I used to go to movies frequently. I can't say I've attended too many in the past few years, although the ones I have seen were generally good ones. I made up my mind to partake of a few now, since all the best movies seem to be released in December.
My friend posted the following on Facebook, along with a trailer. Just to clarify, it wasn't a camping trailer but rather a trailer for a movie. The movie was "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" based on a short story by James Thurber, written in 1939.
" What a great movie! Went to see it this week. I enjoyed every bit of it. Messages on so many levels. I really really would suggest seeing it."
I went on Saturday. The story has been updated to include modern technology. I wasn't certain whether I was seeing a comedy, a drama, a very long online dating commercial, or a travelogue, but I persisted and watched it to the end. After seeing this updated film, a remake, I think I'd like to read the original short story. I liked the underlying message as it fits with my view of life.
Here's the plot sans spoilers. Walter Mitty works for Time magazine. He spends much of his life daydreaming about himself as an adventurer and hero. (If you can survive the first 20 minutes of ridiculousness in this movie, you might make it to the better parts). His life seems to have quit moving forward after the death of his father. Walter imagines being a hero and impressing women, one co-worker in particular. When he misplaces the photo for Time magazine's final cover, he travels in search of the photographer (Sean Penn, brilliant) who sent him the original negative for the cover picture. At this point, his life becomes more fulfilled and his fantasies disappear. As an added perk, I noted that he also becomes handsome.
I must say, I loved the scenes in Iceland and Greenland. Those were interesting and contained some humour. There were however, many parts of the movie that fell below my tolerance level. The silicone face and Abe Lincoln-esque black weird beard on the character of Ted Hendricks was laughable and not in a good way. I've been trying to scrape the creepy off myself ever since.
There are threads which are recurrent throughout the story and help to connect the movie segments. These include a dangling piano (probably some kind of symbolism), a cell phone (works even after being submerged in frigid Arctic sea water. I neglected to take note of the brand), a dating service (enough said), and mom's clementine cake.
As I was leaving the theatre I noticed that everyone else remained in their seats. Had they fallen asleep? I searched the screen for a reason but found none. Perhaps they were expecting a recipe for clementine cake to show up following the credits.
My final verdict - It was ok and a bit better than I expected. I like Ben Stiller. I enjoyed the movie more than anything that's likely to be released in the early months of 2014.
Best Part - On the way out of the theatre, I walked past a store and spied a $200 full length coat on a one day flash sale for $49. I also got a $5 off coupon code on my cell phone by joining the store's club (which I immediately unjoined after buying the coat).
By the way, should anyone be interested. Here's Nigella Lawson's clementine cake recipe. Looks better than the movie.
http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/clementine-cake-2559
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Monday, January 6, 2014
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Sa-a-a-ad Movies, Always Make Me Cry-y-y...
Drive-in movies were extremely popular during the 60's and before.
I recently read a mini biography about Richard Hollingshead who was the inventor of the drive-in movie. Through various trial and error attempts, he was able to project a film from the hood of his car onto a screen and use a radio for sound. Eventually, he perfected his technique to create the open air drive-in experience. The first drive-in movie theatre was opened in New Jersey in 1933.
We lived near two such theatres during my teen years, the Odeon Bay Ridges and the Te-Pee Drive-In. The former was on land near the current site of a large shopping mall, Pickering Town Centre. The latter, has been replaced by a Supercentre and a Japanese restaurant. I believe the Odeon was open year round and provided heaters which fit onto the car window along with the speakers. I'm not certain how popular this was during the winter season although I know the lot held nearly one thousand vehicles.
I was so excited to attend my first drive-in movie with a friend, her dad and brother. We drove up to the long narrow building with a teepee shaped structure on top, and paid the admission. After carefully selecting a prime location in the lot, next to a post with a speaker attached, we eagerly waited as the sky darkened. The speaker hung inside the driver's side of the car and the window was rolled up as far as possible. Since the hook which secured the speaker onto the glass was enormous and metallic, just enough of an opening remained to allow infestations of buzzing mosquitoes to enter and eventually feast on their captive audience.
