One of the many, many perks of writing about entertainment, besides receiving press releases about Bon Jovi action figures and an advance copies of the highly coveted re-issue of the soundtrack from Romeo + Juliet, is the occasional chance to see a movie three whole days before the general public.
Last night at a theater in Chelsea I had one of those occasional chances. The movie? Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters, or as the kids and people who don't want to repeat that entire ridiculous thing at the ticket counter say it, Aqua Teen.
The movie, not surprisingly, was very funny. The creators played with the format in some cool ways (including a hilarious opening featuring movie theater snacks), and as always there were some great, highly appropriate guest voices, like Tina Fey and Neil Peart.
After the screening, there was a party at what has to be the world's only burger stand/ club with walls made out of wooden speakers and a DJ who will only play 45 seconds of a song before switching records. Tiny hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes were served (there were also onion rings, but people largely ignored those in favor of the foods that were more thematically in sync with the movie), and for some reason
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo was silently screened on one of the walls.
All in all, it was fun and slightly weird. But I couldn't help but feel sorry for a few people there, namely: 1. The guy in a giant Meatwad costume. There were also people dressed as giant Fries and a giant Shake, but an enormous meatball with legs waddling onto a makeshift red carpet to pose for photograph after photograph is one of the most pitiful and ridiculous things I've ever seen. It's a sight that provokes a lot of unanswerable questions. Questions like: Who is inside that thing? How much are they getting paid? and Do they own those meat-colored tights? 2. The guy dressed as Stewie from Family Guy. Evidently that theater in Chelsea was the closest Cartoon Network will ever come to having its own Disney World. 3. The girl wearing stilettos, an expensive black dress, and a velvet jacket. Apparently she thought she would be on the red carpet instead of 18 guys from Cartoon Network and an oversized milkshake. Over-dressing for an event is always a little embarrassing, but over-dressing for an event that features a guy dressed like ground meat is pretty humiliating. 4. The promoter standing outside the theater asking, "Want to see a test screening of a new Burt Reynolds comedy?" over and over again. No, no I don't. In fact, no one does. Also, that description is redundant.