theatre

Escape to the Believably Unbelievable

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I went to the movies today.  I cashed in one arm and half a leg to go and see The Avengers.  Yes, I did.  (Only half a leg as I cashed in points, or sold a relative, or something, in order to obtain a free ticket.  Next family reunion I will figure out who is missing.)  Was it worth it?  You betcha!

Just to be clear, I only go to see movies on the big screen when there is stuff being blown up and there’s lots of action.  Chick flicks I prefer to rent.  Same with comedies.  For some reason, I just love action movies on the huge screen.  Even better, this one was done in 3D!  Everything was flying right at me!  I was there in the movie!  No gun in hand or anything, but call me a casual bystander in the scenario.

This is a good year for movies.  This year is full of action movies.  The Avengers was a great start.  SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    (Poor New York…can’t imagine the tax increases due to restructuring after those evil things rip apart the city).  Then Dark Knight Rises comes out soon too. ( Hmmmm, there goes Gotham City.)  Now that brings me to Snow White and the Huntsman.  (I figure a whole forest gets burnt down and a castle might crumble.)  The trailers are fantastic!  Super Evil Queen!  Great acting!  And the Thor actor becomes a Hunter.  How cool is that?  (Can’t imagine the workout that man has to do in order to get biceps that big.)

I am not a regular movie goer.  I do believe there are certain movies that should be seen on the big screen to get the full effect.  Not only do you get surrounded by the activities on-screen, but the people are almost life-size (and especially in 3D).  You are now THERE!  You are in the movie!  You are part of it!  I must admit that with so much computer technology the impossible happens, but isn’t that what movies are supposed to be about?  It’s an escape.

In case I haven’t mentioned this earlier, I was a history student.  So, here is a bit of a history lesson for you.  During the Great Depression and during both World Wars, people went to the movies.  People went to the theatre.  People were entertained through radio programs.  It was all about escaping the reality around them for just a little while.

I escaped into another world today.  The acting was fantastic.  If I can believe the character’s persona then I am hooked.  That is good acting.  There are many good actors/actresses and I do appreciate being entertained properly. 

The Avengers also had what I appreciate most in storylines.  I LOVE humour.  The sarcasm, the surprising comments that make you chuckle.  The funny actions that probably make the actors want to pee with laughter after they hear “CUT”. 

Today, I just decided to share my joy of seeing a fantastic movie.  Fantastic…as in fantasy….suspend belief and just sit back and enjoy. 

Thank you to The Debater and The Artist for telling me to drop my other boring, drab duties and just escape for awhile into the film world.  I had a remarkably fun time and can’t wait for Wiseguy to see this movie!

Yup, ready to go to bed soon….just signing off this loan payment for my popcorn.

Let me entertain you

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Going to the movies as a kid was something that I dreamt of doing.  My parents weren’t movie goers.  Why go to the movies when we had a fine black and white television set that worked just fine?  I tried to explain the excitement of seeing a picture on the big screen.  They informed me that they had gone to the movies once.  It was too long to sit through on uncomfortable seats.  It was a double feature.  It was The Ten Commandments.  Honest, I can’t make this stuff up.

The first movie I got to see was “Grease”.  I was nine years old.  The music was good, but I didn’t really understand the whole boy/girl drama.  The theatre was packed so the only seats left were the very front row.  My neck hurt afterward and the sight of seeing such big heads on-screen made it difficult for me to walk among the normal headed people after the movie.  Did I complain to my parents about it?  Heck no.  That would mean no more movie going.

Over the years I had gone to the movies regularly.  When I started attending University I met new friends.  They talked about driving into downtown Toronto to see live shows.  They loved the show.  They would make a whole evening of it.  They would get all dressed up.  They would start with dinner at a restaurant and then the show afterward.  The theatre, where real live people were on a stage performing.  I had always wondered what it would be like to go to one of the shows.  I do recall the price was really high and my meager student budget didn’t have room for this luxury.  So, I lived vicariously through my friends as they told me about the shows they saw.

One day my sister-in-law called and asked if we wanted to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  I looked at Wiseguy with those pleading “just this one time” eyes.  (Note:  Wiseguy and I have never even been to a movie theatre together.  He is very tall and is long leggedy and you just can’t curl up those legs to sit comfortably in the narrow aisles.)   Those older theatres don’t have much leg room either, but those pleading eyes of mine did the trick.  Either that or I just looked soooo pathetic that he didn’t want to have to deal with me skulking around if he said no.  So, off to the theatre!

We dressed up.  We went out for dinner.  We went to the theatre!  I was bursting with excitement.  I was like a kid going to the amusement park for the first time.  I kept whipping my head around to drink in my surroundings.  The outside of the building was brick.  The inside was dark cherry wood with red velvety seats.  Large red curtains bracketed the stage.  There were balconies, just like in the movies…you know, like Pretty Woman when she goes to the opera.  Yes, I was over excited and overwhelmed and beyond happy to be there.  Then, the little ding ding, to tell everyone to have a seat as the show was about the begin.  I held my breath with anticipation.

The singing was so intense that I had goosebumps.  The costumes were vibrant.  The dancers were remarkable.  Even better, Donny Osmond, my childhood crush, was Joseph.  Awesome!  It was Beautiful!  It was Amazing!  Now I totally understood why my friends loved going to the theatre.  Such a different experience from the movie theatre.

Last year I got a pamphlet from our local performing arts centre.  They had an early bird special for a 5 show package.  I wanted to go.  I had to go.  I decided that it was time for me to treat myself.  Interestingly enough, the price for the tickets was quite reasonable.  About $53.00 a show.  Not bad, considering that movie theatre tickets with popcorn and drink comes out to almost $30.00.  Wiseguy didn’t want to sit in a squishy seating place, but he told me to go for it and enjoy.  Even better, he would drive me to and from each show.  Win win for me!  So I got to see Cats and Riverdance and My Fair Lady and Mama Mia.  One more show to go:  Young Frankenstein.  I am hooked on musicals!  I loved every show.  I even got first balcony seating to fulfill that dream as well.

My bucket list has quite a mish-mash of dreams and wishes.  Some days I add to the list.  Some days, I am very happy to be able to scratch some things off my list.

List Item:  go to fancy old theatre and enjoy the live show