JoJo Rabbit new film from Taika Waititi

I really have no idea what kind of theaters you people are visiting. I've seen over a hundred films in the theater so far this year, most in downtown Chicago, and have absolutely not had that experience. My wife has seen 600 so far this year, and neither has she.

 

The concessions are a racket anywhere, at least. That plus I've learned to not even bother; no amount of Coke or popcorn butter is worth that mid-movie bathroom run.

 

Agreed, but that's the way things worked out. The studios have manipulated things so everybody is concerned with the first week - which is when the studios get the majority of the money.

On the other hand, my wife and I, because we see so many films, have become incredibly adept snack smugglers. When you see as many as five films a day, like Vickie does, you pretty much have to.

On the third hand, because she's getting into unlimited Regal Cinema films, she tends to buy more snacks at that theater.

I really would like it if everybody who has a horrible time in a theater would actually mention the name of the theater and location. Because we see most of our films in a small handful of theaters in Chicago - the AMC River East 21 near Navy Pier, the AMC Galewood 14 in a low-income area and the independent Music Box and Gene Siskel Film Center theaters. And it has literally been years since we've been disturbed by anybody in a theater.

 

Wow! Seriously? 5 a day?

 

She retired, and via the miracle of AMC A*List, Regal Unlimited and memberships in the Gene Siskel Film Center, the Music Box and Cinema Chicago, she spends far less doing this than most people pay for basic cable.

Yesterday, she saw three different films at three different theaters.

Amusingly, she actually spends less time looking at the screen than most Americans spend passively watching television. If she saw four football games on a Sunday nobody would blink an eye.

 

Yes, you are certainly correct of average TV watching, especially football games, and daytime talk shows...
I was thinking about certain "powerful" films , like say Jojo Rabbit... I
couldn't imagine seeing another film in the same day after seeing something like that. Certain films I like to let "sit" for awhile, you know? But that's me. Not trying to critique or judge her in anyway. I just found it interesting. Has she ever seen one that just stunned her or affected her so much that she called it a day?

 

I prefer not to see more than 3 films in a day, and I told her after it finished that I was very lucky in that JoJo Rabbit was the last of the three films we saw that day - because I couldn't imagine seeing anything after it.

Yesterday she saw three films:

Knives Out
By the Grace of God
Stuffed

The first is mostly fun murder mystery film, the second is a rather heavy drama about sexually abusive priests, and the third was a documentary about taxidermy. But they were in three different theaters and she had to take a bus trip to get between them, so she had some time to digest each of them.

 

This is what I was thinking too.
Nothing wrong with the ability, time, money, and desire to see as many films per day as possible...No issues with that.
Unless the film is something mindless, like an Avengers romp, I would probably not be in the right mind to go see something else right away.
Let the just watched film sink in a bit while I mull things over.

By the way, the theater I frequent is a Marcus.
There are others around town but they present a much lesser overall experience than Marcus usually does.
To me the theaters are failing, or just hanging in there. This is reflected by the way things are kept up (lack there of to be honest) staffed, and generally operated.

The owners, or at least managers, appear to change hands every few years.
When the change happens there is a little spit and polish on things that are at eye level, the rest just seems to go unchanged, ignored, left broken, failing or non-operational...and it shows to someone willing to look up from their phone for more than 3 seconds.

I'll admit I am probably exaggerating a tiny bit, but the off putting things happen frequently enough that it does impact my choice to see a movie at the theater.
I wish it was different because as nice as my home theater set up is, it is NOT a full tilt movie theater.

Anyway, I go when the mood strikes and time allows. Recently I saw "Ford VS Ferrari" and it was worth the effort. The guy sitting to my right however was literally full hand stuffing his face with popcorn.
I am not kidding in the least. I mean full hand stuffing, popcorn falling, open mouth munching, Cookie Monster style eating his popcorn.
My friend, seated to my left, almost began laughing out loud. The people behind me were talking about it. The people in front turned around to see what was going on.
He had a HUGE bucket of popcorn too.
The only saving grace of that whole thing is he ate pretty fast so it lasted about 15 minutes or so.

 

I admire her love of film. More power to her!

 

I plan on seeing that one this weekend. Without the popcorn...

 

JoJo Rabbit still playing at the AMC River East 21, although due to the pressure of the Christmas film sits down to a single showing a day. Vickie and I went to see it tonight, and if anything it's even more powerful the second time.

Vickie and I were talking about the film afterwards and she wondered whether or not the film had opened in Germany? They have very stiff laws about displaying Nazi imagery.

