Inuvik man travels 1,100 km to see Avengers film
Matthew Lavoie travelled from Inuvik, N.W.T., to Yellowknife to see finale of Marvel series
A small crowd had already gathered in front of the doors of Yellowknife's Capitol Theatre when Matthew Lavoie arrived.
He was at the end of a very long journey — one he's been making for 11 years.
Lavoie travelled 1,100 kilometres from Inuvik to see the latest — and final — instalment of the Avengers movie series. Avengers: Endgame is the conclusion of an epic franchise of 22 films that began with 2008's Iron Man.
"There's been a lot of hype around this movie," said Lavoie. "It's been 11 years in the making."
It's a long trip for a movie, but Avengers: Endgame is already proving to be one of the biggest blockbusters of all time. In its opening weekend, the film blew past box office records, becoming the first film to break $1 billion U.S. globally on its opening weekend.
Lavoie made the journey from his hometown because there is no movie theatre in Inuvik. That can be tough for a movie fan like Lavoie.
"We've got nowhere to go to see them," he said. "By the time a movie comes out on film, you've seen all the spoilers, you know everything that's been said about the film itself, and it kind of ruins it."
So when highly anticipated summer releases hit the theatre, it's miss out or fly out.
Lavoie books his flights on points and stays with his sister to keep costs down.
"Otherwise, it would've made this [decision] more debatable," he says.
But the Marvel films — and the Avengers series that tie them together — are special for Lavoie, who remembers seeing Iron Man as a teenager.
"You've been watching these same actors being in these films for years now," he said, "and you almost think there's going to be a next one.
"But this is it. It's the final one. So I think it coming to a conclusion might be emotional."
Lavoie also travels for the magic of the cinema — the shared experience of sticky floors, booming bass, and sweeping visuals on a giant screen.
"When you come together with a bunch of people who have that same energy, it just makes it way more exciting," he said.
"If you were going to make an exception and come down for any film, I think it'd be this one."
