Young Old the Budding Cinephile

For those of you out there who know of my love of the moving picture, you've probably been counting down the days till I took Young Old to his first movie theater. I resisted at first, loud explosions and fiery cuss words probably not being in his best interest, but alas, I am a weak man. Two weeks after his birth, Young Old found himself accompanying Mama K and I to the Kennedy School, one of several second-run theater-pubs in the McMenamins empire. An old elementary school, the Kennedy has been remodeled into a fun-lover's wet dream...the classrooms have been turned into hotel rooms complete with student desks and chalkboards, the cafeteria warped into a full-scale restaurant, and courtyards turned into soaking pools. Former janitor's closets, the detention room, and the teacher's lounge have all been turned into cozy bars in which to imbibe their many handcrafted brews and spirits. My favorite room, however, is the old auditorium, which has been transformed into a movie theater replete with decrepit yet comfortable couches and loveseats. It really is one of the finer things in life, settling into a dark, cavernous room with a strong IPA in one hand, a slice of pizza in the other, and watching a movie on the big screen for $3.00.

A few months back, dreading that the world of film was going to end for me with my son's birth, I stumbled across the Kennedy School's "Mommy Matinee." Though I take some small affront at the sexist wording of the event, the idea is either brilliant, or horrifically hellish based on your ability to tolerate screaming infants. The first showing of the day mid-week is dedicated to parents and their babes; the aforementioned screams and shitty diapers are tolerated, if not wholly encouraged. Sign us up. Our first visit found Young Old drifting off into sleep within moments, likely due to the most recent, and unfortunately sub-par, entry into the Indiana Jones saga, The Crystal Skull. The following week we came back for more, watching the infinitely superior Get Smart. Young Old chuckled the entire time, recognizing a solid comedy without having any prior experience with them. Impressive, my boy.

Next up, The Big Lebowski, one of my, and surely soon to be Young Old's, favorite films. I think a tradition is in the works, friends.