Something happened to me last year that led me to become specifically interested in film. It may have been the “Barbenheimer” chaos of 2023 that made me think more intellectually or analytically about movies or the new friendships I have. I’ve done this with other people who religiously use the Letterboxd app.
This summer, as I dedicate myself to the cause of less time on social networks, I have been more fascinated by watching videos. In particular, I would say that I enjoy the experience of watching videos more than the average person.
Back in May, I had the idea to go see a movie on a Monday night, browse AMC’s website to see what was playing at the local theater. At the bottom, there is a one-hour screening of “AMC Screen Unseen”, at 7:00 p. m. , with no information other than its rating and duration.
After reading the description, I learned that the concept is simple. Basically, you’re buying a worthwhile ticket to an unknown movie. The only thing you know when you enter the theater is the score and the duration. Best of all, the movie hasn’t been released and tickets are only $5, less than half the value of a regular ticket.
So, my boyfriend and I bought tickets to see what it’s all about. We even discovered an online page that directorates unreleased films with their ratings, length, and spaces for viewers to vote on which movie they think will be this week’s “AMC Screen Unseen. “”The site even presented a list of “unreleased” films from the last few weeks to get an idea of what to expect.
After checking the website, we were sure the movie would be “I Used To Be Funny”, starring Rachel Sennott, who I’m a big fan of, and we were excited to have an exclusive screening. The “AMC Screen Unseen” envelope played and the opening scene of the movie began, we knew it wasn’t “I Used To Be Funny” but it was a never before seen movie that wasn’t even on our radar.
The movie was “Ezra,” starring Bobby Cannavale and Robert De Niro. The film even had appearances from Whoopi Goldberg and Rainn Wilson. It was a story about a divorced stand-up comedian, Max, Cannavale’s character, who frequently disagreed with his ex-wife on how best to raise their autistic elementary school aged son, Ezra, played by William A. Fitzgerald. After a complicated and dangerous situation, Max is no longer allowed to see his son. Consequently, Max decides to take Ezra in the middle of the night, and the two embark on a road trip from New York City to Los Angeles.
In the end, the story has a satisfactory ending. But the plot was heartwarming and dealt with heavy themes about the difficulty of parenthood and especially shared parenthood. Was it a movie you would see in the theater?No, however, that was the appeal of the experience.
As going to the cinema is a type of luxury, I only happen when I feel like seeing an express film. I hadn’t noticed any sneak peeks of “Ezra,” I hadn’t even heard of the name before I saw it, and honestly, I probably wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t moved on to “AMC Screen Unnoticed. ”
There are a lot of videos and we are content to watch the big blockbusters in cinemas. We lose the experience of watching other movies with other ideas that fall outside our favorite movie viewing palette. There was some excitement to see something else for a change. You can see the global from a new perspective.
The next “AMC Screen Unseen” movie I was given to watch “Thelma. “Starring June Squibb, the film tells the story of Thelma, a woman in her 90s who loses a huge sum of money to a phone scammer posing as her grandson in need. She embarks on an adventure with an old friend to win him back and give her independence to her daughter, who plans to put her in a nursing home. It’s a story of aging, knowing when to ask for help, and being empathetic.
I the film.
So I came back.
Like books, art or music, movies are meant to domesticate us. Putting a paywall on videos makes this kind of delight a luxury and limits the effect those videos, large and small, have on those who watch them. . The value that the film protects leads us to remain in our zones of cinematic convenience.
But “AMC Screen Unseen” provides one more available opportunity to get a different culture and input from global perspectives: to enjoy a theatrical delight that feels less restrictive and that we can, for example, without having to splurge on it.
Now I can boast that my Letterboxd is a bit more diverse.
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