Bad Dubbing, Cool Flips and Rubber Suits… Gimme!

With encouragement by Fritz

I don’t know why… but I *love* Asian Entertainment.

Martial Arts films, Monster Movies, Anime… yes, please. Right here!

Now, I am not Asian. Not even partially. I’m not related to anyone Asian, nor have I ever been to Asia. Yet, when my fascination for it started, the only real-world exposure I had was seeing the owners/operators of the China Moon Restaurant in Stoneham, Massachusetts. The first time I recall even having an Asian Classmate was in 5th grade, when a girl actually from Taiwan suddenly appeared in my class. I don’t remember how long she was there… but she wasn’t there at the end of the year. The next was in 6th grade when we moved to New Hampshire… and that guy was a Prick. (AND his family owned the local Chinese Restaurant… hate to sound like I’m perpetuating a stereotype, but that was a fact. *shrug* Good food, though…)

So, most of my experience… was movies.

Saturday afternoons… just after lunch… the “Creature Double Feature”. Almost invariably, one of those films would be a Godzilla movie. Well, I say “Godzilla”, but that’s basically what we called EVERY giant monster movie with a guy in a rubber suit; a “Godzilla Movie”. My oldest brother was the bigger Godzilla fan… his favorite character was Jet Jaguar, a tiny robot that grew huge, who was only in one of the movies. (I have to admit… he *was* pretty bitchin) I had a personal preference in the Gamera series… he was the giant Turtle. Probably only because he was *different* than Godzilla, and hence, I didn’t have to feel like I was copying my brother. Now, these were the old 60’s and 70’s monster movies… which veritably SCREAMED of “Cheese”. But when you’re a young boy whose age is in the single digits… they’re the greatest cinematic achievements known to mankind, hands down. Despite the fact they all had the same plot:

Godzilla appears. Another monster appears. Godzilla and Other Monster fight. Godzilla gets hurt, Other Monster reigns supreme. Japanese people try to find and exploit weakness of Other Monster, and fail. Godzilla comes back. Godzilla and Other Monster fight again. Godzilla kicks Other Monster’s Ass to Bloody Hell. Credits roll.

One time I was watching Rocky III, and it hit me… it’s the same damn plot! Rocky has moved out of the Sports Movie genre… and is officially a Japanese Giant Monster Film.

When I got into my late-teens… I cast aside such “silly pursuits”. (At least, that’s what I told people… I still watched them as a guilty pleasure.) Then, as I got towards college, my brother discovered that they were making “new” Godzilla films… and they were really good. He bought a bootleg of one from a mail-order in the back of a Fangoria magazine (or something)… Godzilla vs. King Ghidora. Still the whole man-in-a-rubber-suit… but the filmmakers got *good* at it… adding in a few modern-type special effects, and I had to admit, it was pretty darn entertaining. When I got to college, I made friends with a guy who was ALSO a Godzilla fan… but he had MORE of the new movies. So, I got to watch them… some were still a bit cheesy… but still enjoyable nonetheless. They satisfied my inner-creature-double-feature-watching-Kid with the badass monsters and wanton destruction… my slightly-more-mature-cinematic-sensibilities with the effects and storytelling… and my sense of humor with just the right amount of cheesy-looking silliness. They were the perfect movies!

Then… my friend told me that there were re-makes of the Gamera series as well. I was intrigued… because he was my favorite. So when he said he was making a trip down to Boston’s Chinatown, to hopefully pick up the final Godzilla movie he didn’t have (Godzilla versus Destroyah… the one where Godzilla dies!)… he asked me if I wanted him to pick me up a copy of Gamera, should they have it. I said, “Yes, please!”, gave him the money… and as luck would have it…when he came back, he had Gamera: Guardian of the Universe with him. (This was back in the end days of VHS… about 2 years before DVD came out)

That… was a Freaking Sweet movie. The effects were on par with the new Godzilla movies… and the story was great! Seriously… the actual tale being told was a good one! It was my new favorite Giant Monster Movie. All hail the Turtle!

They made 2 sequels… and I saw and bought the third one… now on DVD. Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris. Now… watching this movie… you know it’s a guy in a suit… but it *doesn’t look* like a guy in a suit! Holy crap… this movie was better in most every way to any Godzilla film I’ve ever seen… Story, effects, action… Oochie Mama! It was freaking brilliant! Never mess with a turtle that’s so determined to kick your ass, that it blows off its own hand with a fireball. I’m just saying… that’s probably good advice.

