Moving Pictures

I'm not a huge movie going fanatic. There I said it. As a child I couldn't fathom why my parents didn't want to see every movie that came out nor ride every ride at the dirty rotten carney that came to town twice a year, I swore I wouldn't become old fogies like them. Now it turns out I do still like really big roller coasters but dirty rotten carnies are no longer my thing. Neither is attending a movie.

I still enjoy movies. I just enjoy them at home. We have a VERY LARGE screen television. We have surround sound. We don't have any babies or sticky floors. It's nice at mi casa.

So there is one theater that I will go to. The Arclight Cinemas attached to the Cineramadome.

When they started, it was all about a premium experience. Pay more! But get more! There are NO COMMERCIALS at the Arclight. I like that.

Regular admission is $11.00 except for Friday and Saturday nights after 6pm and Sundays before 6pm and Holiday Periods when tickets are $14.00. You can purchase your reserved seat in advance, print them out at home and proceed directly to your movie of choice.

As a "member" (signed up for e-mails) I get $1.00 off Regular price and gain points towards free stuff.

From their website: "ArcLight discourages bringing small children to films they won't be interested in, and children's prices not available for R rated films or for infants under 2. Because ArcLight is an all-reserved seat environment, infants must be ticketed and are charged adult prices." And this keeps the theater a little quieter.

At full price on a Friday night for two of us to go to movie here with no discounts (but we would be gaining points) it would cost us $30.

They also feature reserved seating, better than standard snacks and have a full bar. Parking is $2 for the first 4 hours with validation.

Another theater near me is at the Grove. They do not have online ticketing. The tickets need to be purchased by a third party who adds a "convenience" fee. On arrival, you need to queue to get your tickets. Once you are inside, the theaters are smallish, no assigned seating, and they have numerous commercial before the previews and film finally start.

Ticket prices at this theater are $12.75. If you buy online you add $1 service fee. Then the parking is $4 for 4 hours with validation.

For two of us to go here on a Friday night and sit through commercials and get no loyalty program points, it would cost us $31.50. Only $1.50 more? And for such an awful experience? Why so crabby?

OK, you caught me. I hate people. I hate stupid people. Slow people. People who speak loudly. People who eat popcorn behind my head. People who talk during a movie. People who have to pee. People who can't drive. People who must have never left their home before and hove no idea how one of those "parky tower buildings" work. You catching up with me here?

Last year I missed seeing the Harry Potter Theatrical release in a full theater because it didn't come to the Arclight. I saw it first on a plane then in my house. This year, same scenario. If I was gonna see "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" IN a theater, I'd have to brave THE GROVE. Ugh.

In spite of the theater, I really enjoyed the film. Though parsed of a lot of the book plot, I didn't really notice it as I read and forget quite quickly. It makes re-reading books so much fun. "I wonder what happens?!" I thought you read that book already. "I did, but I can't remember!"

Another movie I got to see recently was "The Simpsons Movie". I am a huge fan of the TV show and was ever so thrilled that this movie came to my beloved Arclight. I enjoyed it from the opening of Homer in a multiplex, to the closing humor over the credit roll. My only wish was for more of that precious angel Ralph Wiggum.

One more film and I'm all out. Playing at a theater very near my house (the Showcase) was "La Vie En Rose". I am a happy comedy pleasant ending type of movie goer. I have people that pre-screen movies for me and tell me if I can go. The monkeys in "The Wizard of Oz" gave me nightmares. Still can. I just can't do unhappy.

Well, shit if Edith Piaf's life story wasn't the most miserable event ever to take place in France in the last century. I swear there may have been at least two or three happy moments in her life, but it seems the filmmakers cut those out for a faster paced miserable fest. To be fair, I had no idea going in. Like going to see "Titanic" on Broadway, I had hoped for the sunny side of the tale. Who lived? Who survived? I enjoy Edith Piaf music and you know I love France. What's not to enjoy when the two are put together?

Now, if you can stand all the misery, I actually do recommend going to see it. Marion Cotillard absolutely inhabits the role (and that's the only way to describe it, INHABIT, not acting) is unbelievable. Perhaps that was why it was so sad. Oh, and the film is French with subtitles. And has a very French non-linear way of story telling. Oh, the French!

Oh, and the reason I was able to suddenly break out and go see all these movies? Because I was too sick to go to the gym and too tired to argue about not going to my beloved Arclight. people around me just made decisions for me and I got in the car and rolled with it. Thank you people!