illusionofjoy | I am not the messiah!

There is only one theatre near Pittsburgh screening the 25^th anniversary re-release of Monty Python's The Life of Brian. That place would be The Oaks Theater, in Oakmont, a suburb just a hop into the North Hills, a skip up route 28 and then a jump back down over the Allegheny River from metro Pittsburgh.

I went with missjoi to the 3:00PM screening, knowing full well what I was in for. It was her reaction that I was gleefully awaiting, as she had never seen the film. Suffice it to say that she seemed to enjoy herself greatly.

The Oaks looks like a moviehouse I will gladly be visiting again in the near future. Unlike the strip mall multiplexes which dominated most of suburban Pittsburgh, The Oaks is a quaint building with only one screen. Upon entering the theatre, before my eyes was a ticket booth that wasn't so much a ticket booth, but a counter which led directly to the concessions counter. The place looks like it just stepped out of the 50s, in a charming way that doesn't scream with the desperation of a poseur trying to be retro. There was one person working there this afternoon - a bookish fellow dressed in traditional ushers apparel who smiled when we bought our popcorn and sincerely told us to enjoy the film when we'd finished our purchase. This seems like a place where enjoying a film is the point of going, rather than being bombarded by ads and pop-culture garbage.

Before the screening of Life of Brian, Joi and I took a look over the upcoming films list. Among films coming up that I've always wanted to see on the big screen were listed: Run Lola Run, A Clockwork Orange, Monty Python And The Holy Grail and Tron. Also noteworthy are forthcoming showings of Evil Dead II, Pink Flamingos and The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra.

My inner film buff has found a new santuary.