My oldest brother even admits that the new Gamera Trilogy (as it’s known as)… are the best Monster Movies ever made. Now, we both swear by them. So, if you’re ever in the mood to satisfy your inner-six-year-old-destruction-craving-self… the Gamera Trilogy is the way to go.

Though, recently… I did pick up the Original Godzilla movie from 1954… the first one that started the whole trend of a guy in a rubber suit. I bought the special edition that has BOTH versions… the one with Raymond Burr spliced in for the American audiences… and the Japanese original… Gojira. First, I watched the Raymond Burr one… and fell asleep. The Japanese version, is longer, and no Raymond Burr… and now I’ll never see the Raymond Burr one again. Supports the theory… “Always go with the original”.

The other kind of movie that Japan does really well (at least that I watch)… is their Animation. But it’s better than Animation… it’s just “Anime”. Because apparently, when you get cool, mature and edgy… you don’t bother to say the end syllables. The first Anime I saw was Vampire Hunter D. Very dark, very gothic and very violent… so naturally, it was loved by me and my pre-teenage self. The first time I realized that there’s some animation that wasn’t for kids… and look what it started; a whole new area of Geek for little ole me.

I was always a bigger fan of the Sci-Fi and Horror Animes (big surprise, right?). The “period” pieces that dealt with the Samurais and high fantasy… weren’t my cup of tea. Nah, I prefer my Anime to be set in the 20th century or later.

My absolute earliest exposure to it was the old Force Five series that played in the mornings before school. Each day of the week was a different show. There was Grandizer; an alien outcast disguised as a farmhand who discreetly hid his giant robot behind a waterfall... Danguard Ace; a flying battleship that also turned into a giant robot… Starvengers; 3 badass ships that combined in 3 different badass ways to make 3 different badass Giant Robots… Gai King; the baddest-ass of all the Giant Robots, and sort of the flagship show of the whole Force Five lineup… and as awesome as they all were, my personal favorite was Spaceketeers; 3 guys with little mini-ships escorting a galactic princess across the galaxy… and the only show that didn’t focus on Giant Robots.

Since my resurged interest, one that became amongst my favorites is the series Bubblegum Crises Tokyo 2040. It’s a reboot/remake of the original Bubblegum Crisis… and while more fans apparently swear by the original… I prefer the newer one, because there’s more episodes and better animation… but that’s just me. The concept is basically just hot chicks in super-armor kicking the crap out of robots that are going bonkers. It’s a dangerous combination of appealing to my geek side and my inner 13-year old that’s entering puberty. Call it a guilty pleasure… I just call it entertaining.

Other favorites are Ghost In the Shell (that’s a big one), Spriggan, Hellsing, Wolf’s Rain, Witch Hunter Robin, the original Fist of the North Star and the ultra-violent Guyver. (It’s a testosterone thing)

I’ve never seen Dragonball Z, but have heard its praises… but I’m still not desiring to see it. Yes, I’ve been subjected to Pokemon… and the sheer concept baffles me to no end. I’ve also seen some of the more “romance” series… like Love Hina, Please Teacher! (which was… odd), Please Twins (the not-so-odd sequel) and a few others. While I’m fascinated by the idea that this comic-book and animation medium has so many different genres and stories (the number of various titles produced in Japan is staggering!)… those just aren’t my cup of tea.

And a word about the “Hentai” genre: Uh… Why? It’s just porn… which is fine. Plenty of people want to see that. But conceptually… why? The comics (or “manga”) are easy enough to make, that’s fine. There are plenty of smutty comics and drawings out there… go nuts. But knowing how much work and time goes into ANIMATION… even for just a half-hour show (about 9 months), it just seems so… pointless to put all that effort into something that could more efficiently, more quickly, and much more easily be filmed in ONE day with live, willing actors. (I think it’d be sexier too… but that’s just me.) Granted, it would be funny to be a fly on the wall when they’re doing the voice recording of that. For the voice-actors… it’s gotta be humbling, just moaning into a microphone.

Oh, and for the Hentai that involves the “Naughty Tentacles”… uh… I’ll be over here, just let me know when you’re finished. For those readers that have no clue what I mean… Trust me… You don’t want to know. *shudder*

I don’t want to seem like I’m only having a thing for Japan. That’s not the only country I think of when I think about “Asian”. Hell, it’s really just a small island in comparison to the rest of it. Face it… China completely dwarfs it in size, though I don’t know about populations. But Japan is the specific place that’s associated with Anime and Giant Monster Movies (“Kaiju”, I believe it’s called).

