Why I watched (a defensive non Twilight fan's argument)
When a couple of co workers decided to watch the movie and asked if I want to join them, it was hard not to tag along for (I believe) valid reasons: it's my day off and the highlight of my day was doing the laundry so I might as well season it a little bit with something a little more exciting than folding and sorting clothes, the movie theater is located at the ground floor of my apartment so all I really need to do to watch a movie is go downstairs, it is Thursday - so that means cheap night at the movies and the best advice I got before coming up north is to bring an open mind - so that would encompass all experiences including initiation to a pop culture franchise of phenomenal proportion even though, with all apologies, I'm one of the sorry few who don't really know what it's all about..and dive into it at the end part at that (sort of like watching Deathly Hallows without having a clue who Harry Potter is). And I heard the popcorn's good, so technically, that alone is reason enough for me to leave my laundry and watch the movie.
Popcorn and concession stuff
I have been told that prices up here are much, much more expensive than down south so I sort of braced myself for that and have, so far, successfully developed a psychological buffer that minimized the shock factor whenever I pay for groceries, fastfood, etc.. but I am pleased to report that the price of popcorn and other items at the concession stand is actually surprisingly cheap! Anyway, I got a large popcorn and sprinkled it with a generous amount of cheddar powder. To create a sort of balance, I also ordered one large Diet Coke and a pack of Dark M&Ms. And yes, the popcorn was good!
Audience Profile and other interesting theater goings on
My co workers and I agree that the movie theater here (the only one in Iqaluit) reminds us of the movie theaters of the past. It's small with only two theaters. The lobby's equally small so it was pretty much jam packed with movie watchers waiting for the matinee screening (7PM) to end. And tonight being cheap night with Breaking Dawn as feature film, the place was more crowded than usual. It was a nice blend of Inuit and non Inuit crowd. When the usher announced that those watching Breaking Dawn can come in, my co workers and I went in and sat at the middle row. As soon as the title came up on screen there was a spontaneous chorus of OMGs from the female teens in the audience. Few seconds into the film when Taylor "Jacob" Lautner appeared there was again a spontaneous chorus of wolf whistles, hoots and sighs. Not quite the same reaction noted on Robert "Edward" Pattinson's entrance. I just figured maybe because we are in Canada, in Nunavut at that, there must be more "Team Jacob" delegates in attendance. It almost felt like watching a movie in the Philippines were the audience would make loud side comments during the entire duration of the film. An interesting thing, while the movie was in progress, this old usher guy was going around the theater announcing repeatedly "turn off your cell phones please or else it will be taken away from you". And maybe after the fifth repetition of the "turn off your cellphone" announcement, he just stepped out. One of my coworkers said that it is also common to see dogs running around the theater while the movie's going on. In the Philippines I have seen stray cats and rats inside movie houses but dogs? That I have to see! Well true enough, during that intense scene where Jacob tries to convince the very pregnant and emaciated Bella to give up the baby, the hushed silence inside the theater was disturbed by a very distinctive yapping of a puppy. Later we found out there were actually three dogs in attendance that night! I guess by virtue of their category in the animal kingdom, they must be delegates of Team Jacob as well.
The movie
I lied. I am actually going to talk about the movie. I did say that I am least qualified to discuss the film but I think it's fair enough to say that I really enjoyed myself. The movie was visually stunning and I am not referring to just Taylor Lautner's physique in particular (guess which team I would be prone to join if given the chance), very good editing and cinematography, very glossy for a film that deals with the dark side and undead, I am thinking about downloading the soundtrack (love it!)but I have to check on my internet usage for the month before I do that (the internet plans here have limited usage per month so I have to be on a strict downloading/uploading/streaming diet), the film was able to effectively build a steady momentum leading to the climax that at some point left me involuntarily holding my breath even if I have no idea what this saga is all about. My co worker was a little bit concerned at first when she asked me if I've read the book or watch the first how many films and I answered no to both and she thought I might not enjoy it because I don't have even the basic background of the film. Of course I know there's this girl, there's this vampire, there's this werewolf and that's it. But I trust Hollywood movie psychology - they aim to entertain and not really to make you think too much. While the actors seem to be more concerned with aesthetics and good camera angles and not necessarily interested in Oscar winning performances, for entertainment value, this film actually delivers - I enjoyed myself and would even watch it even if it was not cheap movie night (oh the wonders that an open mind can do!). I got quite focused on the film I even forgot about my dark M&Ms. Some random takes on the film: I was quite amused with the running exchange of rhetorics between Edward's sisters (?) : "the fetus is not good for Bella" "It's a baby.. it's just a baby". Made me wonder if Stephanie Meyer was making a pro life statement of some sort. Loved the wedding gown, they should have included it in the cast of characters. That song they played during the exchange of vows made my popcorn taste a lot saltier..or was it because there were tears in my eyes? I should download the soundtrack. Some things I wouldn't think of in the same way again - blood transfusion, botched c sections, the importance of calcium in your diet in case you get pregnant with an immortisomething (maybe Breaking Bone would be an apt alternative title), 2 person cpr c/o a werewolf and a vampire. And no matter how comfy, it's not a good idea to use a down feather bed on your honeymoon. I'm such a sucker (no twilight pun intended) for any form of hype so after watching this second to the last installment of the Twilight saga, I'm actually looking forward to the final chapter. Who knows, I might even read the books (I can hear one or two friends moaning a slo mo nooooo!!!).
I therefore conclude
I like the movie theater downstairs. And even if I don't, I really don't have a choice because it is the only theater in Iqaluit. I would definitely watch a movie there again. On a regular basis, I predict. It's conveniently located (no kidding) and they have good popcorn. Like their non pretentious but satisfying fast food, restaurants etc..there's none of the niceties and theater etiquette you might expect somewhere else but I mean that in a good way because it also defines the small town feel and laid back attitude of the people here so I don't really mind watching a movie with dogs around. I love watching movies. When I was still in the Philippines I would watch one or two movies a week. That changed when I arrived in Calgary because I got caught up with other things like getting a life and make a living but I have always wished I can get to watch more movies again. I guess I can do that again here! Nice!
No comments:
Post a Comment