A different movie experience

A friend and her daughter recently went to watch a movie at The Labia. It turned out be quite an experience. The Labia is the oldest independent cinema in SA. It plays “alternative” movies in an old Italian embassy ballroom, complete with velvet drapes and a stage. The old-world ambience dates back to the late 1940s. I may be mistaken, but the seats probably date back to then too.

It took a while to buy the tickets (from the antique ticket booth) and to locate the popcorn machine attendant but they had arrived early. Soon they were clutching their brown paper bags of popcorn (I swear it tastes better) and their tickets for Screen Four. They made their way to their seats in the dusty old cinema and settled down to watch My Week with Marilyn... nothing happened.

They started chatting to the three other patrons in the cinema to pass the time. After half an hour she decided to go out and check what was happening. The projectionist had “forgotten” to come but this was a minor hitch that was soon sorted out and before long the movie started... but not the movie they had come to watch. She checked the tickets – yes, it said Screen Four and this was Screen Four.

Back she went to the ticket booth. No, My Week with Marilyn was playing on Screen Three. They had already seen The Artist which was playing on Screen Four so she went back to collect her daughter and they crept into Screen Three. She says it was a great movie. She just needs to see the first half hour sometime.

It reminded me of a story our Mauritian friend tells about the local cinema there. Apparently people phone up the manager to hold the movie because they are running late. And then when they do finally arrive, it is with flasks of tea and samoosas which gets offered around. There is much shouting across aisles as people recognise each other, before everyone settles down and the movie can begin.

Hmm...I always thought Ster Kinekor lacked a certain something...

Give this wedding a miss!

Last night I went off to the movies with my daughter and a friend for a much-anticipated “chick-flick”. I was not expecting anything cerebral, just a light-hearted, feel-good movie to relax by – something pink and fluffy, as my daughter calls it. The reviews for Bridesmaids were good enough and I specifically remember reading one which said: “like The Hangover without the vulgarity”. Fine with me. I had seen The Hangover and had no desire to see a sequel of the vulgarity.

The movie was sold out except for some single seats which we decided to take...promising. The popcorn queue snaked around the escalator. We decided we didn’t need any and headed straight for our seats, ready to be entertained. Well, I am sorry to say that I was duped into seeing the female version of The Hangover. The opening scenes of the movies were not promising at all. We were subjected to a couple who looked like they were trying to have sex but were still working out which was the right way to go about it.

There is one particular scene in the movie, where after eating some bad Mexican food the bridesmaids head out to a bridal studio to try on dresses. They all start getting sick and what ensued was what I suppose was meant to be funny – one bathroom and five women falling over each other to get rid of lunch from both ends. Maybe I am  missing a funny bone, but most women don’t carry on like that.

There were some funny moments but not enough to redeem the movie. There is so much reality TV out there these days where everyone tries to behave as shockingly as they can. Perhaps the movie-makers feel pressure to up the shock value.

We came home and watched a recording of Modern Family – for a brain-cleanser, as my daughter said - much like you have sorbet between courses to cleanse the palate. I feel like hunting down the reviewer and shooting him. Actually, what did I expect, relying on a man’s review of a chick-flick?