We've all had them.

I'm not talking about the random cell phone ringing or babies crying....I'm talking about the comments from the peanut gallery--made during MY movies; the comments that have stayed with me up to 30 years!

My distractions date all the way back to 1977, when Star Wars was first in the theaters. My first viewing was everyone else's first viewing, so everyone was pretty quiet, just watching the movie with great interest. Well, after a movie has been in town for a while (and that one was, for a good 50 weeks--unheard of anymore) people tend to watch the movie less and flap their jaws more.

So are you still wondering what the heck I'm talking about? Well, here are my distractions--I just can't seem to shake them!

1) The group is in the trash masher and Luke is sucked under the water. When he reappears on the surface, he chokes on the muck. Some smart alec in the audience yells: "He's barfing!" Yeah. I can't watch that scene without thinking about that.
Thanks, dude!

2) I had to take my pesky little sister and her friends to the movies on a Saturday afternoon. You know how little sisters are. I was only 14 at the time, so I'm sure they seemed extra pesky. The battle over Yavin at the end, when Porkins gets hit, one of my sisters' friends comments: "Sorry, fat boy!" Cold blooded!

3) The medal ceremony at the end of ANH --- the scene where our beloved heroes are decorated for their heroism. Leia smiles sweetly at the two, and we are still not privvy to the info that two of the three people up there are siblings. Han bends to receive his medal and winks at our princess. **sigh** Leia then turns to Luke, who is eagerly anticipating receiving his medal. He bends, Leia places the medal around his neck -- what an exciting moment! Then some fool - probably "Barfing Dude" comments: "OOh, nice cuchongas!"

AARGH!!! People! Leave my movie alone!

4) AOTC on the IMAX screen -- Absolutely LOVED it!! I don't have a bad thing to say about it.......exceeppppt........some of the close up scenes were a bit too up close. We actually got to see some of the zits that were beginning to form on Hayden's face! No one wants to see that! Oh, sorry....No one MY AGE wants to see that.

5) Most recently, at the midnight showing of ROTS May, 2005, In a packed theater, Padmé gives up on living. A woman two rows up from me makes a face and tosses her hand up. Not that big of a distraction, but I'll probably not forget it because that evening was one of the most special to me...I had the great opportunity of taking my nephew, Michael, who was 16 at the time, and not quite as big a Star Wars fan as his auntie. But there I was, with my Star Wars buddy, standing out in the middle of the night at the movie theater.

So these are just a few of the obstacles I face whenever I watch my movies. So do the next fan a favor: If you're bored at the movies, please, SHUT UP and/or LEAVE!!!!!

Especially YOU, Barfing Dude!



GB



BTW, don't forget your weekly dose of the Dork Side. Better than Prozac!