How to Survive a Midnight Showing

Even if you are old (ahem, 26) and it's a school night (that is, a work night) and you normally go to bed at midnight (or maybe 10:30...), you can still properly showcase your swimfan-dom of movies you love by going to the very first showing at midnight.  (Sidenote:  I live on the East Coast, so I always get to be among the first people in the whole United States to see things!  Booyah!)  Through these simple steps, you can survive the night of and the morning after without becoming a zombie the next day - and still get to be one of those crazy, crazy fans.

Before
1.  Companions - Don't even pretend to attempt to do this alone.  Find those friends who are as nuts as you are about the movie, and get tickets for all of them.  I've gone with some combination of people that has always included Mary and Brian to every single midnight movie I've attended in NYC...and I think last night's might have been #5.
2.  Showering - You must shower before you go to the movie.  This serves two purposes:  first, when you shower and re-prettify yourself, it feels like you are going to a special event - which you kind of are!  Second, if you shower the night before, you don't have to take a shower the next morning.  This is very important for later.
3.  Caffeination - One hour before your movie begins, pound some coffee or an energy drink.  You may feel jittery later, but it's vital that you not fall asleep.  You are staying up until 3 AM and paying $15 for this movie, for goodness' sake.  Sleep is not an option.
4.  Bathroom - Go 30 minutes before your movie starts.  The line will be long (because tons of crazies love to go to midnight showings), but it will also go much faster than you thought it would because everyone in line is trying to hurry and get back to their seats as not to miss a single moment.

During
1.  Previews - The trailers that play before a midnight movie are extremely important.  Historically, the movies that we love have always shown previews for the upcoming other movies we love!  Twilight movies show Harry Potter previews (HP 4EVA), and vice versa.  Last night, we got to see The Hunger Games trailer on a big screen instead of on a tiny YouTube screen.  It was worth the price of admission itself.  In fact, when Breaking Dawn was over, Brian was still talking about The Hunger Games, that's how good it was.  Don't skip the previews!
2.  Sustenance - Ideally, get yourself something to snack on, but bring it to the theater with you.  You do not want to stand in line for the concessions.  You know all those crazies who are forming an insanely long line at the bathroom?  They are forming an even longer one for snacks.  Pack it.  Anything you can nibble on will do.  This helps keep you awake.  We made the almost-fatal error of not getting snacks and all three of us were in danger of dozing for the entire movie.
3.  Over-enthusiasm - The great thing about the midnight movie is that everyone who makes the commitment to go REALLY loves that movie.  Laughter is more abundant, people cheer for inside jokes, and it is all-around more satisfying.  Participate as much as you like.  Oh, Jacob rips his shirt off within the first 30 seconds of the movie?  Whistle for that.  Edward over-emotes after he broke one silly headboard bare-handed?  We can laugh at him, loudly; we're all friends here.  Drinking blood from a fast-food cup and straw?  We can collectively gag and groan.  Reacting to anything and everything on screen is, first of all, fun, and, second of all, keeps you awake!

After
1.  Sleeping in - Whatever your morning routine normally is, strip it down to its absolute bare bones the morning after.  You will have gotten home around 3 AM, and depending on when you go to work, you have precious little time to sleep.  Milk it as long as you can.  I normally get up 2 hours before I go to work to wash the dishes, do other chores, and sew.  The night after a midnight movie, I get up 40 minutes before I go to work.  I've already showered (see #2 under Before), so all I have to do is eat something, get dressed, slap on some mascara and blush (this helps fake bright-eyed and bushy-tailed even though in reality, I'm a tired wreck), and I'm out the door.
2.  Soundtrack - If at all possible, have the soundtrack for the movie you saw the night before already purchased and queued up in your iTunes.  Play it while you get ready for the day, and relive as much magic and awesomeness from your movie as you can.
3.  Redo - When you see a movie at midnight, it feels like it was a dream.  You're going to have to have a repeat viewing at some point (in normal waking hours) to really be able to remember it and appreciate it.  This doesn't have to be in the theater, but let's be honest.  You would pay to see that again, wouldn't you?

Who else joined me in the midnight Breaking Dawn revelry last night?