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This morning we caught the train to Chinatown to see Avatar: 3D at the movies:
We were shouted at by the cinema usher for coming up the wrong escalator. There were two escalators, neither working, we took the one on the right hand side of the lobby…. we were not trying to get into the movie for free.
Who decided that my cinematic experience would only be complete with a soundtrack played at deafening volume?
The last time I went to a 3D movie I had to wear some sort of weird helmet which gave me an awful headache (but it was a step up on those funky paper ones). The glasses given out today were like regular sunnies - though the packet warned us not to remove them from the cinema to look at the sun.
There was a really nasty sour odor wafting past my noise occasionally as though someone in close proximity had taken their shoes off, or wet themselves.
But how was the actual movie? Well, the special effects were spectacular and amazing and out-of-this-world impressive - but I spent 2.5 hours wondering when someone would turn the bloody noise down!
We decided to walk home as it was a lovely day of at least 50F (10C) and we only live 3-ish miles away….
We walked past interesting window displays:
An interesting byline on a nightclub window:
Pretty things:
Old things:
Vehicles:
We got hungry and got a very late lunch at a great Ethiopian restaurant:
We came across some excitement close to home:
This gave me a laugh: what was funnier was a woman sitting on a fold out chair right next to this who gave me such a dirty look I was compelled to tell her that I was not taking a picture of her (though you can see a bit of her scarf or something there on the right). It was a very strange place to sit:
This referred to me after my cinematic experience:
Aussie Emjay's Blog 
Love your photographs! I love the slice of life that you give us!
I always feel the same about the volume level at the cinema too. It hurts my ears and I often shrink back in my seat when it first hits my ears. It is not because I am mature, I am just sensitive!
LOL – deaf pedestrians. Ebert (my sole professional critic) gave Avatar 4 stars; big thumb's up to the special effects …
p.s. Off topic, your tale about the train ride and guy released from jail was food for thought during today's jog; it may or may not have inspired a future post, we'll see. 😉
What an interesting collection of photos and stories. I can't help making the weird association between the loud soundtrack and deaf pedestrians 🙂 I love the acupuncture model in the shop window. I have a small one, and it happens to be an ear!
As usual, I love your pictures. I agree about the sound level in movies. It is very uncomfortable.
Glad you decided to walk home. I really enjoyed your photos. Sorry you went deaf watching a movie. LOL
Thank you for that tour around your neighborhood. Your neighborhood reminds me of UCity (University City) which is where we were today. While we were there someone hit our car, but the manager and two workers from Chipotle saw it happen, chased down the hit and run driver, and got his plate. They called the police and filed the report. Then they left a very nice note on our windshield along with the police officer's card.
Fun photos! I enjoyed them all. And what an enjoyable outing, except for the strange smell.
It is not because I am mature, I am just sensitive! LOL – why is it that as we supposedly get deafer, things get so much louder!
I would give it 4 stars for all those special effects too – they really were amazing – story was predictable (especially the ending) but I suppose the object of a 3D movie is more the fancy dimensional stuff. I look forward to maybe seeing a future post from you on the jail post.
Thank you Ishtar – yes that street sign was very applicable to me. The shop window had many interesting things in it – I'm sorry now that we didn't go inside.
Thank you RM. We are big fans of Netflix where we can have a comfortable sound level and a pause button while sitting on our own comfy couch. It's been a while since we've been to a cinema and it seemed to be so much louder than the last time we went.
Thank you re the photos – it was just too nice a day to not take advantage of it. Today it is pouring with rain! I've never really got the thinking behind "loud" being better.
Wow!! It's nice to know that there are still responsible, civic minded people around doing the right thing!! I bet that doesn't happen very often. I hope that your car was not badly damaged.
Thank you Bettina – it was a really nice day out actually – too often we just rush from one thing to another and don't slow down to enjoy it. Though having lunch at 4.30 meant that we didn't have dinner. LOL.
Love the chalkboard / flower appearing photo. Stunning.
Loud movies – Isn't that obnoxious? What is wrong with people? Every theatre seems to do that now as though the viewing public is demanding it. So odd.
Wonderful collection of photographs of your neighbourhood again Emjay.I sympathise with the deafening movie. It's never happened to me at the movies, but I had to walk out of the last 2 live concerts I paid a lot of money to attend….it was painful to stay inside even with fingers jammed in my ears.
No, not much damage, and it was a huge surprise that they took it upon themselves to act on your behalf.
Interesting signs and scenes.I'd love a Jag like Mr. T's!
Great photos I am so glad you decided on the leisurely stroll. Thanks for sharing.
I bet you were starved waiting til 4:30! But sometimes it is good to feel hungry.
I had heard that Avator is very loud! And that is is all special effects, that the plot is secondary at best. Loved the pics you took on the way home. I would think you might have gotten a dirty look from the guy getting arrested, not the lady in the scarf. People can be so unpredictable!
Wish I had a chance to go and see Avatar myself… but you know, my newborn baby.Thank you for your beautiful photos!
Neat stuff – minus the guy getting cuffed, I mean.
Thank you Su…. Yeah a Jag would be nice – though I'd be worried about parking it anywhere around here (perhaps with a Mr T plate you don't worry about things like that!).
The flower is gorgeous – in a doorway of an otherwise dilapidated building. We get Netflix so it has been a couple of years since we've been to an actual cinema – it's going to be a long time before we go back probably especially now that we've seen the 3D thing which would not have looked nearly as good on our tv via Netflix.
Thank you GOF. That must have been annoying having to leave the concerts. The last live performance I attended was a jazz event at the Smithsonian -we were in the 2nd row and I didn't have to plug up my ears – it was wonderful. I suppose in the cinema I should pay more attention to where all those surround-sound speakers are and try to get out of direct range.
Thank you Deborah – I'm glad you enjoyed them.
We generally get our movies via Netflix (so much cheaper than a cinema expedition) but 3D doesn't work the same on the TV screen (plus where would I get those special glasses) hence the trip out to see the movie. I thought the ending was very predictable and the movie could've been shorter (it's 2.5 hours long).
Thank you re the photos – now is the time to go to the movies while your baby sleeps. I think here some cinemas have "parent screening" times when you can take your babies and children with you.
LOL…. I took the photos from across the street. As we got outside a laundromat I noticed that everyone in the laundromat was staring out the windows at events across the street – actually a photo of all those faces up against the glass would've been good.
Sounds like some of the reasons why I like living in the country not the city but I do miss the long walks of window shopping and buildings and structures!
There are some great second hand shops near me – I must look for photos I took of their windows – they have fascinating things in them. Some buildings are very plain and ugly though!
Interesting to hear your take on Avatar; Phil has been tryign to get me to see it for a while, but I'm not into cinemas at the moment, I find them far too loud too.
Honestly, without the special effects it was a pretty ordinary story (in my opinion). I don't understand why they have to be so loud – LOL – maybe it is a sign that we are getting old!!
I've been told that it's like 'Pocohontas on acid'!LOL