The SO and I recently went to see "The Artist" seeing as how it has gotten 10 Oscar nominations and all I figured we should see what all the fuss was about. Now I knew before I went that this was a silent movie, a throw back tribute as it were to films of the pre-sound era. In a nutshell it's cute, fun, inventive and charming film that is mostly deserving of its nominations and even though it is a salute to the film industry of old like "Hugo" what set it apart for me was the inventiveness and skill in pulling off a silent black and white movie in the modern age as it were. (Not to mention all the strange celebrities in this thing--Missi Pyle, Penelope Ann Miller, John Goodman, James Cromwell from "Babe", that guy who played Dauber in "Coach", Malcolm MacDowell, that guy from those crappy sitcoms--I mean come on!) The big challenge for me was sitting in a theatre full of people and hoping the could also meet the challenge of behaving and be politely quiet while the film played out over a full two hours. I'm gonna say 90% made it, the rest probably need a lesson in manners.
Let's face in this day and age of seeing movies it has become a bit of a drag to go to theaters where people seem to lose all sense of being polite and act like they are just kicking back in their living rooms. The cell phones, the talking, the loud candy wrappers, kicking chair backs--it's a never ending array of bad manners and behavior that have turned movie going experiences into some kind of drudgery. Me and the SO usually try to go to as early a show as possible, not least of which because it's half the price but there are fewer people and more of an opportunity to just enjoy the film.
"The Artist" was playing at one of those theatres that specializes in art films and such and for the most part the crowds are mostly behaved. The group as this showing was a grand majority of what I like to call extremely mature folks who probably barely remember the last time they saw a silent movie back in 1927. Now this movie doesn't have dialogue but it does have a soundtrack so music does play from start to finish except for a few spaces where it literally is silent. At the beginning it's like this and the SO leaned over and whispered "is the whole movie like this?" I shook my head no and mouthed "just wait." It was about this time that two old Asian ladies came pushing their way down the aisle like it was the MUNI L line and plopped right down next to me. One was older than the other and for the first 20 minutes of the movie the older would ask a question and the younger would answer--in Chinese. I'm pretty sure she was asking something about the movie because she kept pointing at the screen. I finally gave the first of several ssshhhs in their direction. It worked for a while then they started again and I give them my best are you kidding me bitch stare when a bright scene came on. It worked until we were 90 minutes into the movie when the older one started yawning--loudly, even the people in front of her were turning around. You see this is what happens when you go to a late afternoon movie right before they can all go get their blue plate special, so I'm guessing their blood sugar levels were a little low. After about 3 more loud yawns I lean over and go "I know it's a silent movie but seriously you don't need to add noise to it." That shut 'em up. Too harsh? Maybe...do I care...eh...not really.
You pay $11(or more) for a movie you want to try and enjoy it best you can without all the peripheral shenanigans that go on at theatres these days. I would like to say this is the first time I've said something to folks in a theatre but alas it's not. I don't make a habit of it but let's face it every now and then you reach a point where you've had enough and well you let fly and suddenly your SSSHH MAN!! Movie quiet guy!! So remember people when you are in a theatre and forget your manners beware---I might just be there to SSSHHH you (or tell you to turn off your cell phone). BEWARE!
Let's face in this day and age of seeing movies it has become a bit of a drag to go to theaters where people seem to lose all sense of being polite and act like they are just kicking back in their living rooms. The cell phones, the talking, the loud candy wrappers, kicking chair backs--it's a never ending array of bad manners and behavior that have turned movie going experiences into some kind of drudgery. Me and the SO usually try to go to as early a show as possible, not least of which because it's half the price but there are fewer people and more of an opportunity to just enjoy the film.
"The Artist" was playing at one of those theatres that specializes in art films and such and for the most part the crowds are mostly behaved. The group as this showing was a grand majority of what I like to call extremely mature folks who probably barely remember the last time they saw a silent movie back in 1927. Now this movie doesn't have dialogue but it does have a soundtrack so music does play from start to finish except for a few spaces where it literally is silent. At the beginning it's like this and the SO leaned over and whispered "is the whole movie like this?" I shook my head no and mouthed "just wait." It was about this time that two old Asian ladies came pushing their way down the aisle like it was the MUNI L line and plopped right down next to me. One was older than the other and for the first 20 minutes of the movie the older would ask a question and the younger would answer--in Chinese. I'm pretty sure she was asking something about the movie because she kept pointing at the screen. I finally gave the first of several ssshhhs in their direction. It worked for a while then they started again and I give them my best are you kidding me bitch stare when a bright scene came on. It worked until we were 90 minutes into the movie when the older one started yawning--loudly, even the people in front of her were turning around. You see this is what happens when you go to a late afternoon movie right before they can all go get their blue plate special, so I'm guessing their blood sugar levels were a little low. After about 3 more loud yawns I lean over and go "I know it's a silent movie but seriously you don't need to add noise to it." That shut 'em up. Too harsh? Maybe...do I care...eh...not really.
You pay $11(or more) for a movie you want to try and enjoy it best you can without all the peripheral shenanigans that go on at theatres these days. I would like to say this is the first time I've said something to folks in a theatre but alas it's not. I don't make a habit of it but let's face it every now and then you reach a point where you've had enough and well you let fly and suddenly your SSSHH MAN!! Movie quiet guy!! So remember people when you are in a theatre and forget your manners beware---I might just be there to SSSHHH you (or tell you to turn off your cell phone). BEWARE!
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