.
Let’s press play on a few more points . . .
A stacked 2026
The last time I walked through that dark hallway and to my seat (kind of like a boxer during his ring entrance), it was judgment time. Of course, I’m talking about trailers.
You look at the person next to you, nod “yes” or “no,” then wait for the next one. Standard practice, right?
Well, this last time, I kept shaking my head “yes” — like a student not paying attention in class, just trying to seem engaged in front of the teacher who’s totally buying it.
Each and every film looked like a must-see. Let’s break it down . . .
This year, we’ve got “Dune: Part Three,” “The Odyssey,” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” “Avengers: Doomsday,” “Supergirl,” “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” “Michael (Jackson),” “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” “Disclosure Day” from Steven Spielberg, “Toy Story 5,” “Moana,” “Digger” with Tom Cruise, “Clayface,” “Godzilla Minus Zero,” and “Jumanji 3,” among others.
I’ll admit a fifth “Toy Story” could be a bit much. How old is Andy, for crying out loud?
Also, Tobey Maguire is still the best Spider-Man. Sorry, Andrew (Garfield) and Tom (Holland).
Personal favorites
I’m a big nerd, but I won’t bother you with my ranking of “Star Wars” films. Email me if you want a ranking of all nine (11 if you count spin-offs).
Favorite director: Martin Scorsese, who brought us “Goodfellas,” “Casino,” “The Irishman,” “Taxi Driver,” “The Departed,” “Wolf of Wall Street,” and about 5,000 more hits. He’ll have a 26-year-old sportswriter saying, “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.”
Favorite actor: Sylvester Stallone, whose movies had me running outside with my hands raised at age 7. I’ll watch anything with him. Whether he plays John Rambo or the Tulsa King, I’ll tune in for “Rocky 25” if he’s game to make it.
Favorite scene: Matt Damon absolutely grilling that pompous Harvard student in “Good Will Hunting.” Skiing trip . . .
Favorite character: Tough one. Bruce Wayne? Michael Corleone? Daniel LaRusso? Chewbacca?
Favorite line: “Show me the money!”
How can we improve?
Anything can be improved — even movie theaters.
Kick out loudmouths who are on their brightly-lit phones; open more merchandise sections for movies currently playing; include specific times for when movies actually start; and maybe an intermission if the movie flirts with a three-hour runtime.
Enough said. The rest falls on Hollywood, which supplies the product.
See you at the theater! But don’t sit right next to me if there are plenty of open seats, OK?
