Enjoying the Credits

When I go to the theater, which isn't often, I find myself conforming to the crowd when the movie ends and credits begin; I file out of the theater with the crowd. Sitting through the credits used to be a very enjoyable experience. I used to stay to see if anyone in the hundreds of names sliding up the screen shared my name. Then, I learned that the music is usually great! It became the music that kept me. The credits are the place where a viewer can actually take time to listen to and appreciate the music. For example, sitting through any of the Star Wars films will get you an almost private concert with music by an Oscar winning composer, John Williams. The Lord of the Rings movies offers some powerful music that during the movie subconsciously drives our emotions, but we are so wrapped up with the visual sense that we don't realize the music also has us on the edge of our seats.

The last time I sat through the credits (either one of the Lord of the Rings movies or maybe even Chicago), the experience was kind of ruined. After most people have left and I was settling in to enjoy the music, the lights slowly started coming up and employees entered the theater. Nothing like enjoying the full TMX (or whatever) sound of a theater while being surrounded by vested employees weilding brooms, bags and those little dust pans on a stick.

Next time I stick around, I will imagine that they are characters in some dramatic endgame. They will battle it out to see who can get the most dropped popcorn, shells of soda cups with the watery left overs of ice floating around in the bottom, and the Milk Duds that were rolling around on the floor. It will be quite a battle in the shadowy theater as ushers duel it out with their brooms, clashing in front of the screen as one tries to shove the other into his dust pan box on a stick. All the while, the dramatic music from whatever movie I just watched plays in the background. The post movie experience just might be even more dramatic than the feature.

But, then I will miss the complete experience of enjoying the music uncluttered by the visual sense. Alas, I guess I will have to settle for the sound track.