Just a couple steps behind film editor Erik Henriksen, I got to attend a press screening at the new, glitzy Living Room Theater this morning. They look close to being done with all the construction, but the much-discussed digital experience that is one of the theater’s primary selling points (and supposed part of explanation for the also much debated $15 ticket price, was not yet in effect. So I can’t speak to what the technical experience is as of yet. Awesomely, while some of the friendlier local thater’s will offer the press some light refreshments at screenings, such as a soda or that one time I scored a piece of pizza, I was barely in the door before I was offered my pick from a variety of pastries, and coffee from their fully equipped espresso getup. My bagel was served with a generous dollop of cream cheese, on a real plate with real silverware and a real napkin, and when I declined the coffee (I won’t touch the stuff), I was immediately accomodated with green tea, all served up by a young man who was the friendliest person I’d encountered all morning. The theaters are small (I saw two of them), with about five rows of big, cushiony chairs and ample arm rests with cupholders for all the food and drink they serve. (Although I was surprised they didn’t have some kind of table rigged up, similar to how they do at the pub theaters. After all, for the length of a film you might want a pitcher or a carafe of something, not just a single glass, and somewhere other than your arm rest, your lap, or the—how gauche!—floor to put your plate.) There were also some plush looking swivel chairs in the way back, if that floats your boat.

While Erik’s post and many of the responses to it moaned and groaned about the unaffordability of the place, yeah, it’s more expensive than regular theaters which are already too expensive. And yeah, like many of you I usually just wait until movies play at the pub theaters or show up at the video store. But unless all of you are the under-employed freegans living in shared basement housing in North Portland that you’re acting like, at least some of you are kind of overdoing it on the poormouthing. I’m not saying it isn’t a little decadent, but jesus, live a little.

Either way, I hope this place survives. I have a good feeling that once the owners get everything in order and stop apologizing for this and that not being ready, and if enough financially reckless people go there now and again—on special occasions, dates, or when their parents are in town to pay for everything—that the theater does well, it’s going to be a favorite spot for us film screeners.

Even this cat makes more money than you.