 

The laws have an exception for "art or science, research or teaching" (Strafgesetzbuch section 86a - Wikipedia). I'm sure the audiences there will be more appreciative than some of the tedious zealots who reviewed it in the US (Springtime for Nazis: How the Satire of “Jojo Rabbit” Backfires)

 

What a putz!

He totally missed that:

Spoiler

Sam Rockwell's character was gay...

... thus he had his own reason for opposing the regime.

 

Home from the movies and did some searching. It's not being released in Germany until January 23rd:

Taika Waititi Explains Jojo Rabbit's German Delay With Savage Takedown of Nazis

 

Oversize thing disgust me. A lot of modern theatres have turned cinemas into eateries with their small tables attached to spacious seating design. Ideal for nachos /popcorn / fizzy drinks etc. I usually sit well away ( in case they fart) as you said the noise and odours and the sight of the happy hungry person munching away can actually hinder your viewing pleasure.

 

Vickie and I avoid dine-in theaters, and rather intensely dislike the move towards them.

 

Normally I do as well. But the odd occasion where the cinema showing the film I want is a eaterie I take a chance... but usully take a side viewing seat those rows of seats are usually vacant. Munchers will sit anywhere, though usually down the front.

 

The only dine-in theater I willingly visit is Kansas City's Alamo Drafthouse. They try to make it work, but I'd so much rather have soda machines where I can get my own refills rather than having to signal distracted teenagers that I'd like a refill.

In the words of Rocket J. Squirrel "That trick never works!"

 

Actually cell phones / glare bug me more.

I only see about 30 movies a year now in the cinema most of the viewings are fine.

 

Vickie has seen more than 650 films in the theater so far this year, and has had zero problems with that.

 

I've been thinking about this film since I saw it for the second time a few hours ago, and thinking about that New Yorker review.

I haven't bothered to search out that writer's other reviews, but the day before yesterday I saw the new Terrence Malick film A Hidden Life. The protagonist is an Austrian farmer who served in World War I, then started a family. When Hitler rises to power, he refuses to reenlist, and resists considerable pressure from the rest of the villagers. He's eventually conscripted and jailed when he refuses to swear allegiance to Hitler.

I have no doubt that this film critic would have loved A Hidden Life. Every single frame of it looks like a painting - and it moves so slowly you can see the paint dry. The morality is stark and plain (the protagonist was a real person and is literally on his way to sainthood, having been beautified by Pope Benedict.)

JoJo Rabbit is the far better film, far more morally complex and deeply moving.

I can only hope that this clod will eventually realize the error of his ways.

 

I found where Mel Brooks praised JoJo Rabbit:

Mel Brooks discusses career, HBO special, Anne Bancroft films

Q: You've used comedy and satire to discuss serious topics, but it doesn't come without risk. What reaction did you get in 1967 to "The Producers," the satirifc film that features the "Springtime for Hitler" fictional musical?

Brooks: Maybe over a thousand rabbis wrote to me. I was very careful about writing back to everybody who wrote about (it) being in such terrible taste for a Jewish kid. And I said if we get on a soapbox and try to orate like Hitler, we lose because he sweeps the lowest common denominator in feelings and intelligence. But if we can humiliate him with comedy, we win. Funny always wins.

Q: Along those lines, have you seen "Jojo Rabbit," a comedy in which a young boy in Nazi Germany fantasizes a buffoonish Adolf Hitler (director Taika Waititi) as his imaginary best friend?

Brooks: I loved it. It was a wonderful movie. Perfectly plausible that the kid would be seduced by this larger-than-life character.

Q: Did you find the depiction offensive, as some critics have?

Brooks: Not at all. I thought it was terrific. There's always those people who walk the line strictly and those who dare to cross the line. I was one who crossed the line as far as making fun of Nazis. I think I'm going to send (Waititi) a note to tell him, "Good job. Well done."

 

It looks good from the preview. Going to see it in January.

 

Grace Randolph from Beyond the Trailer didn't like the movie either. I think she isn't intelligent enough to understand satire which even left her confused when she saw the trailers as well.

Boxing Day Premiere here in Australia. Shame I'm flying back to work tomorrow therefore won't get to see it for a couple more weeks. And I think the movie is being released during January in the UK and Europe, so I too will be curious about the German audiences reaction to this.

 

She says that it's inappropriate to make a whimsical movie about Nazi Germany. She would probably be astonished to know that the generation who actually fought the Nazis made many such movies and TV shows, and loved them. She's an ignoramus.