Speaking of receptive audiences...

Last Sunday, I saw MJ's TII for the fourth time. I figured that I would get one more viewing out of it before the New Moon crowds invade the theaters. I enjoyed it, like I knew I would. What I didn't expect was for one of my buds to suggest that we should see TII.

For the last few months or so, me and my friend, K, would go to the local theater to watch classic movies. When TII came out, I saw it on Wednesday and me and K planned to see The Birds on the following Thursday. After The Birds, she asked me how TII was and I was pretty honest with her - I told her that I was profoundly sad because the movie reminded me of what a life force MJ was and now, he's gone. I also told her that, despite feeling profoundly sad, I was likely to see it again. And I did... on that Friday, and on the following Sunday.

Three times, during a five day period. As I mentioned before, I felt happier with each additional screening because I realized how blessed I was to be alive to see MJ's unquestionable greatness. So last Sunday... saw it for the fourth time and thought I saw if for the last time... until I talked to K about the upcoming classic holiday movies festival. But she sort of surprised me by suggesting that we see TII later that week. Apparently, she wasn't a MJ fan, in that she never bought any of his albums, although she readily admitted that she enjoyed his music whenever it was on the radio. Apparently, she bought the TII album and was impressed by it and wanted to see the movie.

So we ended up seeing it last Wednesday and I have to say, it was a much funner time than before. K is slightly older than me - she was likely in her 20s when MJ broke huge with Thriller - but she didn't have that youthful obsessiveness that my 10 year old behind had, so she missed out on the videos, the commercials, and the short films. So she was awestruck by the re-imagining of some of his best videos like Thriller and Smooth Criminal. But most importantly, she was kinda charmed and touched by him, a feeling that came over me during my first viewing of TII, which was one of the reasons why I became pretty depressed.

We had a pretty good time, but beyond seeing MJ's amazingness during the last weeks/months of his life, I saw the amazingness of my friend, K. While I shouldn't have been surprised by her, given that she's one of the most giving, helpful, loving and open people I have ever met, I guess that I just needed a reminder of that.

In a few weeks, we're going to see Meet Me In St. Louis, one of my all-time favorite movies. K has never seen it before - what a treat it will be for the both of us, especially if K continues to be receptive and enthusiastic towards new experiences, which seems to be a given.