MMX

I used to think I was pretty observant.  Being a compulsive reader since I figured out letters made words long before I was in the first grade, I can't help myself.  If it's in front of me, I read it.  Stop signs, Pizza Ads, newspaper headlines, billboards, neon signs. small print at the bottom of the ad whenever there's an *, you get the idea.

Being a lover of movies (that's much better than being a "movie fan"), I read everything in the opening credits: names of stars, name of movie, art director, cinematographer, executive producer, producer, and, finally, "directed by".  When you see that, you know the story is going to start.  It was a lot easier in former times because all of this information came on the screen unobstructed with any action behind the credits.  Today, the tendency is to get five minutes into the story while the opening credits appear from time to time.  But that's all right; saves time; I still read every word.

What's more (and as far as I know I'm the only guy alive who does this) I read all the CLOSING credits.
I don't consider the movie is really over until they've told me the names of the best boy, the gaffer, the second unit director, the continuity person, the key grip, set designer, costumer, make up artist, etc., etc., etc.  I'll bet none of you knows who Natalie Kalmus was.  (Google her) But I know, because I read all the credits.

Finally, trailing far behind everybody and everything else, you get a few icons, symbols, and....are you ready for this?...the copyright date.  Don't ask me why, but the date was almost always in Roman numerals.  So I would see "Copyright MCMLXXIV by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer". 

Did you know that such great movie musicals as "That's Entertainment" and "Mame" were made in MCMLXXIV?  But the all-time best movie musical was made way back in MCMLII.

I took a certain amount of pride in my younger years at being able to figure out the copyright dates of the movies I saw, but it was much easier to do because movies were only shown in movie theatres where the screen made everything bigger than life.  Lately, however, most of my movie watching has beens on television, and almost exclusively on Turner Classic Movies.  Now, even on our new high-definiton 32" Sony Bravia, those credits are much smaller, so it has been more of a challenge.

Then, a few da;ys ago, I was watching something on TV and just as the program ended came the words
"Copyright MMX."  WHAT???  MMX??? 

Then it dawned on me that for the last ten years we haven't had to struggle through a long Roman numeral.
For the first time in my life (I was born in MCMXXIV) copyright dates in Roman numerals have been considerably shorter.  And I hadn't even noticed.

Like I said, I used to think I was pretty observant.
Welcome to the XXI century