Come independence day weekend at the four-screen movie theatre (not multi-plex), lines went around the block for $4 tickets (they still are..I know...I KNOW!). I prided myself on having seen all four movies showing at anytime between the months of May to August. Sometimes more than once. I saw Armageddon four times, not necessarily because I loved Bruce Willis' sacrifice for mankind or the catchy Aerosmith theme song, but because four was how many times the projectionist had to restart the reel on opening. "I don't want to miss a thing" was very apt.
I guess my movie theatre madness isn't surprising. There were few competing summer entertainment options to a 12-year old without a drivers license. Seeing the latest Hollywood blockbusters (which I had been following each week in Entertainment Weekly) meant participating in a wider cultural conversation. From references on late night talk shows to jabs in NY Times columns, fashions, abbreviations (Bennifer, Bradngelina, Lilo), these movies extended beyond their hype into a national vernacular.
Now as a jaded New Yorker, overwhelmed by options (a Broadway matinee? An afternoon at the Met? A double feature at IFC?) the multiplex offerings seem to have less impact. Only the event movies evoke watercooler conversation...Sex and the City, Dark Knight, Indiana Jones. Even still, I remain a devoted and captive audience to the so-called summer studio schlock. I am already well into this year's offerings:
Kick Ass -- Of mixed minds about this new comic book-based entry to the season's line-up. On one hand, the element situated within contemporary reality were funny in a Judd Apatow kind of way, and for a while I sort of enjoyed that they were infused with a cartoon punch. But where things got weird (and arguably irresponsible) were when Superbad merged with Sin City and an eleven year old potty-mouth girl was being pistol-whipped by a 50+ year old man. Sure part of me loved the Kick Ass quality, but sometimes it's hard to watch a dorky adolescent nearly murdered by a drug addled pimp. I am conflicted and can't recommend this to anyone with good conscience.
Iron Man 2 - Addicted to the first round, I was ecstatic for a second bout and IM2 did not disappoint. This is Robert Downey Jr.'s role and thus delightful to watch. He is smart and suave, rich and ridiculous. With Don Cheadle, ScarJo, and Mickey Rourke (although slightly off-putting), this turns into a veritable who's who of great character performances, not to mention mind-bending explosions and special effect sequences. I agree that there were some formulaic moments typical of a franchise sequel (evil villain feels slighted, befriends new villain to be henchmen, etc), but the senate hearing scene was simply spectacular cinema. Loved it like a twelve year old.
Shrek 4 -- Saw this one in 3d Imax, technology not available at the local four-screen where watching movies was akin to starring at a tv in your living room (with worse popcorn). I must say the experience is improved tremendously by that immersion into the image. I was transported into Far Far Away with lush visuals and surround sound. I felt small again and ready to be told a fairy tale. The film was serviceable, less irreverent than the others in the series, but sweet and straight-forward. I've always admired the Shrek site gags (the gingerbread cookie fending off animal crackers, the witches' grenade apples, Gepato dressed like Shrek) and enjoy revisiting characters from my past. The three little pigs, the pied piper, Pinocchio are all well-used. This, plus the karaoke tunes, make Shrek delightfully familiar. It calls upon our cultural language and distorts it to our pleasure. We escape, with friends, and return to a state of childlike innocence and wonderment. Which to me is what the summer blockbuster is all about.
Any of these films would be washed down easily with a grasshopper milkshake from Kaffein (tastes like an Andes mint frappucino)...where I followed up many summer movies and ended a few awkward dates in Evanston, Illinois. If you are averse to the lactose, try an italian soda. Always a lovely treat at this teen hangout.
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