Posts Tagged ‘Varsity Theater’
3 items.
Sep29
The events in today’s strip are 100% true. Cami and I did go to see Lost in Translation on Friday night and the picture was out of frame for nearly 3/4ths of the movie.
Why didn’t I go into the lobby and try to find an employee to fix it? The answer to that question, dear reader, will be revealed on Wednesday. In fact, the rest of the week will be devoted to this grand annoyance.
Maybe it’s a little cheap to take a real life event and stretch it across a full week of content – but frankly, I find this kind of lackluster presentation disgusting. Since I have a forum unto which I can air my grievances, I plan on doing just that.
I apologize if all the strips aren’t “piss-your-pants” funny. But perhaps you can appreciate them on a observational level.
It just that indie theaters are supposed to be the last refuge from this kind of laziness. Art houses are supposed to cater to the kind of people who actually CARE about movies – about content, presentation and quality! Now we’re getting the shaft in our last safe haven? Where else can we turn?
What I managed to watch of Lost in Translation, I immediately liked. I knew half way through that I would probably see the film again (if it ever comes to another theater) and would instantly own it on DVD once it becomes available.
Bill Murray’s performance was heartbreaking. I won’t give away any particular scenes, but in several of them, he does such great emoting with his eyes and his expressions, you know exactly how his character is feeling. If people cried foul when the Academy didn’t nominate him from Rushmore, they’ll riot in the streets if he doesn’t get a nod from Translation.
The movie does a great job of interpreting the experience of travel in a different country – how it can be both exhilarating and terrifying.
Tokyo was a city I’ve wanted to go to all my life. While I was watching the movie, I didn’t want to go there anymore. Through the characters eyes, it’s a very scary place. Very busy. Very loud.
But as things progressed, I grew comfortable in the surroundings just like the characters. Now I want to go there more than ever.
I’m going to cut the blog short for now because there are still things I want to talk about for Wednesday and Friday. Plus, I’m working on a great poster for FallCon in Minnesota this Saturday and Sunday. Did I mention I was going to that? I am.
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Today’s comic is the continuation of Monday’s comic – my retelling of one of THE WORST theater experiences I’ve ever had, trying to watch the sublime Bill Murray in Lost in Translation.
Granted, my anger has subsided somewhat since the event that took place last week. But it bears retelling.
Ever since last Friday, I was trying to figure out where all the employees went during the movie? Were they all out back smoking cigarettes like some kind of 50’s “no good kids” cliche?
** THE REST OF THIS POST WAS LOST WHEN THEATER HOPPER MOVED TO WORDPRESS IN 2009 **
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Oct03
And so concludes the retelling of the hellish experience I had watching Lost in Translation at the Varsity Theater.
Was it worth sacrificing a week’s worth of zippy one-liners and taking pot-shots at The Rock in The Rundown? Maybe. I got to flex a few different narrative muscles than before. I felt this was a story better told than read. I was curious to see if I could trump that notion.
If anything, it spurred from great debate. I received on e-mail suggesting that the inclusion of all the bomb mics was intentional – as if to enhance the surreal environment the two leads found themselves in while wandering around Tokyo.
It’s a fascinating thought, but one I reject. Lost in Translation is too quiet and intimate a movie to have the director constantly winking at us, saying, “See? See? It’s not told.”
Also, the cinematography by Lance Acord is too beautiful to wreck with poor composition.
The answer to my situation, I believe came from Abraham Brezo when he wrote:
“My guess about the boom mics is, that the film was shot open matte, and the projectionist forgot to matte the film. Leaving the film at an open matte will give it a smaller aspect ratio, thus including
everything that was supposed to be hidden behind the matte. This type of filmmaking is supposed to be more cost efficient.”
Judging by what I saw and comparing my experience against others who had gone to see the film, I’d say this was right on the head. It helps to aid my righteous indignation. Thanks, Abraham!
I’m doing a final flight-check for all things FallCon related at the moment. I’m leaving straight from my job this afternoon and I want to make sure I’m not forgetting anything. It’d be quite a shame to drive all that way to Minnesota to forget the posters I’m trying to sell.
…or my contact lens solution.
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