I feel terrible writing today’s entry – as it is more of a confession of poor behaviour, wanton disregard for others.
I had a ticket for the world premiere of Shane Meadows’ documentary about The Stone Roses, Made of Stone. I fully intended to treat going to treat the night as something nothing like going to watch a film. And why would someone ruin it for other people by sitting in silence watching the film? Unfortunately, dear reader, that is precisely what I ended up doing.
I had gone with a lad from work. He was driving so at least he had an excuse just to have a couple of bottles of lager ahead of the screening. What was my excuse for only having a small amount of alcohol, rendering me completely sober? Well maybe I just thought: fuck it, it’s a Thursday night, work has been quiet this week – maybe I’ll just not have loads to drink and enjoy the film without being pissed and annoying as fuck. I know, writing that down makes me realise what a prick I can be.
And so it came to be that despite being surrounded by conscientious people talking all the way through the film I didn’t say anything from the start until the end. I wasn’t the only one of course, there were some other people as brazenly quiet as me. However the contrast was stark between the two women in front of me – not looking at the screen and talking loudly throughout as a sign of respect to the film – and myself, staring silently at the images on the screen and listening to the sounds that accompanied them.
There were a couple of times when other silent idiots tried to initiate them drun talkers into their silent, motionless partying. I knew what those talking must have thought when they saw me and my friend watching the film in silence: “Why have those two bothered to pay £25 to be here if they are just going to sit here in silence rather than having a really loud pissed up conversation that they could be having anywhere – and certainly somewhere more appropriate than the screening of a film?” And they would be right to think that.
I was quite proud of the people sat behind me towards the end. There was a couple to my left, they were also ruining it for people by being unnecessarily quiet. The idiot woman turned round and with malicious manners asked them – without a slur of having drank too much – if they could just be a little quieter as she was having trouble hearing the film at times. The dick! The two women she spoke to reacted with the dignity our silence could not manage – they did loud shushing noises for the last twenty minutes of the film. It reminded me of one of those t-shirts: Stay calm and be a fucking immature twat.
Because of the embarrassing way I behaved I am ashamed to be able to say that I remember all the film and can say that it is very good. If you like The Stone Roses then you will like the film. I just wish I could go back and watch it with the wreckless abandon that so many people had the respect to do on this occasion. My head is hung in shame.