By Brian Moylan, Hollywood.com Staff

Your tickets are purchased, your hopes are high, and you just can't possibly wait one more minute to see the biggest tentpole movie of the summer/the final film of a franchise/the comic book movie you've been dreaming about your entire life/more Katniss Everdeen. Of course you're going at 12:01am on Friday morning (which is really Thursday night, because for all intents and purposes, you haven't gone to bed and woken up again). Is there really any other option?

But going to a midnight screening isn't necessarily the easiest thing in the world. Not only are you dealing with the thronging crowds of fanchildren (come on, you can't call the people camping out for Twilight fanboys) but also the potential disaster that is your Friday morning at work after you stayed up until 2:30 in the morning at the movies.

Here are some helpful tips and tricks to turn you into a midnight movie ninja.

Call in Sick: Seriously, if you are really that big of a fan of The Dark Knight trilogy or Spider-Man or Twilight just treat yourself to a personal day. You don't have to tell your boss that you need to the following Friday off because you're going to see a late movie, just say you need it off. Then you can stay up as late as you want and not feel bad about dragging your ass through an unproductive day trying to hide the bags under your eyes.

Take a Nap: Whether or not you have to work on Friday, it's a good idea to get 40 winks before you head to the Cineplex. I know it's like trying to get some shut-eye on Christmas Eve, but you're going to want to give the movie your full attention, which is hard when it's 1 AM and you're trying to stifle a yawn. There's no shame in taking a disco nap. In fact, I bet Batman does it every now and again himself.

Time Your Wait: This isn't really an exact science, but you need to figure out when the line is going to reach critical mass. Now, you could camp out overnight but that seems a tad, um, overzealous. Here's the thing, if five people camp out, but no one else gets in line until 8 PM, you can show up at 7:59 PM and it's almost the same as if you warmed the sidewalk with your sleeping bag. That's what I mean about critical mass. It's not about the length of time you wait, it's about figuring out what is best. I suggest a few drive bys of the theater. Maybe once around 8 and see how the line is. If it's low, then go to dinner, keep checking in until you are comfortable you'll get a good spot. I suggest no more than two hours before the show starts, but you know what works best for you.

Sharpen Your Elbows: You know that even those people that didn't wait as long as you did are going to try to get the best seats. You're going to have to get a little competitive when filing into the theater. I'm not saying you should push any line cutters or carpetbaggers to the ground but, well, you should let them know who is the boss (and I don't mean Angela or Tony).

Bring Your Own Snacks: The problem with a midnight screening at a multiplex is that they'll have everyone showing up to see movies in multiple theaters all at the same time. That means there is an inhumane run on the concession stand starting at 11:30. You already stood in line outside and don't want to have to deal with the uncertainty of saving seats, so just pack some Raisinettes in your bag with a Gatorade and sit comfortably in your seat while everyone else scrambles around. You really shouldn't be eating that fatty popcorn so late in the day anyway.

Don't Dress Up: Just don't. Really. Don't throw together some half-ass outfit out of obligation because you think everyone else is going to be wearing Gandalf robes or Edward Cullen sadfaces. Now, for those people who have the full-grade,dead-on, Comic-Con approved real looking costumes that they have worked on for months, they should feel free to wear it to the theater, take pictures with everyone in line and bask in their general awesomeness. It's all you people not willing to make that effort that give dressing up a bad name.

Educate Yourself: Now if you are the boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend, roommate, +1, or otherwise attendee at such an event with an ardent fan but aren't of the initiated yourself, you better read up on the fandom of what you are about to experience. No one wants to stand in line next to the person saying, ""So, what is a Muggle,"" or ""Does Hawkeye have super powers?"" or ""Just what is Anne Hathaway doing in this movie anyway?"" That's an insult to everyone who is standing there next to you and any diehard fan that couldn't get a ticket to the sold out show so a novice such as yourself should attend. There is this wonderful thing called the internet. Get on it and at least learn enough so that you can blend in.

Follow Brian Moylan on Twitter @BrianJMoylan

[Photo Credit: WENN.com]

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