Donna in Hollywoodland

Donnie Darko

Tonight, I volunteered at The Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
The movie screening was Donnie Darko.

I have never seen Donnie Darko , and I originally signed up to do tickets so I could go in to see the movie.
But then I read the reviews on IMDB.com , and it really didn't sound like my cup of tea.
I'm basically a big chicken, when it comes to scary things.
So I changed my spot to Captain, which meant I helped out in the lobby all evening.
But now, I wished I had gone in to see the movie. Because it ended up being a great evening.
Oh, well, to late now.

And I missed a few other things tonight. Turns out the Theatre management played an April Fools joke on the audience.
During the announcements, they said the wrong film had been shipped and they were showing Donnie Brasco this evening, instead of Donnie Darko.
Most of the audience laughed and got a big kick out of the April Fools joke.
But I was in the lobby volunteering, and I missed the joke.

As I was in the lobby, and the movie was playing, one of the employees said "Donna, you have to go into the theatre and watch this part. Its the Aero. "
So I went and stood in the back.

Up on the screen, was the scene with the characters Donnie Darko and Gretchen Ross sitting in the theatre watching the movie, and the Rabbit appears.
On the screen, you can see to the side, the wall of the movie theatre. Along which, is a row of little round lighting fixtures.

Then in the actual physical movie theatre where I am standing, are those exact same round lighting fixtures along the actual real wall.

They started with the movie screen, and continued on in real life.
It was a real trip.
I was looking more at the background walls and lighting fixtures in the movie, then I was looking at the scene.

I left and went out into the lobby.
"Wow - that was amazing!" I said.
The employee said "No, go back in, its not over yet."

So I went back in and stood in the back.
Just in time to see Jake Gyllenhaal leaving the theatre in the movie. And right above him is the huge "Aero" marquee.
The exact same marquee thats outside the theatre that I am physically in.

I went back out in the lobby.
The employee said "Did you see it ? Did you see the Aero marquee?"
I answer "Yes - that was fantastic !"

Later, we had a surprise quest arrive, who was not on the schedule to appear.
James Duval , who played Frank, came by for a Question and Answer.

I took on the job to tell people who were staying, that we had a surprise guest speaking.
Then I popped my head in to the theatre a few times to catch some of the Q&A.
But I was so busy I missed most of it because I was in the lobby.

As some of the guests were leaving, they remarked that even though that was a surprise Q&A, it was one of the best Q&A's we have ever had.
And dern it, I missed most of it. To busy volunteering.