On the big screen

One of my very favorite things to do in the DC area is to the AFI Silver in Silver Spring with is this great old theater (1920s) that shows tons of old movies.  I have raved about this place in the past, especially when talking about near 20 film noir movies I have seen at this theater.  But what I love more, is seeing movies that I love on the big screen. I've seen lots of Hitchcock movies, some musicals, and even a Halloween movies (yes, I am going to count The Ghostbreakers starring Bob Hope as a Halloween movie).  But my most memorable big screen moments have come within the last month.  In the middle of November, I saw one of my very favorite movies "To Kill A Mockingbird" on the big screen for its 50th Anniversary.  I adore the book and the movie to it was amazing to see the film again on a such a large scale.  I spent about 2 hours in a darkened room with my fellow film lovers, crying on and off for the entire movie (it must be noted that there was also a marathon the Twilight movies happening at the same time, which both bummed me out (since it was sold out) and then made me feel better about how many were in the theater with me!).  It was a great experience because I knew the plot so well, I could focus on other aspects of the film than were more obvious on the big screen like the cinematography and wardrobe (I am pretty sure that the white suit Atticus wears during the trial was either seersucker or corduroy, a detail that I would not have noticed before).  Also, it didn't hurt that TCM introduced the movie with about 5 anecdotes about the filming of the movie.   Over the last two weekends, I have spent one day in Silver Spring to see a movie in the AFI holiday classic film series.  The first weekend, it was Shop Around the Corner, which I one of the first old movies I remembering really loving and thinking to be undiscovered gem that only a few lucky people, although now I know it is pretty well-known (and it always reminds me of my mother, we have watched it together during Christmas for the past few years).  And then last week, I saw Remember the Night, which is actually a criminally underseen gem of a movie that I love.  It is a really tearjerker (another movie that I cried during once and then for the entire last 10 minutes).  This movie actually made me miss Indiana (I cried during a scene when someone sings "Back Home in Indiana").  And then when it was on TCM a few days later, I watched it again (and cried again).  And then later today, I will be seeing Christmas in Connecticutt.  When I leave the DC area, this will be one thing that I will miss a great deal.  Sitting in the dark with strangers, but together sharing the magical experience of a great movie.