Double Dipping

I started double dipping in 1996 shortly I moved to Rochester. I remember in late '96 having it set up where I was gonna go to the early show of "Beavis and Butthead Do America"

and after that, a friend was gonna meet me at the theatre so that we could see the late show of Tom Cruise's "Jerry Maguire" together.

My plan was to stay in the theatre building the entire evening and just have to pay for the first movie. However, even though I got to the Galleria at least a half hour early, "Beavis & Butthead" was sold out (They had it playing on a pretty small screen, though). I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to see "Maguire" until my friend showed and there wasn't really anything else I was interested in seeing. I ended up buying a ticket for "Maguire". I was screwed. I noticed an older theatre employee posted outside the "Beavis" theatre. He was checking tickets to make sure that everyone who tried to enter already had a ticket to the screening since it had sold out. A moment later, I saw him leave his post and, without hesitating, went into "Beavis" and sat down. Success! I did it! I enjoyed the show (I had been a fan of the TV series). Afterwards, I waited for me friend. He bought his ticket for "Maguire" and we both went to that movie which was also a very good one. So I ended up seeing 2 movies for the price of one and sneaking into a movie ("Beavis") that was already sold out.

In the summer of 1997, I went to a sneak preview of "Men in Black" and had arranged for the same friend to come to the theatre after that show was over so we could see Travolta and Cage in "Face/Off" together. It worked again. 2 movies for the price of one.

It's important to get the timing right, though, when you attempt da double dip. I got caught in 1997. I went to a first movie and then headed over to see "Romy & Michele's High School Reunion". There were only 2 other people in that theatre. A few minutes before the show was to start, one of the managers came in and asked to see my ticket. I hesistated and she said that only 2 people have paid to see the movie, not 3. So I apologized and left.

Despite getting caught, I did some more double-dips over the next couple of years. I went to a movie with a good friend. He then headed home while I then went to see Matthau and Lemmon in their last movie together "Out to Sea". Another night, I went to a movie and then saw Anthony Hopkins in "The Edge".

In 2002, when I went out of town, I went to see Adam Sandler in "Mr. Deeds" and then snuck into Tom Cruise's "Minority Report".

I kinda have stopped double dipping over the past few years mostly because there usually aren't 2 movies playing that I really want to see. Or I'll feel that I got my money's worth with the first show. Or I'll just want to go home to be with my girls.

There was a bit of a resurgence for the DD last summer, however. In May, I went to "X-Men 3" and "Over the Hedge" immediately after that and in July, I saw "Pirates 2" followed by "Monster House".

My friend, Shanon, refuses to do da dip. That's his prerogative, of course. But I feel that the movie will be playing with or without me and I'm already there, so what the hell...