China, on the other hand… that’s where I generally go for my Kung-Fu movies! (Not literally, as I’ve never been there… but one day!)

Now my standards for Kung-Fu movies are actually pretty low, I think. With most movies I want a good, believable story, solid acting, and (ideally) a slightly better understanding of the human condition. With Kung-Fu movies… I just need really neat-looking butt-kicking. I don’t normally care who the main butt-kicker is… (but Jackie Chan, Jet Li or Bruce Lee are always solid options)… it just has to have lots of flips, kicks, acrobatics, and imaginative attacks/counter-attacks/counter-counter-attacks. Plot? What’s that? Who cares? I’m only here for the action. (Hmmm… that’s an odd parallel to porn, right there)

The old Bruce Lee movies didn’t have a whole lot of the super-fancy made-for-movies type of choreography… Jackie Chan and Jet Li definitely have a lot more flipping and acrobatics in their movies… but Bruce Lee had far more straightforward, high-intensity-level Smackdown being laid upon any who dare mess with him.

I think a great comparison between those 3 is in the following situation… and how their movies handled that with their particular stock characters: 1 vs. 100

If Jackie Chan were alone, facing 100 enemies at once, he panics and tries to run away and dodge in a Buster Keaton/Charlie Chaplin-type comedic style. When cornered, he fights and takes out a few characters… dodges, takes out a few more… always moving, always dodging, never letting up as long as he’s being pursued. But not normally engaging more then 3 guys at any one instance. Highly entertaining with the best comedic value of the 3. Total sequence time: Probably 10 minutes.

Jet Li… facing 100 enemies at once. With Zen-like calmness he stands his ground… taking out each enemy one at a time (sometimes two or three at a time). Realizing he can’t be fazed… the majority back off, while the big bad Heavy steps forward to take him on one-on-one… who gets his ass handed to him in a more thorough manner than any of the other 99. Highly entertaining with an “Oooh… did you see that?” Factor. Total sequence time: Anywhere from 5-10 minutes.

Bruce Lee… versus 100 enemies. You know without a doubt going in, the odds are AGAINST the 100. He may be preaching Zen-like coolness… but he looks majorly pissed off. He actively walks *into* the fray… taking on 5-8 guys at any one instant, bodies dropping in his wake, ripping everyone a new bunghole in record time. Entertainment value is determined after picking your jaw up off the floor. Total sequence time: 2 minutes… tops.

While those three are most well-known… you definitely can’t discount many of the other great Martial Arts stars out there. Tony Leung, Stephen Chow, Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Michelle Yeoh (mmmm…. Michelle Yeoh. *drool*)… there’s really too many to list. All have distinctive styles and do their jobs VERY well.

You also can’t discount some of the non-martial arts action films that come out of China. If you’ve never seen John Woo’s Hard Boiled or The Killer both starring Chow-Yun Fat… then you may be confused why they call John Woo a “Master” when you see his American films. Just see the opening action sequence of Hard Boiled and you’ll have your answer. Seriously.

Now, as much as I love Asian movies and entertainment… I won’t automatically think its great if it comes from there. I have to admit, I’m not really a big fan of the Asian Horror movies I’ve seen. I really enjoyed The Ring, and after constantly hearing how “the original was better”… well, of *course* I’m going to track it down and watch it. So, I did find Ringu, and saw it. Honestly… I liked the American version better.

But I think that comes down to a cultural thing. In the Japanese original, when the Ex-Husband character comes into the story, he completely takes over the investigation… and the main female character takes a backseat. I seriously forgot she was there in some scenes. They also figure in psychic powers and telepathy into the story, so one character (usually the Ex-Husband) will simply touch another, get a psychic flash of all the convenient information they need to get to the next scene. Not only does it make the movie a half-hour shorter than the American one… it just all seems “too easy”... like the story was handed to them, and it would have happened whether they did anything or not. In the American… there’s no psychic-stuff… so all the clues and answers are found by actively investigating. No answers are handed to the characters… they have to take initiative and find them. Plus, it’s the main female (Naomi Watts) who’s doing most of the work (as well she should… because it’s her story). The Ex is useful in his own way, and he’s much less of a dick then the original guy. The scares and creep factor in both are probably about the same… but overall, I’d rather see the American one. *shrug* (Which goes AGAINST my theory of, “Always go with the original”)

So yeah… I pick and choose the stuff I like from that side of the world. But then again, who doesn’t? Hell… THEY do it themselves. But while “being Asian” isn’t a guarantee that I’ll like it… it will intrigue a small part of me enough to probably give it a chance. (At least enough to read a synopsis) And it’s led me to discover a lot of shows and movies that have made me smile for one reason or another. Isn’t that the most important thing?

