ZAKUSKI: Cinema -Going to the movies w/ your baby-ALONE!
I took my son to see Iron Man 2 today, O.k. I’ll admit I wanted to see Killers, but it wasn’t out yet, I really want to see Sex & The City, but that seems like an eternity. I know what you are thinking what kind of Mom takes her 20 month old baby to see an action movie with soooo much violence!?!!? Ladies, let me tell you that I have sat and watched pretty much every “kid-child-baby” movie out there and they are ALL violent or SCARY, starting with “Snow White and the Little Dwarfs” or how about “Bambi” even my favorite “Finding Nemo”, has that scene with the sharks which for me was even more scary that Spielberg’s “Jaws” cause the music gave it way and your were prepared- not to mention the title… Anyway, I’m serious watch these kids films like Madagascar, Open Season, Stuart Little, Ice Age, even Princess and the Frog had that horrifying voodoo sequence, etc… they are all violent, with the exception of The March of Penguins, which my son found boring after watching all of the above, he did like the music, but then again he also liked Carlos Saura’s “Iberia” which is one of my favorites but one of my favorite Spanish directors of all times. I was given a religious dvd that a girlfriend got for free and she gave them to Charles, something about Donkey Oley, anyway, even that has a scene where the donkey gets beaten-up and almost dies, and the poor donkey is made to sing a song while bleeding to death- “I need a MIRACLE!, I need a Miracle!” I know it sounds surreal, but you can stop by one day and watch it for yourself. The only reason I let him watch it was because he would eat when he watched this, and that was when I was really struggling to get him to eat.
So getting back to Iron Man 2, I really think that as a single Mom the more you go to the movies while you are still able to just slip your baby into your sling and keep close to your heartbeat, the better and more you will enjoy the movie.
I took my son to see Dark Knight when I was about to pop, and he didn’t kick much except when he heard sharp piercing sounds, but even huge explosions, I guess if you live in NYC and are pregnant just walking around the city, riding the subway or standing at the corner while an ambulance goes by must be about the same intensity of noise a baby hears while still in your womb at one of those action movies, not that those are my favorite, I just happen to have this thing for Robert Downey Junior, aside from the fact that he is a brilliant actor- genius, and difficult I’m sure, and like me has been through hell and back and is still going through more hell right now, and especially now being Executive Producer along with his wife for a movie that has already made over $130 million…. I have to say he wasn’t has HOT as he was in Iron Man which my sister forced me to rent at Blockbuster a few months ago. Now he looked very short, he is in real life, but in film they can do wonders and his suits were all HORRIBLE! I have to say that the only good actor was Mickey Rourke who put on a really good Russian accent, a shame they didn’t subtitle all the times he spoke Russian, but the story line was weak, Don Cheadle was scared I mean literally scared of Robert the whole time, and Gwyneth was pissed off the whole time. Scarlet was so stiff you couldn’t even enjoy her voluptuousness and Sam Rockwell whom I’ve worked with before and a little independent film back in 1997 called “Arresting Gena” was also bad as a villain.
But this is not a movie review, this is advice on how to mange taking yourself and your 20 month old toddler to the movies and still enjoying it and making sure your son doesn’t climb onto a sexy blonde’s lap and asked to be taken home with her…
Main thing is to pick a movie theater that you know is child friendly, I hear in some cities like NYC they have special screenings or times allocated to Mommy & babies, so that you are all shoved into one showing probably in the middle of the day during the week with about 20-30 or more other Moms most likely alone with their crying and squealing baby, no that is not my idea of going to the movies and enjoying yourself. My idea is when you can both enjoy it and not feel like you are at Disneyland or an extended version of daycare with popcorn.
So there are two movie theaters in my area that are child friendly and I’m sure you can find one in yours just look around, normally it is in neighborhoods where there are a lot of Latinos or African Americans, cause my Latino people we love our babies and we have plenty of them so they come with wherever we go. ALRIGHT! And my brothers and sisters from Baldwin Hills don’t fall that behind, they too want to catch Queen Latifah in “Mr. Right”… and what’s up with making Queen Latifah SKINNY, Hollywood?!?! I mean come –on that is her trademark, like J-Lo’s butt.
