I've been to a few movies since I got here. The big releases generally open here on the same day as in the US. Shortly after I got here I saw John Carter, which I quite enjoyed thank you. A few weeks ago I saw The Hunger Games and today I went to see Titanic in 3D. The Hunger Games was good and Titanic was actually pretty awesome in 3D. Cameron did a good job on the conversion except for one little thing that probably didn't bother most people.
I'm going to digress here for a moment for my friends in the animation and VFX industry, because, well, it's my blog and I can do that sort of thing. It's kind of like writing in long tortuous sentences that are grammatically correct but wind on forever and ever until they finally come to a definitive and declarative end which this one has finally done.
Heh. So, the digression. The one thing that bothered me about the conversion was that the eye lines were off for so many over the shoulder two shots. Jack and Rose are talking and the camera is bouncing back and forth, first over Jack's shoulder looking at Rose and then over Rose's shoulder looking at Jack and so on. Watching the film in regular old 2d it's clear that the two people are looking at each other or it's cheated for the camera in such a way that it seems so. That's a whole other topic. Anyway, in the 3D conversion, they pushed the character facing the camera away from the viewer and pulled the person facing away closer. It seems perfectly natural to do that. That's how it would feel in you were in the room peeping in on the conversation. The problem is that they pushed the stereo a little to much in many of the shots. The person facing the camera never seems to be looking the character closer to us in the eye. They are always looking just a little on the far side of that person. I'm probably a lot more sensitive to eye lines since I've worked on several films with realistic animated characters, but this was really something that kept cropping up again and again during the film. I'm sure it was discussed during the conversion process and a decision was made to sacrifice accurate eye lines for more depth, but it pulled me out of the movie several times. Okay, end of digression.
Seeing a movie in India is very different than any movie going experience I've had anywhere else I've been. It's probably the most like Japan, but not really. First the ticket prices. There are usually three levels of seating. Sometimes they are priced differently but most of the time it's the same price. The highest price, when there is a price difference, is reserved for the Premiere Seating. It's basically anywhere from 1 to 5 rows at the back of the theatre. Huge, puffy, amazingly comfortable chairs with lots of space to spread out and bunches of leg room. These could be very dangerous for people who sometimes nod off if the movie slows down. The price of these outrageously comfy chairs? 300 rupees. Just about 6 bucks. That's for an Imax 3D movie to boot. The basic ticket price is 150 rupees which is about 3 dollars. Not bad. Titanic was just 150 rupees even though it was in 3D. Such a deal. I usually like to be a little closer to the screen, but since it was 3D I decided to get a little distance, which meant the hike up to the back row. These cinemas are seriously big. The ones I've seen anyway. They have a lot of seats, they are very wide and when they say stadium seating they mean the upper tier of a Major League ballpark stadium seating. It's nose bleed time. Tickets are all reserved, so make sure you like the seat you pick out. There are usually open seats, but you never know which ones will stay open until the movie really gets going. See, the movies generally start right on time so people tend to wander in during the first 5 or 10 minutes of the film. Indian ideas of punctuality are a topic for another blog, but let's just say it extends to attending movies as well as just about everything else. It's best to just stick with your assigned seats. If you really decide you hate them you can always move during intermission. Yes they have intermissions during the film. It's a chance to stretch your legs, take a potty break, which I appreciated on Titanic, or get some snacks. You can go out and get them or you can order something from one of the theatre staff. You might have to pay a little extra or tip though, so if you're cheap just go get it yourself. Lot's of neat stuff to snack on. They have the usual popcorn and sodas and candy, but they also have more substantial fare. How about a chicken burger? Want some tandoori chicken. How about Pizza in a Cup. I kid you not. The theatre I went to today had a Pizza in a Cup stand and it was pretty busy. Alright, back to the movie and we pick up right where left off in the middle of a chase. Really? You're going to stop the movie in the middle of a chase. In 2 cases yes. For John Carter and The Hunger Games they stopped the movie dead in the middle of a chase sequence. The lights come up, the movie stops and for 15 or 20 minutes our hero ( or heroine as the car may be) hangs out, mid stride waiting to get on with it. Everyone places there orders, trots of to the concession stand then sit back down as the lights come up and the movie picks up exactly where it left off. Hilarious. They handled it much better in Titanic, though. They paused for intermission just as the iceberg was spotted. That's a natural break in the film and worked well. They even wound back a minute or so to play the lead in to the sighting. From there on out it's pretty much like any other movie until the end. Then we get a little different again. Like American audiences,most people don't stick around for the credits. Unlike an American theater, however, the instant the credits start to roll the lights come full up. It's makes sense I suppose, what with the steep stairs and all, but it makes it kind of impossible for anyone who does want to see the credits. So everyone shuffles out and goes on their merry way.
And that's my cinema experience in India. I can see I've left out a lot of stuff. No mention of the commercials and trailers that run before the movie, keeping in mind that the movies start right on time so all of that stuff runs in the 20 or so minutes before the film start. Nothing about the smart phone that light up with annoying frequency during the screening and no one seems to mind. Except me. I wanted to punch out the guy next to me today. Instead I kept my eyes shielded and tried to enjoy the film.
All in all I enjoy going to the movies here. The crowds are pretty good and they seem to laugh at all the same things I do, so it's fun. Not like the time I saw Die Hard in Japan. But that's a story for another time.
