On Thursday, at 3:04 p.m., I received a task from my editor that I was not looking forward to. They suggested I attend an early morning screening of Dune: Part Two at 3:15 a.m. This meant I had to watch the first “Dune” movie, which I had skipped for the past two and a half years, to prepare. I tried to figure out the best way to stay awake for this: considering sleeping early, accepting defeat in the battle against sleep at the theater, or even contemplating taking Adderall, which I quickly dismissed after a quick internet search.
Despite attempts to sleep early, I ended up relying on coffee to keep me awake and took an Uber to AMC Lincoln Square in the middle of the night. I joined a queue of about 200 others, who were mostly men dressed very casually, except for one notably flashy individual. Many people were there because they had waited too long to buy tickets for more convenient showtimes.
The crowd wasn’t there for the star-studded cast; their excitement was all about seeing the film in 70mm Imax. Orges Bakalli, a 31-year-old filmmaker, summed it up nicely: “It’s ‘Dune.’ It’s Imax. It’s 70mm. This is the screen.” The enthusiasm suggested a revival of cinema.
Amy, a 19-year-old assistant manager, explained that AMC added the late showtime due to demand and that she was preparing for a long shift, ending around 5 a.m.
As the movie started, I was already fighting sleep but bought a Diet Coke to help me stay awake. Surprisingly, I managed to stay awake for the entire movie, motivated by not wanting to repeat the experience just to catch what I might miss.
Hideo Kojima reviews ‘DUNE 2’:
“This film shouts, ‘This is cinema!’… This masterpiece of Denis will likely become a ‘resistance’ that will significantly delay the spread of subscription services.” pic.twitter.com/N4Wb26z2XV
— ScreenTime (@screentime) March 6, 2024
After the movie, I talked with some attendees who planned to catch the sunrise or head to breakfast. As for me, I took an Uber home, ready to collapse into bed. Walking out into the morning, I noticed people starting their day, while I was just ending mine, eager to dive into bed after an unexpectedly long night. Source
