Admittedly, the film club has been working diligently to get the project running. We are still purchasing various components (highly technical, I assure you) for the projector. This is mostly an experiment at this point, with marked points of gratification. Moreover, the PTFC is currently working on t-shirt/headband designs, which will soon be forwarded to master screen printer “Dr. Alphonse Hudson.” In addition to filtering through new/old film releases, and numerous film festivals, we are attempting to compile our own collection.
Yet, despite the interesting preoccupations, this film club participates, as thousands of others, in what can be considered the wait. The wait is an inherent feature of the film experience. It occurs for all of those interested in film. It is marked by the phrase “the most anticipated film of the season,” and amplified by every review/preview that a perpetually suspended audience encounters. One becomes aware of an interesting film, and then, simply, waits for it to be released; for showtimes to become available in the general vicinity; for the midnight hour to strike at the Royal Oak Main Art Theatre; for the projector to start running more effectively.
The wait underscores the film experience. It is an overwhelming tide of anxiousness, accompanied by impatience. Despite the frustrating experience of being delayed, arguably, the wait contributes to the film experience. It intensifies the viewing experience. Either:
“I waited two months for the film to be released and it was terrible.
or
“I waited in line for nine hours, and it was worth it.”
The wait has the potential to create an even more frustrating/fantastic film experience. It marks the involvement of the audience. One would hardly intentionally wait three hours to park a car or to eat at a gourmet restaurant, yet, one will stand outside of a theatre for three hours, in the rain, in order to purchase tickets. The history of film is accompanied by this graded anticipation. Suspense is a term that accompanies involvement even before one views a particular film. It is intricately interwoven with the status of film in popular culture. Arguably, the wait is as much a part of the film as the actors/actresses, producers, camera men, etc. Perhaps, they should find a way of allowing the duration of this anticipation to be recorded in the ending credits. But then, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
