Two movies caught my eye and they were listed as being shown back-to-back: “The Book of Clarence,” at 10am, and “Freud’s Last Session” at Noon. What luck! That’s the best, when you can see one movie, leave for a bathroom break, and then go right into the next one. I hadn’t heard much about these two films, so I didn’t tag them with nicknames like Barbenheimer, mimicking the blockbuster showing of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” but that didn’t stop me from wondering if I did, whether the name would be Clarence/Freud or Clarenfreud. I decided on Clarenfreud.
However, when I went to buy the tickets, this notice came up: “Theater closed due to snowstorm.” I panicked. My carefully planned day was falling apart and I hadn’t even left the bed. I called the theater, but it was too early, and no one answered. There was a voicemail. I felt a bit of hope when their announcement didn’t repeat the notice about the theater closing. I decided to do my morning meditations and routine and call closer to the time of the start of the film.
Success! After my morning routine, I called again and got a real human being! He told me the notice was wrong, the theater would be open that day. I rejoiced. However, because the online notice was giving them some problem, I had to buy the tickets when I got to the theater. I dressed and braved the weather. Parking was inside of a heated garage, so no problem there. In fact, driving along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago was beautiful. Slivers of light were peeping through the snow clouds, painting the landscape a palette of artist greys. I love Chicago’s skyline, and even appreciate it in the winter.
When I got to the theater, I was about the third person in line. That almost never happens, usually the line is a lot longer. I bought both tickets at once. Theaters are smarter now about not telegraphing the names and the starting times of the films on the individual marquees above the door. In order to get that information, you have to buy a ticket. And that is only fair. It is a business, after all. No more buying one ticket and then sneaking into a second movie afterwards without buying a second ticket.