Given that North Korea may or may not have detonated a hydrogen bomb, I figured it was about time for this anecdote.
Back in December 2014, I was not afraid to get on my soapbox and decry what appeared to be cowardice in the face of a pernicious threat to free speech. In the wake of the Sony hack that nearly cancelled the release of “The Interview,” I even invoked Charlie Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator” to express my disgust.
Trying to walk and not just talk, I immediately purchased tickets for the first Houston show once Sony rescheduled it for release. I even made the purchase confirmation my cover photo.
Longtime readers of this blog, or personal friends, are likely aware of my predilection for holding onto movie ticket stubs. I have made no secret of this collection, even making it the subject of my first random factoid back in July 2009. So surely the ticket stub for “The Interview” holds a treasured spot in the folder, right? Seeing a movie has rarely been such a political act.
Well, if that’s what you thought, you thought wrong. I left arguably the most important ticket in my collection at the theater. Since Alamo Drafthouse requires that stubs be placed on the table in front of the seat, for whatever reason, I simply walked off without it. Normally, I slide the stub into my wallet after it gets ripped. But in this case, I forgot it. Driving home, I realized what I had done. This pretty much summarized my mood:
Marshall and the Movies 
I’ve been holding on to my ticket stubs ever since I moved to the States last year. Not for myself, but because I mail them to a friend back home every few months or so, attached to a letter where I may or may not discuss the films in question.
Also, where I come from there are no ticket stubs, just receipts. Cheaper!!
It’s fine. Movie was “meh” at best. But still, every ticket stub holds a story, which is why I collect all of mine, too!