A few days ago I received an email with an invitation to a press screening for Greg Berlanti's upcoming film 'Love, Simon,' based on Becky Albertalli’s smash YA novel 'Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda,' and I was obviously delighted. I printed my tickets and eagerly awaited the day of the screening.
The night in question arrives and I go to the theater at 5:40 p.m. for the 7 o'clock showing, because it's first-come, first-served and I'm not about to strain my neck by sitting in the front row. What was I expecting exactly? Red carpets? Glamorous dresses? Famous celebrities?
Well, no. But I was hopeful for something like that.
Actually, the event was like every other movie I've ever bought a ticket for. Except this time there was a line of people looping around the concession stand, and several very well dressed bouncers who stared menacingly at the moviegoers in line. I'm sorry to admit they were the best dressed out of everyone there (not a single shiny Swarovski crystal in sight).
A man in a button up shirt came through the line asking everyone if they were "on the list." I was not so he hurried past me. Those on the list were allowed into the theater immediately, with their names scratched off the piece of paper he carried on a clipboard. I stood there with my printed ticket, sad to not be on the list, but excited to at least be invited.
Eventually, the line of non-listers starts moving forward toward the theaters. I reach the front and a different button-up man stands beside the moving line passively taking our printed tickets and pointing toward theater four where a giant, bright-red cardboard display of 'Love, Simon' stands beside another well-dressed bouncer with his hands clasped at his front. Beneath the giant cardboard sign was a smaller, much more menacing sign, covered in dense FCC jargon forbidding any recording of the screening.
Finally, I get into the theater. Interestingly there aren't any trailers playing and the lights aren't dimmed. Instead, the crowd finds our seats under the bright movie theater lights with a single static promotional photo as our only visual aid brightly projected onto the screen. The first two rows of the second section in the theater are sectioned off and reserved for press with bright yellow papers taped to the back of the red seats.
A few minutes past 7 p.m. and one of the bouncers walks up to the center of the front row and doles out instructions to turn off our cell phones, threatens to escort us out if we are caught recording the film, and then politely says, "Enjoy the show." Bouncer-man you are a conflicting character.
The rest of the event was exactly like any other movie theater showing I've ever attended. A couple theater-specific ads played promoting soda and popcorn, and then the movie began and ended. The lights came up, the bouncers were gone with their cardboard displays, and I casually walked out of the theater.
The movie was great by the way. I highly recommend everyone see 'Love, Simon' when it finally reaches theaters on March 16th. And if you ever get the chance to attend a press screening go for it! Just don't be surprised to see some bouncers ominously looming over the lineup.
