IMAX: I Love Thee

I'm someone who is willing to travel for a movie in IMAX. I once drove 6 hours each way to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in IMAX in Houston when I lived in New Orleans (and left the now-ex husband home too). (Hey, Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Aquarium where Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban played. And to paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, "Once you go IMAX, you can't go back!")

I was in training in Houston when V for Vendetta came out and I organize a group of 10 from my class to see it. I flew to Orlando this summer to meet with the parents after two years of silence to hash out the past, and what was opening that very weekend? The Dark Knight. On IMAX. Fucking awesome. I liked it so much, when I flew home, I saw it again on IMAX out in Chantilly at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum a week later. It was that good.

I've got a good history with IMAX. IMAX and I go way, way back. The IMAX Gods have been kind to me.

My point is, I freaking love watching movies on IMAX. So when I first saw trailers advertising Watchmen on IMAX, I drooled in my seat. (And did I mention Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Matthew Goode are in it? I'm dying over here!)

So imagine my disappointment when I looked up my local movie theater (with a newly built IMAX), and found out AMC is NOT SHOWING WATCHMEN ON THE IMAX SCREEN. What the deuce? The local Regal Cinemas and Loews aren't showing it in IMAX either.

Ack! IMAX Gods: You are a fickle lot!

Despite information from here, the closest IMAX theater selling tickets right now is on the other side of Baltimore.

If you aren't from here, you don't know the Northern Virginia/Maryland travel rules. The only rule being, if you live in Northern VA, you never, ever go to Maryland. And vice versa. I think it's because people spend so much time on the beltway going to and from work, the last thing they want to do is get caught in weekend traffic on the same bridges. Just like during the week.

Not only am I crossing a bridge and driving into Maryland to see Watchmen on IMAX, I'm actually driving to the far side of Baltimore to do it (and the Northern VA/Maryland travel rule applies to DC/Baltimore, only exponentially so).

All I know is, I may be a movie geek, but at least I don't have to drive 6 hours each way to see it. Unless, of course, there is an accident on the beltway. Or on I-95. Or both.

Is It Bad That I Very Much Want to Steal This?

I came sooo close. Too bad the woman taking money for tickets at the theater was watching me.

Darn.

News from the Weekend

Let's see, some friends from work took me out to lunch to Paradiso Restaurante in Springfield, VA which was yummy. Thanks friends!

On Saturday I did a dog run from Fredericksburg, VA to Laurel, MD with 5 adorable chow puppies, 4 black lab-mix puppies, 4 medium size puppies, and 1 smaller female dog names Meris. I didn't get a chance to take pictures of the puppies, but I did get some photos with the camera phone of Meris and Jack (a tri chi/jack russell terrier/feist male) who sat on the seat next to me. Actually, one of the bigger brindle puppies sat on my lap. He kept sneaking out from the back of the 4Runner.

Meris is looking into the camera.


Meris is looking into the camera again.

Jack sleeping peacefully.

Jack (right) and Meris (left) while I'm driving to Laurel, MD.

Ending the dog run in Laurel worked out well since I met up with my friend Stephen to see The Spirit. Now, the movie was released on Christmas, and within 2 weeks, the movie was relegated to late night showings at most of the theaters in my area. Not a good sign. A woman at work said that visually The Spirit was good, but the dialog and plot were stupid. With some trepidation, I plunked money down and saw it in the theater.

The best way to enjoy The Spirit is to watch it as a campy, not serious movie. Which I enjoyed immensely. I do have a few beefs. Gabriel Macht apparantly learned from the Christian Bale School of Superhero Dialog and graveled his way through the movie. I also never saw Gabriel Macht without his mask, and after seeing him play Johnny in Because I Said So (Gabriel Macht's character was the only good thing in the movie), I think we should have seen him more with out the mask. Sure, it would have detracted from the movie, but that's just a small wish on my part.

Sunday I had a phone conference for 3 hours, met up with some folks interested in getting a Young People's bid for something started (they decided in NECYPAA) and talked with the sponsor for a few hours.

All in all, a busy weekend, and now I'm back at work. Yuck.