I remember my first movie vividly. It had scenes of bloodshed, bank closures, poverty, missing children, homelessness, sadness, humour and fantasy. The credits rolled over colourful scenes and blaring music caused the window reverberate. Finally, it began. Julie Andrews was perched on a cloud, and descended to earth. Yes, it was "Mary Poppins" on the giant screen.
In 1966 my parents tried to smuggle me into a restricted movie. By today's standards the movie would have been classified PG-13. My parents were raised in Europe where there was not really a legal age for much. Parents were expected to use common sense and good judgment when raising children. Dad thought they'd let me in to see the film since I was with my parents. I'm not certain whether he was prepared for the question that came from the ticket seller.
"What's the year of her birth?" She pointed to the back seat.
Startled, he quickly responded with "1939".
"Her? Her in the back?" was the question that came back at him.
My mother, unfazed, came to the rescue, explaining that he was confusing my birthdate with his sister's, that they were my parents, and that I was old enough to see the movie.
I believe I fell asleep part way through a slow moving British flick entitled, "Georgy Girl".
I know that even now, almost fifty years later, there are still drive-in movies in existence around the province. In fact, there has been a small revival of this type of theatre. I checked a website found some twenty three in Ontario. Most are in far outlying areas where the cost of land is not akin to the value of the contents of Fort Knox.
Imagine my surprise when I moved to this town, drove up a nearby road, "Theatre Road" and found a functioning drive-in. So once again, now in my "later life" I am living close to a drive-in theatre. I'm not sure when, if ever, I'll be attending a show there, but perhaps the experience will become another story to tell.
I recently read a mini biography about Richard Hollingshead who was the inventor of the drive-in movie. Through various trial and error attempts, he was able to project a film from the hood of his car onto a screen and use a radio for sound. Eventually, he perfected his technique to create the open air drive-in experience. The first drive-in movie theatre was opened in New Jersey in 1933.
We lived near two such theatres during my teen years, the Odeon Bay Ridges and the Te-Pee Drive-In. The former was on land near the current site of a large shopping mall, Pickering Town Centre. The latter, has been replaced by a Supercentre and a Japanese restaurant. I believe the Odeon was open year round and provided heaters which fit onto the car window along with the speakers. I'm not certain how popular this was during the winter season although I know the lot held nearly one thousand vehicles.
I was so excited to attend my first drive-in movie with a friend, her dad and brother. We drove up to the long narrow building with a teepee shaped structure on top, and paid the admission. After carefully selecting a prime location in the lot, next to a post with a speaker attached, we eagerly waited as the sky darkened. The speaker hung inside the driver's side of the car and the window was rolled up as far as possible. Since the hook which secured the speaker onto the glass was enormous and metallic, just enough of an opening remained to allow infestations of buzzing mosquitoes to enter and eventually feast on their captive audience.
I remember my first movie vividly. It had scenes of bloodshed, bank closures, poverty, missing children, homelessness, sadness, humour and fantasy. The credits rolled over colourful scenes and blaring music caused the window reverberate. Finally, it began. Julie Andrews was perched on a cloud, and descended to earth. Yes, it was "Mary Poppins" on the giant screen.
In 1966 my parents tried to smuggle me into a restricted movie. By today's standards the movie would have been classified PG-13. My parents were raised in Europe where there was not really a legal age for much. Parents were expected to use common sense and good judgment when raising children. Dad thought they'd let me in to see the film since I was with my parents. I'm not certain whether he was prepared for the question that came from the ticket seller.
"What's the year of her birth?" She pointed to the back seat.
Startled, he quickly responded with "1939".
"Her? Her in the back?" was the question that came back at him.
My mother, unfazed, came to the rescue, explaining that he was confusing my birthdate with his sister's, that they were my parents, and that I was old enough to see the movie.
I believe I fell asleep part way through a slow moving British flick entitled, "Georgy Girl".
I know that even now, almost fifty years later, there are still drive-in movies in existence around the province. In fact, there has been a small revival of this type of theatre. I checked a website found some twenty three in Ontario. Most are in far outlying areas where the cost of land is not akin to the value of the contents of Fort Knox.
Imagine my surprise when I moved to this town, drove up a nearby road, "Theatre Road" and found a functioning drive-in. So once again, now in my "later life" I am living close to a drive-in theatre. I'm not sure when, if ever, I'll be attending a show there, but perhaps the experience will become another story to tell.
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