2012 AMC Best Picture Showcase

     Day 1 of the 2012 AMC Best Picture Showcase is in the books and I had a wonderful time as always. For the past several years, AMC Theaters has sponsored this program where they show all of the films that were nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars in a marathon format. This is my fourth year attending the event and it is a blast for movie lovers. The first year I attended, in 2009, it was only a 1-day affair since there was only five films nominated for Best Picture. I was a rookie to the event so I didn't come prepared, and by the time the fifth movie started I was extremely tired and just wanted it to end. It didn't help that the group of movies that year I found pretty weak. I learned some lessons that first year though that would help make the event the highlight of the movie year for me in coming years.

     The next two years saw a change in the Oscar process and 10 movies were nominated for Best Picture. This caused AMC to change the program a bit and it became a 2-day event, with 5 movies each Saturday over the course of two weekends. There actually are a handful of theaters that run a 24-hour marathon where all 10 movies were shown back-to-back. While fun to try one time, I'm glad my theater isn't one of them because I'm pretty sure I couldn't make it. I would fall asleep after midnight sometime for sure. And I don't want to do that, because I enjoy the event and want to appreciate the movies as much as possible. I don't want my appreciation of a film to be soured due to a lack of rest. So I like the 5 movies a day routine.

    To accomplish this, you need to be prepared, a lesson I learned after the first years event. First and foremost, you have to get a great nights sleep the night before. I have learned that I need to get about 8-10 hours of sleep the Friday night before the event. If I accomplish that, I find that I do not get tired during the marathon unless there is a boring movie. That's a whole other issue you can't control, and one I ran into this year (more on that in my reviews). The second tip is take advantage of the break times to stretch your legs and move around. Between each film, you are given about 30 minutes to go to the bathroom, get concessions, and all that good stuff. Typically there is also an hour break before the last film, so you have time to leave the theater if you want to get food outside of the cineplex. It's imperative that you use this time to get away and refresh yourself. Even if you don't do anything, just get up and walk around, loosen up those joints that have become stiff from sitting for hours. But you want to make sure you are back about 10 minutes before the next film because the employees at the theater come in and do trivia questions for prizes, usually movie posters. That's always a fun time, and I have collected my fair share of posters over the years this way.

     Another tip is to bring something to keep you comfortable, like a blanket or pillow, or both. These have become must-haves for me during this event. Not that I'm wanting to take a nap by any means, but lets be honest, after a few hours in those theater chairs, you need some comfort. I like to sit on the last row on the end against the wall. This way nobody blocks my view of the screen as I'm watching the movie down the side aisle. It allows me to prop the pillow up against the wall so I can rest my back against the wall and stretch my legs out on the chairs. Trust me, it's comfortable to sit like this from time to time. That's another good thing about this event, the theater is never full so you can generally take up as many seats as you want, within reason. There's elbow room for everyone. Speaking of the crowd, it's another reason I love this event. This is not your typical movie crowd. These people are FANS of movies and appreciate them. Therefore, there is almost never talking or people using their phones, they have too much respect for everyone there and that is a blessing. Also, you form a bond with these people since you spend so much time with them. By the end of the event, I have usually met some interesting people that share a common interest with me. You will see the same people at the event each year, so that's cool as well.

      The Best Picture Showcase isn't for everyone, but if you are a movie fan, I encourage you to try it one year. For $60-70 you can enjoy some of the best movies of the year, meet a lot of interesting people, perhaps win some prizes, and just simply have a great time. Day 1 of this years event has come and gone and I'm already set for part 2 next Saturday. There were only 4 movies yesterday since there are only 9 nominees this year, but it was still a full day. I saw 3 movies that were very good to great, and then 1 dud, but overall I like those odds. The reviews will be coming shortly. This is by far the highlight of my movie year and I would like to thank AMC Theaters for sponsoring the event. It is one that I have enjoyed for going on 4 years now, and hope it continues for many more.