| Editorial May 2003
A Trip to the Video Store
We usually go to the video store on Fridays, either before
or after a dinner out on the town. My wife, Andrea, and I don’t think about it much
these days as it has turned into a common weekend-preparedness ritual. If we don’t
have a couple movies leading into Saturday and Sunday, we’re just not weekend-ready.
In the Fritz household the home theater has become vital,
and has to a large extent supplanted going out to the movies. (This was detailed in last
month’s editorial, "The Movie Theater Versus the Home
Theater.") I would imagine we are typical of many couples, especially those who
enjoy the home-theater experience as well as the actual movie. Sound familiar? Well come
along with my wife and me as we venture out to get a couple DVDs.
Narrator: Jeff and Andrea leave Elijah’s, their
favorite restaurant in lovely Wilmington, NC. But before going home....
Jeff: Should we go to Hollywood Video or
Blockbuster?
Andrea: Blockbuster has a better selection, but
we’re always late with that two-day return policy. Let’s go to Hollywood.
It’s closer, too.
Narrator: Jeff and Andrea speed across town to
Hollywood Video as Jeff cusses about the traffic and the lousy parking-lot layout.
Jeff: Geez, look at this crowd, they’re gonna
be out of everything!
Andrea: We shoulda come before dinner.
Narrator: Andrea is thinking to herself:
"You’d think he’d learn by now to get the video before eating."
Jeff: What do want to see?
Andrea: Not a smash ‘em up, bang ‘em up.
Narrator: A smash ‘em up, bang ‘em up is
Fritz-speak for the action/adventure genre.
Jeff: OK, we’ve seen The Bourne Identity,
8 Mile, The Ring, and I watched Undisputed while you were out of town
last week. Hey, how ‘bout this?
Narrator: Jeff picks up Knockaround Guys with
Vin Diesel.
Andrea: Can we get something where people don’t
get killed, mauled, or the blood sucked out of their bodies?
Narrator: Jeff looks at his wife as if she just
stepped out of a flying saucer. Then he regains his composure.
Jeff: OK, we don’t have to watch Vin, but
I’m absolutely not gonna rent The Banger Sisters under any circumstances.
Andrea: Hey, what about Sweet Home Alabama?
Narrator: Jeff ponders Andrea’s suggestion for
a split second while thinking to himself: "Reese Witherspoon is kinda hot."
Jeff: No, no, no, let’s keep looking and
we’ll keep that as a reserve.
Narrator: Andrea rolls her eyes. Jeff is thinking:
"She’ll forget about it by the time we get down the aisle a ways."
Andrea: I’m not watching a smash ‘em up,
bang ‘em up so you may as well get that through your head.
Narrator: Jeff begins thinking: "There’s
nothing really new to see tonight. Hmm, maybe I should look outside the
explosion-riddled-movie section. Nah, what am I thinking?" Just then Jeff sees a
compromise; something they’d both likely be happy with.
Jeff: Here’s a Disney film we haven’t
seen, Tuck Everlasting. Whadda ya say?
Narrator: Andrea nods her head in agreement while
thinking there’s hope for her husband yet. Jeff ponders what could be on the LFE
track of such a movie. They both go home to enjoy their home theater... and what turned
out to be a lovely movie. Oh, Sweet Home Alabama was pretty good, too.
Let’s hear your stories about the video store. Send
‘em to editor@hometheatersound.com.
...Jeff Fritz
editor@hometheatersound.com |
