Sunday, November 06, 2005

let's go out to the movies ...

I've been going to the movies much more frequently lately. I've seen some good ones, and some OK ones. Thankfully, no really BAD ones ... at least not lately.

Earlier tonight (technically, LAST night, since it's past 1 a.m. here) I went to go see "Prime," starring Meryl Streep, Uma Thurman and some young boy actor. I'd seen the previews for it at a movie last week, and it looked to be really funny. Luckily, the trailers didn't include all the jokes, or even the BEST jokes, as is far too often the case.

The movie was sweet and funny. It got a lot of laughs from the audience there (surprisingly many for a 10:25 p.m. show) which included me. I did laugh at one or two more subtle jokes that only one or two other people in the audience picked up on, but I'm a subtlety snob like that. So if you haven't seen it already and want a charming, fun and laugh-filled movie, "Prime" is for you — though I'll warn you in advance that it's not the typical, formulaic Hollywood romantic comedy, so be aware of that.

Also, there was one scene in there that was pretty much directly lifted from "Notting Hill." That kind of bothered me. They really didn't HAVE to go there to set the scene; in fact, they didn't fully utilize the premise. It was a wasted theft, when it came down to it. But Uma and Meryl are great in this (and yes, I'd call them by their first names if I ever met them in person!! OK ... so I wouldn't ... *sigh*) and make it worth the ... well, normal ticket prices here are $7.50 ... not sure how much ya'll pay.

Luckily I already had dinner (mad shout out to Hot Pockets) so I wasn't tempted to purchase food snacks from the most exorbitantly priced consumables on the planet. Seriously — airports and movies are the biggest gougers known to mankind. Small popcorn for $3.19 ... Medium for $3.29 ... Gigantinormous (the size of 4 mediums) bucket for $3.49. What the hell? Hotdogs are $3.39 ... nachos about the same. It's better to eat at a fancy restaurant before you head to the movies; you get more for your money, at least.

I did indulge in a cherry Icee ... I'm a sucker for Icees since WAY back in the day.

I got to the theater and through the concession line at the perfect time — five minutes before the scheduled start time. Which, we all knows, means 10 to 12 minutes before the movie actually starts ... unless you're running late, of course. Get there 2 minutes after the scheduled start time and you miss the first 5 minutes of the movie. It's one of those bizarre, alternate-universe Catch-22s.

The timing meant I got my pic of seats ... well, didn't get my favorite spot, but at least I didn't get stuck at the way front. You sit there and need a chiropractic adjustment after the show!

Anyway, like I said at the beginning of this long, drawn out post (I should have warned ya'll so you could have made popcorn!!!), I have been going to the movies a bit more often. I'm a HUGE movie buff — OK, technically I'm a HUGE anything LOL — but I usually watch DVDs. It's just so much easier. No crowds to deal with, more comfortable seating, cheaper goodies, pausing the film when you gotta pee, etc.

Plus, for a long time we didn't have megaplexes here. The movie theaters sucked, especially after a "revamp" that shrank the seats so that only Asian boat people who've been starved for a month inside the belly of a ship could comfortably rest their asses in. So I stopped going to the movies. Thank god for the megaplex here — and even then, only one of them. There's one at the mall and one at the outlet mall ... the mall one sucks. Also lucky for me, the outlet mall one is close — relatively speaking. At night with no traffic, it's only 10 minutes away. It helps that I drive FAST. LOL ... It makes it very convenient for last-minute decisions to go to the movies. Room-a-zoom-zoom, Tink!

Well, there you have it. Sorry Sass, I know it's the second post of the day (though not technically, cuz one was a Saturday post and this one is a Sunday post). Even more sorry to say, I'm sure there will be at least two more posts after I wake up, if not three or four. I'll try to spread them out though ... ;)

Random Guam Fact Of The Day:
• A small production company recently shot a movie here (likely to be straight-to-video, at best) called "Max Havoc." Guam's government underwrote part of it, guaranteeing about $100,000 of a loan. Guess what? Yep ... looks like we'll be paying out on that. Freaking idiots. So eager for a "movie industry" on the island that they didn't bother with the fact that this first movie was bound to suck major ass.

