Movie day
Today was kind of cold and rainy and dreary so it ended up being a good day for movies. First we watched Lost in Translation at home. We saw it in the theatre back home and loved it, but wanted to watch it again because we're going to Tokyo next month. Loved it the second time as well. (For me, I think what clinched it was Bill Murray singing a karaoke version of Roxy Music's "More Than This", which is one of the great romantic-yet-melancholy songs of all time.) (Interestingly, my two Japanese colleagues were divided on this film--one liked it, but the other didn't like that the film--or rather, the characters in the film--didn't make any attempt to actually understand the local culture.)
Then this afternoon we went downtown and saw Sideways at one of the local theatres. We both really enjoyed it (and all the Southern California scenery made me homesick!).
As an aside, in some ways seeing a movie here can be a very different experience from back home. For starters, your seat is assigned. On the one hand, you don't have to get there early to find a good seat (indeed, everyone seems to pour in two minutes before it starts). On the other hand, they'll seat everyone together no matter how full the theatre. So when we went to see The Incredibles (or as it was called here, Die Unglaublichen), the theatre was only about a quarter full, but everyone was clustered together in the middle of the theatre. We decided to be rebellious and sit off to the side by ourselves because we had a talker next to us, and we definitely threw off the whole symmetry of the audience. Anyway, they also take intermissions during movies (although thankfully the theatre where we saw Sideways this afternoon is evidently the one exception in town). All of a sudden the film will stop, sometimes in mid-scene, and everyone will pour out and have a cigarette. And despite what seems like even more advertisements before the movie than back home, the cost seems higher--our tickets were 17 francs each, or $14 per person.
Then this afternoon we went downtown and saw Sideways at one of the local theatres. We both really enjoyed it (and all the Southern California scenery made me homesick!).
As an aside, in some ways seeing a movie here can be a very different experience from back home. For starters, your seat is assigned. On the one hand, you don't have to get there early to find a good seat (indeed, everyone seems to pour in two minutes before it starts). On the other hand, they'll seat everyone together no matter how full the theatre. So when we went to see The Incredibles (or as it was called here, Die Unglaublichen), the theatre was only about a quarter full, but everyone was clustered together in the middle of the theatre. We decided to be rebellious and sit off to the side by ourselves because we had a talker next to us, and we definitely threw off the whole symmetry of the audience. Anyway, they also take intermissions during movies (although thankfully the theatre where we saw Sideways this afternoon is evidently the one exception in town). All of a sudden the film will stop, sometimes in mid-scene, and everyone will pour out and have a cigarette. And despite what seems like even more advertisements before the movie than back home, the cost seems higher--our tickets were 17 francs each, or $14 per person.
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