Friday night at the movies

We’ve lived in Belgium nearly two years and just made it to the movies for the first time. Yes, we live exciting lives here in the capital of Europe and mostly spend our Friday nights curled up with a Netflix rental.

But E-Grrrl loves penguins and has been interested in seeing the movie Happy Feet since it was released about a month ago. Looking for a way to liven up the after-Christmas break, we went online looking for a theater showing Happy Feet in English. Kinepolis at Bruparck in Brussels was the place.

Tickets cost the equivalent of $10 each, and we purchased them online, printing out a receipt that was then scanned to produce the tickets at the entrance to the theater. The theater complex was huge, with more than twenty screens showing movies in French, Dutch, and English. We walked up an enormous spiral ramp to get to the second floor where our film was being shown.

Because we weren’t sure what traffic would be like heading into Brussels on the Friday night of a holiday weekend, we’d allowed lots of time to get to the theater and ended up arriving early. We then queued for popcorn (another $20) and were surprised when they asked whether we wanted salt or sugar on it. Sugar? How unusual. We got sugar for the kids and took ours with extra sodium. Yum, yum.

We were seated in the theater about 20 minutes before the scheduled 5 p.m. showing of Happy Feet. Soon the lights dimmed and the ads and previews started. Despite the fact we were seeing a children’s movie, the previews were geared mostly toward adults, which meant that during the 20 minutes before our movie was scheduled to start, our kids saw non-stop film excerpts containing nudity and sex scenes, a teenage girl in red lingerie stripping for her boyfriend, guys in thongs, and some scary violent scenes from sci-fi movies that had them covering their eyes.

At 5 p.m., that set of previews ended and a new set started, including previews for Bridge to Terabithia and the next Harry Potter movie, which were both a bit dark and spooky for such a young audience. Our movie didn’t start until almost 5:15 p.m.

The movie itself was OK and had fun moments, though the plot sputtered a bit as the film spread itself thin over multiple messages: “it’s OK to be different,” “be true to yourself,” “have courage in the face of adversity,” “consider the circle of life,” “question religious authorities,” and “don’t give up on getting the girl.”

The big surprise for us was that there was a 10 minute intermission right smack dab in the middle of the film. What? An intermission in a movie that’s barely 2 hours long? Whatever. E and the kids headed to the restroom where they paid the equivalent of 40 cents each to use the facilities. While we’re accustomed to paying to use the restroom in many settings in Europe, we didn’t expect to have to pay for them in a place where we already had dropped $60 on admission and snacks.

Afterwards we stopped for dinner and had Belgian-style “Mexican” food—which means salsa that tastes a lot like ketchup and frites and salads served with the entrees. There wasn’t any trace of the hot, spicy sauces and seasonings or the refried beans we expect with Mexican food in the U.S., but it was a good dinner nonetheless. On the way out we paused to admire the Atomium in all its night time glory. It’s one of our favorite Belgian landmarks, and we’d never seen it at night before, each of its globes crisscrossed with neat lines of white-blue lights. E and I will have to make a trip to the movies on our own soon. Must. Find. A. Sitter.

December 29, 2006

Copyright 2006 Veronica McCabe Deschambault. All rights reserved. www.v-grrrl.com

Comments

[Amber]

Well, we pay the same to see movies here now, so don't feel bad. It's crazy. To take a whole family! Wow, we couldn't do that every weekend. I don't know who could!

I did take Wyatt to see Happy Feet a couple weeks ago, and he liked it. Santa even brought him a poster. But I thought the same thing you did. They tried to say tooooo much! And, was it me, but I also heard a message to parents whose children might me gay...You know, how the dad was ashamed of his son for being different? How he didn't know what to do with him, and didn't want the community to judge them? And then he was sorry he had lost him? Which is a fine message, IMO. But just too many in one movie...A little preachy, kinda.

But still cute. Wyatt is always doing the "happy feet dance", and it makes me laugh. That is reason enough to have taken him. :)

:)

[Ortizzle]

Yeah, I would say the movies are about as expensive here. Could be why Netflix does so well, ha, ha. But the intermission thing: that must have been to make more money off the concession stands or something. I never heard of that, and I lived in Spain for years, and have also been to the movies in France, England, Germany, etc. Also never heard of pay toilets in cinemas (restaurants, yes, but not, as you say, in a place where you are already paying an arm and a leg to get in.)

[Rick]

OK, I was fairly disoriented from the very start, twisted sideways by "guys in thongs", and spun completely around by "40 cents each to use the facilities." But to walk out and see the Atomium, I think I might have fainted dead away.

[Char]

So, what movie did you actually see? We almost never go to the movies - too expensive for 5 people. I'd rather watch it over and over at home.

[amanda]

the salt popcorn is new within this year. i used to order salt and pepper chips with m&m's to replace my stateside popcorn and snowcaps habit. but then they came out with salt popcorn here and all was right in the world again. and they only do intermissions in children films. usually not for the english version since you must assume those watching the english version are 1. abme to understand english and 2. able to read subtitles, but we've been to 1 or 2 english animated films with intermissions.

[Linda Freedman(TherapyDoc)]

Yeah, they do that overseas, intermissions to sell concessions. We're so spoiled in the US of A

[Elisabeth]

Wow, that's a lot of money to plop to see a movie in a theater! I haven't seen "Happy Feet." My daughter was visiting me late this past week, and expressed the desire to see it (she is 20!), but it was already gone from my local movie theater. Will wait for it to come out on DVD.

A very happy new year, BONNE ANNÉE to you and your family!

[mckay]

i was very disappointed by Happy Feet and thought it lasted way to long and had a very boring plot. i enjoyed Flushed Away much, much more. Netflix is something i may try in 2007, as i just cancelled HBO...bubye Entourage :0(

sometimes taking a walk is more fulfilling than spending the mega bucks on the movies. i rarely go to the movies anymore.

[Nance]

V.--I rarely go to movies anymore; audience behavior, freezing cold theater, and dearth of really good movies for the money are my reasons. But my buddy and I went to see the latest movie with Kate Winslet and Jude Law (I think it's called "The Holiday", but we only went to see it for Jude Law and for light fluffy entertainment.), and we were the only 2 people in the show. Which was good, because then we could moan and sigh all we wanted over Jude Law. The film we went to see was okay, but JL was worth the price of admission. And the preview for "Bridge to Terabithia"=disturbing, very.

[gian]

I've been living here for 5 years and go to the movies quite often, and at various cinemas in Brussels and Antwerp. I NEVER experienced an intermission. Maybe it has something to do with children having to use the toilet??? And as for the "racy" commercials...please! Children won't be scarred by seeing skin or a little violence. American television is far more violent than in Europe. But Europe is more sexual. At least it's a positive emoton. Anglo-saxon upbringing thinks by restraining or withholding experiences, your protecting. In fact your created more curiousity, and rebellion by such an approach. But those are my views..and am glad not to live in the States anymore. Too prudent and morally archaic.