Mood: Nostalgic
Returned After So Long Away…
That is the movie I saw today, but not the meaning of the silly title for this part. No, since just before the latest pandemic hit I have not been to see a movie on The Big Screen. I have been fortunate to have contracted that virus only once and even then just a mild case. Even so, I needed to stay away from my elderly parents to ensure they did not contract it, and that, then, occurred to me that movie-going was out for the foreseeable future, as I know I cannot trust anyone but themselves and me to take that kind of care for them, so best not to bring it home from a place where the selfish might not care and bring the virus with them so they can enjoy themselves.
My, how the movie theater experience has changed, and decidedly not for the better!
I recall the enjoyment of entering a new place and time, the smell of popcorn and hotdogs. I remember the excitement of the lights going down, the curtains opening or the screen widening. I remember the anticipation of watching a movie that was worth the price of admission…
Today, I saw propaganda, ads, bad trivia and encouragement to pay exorbitant prices for goddamn buckets of popcorn and damn-near gallons of Coke products. All before the ‘show’ began. This entailed fifteen minutes of additional ads for cars and perfumes and other things (including admonitions to silence your phone, don’t call, don’t text, don’t mess up te experience….only to show a few ads that encourage us to scan a damn QR code!) that had me feeling the need for a nap coming on. Finally followed by eight trailers for upcoming movies…a full 30-35 minutes of ‘pre-show’ that began at ‘showtime’ before…TWO back-to-back promos for the AMC Theater chain!!!
The experience was somewhat damaged by all of this.
It may have helped, because of all the bad press the movie had gotten my hopes were not very high for it. Turned out to be better than expected. Still had a good Indiana Jones vibe, intermixed with a bit of sadness at Indy’s state of life. Helena Shaw was obviously intended to be a Marion-like character but failed, really rather being an unlikeable character with an almost-redeeming story arc. One small detail of confusion was a rope bridge that was ruined and unusable seemed to be fully functional as the group needed to beat a retreat. 🤷♂️
I left feeling nostalgic, piped a few tears a few times. It was a fine movie and perhaps a better swan song than the ‘Crystal Skull’, which I didn’t find as abhorrent as many seem to have.
