The vast majority of the time I will maintain the best way to see a film is on a great big movie screen inside a theater. It's personal, immersive, grand, sometimes overwhelming and often gratifying.
Of course there are exceptions to almost every rule, however.
One of those exceptions was when I went to see Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny a few weeks ago on its opening weekend.
The venue was our local theater, in and of itself not a bad locale by any stretch of the imagination. The audience, in this case, "made" the movie I'm sorry to say. And the theater contributed, too.
The few seats we were able to obtain for the Sunday afternoon showing were in the very back row, high up in a theater that housed maybe a little more than 100 patrons. Not that I minded sitting that distance from the screen as the screen itself was large and wide, plenty of viewing area with no blockage from anyone from down below us.
Within the films first 20 minutes or so there's lots of action, as was showcased by a woman to my right a few seats down from me. A surprising sequence elicited a "Whoa!" that practically echoed through the theater ... followed by another in short order.
And this would continue throughout the movie, more than a half dozen times. Some of them were short bursts of exclamation, others long and loud and annoying.
Then? There was the parent who was quickly scooting a small child down the longest path possible through a row of seats in an attempt (I surmised) to get the kid to the bathroom before he exploded from the drink he obviously need to finish 30 minutes into the flick. And then? Afterward, here they come back again to reclaim their seats.
But that wasn't all.
10 minutes later, there they came again, practically running down the aisle. Mom at the rear urge the kid on as quickly as possible.
This happened no less than 3 times in 45 minutes. I don't know if the kid genuinely had to go, if he was sick or what. But it turned just as annoying as the "Whoa!" lady to my right.
Half way through my bag of popcorn, I began to sweat. Profusely. I just sat there, trying to concentrate on the film and ignore the beads of moisture forming at my temples, threatening to roll down my face as soon as the accumulated enough moisture to do so. What the hell? Why was I sweating? Was it the damned leather chairs that seemed to be baking my back and backside into a stew of perspiration? Was I having a reaction to the popcorn? And then, I realized, it was hotter than hell where we were sitting because we were all the way in the back row, closer to the ceiling than anyone else. With zero air conditioning supply units anywhere near us. Dead, hot air going nowhere. No wonder it felt like the beginnings of a sauna ramping up on its way to the "Hell" setting it was obviously set to.
But wait ... there's more. All of a sudden I'm blinded by some ditzy woman at my 11:00 o'clock position while she checked her phone and began to text. I was in no mood for that and began to slowly boil. But, just as soon as I almost grumbled out loud, she doused her phone.
30 seconds later, it was back on again.
And then ... off once more. I waited for a third offense but it didn't come in short order because, if it had, I was going to leap from my seat and give her what for.
Sure enough, she was on her phone once again a minute later. That did it.
I actually leapt from my seat (as much as the leather would allow me to leap while attempting in vain to contain me in its sticky confines) and rushed over to her. I got right down on her shoulder and scared the bejeebers out of her as I said: "Hey! You're phone is blaring right in my face. Turn the damned thing off!" Startled and half out of her seat herself as I griped at her, all she could do was squeak out an "Okay!" meekly and bury her phone in her lap. I trudged back to my seat and plunked back into it just as the lady a few seats down yelled out yet another "WHOA ... !!!" at something that happened on screen.
It was one of the worst experiences I've had in a movie theater.
And then? Yesterday we headed to Oppenheimer at a larger theater in Folsom.
Incidences during that 3 hour film? Exactly zero. Not a one.
Two different theaters, two different genres, two different clienteles. One horrible showing, one excellent showing.
Just goes to show you: They can't all be gems.
Oh ... and the films themselves? The Dial Of Destiny was miles above Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull but seriously ... how is anything expected to beat the grandeur, awe and excitement of Raiders Of The Lost Ark? It was reasonably enjoyable with some typical Indiana Jones-type action and some satisfying acknowledgements to past events ... but greatly lacking in one particular casting situation.
Oppenheimer was exactly what I expected ... long, somewhat convoluted, intriguing and a great testament to Nolan's writing and directing chops. (And, oh ... what a cast!) Downside? Problematic for those who are easily distracted or aren't paying attention.
But a nifty film nevertheless ...
.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )
