Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

Recently, I tried to go see a movie with a couple of friends. The movie was Persepolis. It seemed like a simple enough proposition: Go to the movie theater. Buy tickets. Take our seats. Wait for the movie to start. Incidentally, that's the point at which the whole process stalled out.

We should have known something was up when we realized we were the only three people in the theater. We waited for the movie to start. And we waited. And waited. The screen was blank and it continued in that state.

At last, one of our number decided to seek out the establishment's employees and get to the bottom of things. He returned with an amused smile on his face.

"They were taking a cigarette break. They said they'd get to it soon."

We all had a good laugh at their rather indifferent approach to their work. And then we waited. And waited some more. And the screen was still blank.

At last the same member of the group decided he would track down the nicotine-addicted employees and figure out what was going on. This time we could hear him conversing with a woman just outside the theater.

He finally came back in, this time with a more puzzled expression on his face.

"Apparently, they can't show that movie because it's 35mm and not digital."

Huh? Um, weren't we in a movie theater? Where they show movies?

Fortunately at that moment the woman, a supervisor of some sort, appeared to clarify the situation.

"See, that movie only had about ten people the first day we showed it and then the projector broke and there ain't been nobody here to see it again."

Oh....So.... Is the projector going to be repaired?

"Well....lemme call the manager."

She called the manager.

"The tech guy should be coming tomorrow to look at it," she tells us.

Then, can we expect to be able to see the movie the day after?

"Sure. I can refund your money. Or, you know, I've got Fool's Gold, Definitely,Maybe, U23D, Hannah Montana...."

No, no. A refund will be fine.

"OK, I'll just need your ticket stubs." We started digging in our pockets and purses. "What's that movie Persepolis about anyway?"

Well, it's based on the life of a girl growing up in Iran during the revolution....

"Oh, I wouldn't want to see that. My brother just got sent over there, you know. He's protecting the Colonel, cuz he was the best marksman in his class. Yeah, I couldn't watch any movie like that."

Oh. OK. We gave her our ticket stubs, and she gave us back our money. We leave.

Two days later, we're making plans to go to the movie theater and actually see Persepolis this time. We call the theater to make sure the projector is now functioning. It is. However, they are now no longer showing that movie. If we'd like, though, they have Fool's Gold, Hannah Montana, U23D....

Alas.