Movie Update!

The opened a new AMC 16 next to us at the Valco mall. We were there Friday night, opening night, to pick up some shoes for Sal. Next thing you know, we’re trying to get out of the mall, but Sal’s running in his new shoes and shouting “Pop…CORN!”

He’s a bit cheesey with the dramatic pauses.

So, being the parents who’ve got the goal the spoil their child the most, we go off to look at the new theaters. Well, you need a ticket to get into the area where they sell the popcorn. So we’ll just have to get popcorn some other time.

The ticket checking lady notices Sal. He waves at her. He blows her a kiss. She’s new to the job and doesn’t think twice about my strange request to just go buy some popcorn. I’m feeling a but guilty for being so dedicated to spoiling my kid as I look at the $4 price tag next to the small popcorn sign while in line. But hey, we’re here. It is a friday night. What’s 4 bucks?

4 bucks is what I saved – they had a grand opening special – free small popcorn. Sal even stopped nibbling on the popcorn to blow another few kisses on the way out.

But yeah – we didn’t see a movie in the theater.

Though I bought one on pay per view – couldn’t remember if I wanted The Prestige or The Illusionist. Both were on. I figured I’d get the R rated one. Both PG-13. Prestige sounded darker. Got it. Fell asleep during it last night. Magic tricks from the 1700s just aren’t that interesting for a “thriller” in 2007.

Today, noticed that I recorded Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift. It was surprisingly entertaining – perhaps because we had such low expectations and maybe cause it was a lazy Saturday afternoon and Sal was napping. Or maybe it’s the Japanese high schoolers.

But the real treat was finding Mail Order Wife (not Mail Order Bride, which is a different movie now that I’m looking things up) – it’s on Starz right now. It’s a documentary. Probably the best documentary I’ve ever seen. Catherine walked out 23 minutes into it. She was very upset by the film. 5 minutes later, I had to rewind it and call her back in. It was freaking horrible and I couldn’t be the only one exposed to it.

The scene in Kids, where they are beating up a kid with a skateboard – I noticed that I had stopped breathing during that scene – it was that powerful. This movie – Mail Order Wife (not Bride!) – was so powerful I actually felt guilty and ashamed for all of men. Which for me, means the movie was off the charts powerful. In the Company of Men is a slapstick comedy when compared to Mail Order Wife. I even felt a little tinge of “maybe I shouldn’t have said that” when I said, “if you can get her for 6100, what’s 10k gonna bag you?”

It has made it into my top 3 movies of all time. It was that freaking good. Though Catherine still probably feels like she needs to take several showers.

You notice I’ve said very little about the movie – and I’m usually the biggest spoiler around. I think you need to go into this movie without any prior knowledge of it – don’t research it – just experience it raw like Catherine and I did. Otherwise, you’ll be able to prepare yourself for it and then it’ll be overhyped and thought out beforehand and not as fun. Like The Prestige. When it could be like Tokyo Drift – but 100 times better. Actually, I just finished watching The Prestige and it turned out to be not so bad, but still, that 1700s magic just doesn’t cut it.

Man – I like this Mail Order Wife movie so much I might give it out as birthday gifts this year. That’ll keep you from having to look anything up about the movie and remembering if it’s Bride or Wife.

Tell me when your birthday is…

Update: I’m serious. Amazon only had 3 copies left. I just bought them all. Will figure out who they are for later. Will buy more when it is back in stock. Mr. Impulsive is in the driver’s seat!