Shudder Bugs Pt. 1

cinema.snacking

Mel moved from San Francisco to Portland 4 years ago and this is her first visit back to the Bay Area. Gracie and I have visited her up there twice, and it was the second time that we figured out how to really keep our friendship going.

Friends move away all the time here in the Bay, and we need better ways to stay connected, lest our pals just slip out of sight and mind.

I’m excited to share the secret to staying friends with someone who lives far. Far, here, can mean Portland. Or Nashville. Or the Sunset district. Doesn’t matter.

Here’s the secret: START A FILM CLUB.

We have a running group text. We take turns picking a film to watch. We set a date and time, press play at the same time, and text about it. It’s that simple.

This is the kind of thing that keeps you hanging out instead of just catching up. Your life will come up in conversations, and you can have separate chats, but find something you can hang about and you’ll really feel like your friendship is there.

When we were in Portland that second time, we watched a horror movie each night we were there. It was Thanksgiving, so Travis showed us Blood Rage. Then we just kept it going with Sleepaway Camp, Slumber Party Massacre II, Demons, The Hills Have Eyes, and Basket Case. We started Prom Night, but we all fell asleep.

When we got back, Gracie and I watched Demons II, and were very excited by the colorful, musical, almost plot-less Italian horror. So we texted them about it. And then it turned into what we have now. An ongoing synchronized cinema friendship.

Gracie and I sometimes watch in the same real life room, but often we’re just tired and at home and texting.

In the meantime, I’m learning a lot about the horror genre and love to analyze these movies. So, I’m gonna.