I had the pleasure of attending the Strand theater fundraiser at Roca’s Friday night. I was almost surprised by such a positive turnout but it was a pleasant surprise and not the only one I would receive that evening.

Right after I entered I was greeted with music by Elvis Presley, which was extremely fitting as the movie to be shown “Mystery Train” centered on Memphis and Elvis. Not too long into the meal an Elvis impersonator walked into the room and the room erupted with laughter. The atmosphere as a whole was fantastic.

Then I was served one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. The three-course meal was the best I’ve ever had in Vicksburg and would have been worth the $36 even without the movie. The employees at Roca’s were also extremely polite as well as helpful.

After the meal it was time for the film, which unfortunately did not rise to the same level of excellence as the meal. Mystery Train is a 25-year-old indie movie directed by Jim Jarmusch. It is separated into three sections that center on a Memphis hotel and the ghost of Elvis Presley but are too loosely tied together to have any real feeling of development. The plot itself drags and the last half hour of the movie I just wanted it to be over. While there were laughs here and there as well as a few enjoyable characters it just couldn’t make up for the movie as a whole. As much as I wanted to like it so much could have been done better. The Strand is showing the movies they have been given with wavered licensing and the other movies they plan to show have.

Overall, Dinner and A Movie at Roca’s was a very enjoyable event. The service and food served at Roca could not have been any better. The first of the five movies The Strand will show as a part of their fundraisers fell flat but did not ruin the evening in the slightest. The Strand is holding a series of fundraisers to pay for an air conditioning and heating unit