Emily and I recently saw two movies: Music & Lyrics and 300.
On my birthday Sunday before last, Emily and I walked to MM Cinemas to watch "Music & Lyrics." We first played a few games of air hockey, then hustled up to the Bennigan's Express for a couple Guinesses and some potato skins. (Ain't livin' in Mexico tough?) The taters were a bit overdone, but they came out quickly as requested. The Guiness was wonderful, after probably a year without one. (We've spotted Guiness here occasionally, but it's even more expensive than back home. We usually settle for Leon, but snag Negra Modelo when we find it.)
As for the film, given the cast and what little I knew of the plot, I hoped it wouldn't be a truly dumb comedy. Don't get me wrong - there are a number of romantic comedies I have enjoyed (When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, Joe vs. the Volcano, and plenty of others). I'm just not into most of the comedies, movie or TV, that make it these days. Thankfully, this movie was not in the latter category. Emily and I enjoyed it. It was witty, fun, and we had a blast. A particular scene I enjoyed was near the end. Parents with their kids at the concert were a bit stunned at the revealing outfit worn by the performer. The mother was trying to hide the little girl's eyes, meanwhile the father and son were practically drooling. I'm not a parent, but I understand it totally. Good luck, all those friends with kids.
During the movie we heard thunder and thought it was in the film, until we heard it again. We emerged from the movie to find a deluge, with lots of thunder and lightning. We trudged next door to the supermarket, hoping to spot a taxi. After a bit we gave up and started walking. We soon encountered a taxi, which proceeded to head towards home at a blistering 10-15 mph, with fogged windows. We got out around the corner from our house and had to splash through ankle-deep runoff to get inside. Joy of joys, the courtyard between the maid's quarters and the laundry was flooded. I waded out and cleared the drain. Fun stuff.
Last Saturday we went to see "300"... in IMAX. I held out to see it in IMAX. I figured, why not? So, I saw all the gore and blood on the Largest Movie Screen in Mexico and heard the *thunks* of limbs being severed in all the clarity provided by 12,000 watts of surround sound. The theater has wider aisles than back the States (easier for people to get by) and comfortable seats.
As for the film, I enjoyed it. I know there were huge historical inaccuracies, which I'll have to research and find the truth of some day. I also wasn't crazy about some of the CGI, such as the wolf early in the film. It just looked BAD as far as I'm concerned. I found the NPR reviewer's comments about the "manly men" valid. I seriously doubt the Spartan men routinely went about and into battle bare-chested. I also agreed with the reviewer that some of the effects were a bit over-done. Personally, I don't think the headless torsos and severed heads added much to the film. On the realism front, it's just not all that easy to sever limbs or heads with a sword. Anyone who's chopped the head off a chicken (which I've done) or butchered an animal (with which I've assisted) knows that a knife or even an axe doesn't easily sever bone. It takes some effort. In the thick of the battle it's unlikely a warrior would have the necessary time to get sufficient force behind his blow to accomplish such a severance. If so, he'd likely be unprepared for attack/defense or off-balance. Note: I won't claim to be an expert in this, but it just seems to be common sense to me.
That said, I did enjoy it overall. I'm a sucker for fantasy, mythology, history, war - this was all of the above. It's definitely not for the kiddies, but if you enjoy bloody fight films, you might like this one.
The best part for me is that it's another example of what can be done in film today. Films such as the LOTR movies, Harry Potter, Narnia, Star Wars, and many others have proven we have the capability to pull off nearly anything. Now that Disney has optioned Edgar Rice Burrough's John Carter of Mars series, I'm having dreams of mighty, six-armed green warriors, ferocious giant white apes, and gorgeous princesses on the big screen. I'd honestly be happy with animated, but they can definitely pull it off in live-action these days.
Here's a scan of the ticket stubs. Note the circled prices are in Mexican pesos, which are about 10-11:1. I'll gladly pay $5 for a film or $7 for an IMAX. That's way better than back in DC!
Posts
