Sunday, May 13, 2007

Reflections on Movie Night.

First, the bad news.

While we started off with a good running in the JIBs...the Muqata has been overtaken in almost every single category! What is this?! This blog has hundreds of readers...where are they?! Unless...maybe most of you are really Arabs who hate this blog. Could that be? If you haven't voted in the JIBs yet (here are the reasons and links to vote for me)

And now, on to the regularly scheduled post.

Spiderman seeing his blog persona?

The Mrs. and I rarely go out to movies, and I can even count the number of movies we've seen in the past 5 years in the theater on one hand.

So...last week, we went to see Spiderman 3. With Lag Ba'Omer having come and gone, we went out with some friends to Cinema City, Israel's coolest cinema. Since we rarely go out, we treated ourselves and paid extra money with our friends to get upgraded seats.

Upgraded?

It's like flying First Class instead of Coach.

Picture the following: Before the movie, you arrive early with your prepaid tickets and reservation to a private VIP lounge. Sitting down with your friends, all the food in the lounge is free (well, you did pay extra!!) -- eat and drink as much as you like.

Champagne and Wine...ice cream (Ben & Jerry)...soft drinks...fresh cut fruit and vegetables...coffee, espresso, latte, tea...take your pick...it's all there for you to eat as much as you wish.

When it's time for your movie to start, the movie hostess announces that the movie is about to begin, and you exit the VIP room directly into the private balcony of the movie theater.

You can't even see the "coach class" seats below!

With only about 40 seats, the VIP exclusive treatment means you get a large leather seat with electronic controls (and footrest!) that competes with LAY-Z-Boy chairs (or first class seats on British Airways). With mini tables between the seats, there is ample room for the food you bring with you from the "lounge"...ice cream, popcorn and drinks. You get the same wide screen movie experience with stomach churning Dolby Surround-Sound TM, and yet, you get pampered with additional luxuries and extras.

Now, so why is it so much better to see movies here? Not because there are tons of commercials before the actual movie starts, but because there are now COOL "only in Israel" commercials!

What's a COOL "only in Israel" commercial? Where it asks you Jewish related trivia questions on expressions, and you have to figure out what the Jewish source is. I'll try to have some examples in a later post.

About the movie itself...

Well, movies at the theatre are apparently not meant for my wife and I. As on our first movie date, she fell asleep during the movie -- I assumed because I was just too boring a person. (Luckily for me, she married me anyway) I guess the extra comfortable seats in the VIP section caused her to fall asleep...again. (I didn't take it personally).

I liked the movie, since its exactly how I would expect a comic book to be thrown onto a movie screen -- Dizzying digital ink with computer enhanced graphics.

Now, if there were going to be a Spiderman movie based on the JBlogosphere, or the Jewish world, who would the villains be?

1. CANDYMAN! This guy from the shul, larger than life with a tallit-bag full of weaponized candies to be thrown.

2. Hot Chanie. 'nuff said.

3. Holy Hyrax, Batman! Ooops, sorry, wrong comic.

4. The Gabbai. This particularly ferocious character comes after you when you least expect it to give you hagba. Actually, a group of super-heroes who should join the comic book could be the HRT. The Hagba Rescue Team (read about them here). These fearless superheroes allow us to continue to eat week after week. (We had a close call last week as well...)

5. Would the Renegade Rebbetzin be a superhero or villain?

After voting for the Muqata blog in the JIBs, let me know what you think...This could easily turn into an interesting JBlogosphere project, which I'm sure the Holy Hyrax would love to illustrate.

Shavua Tov!






Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael

18 comments:

Evan said...

Don't feel too badly about not being in the running on the JIB awards. I figured I would get knocked out pretty quickly since I don't care about them and decided not to campaign. It's not like Ed McMahon will show up on the doorstep of the Muqata with a million-Dinar check.

Anonymous said...

I saw Spider-Man 3 in Talpiot on Thursday. Not quite the same luxurious experience as you had. How much does that run?

