marred by a head

On Sunday afternoon, I went to San Francisco because it was my first-ever chance to see Hitchcock's North by Northwest on the big screen. The first thing I saw when I came out from underground were a bunch of men coiffed with Santa hats and doing some vigorous square dancing. Yes, I was in the Castro District - how did you guess? It had taken me less time getting to the Castro Theater from across the Bay than I had expected so I found myself watching the last part of Hitchcock's 1930s film of The 39 Steps. There was something poignant about the main character's speech for peace, knowing what was going to happen a few years later. And there was something a bit dissonant, during the interlude, with a "Happy Holidays!" slide projected on the theater's screen while listening to Bernard Hermann's Vertigo score.

Then North by Northwest began.

Sure, I know the movie by heart, but, like I said earlier, it was the chance of seeing it on the big screen. Also, there is something connecting to observing the reactions of the rest of the audience, which laughed where it was supposed to laugh, proving it's not just me who enjoyed the witty exchanges found in one of Hitchcock's best.

The experience was slightly marred by a head, mind you. You see, the Castro Theater is an old movie house. It means that, if anyone as tall or taller than you sits right in front of you, it is rather annoying to have part of the picture blocked out. There may be a good reason why the young man never tried to sink into his chair to make himself less prominent. It may be that he is so used to the steep slopes of modern theaters that he never thought his cranium might be something of a visual obstruction in other settings. Or maybe he did, but he has back problems that make it impossible for him to slouch. Either possibility is better than thinking he might be a blankhole whose only concern is himself.

Ah well.

"That's funny. That plane is dustin' crops where there ain't no crops."