OyChicago blog

Previously, on Adam Daniel Miller’s Oy!Chicago blog: The Bozo Theory, in which Adam discussed the advantages of waiting until the end and the inspiration for his next post, which you are about to read, skim, or neglect all together. Either way you’re here so thanks for stopping by. To the article!

Everyone has their own routines when going to the movies. What time they get there, what concessions they get or where they sit. For me, it’s 12-15 minutes before, I never concede and preferably in a seat. But one thing I always do every time I go to the movies – as you may have guessed from the title of this piece, you astute, attractive reader you – is that I will, without question, stay through the entirety of the film’s credits.  

One reason I stay put through the credits – as previously stated in the above linked article (which, hey, look at that, you can also read here) – is to find a delightful extra scene at the end. Marvel Studios has made this a more mainstream practice in recent years with their movies; Disney films have done it for years. I suppose that’s a redundant phrase these days. (I think I heard one person laugh at that joke! Oh, it was me.) But how many of you know that there’s a scene after the credits of Frozen? Huh? Huh!?! I know you want to see for yourself, so I’ll give you a moment to pop in your DVD of Frozen and, ahem – let it go – to the end of the credits. Heh heh.

(Moment)

Welcome back. I missed you.

The art of the post-credits scene originally stuck with me because of the movie Airplane!, a film I inherited a love for because of my Dad. Other movies I love because of my Dad include Brain Donors, Ruthless People and Start The Revolution Without Me. Three incredible comedies I only mention because no one seems to have seen or heard of them and I feel that the world needs to have seen and heard of them.

I’ve learned recently that Airplane! is quite possibly the original movie to do the post-credits scene. And while this is one contributing factor as to why I stay through movie credits, I’ve discovered the major reason is because, well, I’m an introvert. Additional link about being an introvert!

The moment a movie ends, I love the solidarity that comes with the closing credits. There’s often appropriate music to reflect the attitude of the film’s final moments or sometimes simply silence to allow me to absorb the film without distraction, to fully consume everything I have just seen. The fact is I enjoy taking these moments to reflect on the cinematic adventure I was a part of not a moment ago. I won’t rush out of the theater, check my phone or begin talking to my moviegoing companion. Actually, I’m usually by myself at the movies, so asking me how I enjoyed the movie would just be superfluous. That’s a lot more fluous than necessary.

Because I’m someone who stays in the theater longer than most, I’ll never understand those people that walk out of a movie before it’s over. I always say to never judge a movie in its entirety until the end credits roll. And even then, sometimes I need to wait longer. I’ve had movies redeem themselves, or utterly destroy themselves, in the last couple of moments. Not to mention, the greatest feeling I get is once those end credits begin to roll, the theater tends to empty out, giving me the theater entirely to myself – an introvert’s utopia.

Ironically, I wouldn’t want the theater entirely to myself for the whole movie. I’ve learned this firsthand on two occasions when I was literally the only person in the theater. It was strange. I think that only happened because I saw those movies in Elkhart, Indiana and Jackson, Mississippi. I live in Chicago so you’d think by where I saw these movies that I travel far and wide to be in a theater by myself, but don’t be preposterous. I don’t travel wide. Just far.

One final thing before I go: Why do people sometimes clap at the ends of movies? Who are they clapping for? Do they think the projectionist did a great job? “Hey, Mr. Projectionist guy up there! Great job running the movie!” It’s not like the actors, producers or writers were in the theater. In that case it’d make sense. But when you think about it, clapping after a movie is like clapping after a song on the radio. No one important is going to hear it. (Note to self: stop clapping after songs on the radio. No one important is going to hear it.)

The end.

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“Alone At Last: Or Why I Stay through Movie Credits

Conceived, produced and written by Adam Daniel Miller

Jokes by Adam Daniel Miller

Starring Adam Daniel Miller
 

Edited by Steven Chaitman

Executive Produced by Stefanie Pervos Bregman and Oy!Chicago.com

Distributed by Oy!Chicago.com

© 2015 Adam Daniel Miller and Oy!Chicago.com

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I also love playing Mystery Science Theater 3000 with the movie credits. If you don’t know what that sentence means, you should probably take three minutes to watch this. See!? Staying until the end of the blog paid off! Enjoy!