blog - Only in the Movies, Part 1

I am realizing now that I have discovered one of the core and defining experiences of my past two years, the last half of highschool have been detailed with uniquity. I've lived seemingly a unique experience working at my local movie theater. Seeing as I've been able to find no similar thing on the internet with a few surface level google searches, and nothing at the library with glances at the shelves, I'd like to try and capture this experience on my website. This has been a goal since the Summer of '24 a little bit, but now I'd just like to share pieces of my experiences. I'll probably do this in a series of blog posts, not just this first one, and if I do I will probably synthesize it into one larger essay when complete.
With that said, I'd like to preface this with what to expect of this story. This story is one of hauntings, one of anemoia, one of lonely walks through the dark and flashing lights. This is a story of visions in the nothing. This is a story of derealization, dissosciation, and circling all the way back. This is a tale of midwestern grey days and their counterpart; sweaty Summer sun beating in from windows up above.
Our story begins when a friend of mine (now one of my two besties, but then only a friend) suggested I apply for a job at the local theater where they worked. I needed a job so I could afford gas for my car and such, so naturally I applied. I got the job at the interview.
This is where the foundations of the lore are laid. Symbols that would carry on for the rest of this ongoing story. I dated one of my co-workers (when they say you shouldn't do so, they goddamn mean it). This movie theater job I quickly realized was gonna be messy. The management was laid back to the point of destruction, the building was falling apart, and the way the shows were laid out led to excessive down time for an overstaffed facility. For those who don't know, for a small theater such as ours shows run in waves. A couple movies will start over a period of an hour or a few unless there's a huge film like Barbenheimer, Deadpool, the Eras Tour, Inside Out Two, and others of the sort. That means that between those waves you have a bunch of time (a movie's length often) to clean up the place. Once you're done, you can socialize. In this case, that has led to social heirarchy, cliques, several relationships, friendships, and other discord. I used to let this play more of a part in my experience, but since '23 and early '24 I haven't. After I broke up with my ex I've stayed clear of any and all social workings of the theater as I genuinely do not care. I am there to work. If I make friends, that is cool. If I don't, I still get paid.
Anyways, that makes for a good start to the story. I figure I'll be thinking about this a lot seeing as I got a total of 22 hours next week, and I already am thinking about it a lot. This story is one that I think (for myself atleast) needs to be told, and this blog, this place on off the web is dedicated to myself I supose. Stay tuned for more my beloved readers.

-Jemma, 4/23/25