And without my fascination for that side of the world… I never would have tried sushi. Which is probably my favorite part of the whole thing.

Mmmmmm... Sushi.

What Hollywood Should Be Doing (or Are You Experienced?)

Before I begin, I want to make something clear: This is NOT going to be another rant about how movies are crappy. There are articles and blogs and columns every day written by people saying, “We need characters to care about”, “We want interesting and original plots”, and “Stop doing Re-makes and sequels” and all that. In fact, I’m not even going to talk about “content” at all. Yeah, it seems odd, because the whole business of Hollywood, when you come down to it, is about “content”. They want to make money, but they have to have content, good or bad, to be able to sell. And not to diminish those arguments... because there is a lot of bad crap out there. Course, there’s also a lot of *good* crap out there… not to mention there’s also some Fantastic stuff out there. So all the other guys can bitch and moan about the content. I want… an Experience.

I love movies. I’m not that much of a film “buff”, contrary to what many that know me might think. I’ve always loved horror films, so if there was trivia to be known about that subject, I was looking it up. When I went away to Grad School, I got exposed a little more to “the classics”, both modern-day classics, and classic classics. Then living in Los Angeles, being surrounded by film history (you just need to be willing to look), plus working for a company that quality-tested DVDs… well, I got to see a lot of movies. I came to love more genres than just horror. In fact, I’d say my tastes are pretty wide about now when it comes to genres. I no longer qualify a “good movie” by the amount of boobs, blood or explosions that are in it… instead it’s a more general term I use: “I want a good story, no matter the genre.” And there is a LOT of films I haven’t seen before… a lot of “oh-my-God-YOU-haven’t-seen-that-movie” kind of films. Well, there’s only so many hours in the day, and for some movies I haven’t seen… there are some other obscure ones that I *have* seen. All in the search for a good story.

I am one of those guys that like to watch a movie to the end of the credits. For a couple of reasons, really. For one… there are some movies that like to put an extra scene at the end of the credits… whether it opens up the possibility for a sequel (not always a bad thing), is just a throwaway gag, clears up the last remaining plot question or whatever… I like to see that. Second… and this is a concept I first heard put into words when I saw Dark City in 1998 (an EXTREMELY underrated movie), it’s a sign of respect to all the people that worked on the film… especially if you really enjoyed the movie. A really nice concept, but to be honest… probably the weakest of the reasons that I stay. Third… it’s my “buffer” before getting back to the real world. When the credits begin, the freshness of the story is such that I don’t want to get up; I like to listen to the music that the composer wrote to accentuate the story and emotions. That music keeps the emotions going, and helps me feel like I’m still there, while slowly bringing me out of it at the same time. So when the final music fades and the rating card appears, signifying there is NO more to the film reels, I’m fully OUT of the world of the film story, and back in my theatre chair. (Or couch at home, wherever I happen to be watching it.)

As an extra bonus… staying to the end pretty much guarantees a smooth walk outside, as everyone else has already scrambled to be the first ones to their car, and get out to “avoid the rush”. Me… I tend to get there AFTER the rush, so it’s even smoother sailing. More evidence that “patience is a virtue”.

My brother is NOT one of those people. As soon as the credits even start (sometimes even before that), he’s already out of his chair and walking out, no matter how much he liked or disliked it. I’ve seen a few movies with him this year, and he always does that… and it bugs me. I want to just chill for a few minutes, and he’s saying, “Okay, we’re going… come on!” Obviously, my Movie-going practices and habits aren’t for everyone. Just get in, see the explosions and shiny things, hear the cool one-liners, and bolt. Fast-Track Living for a Fast-Tracked Life.

Can we slow down, please?

I don’t want the act of going to the movies to be a tightly scheduled thing. I like to be a little looser with it. If the movie starts at 1:40, and I happen to arrive at 1:48… well, then I’ll just come in to the Theater during the previews. Likewise, I don’t mind arriving a half-hour earlier and just chilling out waiting to start. Either way I’m totally cool with. I don’t consider myself “late” unless the actual movie itself has already started. In which case… I’ll catch a later showing. Because I *do* like to see every second of the story… even if it is just opening credits. (It too is the buffer from the real world… bringing us IN to the story.)

