Night at the Theater

I posted a song from Faith Hill to give everyone something to look at while I write this post. I usually have several posts ready to go but I seem to no longer have a backlog. The reason I do that is because I get so many ideas in one day I just write them up and save them. Anyway, I digress!

Saturday night I did it! Or rather, we, Alvin and I went to Festival Cinemas to watch the BYU football game. What an exciting atmosphere.

We got there early, turns out that was a very good idea. We slid into our seats and were able to see the last quarter of the UCLA spanking the Utes delivered. They may be our rivals but it was really fun to watch. Now we deliver a well-deserved beating to the Utes and I'm good to go.

Then the theater began to fill up. Soon both theaters slotted for the BYU/Tulsa game were filled and there was no more room at the inn. The Cougars came up on the screen in full living color and it was amazing. An excited crowd, the Cougar fight song after every touchdown, cheers and groans . . . it was the whole package wrapped up into watching a game with the bathroom seconds away and the concessions slightly more (these things are important to women.) Free popcorn was up for grabs and for $4.50 you had bottomless drinks (these things are important to men.) It was so much fun! Even though the Cougars lost.

So this is a must do. It was a complete and total blast. We even ran into old friends, one from college (Louis Wong along with some of his players) and an old ward member, Victor Scarpino. We took one of the kids from our ward, Jeremy Goff, and he had so much fun it was unbelievable. So we loved the heck out of the game, even with the loss, the atmosphere and the people we were able to visit with for over four hours. Yeah, the Cougars don't go down easy. Tulsa had to pay for their win with a number of injuries and some serious time spent. 55 to 47 -- shall we talk defense? No -- not the point of this post. But really . . . where was the defense?! 47 should have been enough. Travis Bright (O Line) . . . 7 FLAGS! Come on . . .

Now the downside of my lovely Saturday night. I had the chance to talk with Tyler, who is Brady Whittingham's partner in the theater, for a few minutes. Turns out he wasn't going to be able to show anymore Mountain Conference games because Comcast is insisting on charging the theater $15,000 DOLLARS! A dollar theater for cryin' out loud! Tyler explained that was a little out of their budget and they couldn't pay it.

Comcast and MTN have received such a black eye over their little deal that robbed huge numbers of Cougar fans from seeing their team play. They've demanded astronomical prices from everyone, therefore making it uneconomical for anyone, be it Direct TV, Dish or others, to carry the MTN network. Well now they've got two black eyes and their black hearts have been revealed. So here's my suggestion. Spread the word and far and wide . . . everyone call Comcast (801-234-6500) and complain about this astronomical charge to this dollar theater to show the games. Demand they lay those lines as a sign of good will to this community and work with Fiesta Cinemas to continue providing such a wonderful thing. I believe the conversation between Comcast and Tyler went something like this or words to this effect (I wasn't writing it down as Tyler and I talked):

"We'd like to shown the MTN games in our theater. Allow the people to come for free and everyone can enjoy the games."

"That's a great idea! We have such a black eye in this community over this whole thing and we love the idea of showing the games for free. But it'll cost you $15,000."

May I stress again -- DOLLAR THEATER! Tyler has lowered the price of admission from $1.50 to $1.00 every day. He's dropped the prices on some of the concessions. He's made it a friendly environment so I recommend you make this your dollar theater. He took Mountain Dew away, but that's another sad story, and again, I digress.

Let me tell you a little about the theater, when its not game day. They carry two mainstream movies in two theaters and two independent films in two others. Tyler assured me he would only carry good independent films and I checked them out in the movie database. Here's a little about the two films currently playing at Fiesta Cinemas.

Evening starring Meryl Streep and Glenn Close. The love which binds mother and daughter -- seen through the prism of one mother's life as it crests with optimism, navigates a turning point, and ebbs to its close. Overcome by the power of memory, Ann Lord reveals a long-held secret to her concerned daughters; Constance, a content wife and mother, and Nina, a restless single woman. Both are bedside when Ann calls out for the man she loved more than any other. But who is this "Harris," wonder her daughters, and what is he to our mother? While Constance and Nina try to take stock of Ann's life and their own lives, their mother is tended to by a night nurse as she journeys in her mind back to a summer weekend some fifty years before, when she was Ann Grant, a young woman who has come from New York City to be maid of honor at the high-society Newport wedding of her dearest friend from college, Lila Wittenborn. The bride-to-be is jittery, and turns to her maid of honor rather than her own mother for support. Ann stays close to her friend, yet is even closer to Lila's irrepressible brother Buddy. Unexpected feelings surge forth once Ann meets wedding guest Harris Arden, a lifelong friend and intimate of the Wittenborn family. Ann's love for Harris will change her life, and those of her daughters, forever.

Yes, I'm going to try and carve a couple of hours out today or tomorrow and go see that movie. And what's not to love about Glenn Close and Meryl Streep - please!

The second movie is called:

Waitress starring Keri Russell. Jenna (Keri Russell) was taught by her mother to bake pies as a little girl, and now she bakes delicious pies each day and works as a waitress at Joe's Diner. Joe's Diner specializes in serving different pies to its customers each day with a new surprise pie everyday. Jenna always comes up with a new pie by using her emotions in baking new and undiscovered recipes and giving them great names such as "Kick in the Pants Pie" and "I Don't Want Earl's Baby Pie". Jenna wants to enter a Pie Baking Contest and win $25,000, but her abusive husband Earl (Jeremy Sisto) doesn't want her to have her dream. If Jenna can win the contest, she will be able to leave Earl and start a new life. Unfortunately for Jenna, Earl gets her pregnant and now she is stuck. Jenna starts writing letters to her unborn child and by the time the baby is born, Jenna has built up her self confidence.

Alright, I'll make time to see that one this week too. They are definitely "chick flicks" so I doubt I will be able to convince my sweetheart to accompany me. Debb! Get ready to watch a couple of films this week. For a buck, I can do that. Then Live Free Die Hard and Pirates of the Caribbean: At the End of the World" are also playing.

This theater has always been our dollar theater of choice, much safer, but now, now it's just a little bit better because of the men who own it and the care they've taken to provide movies and games the public want to see. Please support this theater, I don't want them to go away.

Call Comcast and let's see if can fix this situation now. Again, the number is 801-234-6500. Do not let up the pressure. Festival Cinemas is a wonderful addition to this community.

Blogland Unite! At least all the Cougar fans and Ute Fans and everyone who loves us. Call Comcast and lets get those lines laid to Festival Cinemas for free.

In the meantime, drop by the theater at 959 South 700 East - Orem, Utah (behind University Mall) and see a good movie. You won't regret it.