Saturday, January 19, 2013

Life of Pi, with running commentary behind me.

It's probably as useless to complain about people talking in the theater as it is to complain about traffic.  People will talk, people will tailgate.  I take a deep breath these days and endure it.

The last time I got into a confrontation in a movie was with Lord Of The Rings.  Since then, I've just taken my punishment -- sometimes we move, but most often we just try to ignore it.

Went to see Life of Pi, and there were talkers in front and talkers in back.  Linda was bothered by the old  guy in front of us with the deep loud voice who explained the movie to his deaf wife.

I was bothered by the lady behind me who had a running commentary about the book, and would actually anticipate moments before they happened:  talk about spoilers!  And, well -- this was repeated and repeated -- she was a Christian, and this movie was so Christian.

I kind of thought the movie wasn't about Christianity as much as being spiritual, no matter what religion.

So the lady had to professed her love of Christ and also loudly inform the world she had read the book!  (Maybe it was the only book she'd ever read...)

With the movie over, she really goes ballistic -- God and Christ and how much she never thought they could make a movie of the book, and you really should read the book, and oh, God, and the book...

The smug tone was unbearable.  I literally put my fingers in my ears.  Really.

Finally, the credits are over, and we get up and the four old people in front say,  "Wow.  This movie was made by a bunch of foreigners!

I wanted to turn around and say,  "Did you just see the same movie I saw?"


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Duncan, Thanks so much for reminding me of why I rarely, barely, hardly ever and almost never go to the theater to watch a movie! I'll take my big screen TV, with a good set of speakers and a comfortable couch, all the popcorn I can eat and no rude people - any day. The only thing missing from your story was the tall guy with the big hat.... And don't get me going about those tailgaiters....Seems there is no shortage of people that are simply oblivious to the fact that their behavior is negatively impacting those around them. Or they know and just don't give a damn.

John

Duncan McGeary said...

On the other hand, the 3D full screen special effects were spectacular.

The credits alone wear worth it -- showing animals in a zoo with a very subtle but evocative touch, using 3D to show both their strangeness and their familiarity.

Don't give up on movies altogether!

Anonymous said...

You should rent "God Bless America," then. One scene in particular will give you some catharsis.

Anonymous said...

I guess so many people are used to watching movies in their living room that they just act like the theater IS their living room. And some people seem to fear they'll cease to exist if they're not blabbing nonstop. Or texting. Or tweeting.

Don't go to the movies much, and this is a big reason why. The home experience is just better.

Jim