I’ve always considered “going out to a movie”… to be pretty much an all-day-activity… even though it isn’t. I’m not sure why I think that way… but I do. If the movie is 90 minutes long, well, you still have to drive to the theater, maybe grab something to eat (before or after), wait in line, sit in the theatre, waiting for it to start, then leave, drive home… and if it’s a Date, or you’re out with friends, well, there’s probably a little more involved, more time taken. So a movie that’s an hour and a half… could take up to 4 hours of your day. Or even more. That’s 4 hours… of an experience.

When you see a movie for the first time, you’re not just “watching” it. You’re Experiencing it. The filmmakers, actors, editors and everyone that worked on it can only DREAM of being in the position you’re in. Of seeing those jokes, shocks, plot-twists and revelations for the FIRST time. Your reactions to those moments are the closest to real-life, and (from a filmmaking perspective), the final solution to the mystery of whether or not a particular moment truly “works”.

How often have you seen a trailer for a movie, or heard about one, and said to your closest friend, “Dude! You and I *have* to see that movie together!” You don’t mean to say, “I’m going to buy a ticket at the first convenient time for myself, and if you happen to be there, that’s okay.” No… you want to go through that experience WITH that person, specifically. You’ll hold off going on opening weekend, until its convenient for BOTH of you, and then you’ll see it all for the first time together. So what happens when one person goes to see it, and the other one isn’t there? That other person feels “ditched”.

There’s a big difference between “I want to see that movie”, and “I want to see that movie with *you*.”

Even if the movie is really good, and you want to see it again, and go to the theatre AGAIN with that person to see the movie (2nd time for you, 1st for them)… it’s not going to be the same. Because you’re not Experiencing the movie anymore. You’re only watching it. Sure, you can keep your mouth shut and not reveal any details to your friend/date/whatever… But when friendships and relationships are built around “experiencing” things together… you’ve put a wall between the two of you. Some won’t consider it a big deal. I do. (As you may have guessed from reading these other blog entries… I tend to overthink things.)

I remember seeing a one-page ad in a magazine… I don’t even know what the product being advertised WAS, probably deodorant or something. It had a picture of a young couple sitting in a theatre. The caption said something like:

“First date. Popcorn is stale. Dialog is cheesy. Effects are laughable. Story insulting. Movie is horrible.

She puts her hand on yours.

You are watching the Greatest Movie Ever Made in History.”

Yeah, it’s all about the Experience. Even a movie that is laughably horrible can be a wonderful experience for you. Fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 can attest to that. Now, the Hollywood machine can’t do anything about my bad dates, past or future. But they CAN help contribute more to the Experience.

Last movie I saw (without my brother), just before the movie started, I saw something that I had thought was lost to annals of film history.

A cartoon.

One thing I think a lot of people have forgotten is that all those old Disney and Looney Tunes cartoons… the ones that used to rule Saturday mornings back when there was a concept of Saturday Morning Cartoons… those 9-minute shorts that we’ve laughed at countless times as children and adults… those were shown in movie theatres. One cartoon before a feature film. Sometime in the 60s they stopped this practice, and now it’s a rarity or a “throwback” to make a new 9-minute short “purely for nostalgic value”.

Well, I want more.

I don’t want shorts that have been outsourced to Korea or something… I understand the half-hour animated shows have to do that, and that’s fine. But I think we can get 9 minutes of material created right here at home. Easily. For an animator trying to break into the business, I think they’re willing to give us 9 minutes of their blood, sweat and tears. I’ll gladly give him, or her, a chance to make me laugh or cry with their drawings. There are so many out there, you could have a different cartoon every week, and a different one in every state. So the cartoons that California sees are different from the ones that New Hampshire sees.

The old-time movie experience always had a cartoon. Kids would spend their Saturdays paying a nickel to see the latest adventure picture, and with it would be a new cartoon showing the hijinks of Goofy, Bugs Bunny, Donald Duck, Daffy Duck, Mickey Mouse, etcetera etcetera etcetera. There’s also something else they had: A live action short.

