As people gathered in the small theater, some draped over couches and some laid back with beers in hand. The band of the night began setting up in front of the big screen.

John Holmes, formally known as The Burt Reynolds, was the opening act of the midnight event, and it couldn’t have been more fitting.

The movie, “Boogie Nights,” is a film (which co-stars Burt Reynolds) about an essential time in the porn industry in the late ’70s and early ’80s.

“It’s your destiny,” someone in the audience cried out. And for one night only, it just may have been.

Attending midnight showings are especially enjoyable when the film playing is a classic— the kind that everyone has seen before but come together with strangers to see again.

Fans know all the lines, the moments that yield a smile or the ones that are cringe-worthy. It’s those inside jokes that true fans know, which turn strangers into friends.

The moment the opening titles began to play, the audience roared and cheered. They moved in their seats, thrusting their arms in the air as the cheesy ’70s music hit their ears.

It was an interactive night full of singing along to old songs— “Sister Christian” and “Jessie’s Girl,” to name a couple.

It’s safe to say it was a night of entertainment and nostalgia.

If you missed the midnight showing of “Boogie Nights,” don’t forget Halloween is coming soon. Throughout October, The Pageant Theatre will be showing horror movies every Saturday night including “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “The Shining.”

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Erin Vierra can be reached at [email protected] or @hippycinephile on Twitter.