Jameel @ The Muqata said...

Hi Dave: I think it was about 120 NIS. ($30)

Evan: It's not like Ed McMahon will show up on the doorstep of the Muqata with a million-Dinar check. I wasn't counting on providing my address for him! But if it would help...

Besides, I'm still working out logistics for the Lucky 200,000th visitor to the Muqata...

Avi said...

NIS 120 per person or NIS 120 for the both of you? Cuz man, you can buy a nice bottle of Castel "C" or Petit Castel for 120NIS.

Anonymous said...

u do know haw to live!

Anonymous said...

Cute story. Glad that you and the Mrs. enjoyed your date with friends. I think most super-moms doze in movies; they certainly deserve the rest.

Was it that close of a call last Shabbat? I think there are more close calls in "teen" minyanim than regular ones.

For the record, Jameel's shul is wonderful!

Anonymous said...

Balabusta in Blue Jeans, still not able to log from her acct., says:

Hot Chanie would be a great villain--sort of Poison Ivy-esque, but with a longer skirt, and better jewelry. I imagine that her sheitel emits some sort of hormones that render the (male) heroes helpless.

RenReb is obviously Spiderman's lab support, like M, or Abby from NCIS. From her anonymous location, she and the Rabbi Who Rocks Her World analyze bedikahs, check fiber transfer evidence for shatnes, and give out gadgets copied from the ones on 24. When Spiderman drops in, she gives him coffee and sandwiches, and when he swings away she whips out a siddur and begins to say tehillim. In the last scenes of the movie, nearly blind from lack of caffeine and muttering "I HATE fast days", she will brain Hobgoblin with a volume of shas. (Great slow shot of her snood swinging around as she lifts the book.)

Jack Steiner said...

5. Would the Renegade Rebbetzin be a superhero or villain?

You can call her Aunt May.

Anonymous said...

Now this is a great idea - Jewish blogs as comic book fodder. Definitely worth some more posts.

WBM

(and don't ask me why I can suddenly comment, I have no idea!)

Jack Steiner said...

(and don't ask me why I can suddenly comment, I have no idea!)

I can think of a few reasons. ;)

Jacob Da Jew said...

I voted for you...And my co-workers voted for you ...

Sorry, but you got hijacked by those lousy journalists who promote their stuff via Public Radio.

Anonymous said...

Gheeeee Whiz, Jameel, we voted for you.
All your friends voted for you.

Just think how Joe Settler feels?!

Sarah Likes Green said...

a jblog comic... sounds hilarious!

although in australia the shul Candyman is known as the 'Lolly Man' :P

queeniesmom said...

As they said in Chicago during Mayor Dailey's rein - Vote early, Vote often and correctly.

Hatzlachah!

The movie theater sounds wonderful. Unfortunately, i'm probably like your wife and would fall asleep but what a comfy nap it would be.

Shavoah Tov!

Jameel @ The Muqata said...

People: Thanks for the support! I'm trailing by about 30-35 votes per category. How difficult can it possible be to get 30-35 more votes?!

(And JdJ: You're da man!)

Sarah: We'll have to add some "other" villains to the JBlog comic book... ;-)

Neshama: thanks! every vote is appreciated!

QM: Well - as much as I like Chicago, we can't vote "often" since the JIB votes can track which votes are faked.

amechad: 120 per person.

Balabusta in Blue Jeans: Can I contract you to help write the first edition of the comic book? :)

Jack: I think RenReb would kill you for saying that!

Little Wolf said...

There are so many good Jblog heroes/villians out there that it is an idea just begging to be expanded.

Anonymous said...

I would love to watch this, your blog makes me fee that I am missing a lot in life, because of not seeing this.

Anonymous said...

I love the first class cinema seats idea. We get "premium" seats, but they're more like "premium economy" than first class. Still, if it's "only in Israel" I'll have to check it out next time I visit.

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