The live-action short could be broken into 2 categories… the Cliffhanger serial adventures, or the stand-alones. The stand-alones were just that, 15-20 minutes of a completely independent story… far too short on material for a feature film and sometimes a bit on the “propaganda” side of the fence, but enough nonetheless. The Cliffhangers, though… were the best. These were the 12-part stories… a new 20 minute chapter every week at the local theater… these were the stories of Flash Gordon, or Zombies of the Stratosphere, King of the Rocketmen… these were the inspirations that would become the Indiana Jones movies, and even Star Wars. It was the origin of the whole idea of leaving an episode at a crucial point (like oh… the hero hanging off a cliff), making the audience wait till NEXT week to see the conclusion… a practice so many TV shows of today are utilizing. Hence why they call those endings “Cliffhangers”. Well, I want those back in the theater. The Cliffhangers OR the stand-alones.

I’m sure a lot of bean-counters will say, “We’d like to, but they’re not cost-effective.” Well, guess what? There’s an incredibly easy, cost-effective way to bring them to us. In practically every state, there is at least 1 or 2 “filmmaking festivals”. Of which each one is inundated with submissions of short films (10-20 minutes long) from young filmmakers. These short films are rarely, if ever, seen outside of that festival circuit. Buy some of them for a song. Hell, say it’s a “competition” and the winner gets it presented before a feature film over the country, then it’s free. Put THOSE in the theatres. You’ll be allowing millions of moviegoers the opportunity to see some bright new quality material, and be giving some deserving young filmmakers the opportunity to be seen. How is this NOT a win-win situation? The exact same thing can be done for the cartoons. So many animators looking for a shot, but there is no market for it. Well, there IS a market for it, there’s just no means for those that want to see them.

The last component to achieve that Old Time Moviegoing Experience… Newsreels. Back then, that was how a lot of people got to see the news. Very few, if anyone, had televisions, so they got the news from the radio. If you actually wanted to SEE what the president looked like? Outside of the newspaper, really the only place was at the movie theatre in the newsreels. And the advantage over radio or newspapers… you could actually match the voice and the body together. Obviously nowadays, that wouldn’t be worth it to make newsreels showing the actual news. We get it on the Internet at the speed of thought, or on TV as its happening. So… the solution? Talk to the folks at The Daily Show. Or the Onion… go to the people that make a living satirizing the daily news and current events. Give us an extra 3 to 5 minutes of laughter before the feature starts. Shoot and project it digitally, and you can keep it more current then the newsreels of old. Hell, shooting and projecting digitally… there’s no reason you COULDN’T show regular news stories in the theatres.

You add on a cartoon, a live-action short and a newsreel in addition to the trailers that are there (and some places are showing COMMERCIALS. You’re giving us commercials? Give us this good stuff, too!) and I won’t feel so gypped paying $11.00 to see an 80 minute movie, no matter how flashy the explosions are. If they’re smart, they’ll add a 4 minute intermission just before the feature starts so people can hit the bathroom one last time. (I *hate* leaving to pee… I usually cross my legs and try to wait it out.)

(On the side note of “being gypped”… this is to the Cineplex owners. Go to the supermarket or a drugstore. Go to the candy aisle. See what they’re charging? Charge that. And dump your supplier, 75% of the boxes are air. Go to Costco and buy them in bulk yourself. Sell the NORMAL boxes of candy at NORMAL prices, and you won’t get anymore people sneaking in candy. Which means you’ll sell more and MAKE more profit rather than selling very little for way too much and making NO profit. Thanks to you, the youth population have become better smugglers than Han Solo.)

Hollywood won’t like this for the same reason that they don’t like 3-hour movies. Less times they can show the film, and less money they can make on it. (Funny, that didn’t hurt Lord of the Rings…) So, let’s compromise: Put all this in front of a movie 3 times a week. Friday night at an 8pm showing on the “big movie” that’s out (since each theater chain is owned by a different movie studio, they can decide which movie that is). Saturday night at the 8pm showing… and Saturday afternoon at 1pm (the “kid adventure movie matinee”). It will make going to the theatre (on the popular times) an “Experience” again. I’d personally be more willing to go to the movies on opening weekends, rather than waiting a few weeks until the crowds die down, as I usually do.

To be fair… we movie-goers, as a whole, have some work of our own to do. Very few people know how to be a “good audience member”. There are many of us that need to figure out how to sit down and shut the hell up. (Frankly, it’s the only reason and circumstance, I think, in which Lynching should be legal.)

Give us more time being entertained, more time to feel our date’s hands on ours, more time to be immersed and appreciate the hard work that the filmmakers, actors, writers, producers and bean-counters put into it.

You can take us to other worlds. Let’s hang out and take in the sights. Whaddaya say?