Ryan McNeilThat’s right my Yankee friends, while you’re surrounded by great big balloons and Black Friday sales, our post-dinner sleepiness is a six week memory. Although I shouldn’t really make fun, because while we get to celebrate early, you fine folks have worked it into a four day weekend. Well done!
But in the spirit of the holiday, I thought I’d take a moment as a movie-goer, and movie-blogger and give thanks. So dibs on a drumstick and pass the sweet potatoes, here are…
Five Things Hatter’s Thankful For
#5. The Toronto Movie Market… There are a lot of ways my hometown leaves me shaking my head in disbelief. However, while I’ll never understand why it’s so hard to expand our transit system, yet so easy for condos to sprout like weeds, there is one thing I love about it. I do love that it’s a major movie release market. This time of year especially, it’s fun to get a two or three week jump on smaller markets when it comes to thoughtful titles like PAN’S LABYRINTH, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, and LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA. So while my big city may not be able to figure out what to do with an eyesore of a highway, at least I can ignore the problem with a massive slate of exclusive engagements.
#4. Digital Projection… Two of the last three movies I’ve seen have been digitally projected, which is huge in my opinion. See, back ten years ago, when the multiplexes first started cropping up, projectionists started becoming an afterthought, and many a flick started getting presented ever-so-slightly soft. I’m a photographer – focus is massively important for me. So it’s nice to see the multiplexes giving something back after gleefully taking my $13 time after time for a decade. At least now the film is so sharp, I can see every lonely whisker on Shia LaBeouf’s chin…even if his movie does suck.
#3. Multiplex Understaffing… I almost feel ashamed to admit this, but here goes. With anywhere from ten to twenty-four screens going at a time, no multiplex can staff enough bodies at $8/hour. And when they look at how such proper help would cut into their bottom line, they wouldn’t really care to even if they could. This works for me just fine, because while it makes for pigsty bathrooms and sticky floors, it makes theatre-jumping and 2-for-1 Saturday afternoons amazingly easy. I only really do it this time of year, I only condone making one jump per visit, and I insist on paying for the film that needs the box office support more…but when you only have to get past one underpayed, under-caring teen aged employee, it makes it all so easy.
#2. The Wrters… For obvious reasons, I believe they are the most valuable part of what makes movies so exciting. So after what was a tumultuous year, let us please say grace, and give thanks for Don McKellar, Joss Wheadon, Charlie Kauffman, P.T. Anderson, Paul Haggis, Diablo Cody, Wes Anderson, Cameron Crowe, David Koepp, Tina Fey, Tony Gilroy, Kevin Smith, J.J. Abrams, Ricky Gervais, Woody Allen, Judd Apatow, Paul Schrader, and Alexander Payne.
#1. You… As a movie geek, I’m still mystified that anyone cares a lick about what i have to say. So for reading my movie-related-babblings, whether you’ve Google’d your way over, or you check it every day, I’m thankful that you took a moment to read what I had to say. I’ve met some amazing people going to the movies, and some likewise amazing people by writing about the movies, and I’m tremendously thankful for each and every one of you. So thanks!…and save me a piece of pumpkin pie.
What are you thankful for? Leave some of your movie-related thanks in the comments and feel free to post suggestions for next week’s top five
I’m thankful for studios who are willing to take a risk on indie movies.
I hate to ask, but you haven’t seen Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist yet??
I’m thankful that there are people on the internet as dedicated to pop culture (some moreso) than you and I. 🙂
Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving? You sonsofbitches have everything!
In other news, movie-hopping is awesome! Some Saturdays, I’ll go hopping four times. Eight hours at a time!
Cblaze… I’ll be more thankful when studios fully realize the way the indie market works and stop closing their indie divisions.
KP… I’ll drink to that!
Gringo… Yep, we get Thanksgiving too! But like I said, for us it doesn’t become the four-and-a-half day stretch that y’all get. Just a nice neat three-day weekend.
I do dig the hopping. The last two times I did an honest double feature, they didn’t even check my ticket for the second flick. Such a waste of honest money!
Great List! I am so very thankful for the excellent Toronto film scene as well. Speaking of Thanksgiving though, I have a million veggies to chop and turkey to get ready!
Cheers to you as well!
I love #3…
Kiss ass. Er, I mean, “You’re welcome.”
Oh, and shame of you for theater jumping. That’s reserved for the 14-year old punks, and I hate it when they do it, too.
I say Hurrah and Hup! for theater hopping. I believe in paying for the movie I most believe will be good (which is usually the movie that needs the money the most) and giving the big raspberry to the thing I suspect will be a turd. If I’m wrong, I’ll often be going to see that movie again with a friend, and I’ll pay the second time. But I’m not wrong often.