Magic Johnson movie Theater and the Culver Plaza in downtown Culver City, this last one is GREAT because it is only $7 for regular times and $5 for matinees. The only problem at this one is that there are stairs- I mean a tall flight of stairs so if your child wanders outside of the theater, you need to be very careful and at this one they leave the doors open while the movie is playing and all of the rooms are on the second floor. But I’ve taken Charles there many times and it’s mostly elderly people, and very well dressed ladies who all probably worked at MGM about 40 -50 years ago, but still have it in them to flirt with my handsome looking boy, especially when he’s wearing his $6 Target newsboy hat.
I always make sure I get my son POPCORN, he LOVES popcorn, and there is nothing for blissful than me sitting in bed with him on my lap and his head up against my chest watching an episode of Mad Men or Preston Sturges’ Sullivans Travels… that to me is as close as you get to HEAVEN on EARTH, that is when I tell GOD & the UNIVERSE how LUCKY I AM to have such a DEAR, SWEET, DELICIOUS, GENTLE, CALM, LOVING, PATIENT, QUIET, SMART, SOOTHING, HANDSOME, ADORABLE, BABY. I could go one but I have to wrap this up I have to somehow get my car washed and look presentable tomorrow for a business meeting in Irvine and then be back in my area for a Parent teacher’s meeting at my son’s daycare, which I simply cannot miss, and handle seven other client’s needs and their directors…
Also pack a bottle of milk or whatever comforts or pacifies him/her. And a blanket or warm hat if they have the AC blasting, which most movie theaters do. Even though my son already walks I bring my iboba carrier as he no longer fits in any slings, and this will help if you need to get him to sleep or rock him to calm him down. I used to bring him to later sessions when he was already asleep and he would just sleep right through, but those were the good old days when I could just put him in my pocket or backpack and travel the world, now it’s a bit more complicated, mainly because my son has a mind of his own and he doe as he pleases- kind of like his biological father, now that he can walk he just takes off I mean runs- sprints in the opposite direction of where you want or need to go, so it’s actually good exercise for me when I take him these days, but you just have to make sure there are few people in the theater and that they don’t mind you running after him, cause at this age they will not be able to sit still for much long, no matter how big of a bag of popcorn you buy him, or how many times you go back to the concession stand to have it filled cause he just knocked it on the ground for the 2nd time before the movie even started. My son can sit in a chair on his own now, but you don’t have to pay for the baby yet, not at this age and they have bolsters seats at both these theaters.
Single Mom’s I recommend treating yourself to a Slurpee or Iceey as my friend Laura calls them, I guess it just depends where you are from, A) you just simply deserve it- so ENJOY IT! B) you will need the sugar at this age, cause you will need to be awake. I don’t mean to encourage eating or drinking unhealthy foods, I just think that once in a while is o.k.
I also don not mean to trash kid’s pictures, it’s just my way, of telling Hollywood that they need to step-up and make better I mean truly child friendly movies that are not violent, mean, cruel, or scary. I definitely think that this film industry just like advertising is way TOO male dominated, too belligerent, we need more mothers making movies and directing animation films for kids.
Lastly, for all you single moms who are having to go to the movies alone for the first time or just with your baby, I went alone a lot, as a matter of fact prior to having Charles and even if I were dating someone or had a boyfriend at the time, I more than often went and would prefer to go alone so I could really enjoy the movie. I mean going with someone no matter whom is always a production for me and you never really get to enjoy it. The last movie I thought would be safe Wall-E which I liked, I took my best friend and the biological father of my baby well not only did I pay for all three tickets in spite of being the unemployed NINE months pregnant baby, but I also had to pay for a $35 parking ticket courtesy of the already to enriched City of Burbank because I did not park within the double white lines of my parking space?!?!?!? I mean get a life. So this type of stuff happens to me when I go to the movie theaters with someone. And now going with Charles is even better, I love being able to share with him the things I enjoy and I LOVE rediscovering things with him and he learns how things work everyday- like yesterday he discovered ants and was playing with them until I told him just like telling an adult that if he touched them he would get bitten and it would sting like when he pinches my legs or arms, so he just got up and walked away from it.
Single Mommies ENJOY your babies they will sooo be grown-ups and helping you! My son walked to the garage door the other day and started pulling on the handle to lift it up, he is sooo SMART and HELPFUL!!! I'm soo LUCKY!!!
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