Going to the Movies and Other Such Nonsense

I went to the movies for the first time yesterday. I wish I had started going a long time ago, but it took me a while to find out where the theatre is, and I also wasn't sure if they would be playing any decent American/European movies. What I ended up finding out, though, is not only do they play at least a few English-language new releases, but South Korea seems to sometimes get earlier release dates than the U.S., according to imdb.com. For example, Iron Man came out 3 days earlier here than there, and Luc Besson's Taken came out April 10 here, while the U.S. has to wait until September 19. I guess starting in France makes a difference.

I didn't really plan on going to see a movie, but it kind of just ended up that way. I had do a little shopping, so I didn't bother with a shower because I was walking over a mile to the Lotte Mart. On the way I saw a couple white guys and they actually approached me--the first time another foreigner has done that since I've been here. They were "seamans," as they called it (haha), from Bulgaria and the Ukraine off the ship for the day. They got off the ship without asking how to exchange money and hadn't had any luck with banks. The only way I was able to get money exchanged without a bank account was for my boss to do it for me, and since Ulsan isn't a tourist spot, they don't exactly have a lot of money exchange places. It being a Sunday and the day before a major holiday (Buddha's birthday--I have the day off) didn't help, either. I called my boss to see if she had any ideas, but she said pretty much the only chance was to exchange at the airport, which they couldn't get to without money, of course. They suggested maybe a hotel could help, them, and luckily were were right by the rotary, which houses several large hotels, so I directed them there and wished them good luck. The End.

Back to the story. True to form, Lotte Mart was not able to provide me with what I was looking for. So it was onto the bus and off to Emart again, where I pretty much always find what I want. Then I figured that since I was only a mile from the movie theatre and I'd have to pay for the bus again to get there from home the next day, I might as well walk over and see a movie while I was in the neighborhood.

Iron Man was playing on three screens (out of nine), and even though I haven't seen any ads for it, I have heard a couple rave reviews, and figured since it was a comic book movie, I should see it either way. Other options include Taken, which I'll see next weekend, maybe, and Horton Hears a Who. And some Korean movies, of course. The next show of Iron Man was sold out, so I figured I'd just kill time in the Lotte Department Store, connected to the Lotte Cinema while I waited a couple hours for the next one. I started writing in this entry about what I saw there, but now that I've made this entry wicked long, I think I'm going to split them up.

Buying the ticket and seeing the movie were a little different than in the States. The weirdest part was the ticket counter. Instead of just choosing a line to wait in, you have to take a number, like at the deli. Digital displays above each ticket station display whose number they are now serving. When you take your number from a machine, a display on the machine shows how many people are in front of you in "line." That bit of info, plus other stuff I didn't understand, is also printed on the number ticket. I guess this system prevents people from choosing the slow line and also allows people to go to the bathroom or buy a concession or whatever while waiting, but it seems like such a waste. All that paper...

My seat in the theatre was assigned, like in Hollywood's Arclight. This is a high end cinema, so I'm not sure if it's just the Arclight of Ulsan, or if all Korean movie theatres have assigned seating. On the up side, despite it being a nice theatre, the ticket only cost about $7, and during a prime time, too. I'm not sure if they have matinee prices. I'll have to check that out sometime. Still, though, even with the extra two bucks for the round trip bus ride, going to the movies is still cheaper here than in LA.

Another strange thing about going to the movies is that I'm pretty sure they make some sort of announcement, like at the train station or airport, as to when people can enter the theatre. I got back from killing time only fifteen minutes before showtime, and I walked upstairs to my screen amongst a huge crowd of... zero. The ticket taker asked if he could help me (in English), and I said I'd like to see my movie (duh). He took me into the theatre and showed me to my seat, but had to talk to the cleaning crew that was still in there, presumably to check to see if it was okay for me to be there yet. It was clearly highly unusual for someone to be seated at that time, but I assume they let me in because I'm a foreigner who clearly doesn't know any better.

Strangely, they were broadcasting on the speakers an interview with someone talking about the making of Michael Jackson's Thriller music video, and how they got Vincent Price to do the narration. I wouldn't expect them to play something that most people wouldn't understand at all, and only a few people would understand fully or nearly fully.

A few minutes after I sat down (in the direct center of the theatre, a benefit of buying the ticket almost two hours in advance) EVERYONE else came in. This is why I suspect the announcement. They played a couple commercials, as they do in the US, and a few previews, though not as many as I'd like. I wish I could remember what the previews were for. There's something awesome coming out June 5, but I can't for the life of me remember what movie it is. I guess I'll find out in a few weeks.

The movie was subtitled in Korean, of course, but since the screen is so big, I hardly noticed them. I did see that people's names were put in quotation marks, which was odd. They don't do that on TV. Luckily, when the characters spoke other languages, the English subtitles were still on screen, which is a benefit I don't get when watching TV here.

The funny thing about being the only American watching an American movie in a foreign country is the parts when I'm the only one laughing. Admittedly, that still happens back home, but for different reasons. Some jokes just don't translate. I was the only one laughing when Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey, Jr. were joking about how he wouldn't get along without her if she quit as his assistant. He says he'll make it a week, and she then asks him what his social security number is. He says "5." Even though it was translated in a way that probably allows them to infer what an SSN is, but apparently the joke just isn't funny to them. I was the only one to vocally react to Stan Lee's cameo, as well.

Additionally, only five other people, chicks, surprisingly, stayed in their seats through the credits and were able to see the postcredits scene. As I watched the throngs of people exit the theatre as soon as the credits started, I supressed the urge to cry out, "Foolish mortals!" knowing they were going to miss something totally cool. But they wouldn't understand me, so whatever.

It was a fun outing, and one that I think I will try to do more often now, given the price and convenience. By the way, I recommend Iron Man. It was neato.