Demons at the Byrd!!

After attending a showing of Bava’s 1986 horror film “Demons” (Demoni if you’re looking for it on Wikipedia), I came away with a few observations, most of which have little to nothing to do with the movie itself.

First, the screening of “classic” films around Richmond, Virginia MUST CONTINUE. If you haven’t attended a “Movies & Mimosas” or “Insomnia Theater” film at the Bow Tie Movieland or a Gorehound Features presentation of one of many fantastic horror films (Zombie and Demons are recent examples) at the Byrd, then you are truly missing out.

In an age of home theater systems and high-quality digital sound systems, we are tempted to lose an appreciation for a time when films were meant to be a communal experience. Sure, you can pack a few of your friends into your living room, but there is still something essential missing when you watch a film at home. Not only just the big screen viewing, but laughing with a crowd of people you don’t know and seeing that people outside of your circle enjoy the same strange niche films that you do. Simply seeing that there is a whole seedy community of folks around me who are into watching the same films and loving them for the same reasons I do truly gives an irreplaceable feeling.

You might say that you can see these same films through your Netflix account or from the local Blockbuster and watch them in the comfort of your own home, nestled securely with the popcorn you’ve made in the microwave. But I say to you, there really is NO comparison. Hearing some guy on the other side of the theater yell something at the movie is PART of what makes these films great. You both know that you are enjoying the film on the same level. It’s just fun. Watching movies should not always be a solitary, lonely experience where you are focused intently on what’s happening on-screen. Entertainment is one important aspect of seeing a film, but it isn’t the only one. The gatherings I’ve mentioned are incredibly fun because you’re part of an audience that is watching a movie, and none of you (including, most likely, the filmmakers) are taking the process too seriously. There are simply a number of films that are meant to be enjoyed with others, to share them broadly and simultaneously, and sometimes that even means hearing what someone else thinks of what’s on-screen during the film.

When the film literally melted in the projector, we were all left in the dark theater and I took the moment to ponder how disposable media is these days. I have over 200 movies in my Netflix instant queue. That’s more than 200 films that I can watch at any moment, stop if I choose, watch later, or toss to the side. In addition to that, I have a Blockbuster which houses 1000s of films only a few blocks from where I live. I can order movies in any number of ways and begin watching them in just a few moments. What all of this has done is create a culture where we simply don’t appreciate how things used to be. I recently read an article on “cult” films which you can read here.

Basically, the author of that article points out that finding and screening these films has lost its luster because you no longer have to be in the “know” where they are concerned. A film that someone might have ordered from Thailand through the mail back when I was a kid can easily be added to a Netflix queue and at your house within two to three days (as I did with The Killing of Satan). The fact that the film had actually melted was a completely new experience for me. The worst that had happened previously is that I got a scratched DVD in the mail and had to send it back for a replacement. Big whoop.

As another example, a film that would only be seen in the theater, and then only during its run, can now be queued up with the rest. What we often forget of these movies is that they were meant to be screened in a theater, not on a 42’ inch television (even if it is widescreen with surround sound) in your home.
Unfortunately, since we don’t have to work to see these movies, they are just lumped in with the rest and judged along the same standards as the most recent Hollywood blockbuster we saw in 3D.

So I’ll definitely pay another $10 to see the next Gorehound Feature at the Byrd and around $6 to see the next “Movies and Mimosas” because even though I can see Touch of Evil, Demons, Hidden Fortress, and Zombie in my home and enjoy them on my own couch, I certainly can’t have the same great experience with a group of people who are digging them for the same reason I am.

Fun.