DETROIT — It took Swifties a few songs to get comfortable with their surroundings, but 30 minutes into the “Eras Tour” movie, they rushed to the front of the theater to throw a dance party underneath the silver screen.
That was the scene last week at Emagine Canton for the first showing of Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” concert film, the document of the pop megastar’s zeitgeist-capturing 2023 concert tour. Hundreds of Swifties congregated at the theater to experience (or re-experience) the Eras Tour in all its glory, and the showing was more like a concert than it was a typical night at the movies.
Fans sang along with songs and clapped at their conclusions. Phones were out as fans took pictures and video of the screen and filmed themselves performing in the aisles. And during “You Belong With Me,” Swift’s beloved 2009 megahit, they ditched their seats altogether and gathered at the front of the auditorium and that’s where they stayed, singing and dancing and rhythmically jumping along to the show, for the remainder of the movie. At one point there was even a conga line.
To be clear, this behavior was not only anticipated, it was encouraged. A sign outside the theater let theatergoers know what they were in for: “This is a concert film,” a flyer read. “Guests may be singing, dancing, standing & taking photos during the film. Please have fun & be respectful of the guests.”
Fun was the name of the game. Respect was, too. And fans came away with a truly memorable theatergoing experience, and they have the collectible cups and popcorn buckets to remember it by.
The movie comes after what has been a lackluster period for new theatrical releases since the July bow of the blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”; no film has managed an opening weekend of more than $35 million since. And Hollywood’s ongoing actors strike has moved some heavy hitters off the fall release schedule, so “The Eras Tour” — which took in $96 million in its first four days at the domestic box office — is a most welcome attraction, and worth going all in on.
In addition to souvenir concessions — a 130 oz. Eras Tour-branded popcorn tub was going for $14.50, a 44 oz. drink cup for $11.50 — Emagine is offering an “Eras Tour” Bubbles & Brunch special for $63.75 and a 16 oz. lavender-colored “Shimmer” drink special for $19.89. If you didn’t make your own friendship bracelets to trade with other Swifties, Emagine was selling their own bracelets for $5.50.
Many fans grabbed the popcorn tubs, including 15-year-old Addisyn Means, who came to the 6 p.m. “Eras Tour” showing with her mother, Sara Pittman, and her stepfather, Jason Pittman. The three of them dressed in pajamas modeled after the ones Swift wore in her “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” video.
Dressing up “makes us happy. We all love it. It makes us feel like pretty pink princesses,” said Means. When tickets for the movie went on sale, she messaged her mother from history class and asked her to buy them. Means will also be attending the Eras Tour live when it hits Indianapolis in Nov. 2024.
Amanda Swidan of Westland was at the showing with her 8-year-old daughter, Liana. They went to this summer’s “Eras Tour” show, but Liana was too short to see the stage so it was a nice do-over for the pair.
