Etc...

You'll enjoy it. It's a love story.

So there was Heather Hickey, reaching for the popcorn at the Odeon Cinema in Rochdale, England, as she and Mark Spencer settled in one night recently to watch the hair-raising sequel, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." But instead of leading man Johnny Depp's image on the screen, there was Mark's, and he was saying: "I hope this is romantic enough. I love you ... and I want the whole world to know it." Yes, a proposal of marriage. Meanwhile, at her side he had dropped to one knee and was holding out an engagement ring. The couple had been dating since they were teenagers, and once Mark decided he no longer was – ahem – "scared of commitment," he asked the theater managers whether he could offer his proposal in writing on-screen before the flick began, as though it was an advertisement. Here's a better idea, they responded (not in so many words): We'll videotape you, and that way it'll be more personal. Even though, as he put it, "I'm not one for big gestures," he went along with the suggestion, and they settled on which night he'd bring the object of his affections to the theater. As for Heather, she told reporters later, "I was too stunned to say anything; we just hugged each other. Then I cried." The other moviegoers had no such problem; as one, they stood and cheered. By the way, she accepted, although the wedding date has yet to be announced. No word on whether either of them remembers much of the film.