Mondays are usually slow nights at movie theaters. So a local multiplex, known for an independent approach to its business, decided to invite a non-traditional audience to its 7:35 p.m. showing of Wes Anderson's quirky stop-motion animated adventure Isle of Dogs.
The audience, complete with leashes and collars and tickets with assigned seats, was made up of dogs and their human companions. Contrary to what you might expect, the canines crossed the lobby in an orderly manner. Some paused to give an interview to a Little Rock TV station. Once seated, they politely watched a series of previews before the feature presentation. A Corgi was in the middle row. The huge head of a Great Dane was visible as he settled into position for the 101-minute film. A sweet hound wagged at those who squeezed past him to their seats.
Fears of uproar and mess-making were unfounded. The dogs were well behaved. They didn't scroll through cell phones looking for messages to affirm their popularity. They didn't talk back to the screen (there was some surprised barking in response to doglike sounds emitted through the theater's massive speakers, which theater-goers found almost as entertaining as the film). They stayed in their seats instead of popping up six times to head to the concession stand or answer an email or use the restroom, which they likely tended to before entering. They probably ate some popcorn.
There's no way to know if the canine audience members enjoyed the film, a unique tale in which all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island. But the humans in the audience sure got a kick out of having them there.
Editorial on 04/19/2018