11 comments:

DZER said...

hick: I didn't love that movie, but parts of it were pretty funny. However, I played many versions of dodgeball over my life ... and that way sucks the biggest ass LOL

DZER said...

didn't want to see chicken little or zorro or jarhead ... or weatherman or doom ... and am watching Saw II tomorrow ... so it was my best choice.

and it wasn't as chick-flicky as some are ... LOL

Deb said...

Awe, Gigi, I bet he watches Lifetime movies when he's home alone, sipping his chi tea, and bawlin' in a huge mess of kleenex... Hmm...

I HATE going to the movies because my arse feels like it fell asleep, and my back is all wacked out---I don't know how people do it.

Then you have those awful 'eating noises' behind you. People slurping their drinks and crunching bags of candy, eating popcorn loudly---it sickens me.

I always get that guy in back of me bumping into my chair. Either he just saw Angelina Jolie----or his legs are way too long.

I'd rather sit in front of my huge plasma tv watching movies---without the awful disturbances.

Can you let me know how Saw II is? I didn't even see part 1. Was that any good?

DZER said...

deb: go out right now and RENT "Saw." Awesome horror movie! Breaks, bends and re-invents the typical horror movie formulas. Intense. Powerful. Gory. Gripping. Great story, great cinematography, great acting. You have GOT to watch it!!

kathi said...

Gotta agree, Saw was pretty decent. It was our family Halloween movie last year at the midnight showing. Pretty cool. Haven't seen II yet, but will. But Monday, I'm going to see Prime, just because dzer said it's good. Actually, young guy, older woman..what's not to like?

sassinak said...

you know i want to see doom... but that's cause the rock is fucking hot and he slimmed down which made him HOTTER

yeah i have a crush on the rock
and i have for like 8 years

*hangs head*

he gets bones points cause his name is dwayne...
:)

sassinak said...

*sigh* bonus

and hotter slimmer because his muscles were too big before

DZER said...

nate: they have shows as late as 1030 or so on weekdays ... on weekends sometimes 12 or 1230 a.m. ... we've got a big enough of a late-night population to warrant that.

kathi: "Saw" was THE Shit ... and I hope you like "Prime." :)

sass: Bones? I think our friend Sigmun Freud would say you made a slip! LOL ... and I can tell you can smell what the Rock is cookin'.

I'm a big fan of the Rock too .. I miss the fun he brought to pro wrasslin' ...

Deb said...

I'm pissed off at Blockbuster. I won't rent movies anymore--I just buy them now. They say, "Oh no late fees..."------Then--if you wait long enough, they make you BUY the movie. Read the fine lines with that rip off monster company.

Then you have that awful line of crying kids and pissed off moms standing in front of you grabbing every single bag of popcorn and junk food they can get their hands on.

You can buy slightly used DVDs for only $10 bucks now--instead of their usual $30 bucks....

Dzer, I think you need to put out a movie of your own! ;)

DZER said...

deb: I know that blockbuster trap ... but do you really need to hold a DVD for longer than a week? LOL

and what would my movie be? DZER Blogs a Blog? DZER and the Blog of Doom? The Blog Strikes Back? LOL

Oh So Wonderful said...

Yes, the price of hot dogs and what not here is atrocious. Talk about highway robbery! I will never, though, go without a large cherry ICEE...yeah boy!! It's an essential part of watching a movie. I am not complete when I don't have one in my hands before a movie starts.

Hey, but there's bargain Tuesdays Dzer. Even though I get a "discount" (ha ha -$1), I try to do the $5 days - only when I've heard the movie's too good to wait for DVD, otherwise, I love the extra large space of my sofa, popcorn the way I like it, and the envied ability to pause a movie just 'cause I can.