The Great American Plex

So, I was too tired to put out a post yesterday because of my experience. This is how it went down.

I went out to the movie theater (AMC) with the ambition to see several movies. I got to the mall around 10am and purchased a ticket for "The Kite Runner" at 1020am.

"The Kite Runner" was terrific and is quite possibly my favorite movie of the year. It is a drama about two young boys who fly kites in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1978. The kids remind me much of my brother and I when we were younger. The little boy actually looks a lot like my brother. Anyway, terrific movie and I strongly recommend it.

Next, I had a 30 minute break before "Juno." So, I hung out for awhile waiting for it to begin. I was slightly annoyed with the movie and the character of Juno. She was an annoying, wannabe cool pregnant 16 year old. The whole I listen to old-school indie rock and watch old crappy horror movies is a really lame attempt by the writer to make Juno seem "cool." So she thinks she is all that and a plate of waffles. The drama and comedy do come together well, and it has a sweet ending.

When I left this theater, I grabbed some girl's large popcorn and drink to go get a free refill. So with my newly acquired refreshments, I went straight into "The Golden Compass." I was not very impressed with this one. It was one of those kid book adaptation in the spirit of Narnia. Whatever. Not that great, but I went to see it for the polar bears. And they were awesome in their fighting, so that might have been worth it.

O no, I am not done. Three movies would not be a record. Then, I went into "National Treasure" expecting only the most ridiculous situations and schemes. I was not disappointed. From kidnapping the President to breaking in to the oval office. It was good entertainment and achieved it's goal. I do not understand why Ed Harris was in this. Not the greatest career move. O well, his loss.

Four is quite a bit, but five is more than four. So, I went into "Atonement" expecting to see the greatest movie of all time (kidding, but it did get 7 golden globe nominations). It was a pretty good story and not entirely romance. It was more about the younger sister seeking forgiveness for what she had done. Keira Knightley does not deserve an award, but James McAvoy is good. The cinematography is terrific and will get a nom at the Academy Awards maybe even win. There is a 4.5 minute shot on the beach showing all the soldiers waiting for ships to take them home that is just terrific. The music is really good as well.

So, that's it 5 movies in one day. This is the greatest plex (walking into another movie, but only paying the initial ticket) I have ever done and I have not heard of someone doing more. I had a great time and there was not alot of downtime, so I was never bored and the day went very quick. I left the mall around 10pm, so I was there about 12 hours.

Ya, that sounds ridiculous, but I had a blast. It was something I had always wanted to do, so I am glad I have finally done it. I probably won't do that again for awhile.

Cheers

Trainspotting

December 30th

Still on the Spain trip and still absolutely loving it.

Today, we arise early for travel from Barcelona to Madrid. If I recall correctly, it was about a six hour train ride. The train was nice though as it was spacious and comfortable with TV's and a restaurant. Not too bad, but we were all sad to leave Barcelona because it was so amazing.

The train station was wonderful and if I am not mistaken it can be seen in one of the backdrop shots in The Bourne Ultimatum. We left the station and took a bus to our hotel.

This hotel was quite different than the Barcelona hotel. This time we had a four person room that included the student members of our small group - DH, Kevin, JP, and I. Also, this hotel was situated right in the middle of downtown. We were less than 2 blocks from the cultural heart of Madrid and the town square. O, and right across the street was a movie theater.

The hotel was nice and we almost succumbed to the temptation of rest in the comfy beds after a long day's travel, but we knew that Madrid night-life would be calling our names. We had a nice dinner at the hotel and then hit the streets for a look at shops and malls in the area surrounding the town square. It was amazing! And there were so many people everywhere!

After an incredible look at night-time Madrid, we headed back to the hotel after stopping for a Tapas treat and some more great hot chocolate. The spacious room was more than adequate for four exhausted guys. We went to bed with great anticipation for the next day as we would be experiencing New Year's Eve at one of the best parties in Europe and even the whole world.