More Matt Damon Cameos Than I Originally Thought

I admit it. I watched Eurotrip. And spotted a shaved-headed, tatooed, pierced Matt Damon as lead singer to a band torturing one of the main characters with the song, "Scotty Doesn't Know" about cheating with the main character's girlfriend. And despite finishing the movie, I immediately re-watched it to ensure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. Nope. That was definitely Matt Damon and, if he was actually singing, doing a fine job singing lead on the catchy song. Apparantly, Matt Damon was in Hungury filming The Brothers Grimm, and filmed the cameo as a favor to the director/writers, and band, Lustra.

Lo and behold, I came across an article at ifc.com (this article) detailing the cameos Matt Damon has done for friends in other movies. How cool. I interpret Matt Damon's willingness to do cameos for friends as someone who doesn't take himself too seriously and still can enjoy his job. Someone who can take the good and bad of being a celebrity and an actor and maintain some level-headedness and be grounded. Of course, I don't personally know Matt Damon. But let me maintain my fantasy that there is a generally good-guy, down-to-earth actor in Hollywood. Someone who is well-adjusted and likeable.

So Hysterically Bad, I Practically Peed Myself Twice

This weekend, before I bought a Playstation 3, I lounged about in bed and flipped on cable to see what was on. Low and behold: Lambada. Now, if you are my age, you may vaguely remember a movie with dark haired people grinding away on the screen with Lambada, The Forbidden Dance. This movie was not the same. A quick search on imdb.com (what the hell did I do before the Internet?!?) shows there were not just one, but two Lambada movies released in 1990. Really? Was the Lambada that popular of a dance it needed two movies released in the same year?

In my defense, I only watched this version of Lambada because it had a very early twenties Melora Hardin in it. Melora Hardin: beloved deceased wife of Adrian Monk and wonderfully psychotic ex-girlfriend of Michael Scott. She had the very short Just One of the Guys haircuts popular then, the teenage guys had the Miami Vice look, and people were chatting on their car phones. You know, the ones installed in their cars. There was one brick-sized cell phone with the foot long black antenna off of it.

The movie was so horribly, cheesy-bad, I couldn't figure out if it was good.

Summary: J. Eddie Peck in late 80's early 90's hair (think early Jon Bon Jovi) with the requisite dangling earring off the left ear (because left is right, and right is bad/gay) is a Beverly Hills high school math teacher during the day, and a Lambada groovin', black leather jacket/pants-tank top wearing, tutor to the inner city kids at a dance club nick named ... Blade. Oh god. It went down hill from there. Could a plot get more ridiculous than that premise alone?

Add in one Sandy Thomas (Melora Hardin) in early 90's short hair (think lead in Just One of the Guys) who is a spoiled, Beverly Hills student determined to sleep with her math teacher (going as far as tracking him down at the dance club and Lambada-ing with "Blade's" rival Ramon, who is determined to keep the inner city kids out of the tutor program to get their GED). And did I mention that Blade is married to a very put-upon wife who can't understand why Blade must go to the club every night to "tutor" and leave her with their young son at home?

Being a product of the 80's and 90's, I have fondness and nostalgia for many movies from that era. The Sure Thing, Better Off Dead, the aforementioned Just One of the Guys, the lesser known One Crazy Summer, all the way to Say Anything. (You may have noticed a common thread. So I liked John Cusack - sue me).

But I never saw Lambada when it came out in the theaters. No nostalgia for me. Ah, the ridiculousness of the plot and characters. The hair. The clothes. The late 80's/early 90's horror. I couldn't watch afer an hour.

I will say this: J. Eddie Peck was a hunk back then. All 80's styled hair and shaved chest. And thank god Melora Hardin moved onto bigger and better things. Her career survived the 1990's and she's matured beautifully. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Lambada.

Brad Bird Can Do No Wrong

Just finished watching Ratatouille, and it was wonderful! I loved Iron Giant, and The Incredibles, and more than anyone else, Brad Bird can walk that fine line of perky kids' movie with adult angst and sense of self. Remember the perfection of Craig T. Nelson in being a worn down by life and monotonous job of an insurance adjuster in the ubiqetous cubicle? Or the Iron Giant saying, "I am Superman!" while flying into the atmosphere? (I cry every time at that scene.)

Despite the main character being a rat, Ratatouille had lots of heart, good messages about staying true to yourself, and the consequences of stealing. Even with the lessons for the kids, Ratatouille was lots of fun. I wish now I saw it in the theater. Anyway, I still believe Brad Bird can do no wrong; he's a genius.