1) In the year and several weeks I have lived in this country I've been to the movie theater three times. That's approximately the same amount of times I would go to the movies when I lived in Dallas. Ahh...I'm glad some things don't have to change.
2) The best part of going to the movies in China is picking your seat. I'm not sure why but at the theater downtown the ticket attendant asks where you would like to sit before giving you your ticket. You get to look at the screen and then pick your seat. It doesn't really matter where you choose to sit because if anyone has happened to already select a seat in the row you've chosen you will be seated directly next to them. So if the theater is 1/4 full chances are all those people will still be seated in approximately four rows directly next to one another.
3) This seating arrangement would be totally awkward in America, but here in China where people are crowded together all the time anyway it doesn't seem to really matter. And for someone like me the movie is just enhanced by the fact that a Chinese audience will totally interact with the movie. Unlike a dull American audience who will only laugh out loud at a funny joke or gasp at a large explosion, a Chinese audience will comment throughout the movie on almost anything. Like when we watched Avatar and everyone gasped and called out 漂亮 at the lovely white floaty things. Or when the child behind me, and I suppose this isn't totally unique to China since kids talk during movies in America too, cried out as Woody's eyes in Toy Story 3 grew really large "他的眼睛那么大！“ (Translation: His eyes are stinking huge!) It just makes the movie all the more entertaining to be with the group and to hear things about a movie created in your own cultural context viewed from another culture's eyes.
4) Our city is pretty small, so movies at the theater are only in Chinese. In the last year I've seen Up, Avatar and Toy Story 3...in Chinese, in that order. I will admit that as my understanding of Chinese has increased my understanding of the story line has increased as well. I've gone from around 10% to 30% to probably 60%. Since I'd seen Up in English it was no problem to understand only about 10%. Avatar was a little interesting...why they heck were they going to that other planet anyways? What was wrong with Earth? Are they even on Earth? And then finally a movie I can understand, a movie about kids and toys. No problems there: Andy is obviously going to 大学, his toys are obviously going to miss him, and Ken and Barbie are obviously hilarious.
5) Movies dubbed over in another language are also increasingly funnier as your language is increasingly higher. I laughed really, really hard throughout Toy Story at parts that weren't suppose to be funny merely because I got tickled by listening to the characters speak Chinese. For example as a train goes over a cliff and Jessie screams out 不，不，不, laugher is not the reaction that is appropriate to the moment. However it sure was stinking hilarious to me for some reason. And those three little green alien dudes speaking Chinese...don't get me started on their range of comic ability in Mandarin.
6) It could be a coincidence that all three movies I've seen here in China have been in 3D, or it could be Pixar's plan for global domination. Who knows...anyways, here's what you need to know about 3D movies in China. The glasses they provide you to watch the movie with aren't the same cheap 10 cent throw-away, you can steal them from the movie theater with no repercussions kind of glasses they give you in the US. (Not that I would know anything about taking 3D glasses from the movie theater.) These 3D glasses are hard core. First, of all they are thick and heavy. Second, they have to be activated with some kind of wave machine. Third, if you try to steal them you're going to pay and my local friend said he thinks a pair costs about 3000 kuai. Now that's intense. Which translates to several theater attendants viciously guarding the door to insure that you don't leave the theater without turning in your glasses. Need to go to the bathroom, need to turn in those glasses my friend before you leave. NO glasses, NO exit.
7) All in all the Chinese movie theater gets too huge thumbs up from this girl. To be honest other then the seating arrangement, squatty potties in the bathrooms, sweet popcorn instead of buttery popcorn in the concession line, vicious theater attendants protecting their 3000 kuai investment and the charming Chinese audience the movie theater is basically a Cinemark. I wouldn't be surprised if Cinemark owns the theater. Especially since a movie is still $7-$10 US and popcorn is $2.50. But I'm ok with that. Thanks Cinemark for your plans of global domination...they make me happy on a Friday in the middle of the long, hot summer!
No comments:
Post a Comment