movies

Movie Reruns

mikemjensen Useless Observations Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Hey Kids,

It’s Friday night and as I wait for the chicken for dinner to finish its 30 minute marinade, I plugged in a movie.

It’s a movie I’ve seen a number of times and still find it as enjoyable, and funny as I did the first time.

Of course, I’m not telling you which one; we all have our secrets. Safe to say, it’s not a block buster.

Yet there are blockbusters that I watched once and that was enough (Avatar).

What do I think makes a movie re-watchable?

A meaningful or fun story with a plot. Relatable, desirable characters. Quotable dialogue. The best ones have all three.412cb0b8a9b2e101fceed4c1e20a0962

Though not the movie I’m watching, Tombstone is a movie I can watch over and over.

Historically accurate? Not exactly but… Plot- good guys and bad guys (always works). Characters: Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp, I mean really. Dialogue- “I’m you’re Huckleberry.” “You tell them I’m coming and Hell’s coming with me!”

I know nothing of what it takes to make a movie, and obviously no one in Hollywood needs my advice but I’ll give it anyway.

Good movies don’t always have to wow the audience; they just have to be re-watchable.

“And that’s all I’ve got to say about that.”

 

Day 165

Movie Madness

mikemjensen Worthless Observations Tags: , , 2 Comments

Hey Kids,

Caught a couple of movies the last couple of days and I have a few thoughts about theatre movies in general.

The movies can never be as complete as the books. The movie is 2 hours long and the book takes a good reader 4-5 hours to read a typical book. The math doesn’t work.

There are actors and there are singers. They are not the same. Occasionally one or the other can cross over, but like switch hitters in baseball, it doesn’t mean you’re great at both.

Stop remaking movies. Yeah, I’m talking to you Top Gun people. And to all of the rest of us, please don’t go to them. They’ll just keep doing it.

I don’t do 3D. I do ID. Imagination Dimensional. I realize that the screen is flat and I’m not within the action. I also realize that I’m at the movies and it’s all made up. That’s real enough for me.movie-tickets

I would buy popcorn if it didn’t cost more than the movie. No, it isn’t part of the experience. Watching the movie on the biggest TV I can afford is the experience.

Aren’t there more Actors out there? Why is it the same actors, over and over? Are they really the best available? I can count on one hand the actors that can truly play any role and I forget they are acting.

Isn’t it amazing how much longer credits are today than even just a few years ago? Does it really take that many more people? And getting credit in a movie is pretty much like the legal notices in the paper. Does anyone see it? Actually, do they still print papers? I may have dated myself there.

And finally, but not conclusively, when did movies turn into dinner. We always did Dinner and a Movie, but we ate somewhere else. I know it comes back to the “experience” but it’s hard to get into the movie, of being on a tropical island, running and hiding from dinosaurs, with the smell of Pizza and Chili Fries filling the theatre.

Just a few of my thoughts.

 

Day 153

Movie Time Watching

mikemjensen Worthless Observations Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

popcorn_jf10_310 (2)Hey Kids,

We went to the movies last night. They showed a Frozen short. I didn’t think it was possible for me to dislike Frozen any more than I already did. I was wrong.

People watching at the movies gives an interesting glimpse into my fellow humans. A few thoughts:

I’ll show up late on occasion but I am astounded by the number of people who come in significantly late and show no remorse for being disruptive. If the previews have already started, be quick, quietly apologetic, and don’t stand directly in front of me and watch the screen.popcorn

I’m tight so I never buy the over-priced food. On occasion I’ll spring for the popcorn. I know we all have our quirks about our spending habits, but paying more for the crappy treats than I spend for the tickets themselves strikes me as wrong. Other than being told it does, I don’t see how popcorn enhances the experience. Not even a truck load of popcorn.

Is a refill on that truck load of popcorn really necessary? And if it is, what is the best time and way to get that refill? Binge eat the whole tub once you find your seat and refill during previews? Pace yourself so that the tub empties as the plot slows, run out to the lobby and refill, missing only 10-15 minutes of the dull filler scenes but rearmed for the big ending? Or refill on your way out for the ride home and the NetFlix after-party?

Do you clap at the end of a good movie? Disney movie last night. Feel good ending. Lots of families. I expected clapping. None. Yet I’ve seen a Star Trek movie explode in a wild foray of cheers once. Go figure.

Phones. Put the phone away. Enjoy the moment. And if you must, check it to see if it’s the baby sitter and then put it away. Or if circumstances demand, go to the lobby, make the call, text, or snap chat, and get your popcorn refill at the same time.popcorn_jf10_310 (2)

If you’re a leaver due to phone addiction, mid-movie popcorn refills, or you have a small or weak bladder, please get the seats on the end of the row. Not the middle. There are not enough “sorry’s” and “excuse me’s” to make it right.

But how and whatever you do, enjoy the movie.

 

 

Day 23

Today’s Escape

mikemjensen Life's Truths Tags: , , Leave a comment

untitled (3)Hey Kids,

Movies are an escape well worth the price of a ticket.

On this Sunday afternoon, it seemed to be a good idea to take advantage of such an escape.

We laughed and enjoyed a fun continuation of a story from a previous movie. (A sequel). And the best nugget came in the last words of the movie.

“Time is the best Present”

Or something close to that.

I seem to keep hearing this theme:

Do it. Do it now. Take advantage of now. The past is gone. The future may never be. Live today.

Working on it.

 

 

Day 13