"Twilight" is screening around the city starting at 12:01AM on Friday, November 21. It's a date -- and time -- that fans have been waiting for, and we're guessing, like all major genre movies, the snaking, block-wrapping lines outside the theaters will be growing throughout the evening.
With that in mind, we pinged filmmaker Dennis Przywara, who wrote and directed "Starwoids," a cinematic love letter to all the die-hard, gotta-brave-the-elements fans who spent a month+ in line while waiting to see "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" outside the Chinese Theater and Bruin. Here's his been-there-done-that advice for making the most of your wait in line (and the best way to get the seat you desire once inside):
1. Go to the bathroom early, so when they start letting you in, you can jump right to your seat. (Our add: If you have to go to the bathroom often, make sure you're in line with a pal who can hold the spot.)
2. Make sure if you DO bring a chair to wait in line in, you put it away JUST before they let you in. You can't imagine all the fans in a scurry when the line is moving and people still have all of their bulky valuables there. (Oh man, yes! We've seen it.)
3. Go right to your seat as soon as they let you in! Once you find spots for you and your friends, THEN you can go to the concession stand. (We're having a medium popcorn, extra butter please.)
4. When finding seats, sometimes it's better to sit above or below each other than straight across. By sitting above/below, you can chat BEFORE the movie, where it's harder when there is nine people across. Also, it creates a "safe" barrier around you so you know people won't be talking around you. (Shhhh!)
5. Shut off your cell phones, etc. We hate you when you don't!
6. Make sure when they let you in, have tickets ready! Fumbling through your wallet to find them messes it up for the people behind you in their quest to get a good seat. (Seriously. We know that because we've fumbled and lived to regret it.)
7. Bring something to read both out and IN the theater. If you have to wait more than an hour in the theater, a mag is great.
Oh, we feel pumped now. And with so many big, splashy, pony-up-to-the-line movies just ahead, we think we'll go stand in some lines just for practice.
