Wall-E at the El Capitan

OK. I don't care who you are or what you're doing. You should come down to LA just for this. Seeing Wall-E at the El Capitan. It was amazing. I bought my tickets pretty early so I got great seats, front row balcony. My friends went with me but because they bought tickets after me, they sat in orchestra. We texted each other while in the theatre trying to figure out each others seats. They looked for me and spotted me instantly as the one leaning over the railing with child like excitement. The only drawback to front row balcony seats was the lack of space. But I'm willing to trade a bit of leg room for full view of the stage and screen.

The El Capitan is old, so none of that seating one would expect in new theater with cushy rocking high back chairs with leg room. The VIP tickets I bought allowed me to stand in a special line, I didn't wait too long in, a souvenir bucket with popcorn and a bottled soda. We also got blue rubber watches imprinted with images of Wall-e and EVE. A part of the ambiance of the El Capitan is live performance and music before every showing (except the late night shows). The organist that plays for the El Capitan has been with the theatre for just about . . . um . . . ever. He played all of the Disney movie songs you can think of, like Pirates of the Caribbean, Pixar movies and Mary Poppins, on a Wurlitzer Organ whose pipes are fitted into the walls. The arrangement was really beautifully done. All of the songs meshed well and the transitions were smooth and entertaining. The one transition that stood out to me was going from "Under the Sea" to "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme. I wish I was sitting next to someone I knew. I felt like an idiot getting all giddy and announcing the next song out loud and essentially talking to myself.

The pre show came after some previews. Our previews were for Bolt and Beverly Hills Chihuahua. I have hated the concept of the Chihuahua film since the first time I saw the preview a few months back. I'm really glad I didn't work on that film. I would have hung myself. After the preview was done some guy in the balcony yelled "WHY?!" and the people in the balcony who heard it roared with laughter. I would have said it but I don't have the balls. I was a little worried because I expected the pre show to be BEFORE the previews. So I just sat there being thankful for having my seat and being there, but still sad that there was no pre show. Then the pre show came. It wasn't any kind of Broadway quality performance but it was entertaining nonetheless. I would equate it's quality to something you would find in the Disney theme parks. Speaking of, all of the employees were wearing "Crew Member" Disney badges. The El Capitan is owned by Disney, therefore the quality of service one gets is pretty freaking amazing. OK, the pre show was filled with Disney characters and background dancers. The new characters I had never seen before were Remy from Ratatouille and Jimminy Cricket . Again I wish I had sat next to someone I knew. Screaming like a 6 year old when Lilo and Stitch came out is probably not socially acceptable by a 29 year old, sitting alone. The show ended with Mickey dressed as a sorcerer and a grand finale of confetti. Star shaped confetti that came like a rock and blindsided me on my head. I have the chunk to prove it.

Wall-E was just amazing. Probably the best cartoon love story yet. I'm not going to give any of it away but know that I will see it again in theaters. When "A Christmas Carol" premieres I will definitely fly down (If I'm gone) and watch the premiere here.