Watching movies in a theater with the smell of popcorn and the absolute behemoths of soda cups is one of the most fulfilling things for me. Going to the movies with friends is fun, especially if I dress up. But, so can going alone. Being one with the theater and movie before me is insanely zen, and I feel like I fully connect with what I’m watching.
As great as it is, watching a movie in a theater can cost some money! In addition, theaters are so far away from me. To my luck, FSU has its own student-led theater called the Student Life Cinema (SLC). A part of the Askew Student Life Center (ASLC), the SLC shows multiple movies every week, sometimes multiple on the same day, and the vibes are immaculate! The best part is that it’s free to all FSU students!
As a film-fanatic freshman here at FSU, I’m always at the SLC showings and often dressed up for them! With that being said, I’ve attended showings of movies I hadn’t seen before, going in blind and not researching them beforehand. This has elevated the movie-watching experience so much more for me.
So, here are three movies I’ve watched blindly at the SLC (with spoilers removed so you can watch them, too)!
- REC
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REC is a Spanish found-footage horror movie. Spanish horror movies can be the most insane thing to watch, so I just knew I had to see REC when it was announced at the SLC. I took my roommate and a friend who’s terrified of all things horror and entered the theater.
The SLC put together a hilarious trailer for REC, but once the theater played the actual trailer for the movie, my friends and I wondered if we made a mistake.
REC is full of moments where you’re screaming at the characters to turn the camera around, and when they do, there’s no jumpscare. This kept us on our toes the entire time, and it was the first horror movie I’ve ever physically screamed at. Going to the showing of REC blind may be considered a mistake to some, but I wouldn’t have been as scared as I was if I knew what would happen!
- Perfect days
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When I attended the SLC’s showing of Perfect Days alone, it was a beautiful experience. All I knew about this movie was that it was the perfect blend of cozy, slow-burn romance that was an actual piece of art. It starts slow, and the music is used sparingly. It felt like the director wanted the music to hit you hard, so many of the long scenes were in silence.
Perfect Days is one of those calm, beautiful movies that have you leaving the theater with a changed view of life. I look at little plants in the dirt differently now. As a blind watch, the meaning of the movie was a little less clear. But sitting in my seat for five minutes while the ending credits rolled, surrounded by people discussing what the ending meant, was a moment where I felt so connected to the world around me.
- Brokeback Mountain
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I used to have to physically rip everyone’s jaws off of the floor every time I said that I had never seen Brokeback Mountain or heard anything about it up until the SLC’s showing announcement. Still, I knew it was a very important piece of queer culture and a great thing to watch during FSU’s Pride Month.
So, here’s a very vague spoiler: Brokeback Mountain is an extremely devastating watch. I didn’t know this, and the SLC staff’s introduction to the movie made me realize I had a lot more in store for me than the amazing Western outfit I had on.
The meme reel that plays before the theater’s midnight screenings was cut short by a video of the actors talking about just how influential the movie was despite the insane, homophobic backlash it received during its release.
If you’re able to watch any of the movies I listed here, I highly recommend Brokeback Mountain, but during a time in your life when you’re ready. Should it be a movie you mentally prepare for? Probably. But my blind watch of it left me with an overwhelming sense of emotion.
The ending left me holding in sob after sob, with my body shaking in my Western mini skirt. Everyone around was crying, too, and it felt like we all understood the weight of the movie.
Okay, so what have we learned? Go to the SLC right now (aka the next showing you’re interested in)! Check out their Instagram page, as they post announcements all the time. A few showings are coming up, so maybe you can try this method of “blind watching.” I know for a fact you’ll see me watching I Saw the TV Glow on Oct. 24. Happy blind watching!
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