The Movies

I have long been a huge fan of going to the movies. The last movie I saw in the US was Madagascar 3 with a good friend and the kiddies. Obviously, not a cinema classic, but I adore the entire experience....the hit-you-in-the-face scent of popcorn when you walk in the door; the slightly sticky floor; Junior Mints....ahhh. I think that at this particular movie (which is all of 80 minutes in lengh) 'good friend' and I finished off two tubs of popcorn.

After a couple of months here in Paris I really needed a movie. This requires significantly more research than in the States, because we need to look for movies that are labeled "VO" (version originale - meaning they are in English). I was forwarned that the only people who attend VO movies are expats (yeah!) and snooty French people who insist on seeing the VO even if their English is not stellar. Okay, I can handle that.

So, SJ and I agree on The Amazing Spiderman (for those of you who know me, you know I was not all jazzied up about another Spiderman so soon, but was quickly taken by Andrew Garfield, not so much with Emma Stone) and set off for the theater on Champs de Elysee. Upon arriving at the theater you are greeted  by an electronic ticket purchasing machine which I navigated pretty quickly despite my limited French. Then you enter and are ushered to a bit of a holding room to wait for your movie to start. Now I am begining to get concerned. I do NOT smell popcorn. About five minutes prior to the start of the film, an usher-type person comes to the holding cell, uh - room, and announces the number for your theater. Everyone bolts to the theater. There are no snacks. There is no popcorn. And the word of the day is....crestfallen.

The theater was pristine and immensely comfy --- I could have fallen asleep in the overstuffed chairs. But, again, no snacks. At all.

 So, I brought the matter up with my new French Friend (FF) and the conversation went a bit like this:

Me: The movie theater experience is quite different here than in the US.

FF: How so?

Me: Well, there are no snacks. No popcorn.

FF: But aren't you there to see the movie? Does everyone eat in the US?

Me: Actually, I go for the whole experience...there is nothing better than the smell of movie theater popcorn! Not everyone eats, but I guess most people do.

FF: So they just sit and eat? Like farm animals?

Me: Uh, yeah.....like farm animals.

FF: Maybe that is why Americans are so stout.

Me: Stout?

FF: Fat seems rude.

(As an aside, FF was not trying to be rude....I have found that the French are very direct. I kind of enjoy this, and they truely mean no offense. Cultural difference.)

Perhaps, FF was accurate....but popcorn would be delightful about now.