The movie theater can make Friday night entertainment Dionysian proportion

By Matt Weafer
Messenger-Inquirer
The Scene

Like a typical Friday night my friends and I were anxious to forget about our weekday burdens and indulge in Dionysian recreation and relaxation.

We sat around our kitchen table and contemplated our possible courses of action for the night. The Granny Smith Apple clock hanging above my refrigerator read 6:00 and we were already ready to hit the town.

During winter and early spring the cooler climate, and thunder storms spontaneously erupting limit outdoor activities to sparse, infrequent gatherings. And indoor activities tend to become tiresome and worn out.

We needed a place to go where we could kill a few hours and avoid the tempest lurking outside, but also changes and will be different every time we go.

With the newspaper sprawled across the table, I spotted the movie listing section and noted a few flicks that looked interesting.

After a quick debate over which movie we wanted to watch, we filed out of the house and headed to uptown Frederica for Malco. I hadn’t been to the movies in over a year, so when the tires of my car rolled into Malco’s parking lot, I spotted an addition to the building that I had not seen before, a whole new wing.

Michele Heilers, Malco employee, said the new wing has been open since around October of 2004 and it houses four new theaters and a concession stand. Malco has also installed new seats for every theater.

“They’re a lot more comfortable, and they’re roomier,” Heilers said.

As my friends and I watched the movie, I was able to stretch my legs, rest my head on the headrest, and slightly rock the seat.

Heilers said the addition of the new theaters gives Malco 16 theaters in all, and allows it to show either more viewings of the same movie, or more movies at once.

“If it wasn’t for the new theaters,” Heilers said, “we wouldn’t have gotten Sideways.”
Just outside the new theaters, the new concession stand facilitated my refreshment acquisition. I didn’t have to wait in an insanely long line, and when my soda cup was empty, I was able to step only a few feet outside of the theater to fetch a refill.

Aside from shelling out a nice chunk of change to watch the movie, we were highly entertained and were able to pass the time before heading to a new destination to continue our Friday night festivities.

The movies are a good way to get out on the town, without having to endure weather conditions or uncomfortable bar stools or restaurant booths. Catching a flick from time to time is also relaxing; surrounding myself with a bunch of strangers, smoking and drinking, or waiting for a server to bring me a wrong order can be taxing on my nerves; and that’s not what relaxing is about.

Even the afternoon can be a good time for a movie. Any show before 6:00 p.m. is only Matinee price, and children receive discounted prices as well.

Star Wars Episode III, Heilers said, will be the next big blockbuster. Purchasing tickets ahead of time is a good idea, she said.