I can only think of one experience which I've been a part that has to do with the rough theatre. In high school, my friends and I would take a project movies in sort of a drive in type of experience. Not in our cars, but we'd set it up in our driveway and watch movies outside. Though this was only a few times, we'd usually set it up where we could play video games as well. Once it got to cold outside we'd move it inside and keep on rolling. We found it fun to change up movie watching from indoors. It was typically a hassle to run power and such, so this limited the times we did it. It was never really more than five or six of us there, which made it a unique experience. Usually the movies we watched were still in the theatre as well, so we were creating our own megaplex in the drive way.
After thinking about what we did, it made me think that maybe the first rough theatre (the rough theatre pioneer is you will) is the drive-in movie. It's a completely different concept than going to a sit down theatre. You go and hang out with your friends, show off your car, maybe not even watch the movie at all. And now it's a nostalgic experience. A unique experience. Obviously a milestone in film watching, otherwise people wouldn't want to go to something like that. People want to attend unique things. Which brings me to my next point:
Meshing the rough with the standard theatre. I thought there had to be a hybrid that links the two together. And I think the best thing I can think of is the midnight premiere. Think of "Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." You drive up and there standing in the crowd are thirty Darth Vaders, countless Jedi, and of course hundreds of lightsabers. Talk about a unique experience. Seeing the premiere of a film with the most well versed of that film's important trivia. This has become more and more popular. It's become an event. Like Star Trek conventions, you don't just go, you have to dress up and get there an hour early, and talk with the other Jokers, Obi Wan Kenobi's, and Spidermen. Share in your obsession. I myself have never gone to a midnight showing, but based on the people I know who have, I can peg how devoted to a particular film or character you must be to do such a thing. I think this is the rough theatre bleeding into the mainstream, and I think we will continue to see more events like this.
1 comment:
Interesting point about the rough-theater/mainstream theater hybrid. I think you've hit the nail on the head, here. You definitely do get a blending of the two sometimes (like in the Star Wars installment you mentioned) - the classic example being Rocky Horror Picture Show (though I think this might have slid into the strictly rough theater, these days - who knows?).
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