Mr. Wobert

The silver screen, the departure from this dark reality, is the grandest escape of them all. The magical flashes, the CG effects that propel us into a new age, leave the old and new in a memorized awe. Black and white, Technicolor, stop-motion, and computer simulation; all of these tools, ingredients of a wizard’s potion, enhance the cinematic trade. It is no small feat to create such majestic spectacle. They take us to distant worlds, ages long forgotten, or to a future that could spawn ahead of our feet. It is a power the dreamers of dreams do weld with elegant fury, and further proves that no matter the darkness, no matter the storm clouds that brew, there is no evil that can compare to that pure imagination.

You and me are just passengers on the magical cruise. Our tickets, golden in some aspects, are bought with green, plastic, or even a collaboration of metals and eagerly wait to be punched. Even though we are paying customers, the few elite in some cases, we still have our stowaways on this journey. The tiniest of morsels are our castaways, and we do our best to keep them hidden from the prying eyes of the uniformed guards until the time comes when they must do their duty. Either by being the smallest of treasures, the various bubbling elixirs, or the largest of pizza pies, these tasty treats gives fulfillment to our bodily hunger. But these rations only cease the smaller of our desires. Bigger game is afoot, and the lusting of our eyes, the portals to our mind and soul, have a hunger of their own that needs to be quenched.

We take our seats and strap in. Thrusters are on full and await the command to explode ahead. Hold onto your butts fore it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Horror, fantasy, action and adventure are our poison, and many a times before we have drank from that goblet. Even when sitting at home, catching the Saturday night feature of man-eating snakes, zombies, and other bizarre creatures from another realm, we suckled from the teat of our cinema mistress. No matter the thrills, no matter the chills, no matter the spoils, and no matter the budget, we drank our gluttonous and lusty fill. Every feature, these performances of all kind, shows that our gluttony for them is not a secret vice. Our lusting for these cherished moments from our mistress is so great that it may even make a radiant angel come sit itself in a celestial seat within the theater and prey on garbage.

We settle into our seats, our foxhole, and we put our feet up for the show is about to start. We never have needed to turn off our phone and silence our voices. The crackle of wrappers, the slurping of straws, and the munching of popcorn is all you can hear from us. Lights, camera, action are the words, our commandments from the mountain of Hollywood, but their meanings are what really matter. The screen flickers, the curtain is pulled aside, and the lights dime. All our troubles seem distant, maybe even forgotten for a short while. Down in front!

The passage of time means nothing, and the outside world is distant memory. The surrounding darkness, except from the portal before our eyes provides a momentary peacefulness and bliss. The draw of the film is powerful, the lust is irresistible, and the craving for such mystical stimuli is unrelenting. But alas, like any substance, the aura of serendipity loses its luster. The addicts we are crave more and more. Oh mistress of the cinema, we cherish your gifts and beg for more. But the credits roll, and the show comes to an end.

The lights are brought up again; much brighter than ever before to the point it blinds. And after that one instant, the stage and the seats are empty now. The cushions are still indented and warm to the touch. They beckon us; call for our return. The screen is blank and awaiting another magical escapade. But sadly, it will not be the same. Our shared journeys, the adventures we did partake have come to a close. There continue to be treats from our mistress, but only one alone is left to bow to her now. The future quests that will be left to conquer will have to done alone. You are in my thoughts, even as I sit and watch our shared mistress dance on the screen. I know you watch as well, even from the final frontier. You are with me, in mind and soul, on my continuing mission to explore strange new worlds, to experience all that our mistress can offer, and to boldly go where no one has gone before. I love you grandpa. May the Force be with you, always.