Baby Mama is a hard title to say. People ask for Baby's Mama, My Baby's Mama, Mama Baby, etc. Why they chose to go with Ebonics to choose a title when there's only one black actor in the movie is beyond me. Surprisingly, this is a pretty good movie. My daughter and I laughed our butts off on Friday night; then on Saturday when I had to clean the theater I was pleasantly surprised that only a handful of people had left their trash in their seats. This is even more surprising because the movie has attracted all sorts of people: white, black, young, old, women, men, singles & couples. It's not an Oscar's qualifier (not that the stuff that does get nominated are deserving) but it's entertaining; and that's what going to a movie is all about. My favorite line was from the biological mom on her way to the delivery room responding to a stupid question about how she was doing; her response: "It feels like I'm shitting knives!". I think that sums it up pretty descriptively for most mothers.
What does this movie say about our culture today? Well, it tackles surrogate parenting and designer babies. Should couples, or single women for that matter, be able to choose donor traits to custom design their babies? This is a big deal for those in the gay community and infertile couples who would like to raise their own children. One California surrogacy and egg donation center has helped over 400 couples and individuals since 2003 realize their dream of becoming a parent. There are 55 babies due some time this year from this one clinic alone.
It's a profitable business too. The agency may require a retainer from $9-12K, plus $25K compensation for the surrogage mom, plus $5K for pharmacy, plus c-section and delivery costs, $250 per week for bed rest, $250 per week for a low income surrogate mom (I don't understand this one when you're giving them $25,000 to carry your baby. The fees go on and on. In Baby Mama, the agency fees were $100K; and as the mother-to-be pointed out, "It costs more to have someone born than it does to have them killed!" It takes longer too.
My last wife and I did pretty good turning out my youngest daughter. Not only does she have our DNA, or rather in spite of having our DNA, she's both beautiful and intelligent. It only cost us $5,000 and the insurance paid half of that. Of course, I've been pretty fertile myself, sireing five children. For those who can't have children biologically and who don't want to consider adopting some one else's children, designer babies might be the way to go. On the other hand it sounds a little like what Hitler tried to do when he wanted to create the ultimate race. Hollywood, as usual, provides a shallow Utopian viewpoint, but the full implications might not be realized in our lifetimes....now if we could extract the gene that causes slovenliness and irresponsibility, we might end up with a better world.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Too Busy!!!!!
I've been so busy at my 'real' job that I haven't had time to post any reviews lately. That, and I was gone for awhile to visit my fiance in Omaha. That was way more fun than cleaning theaters.
Another reason that I haven't written in awhile is that there hasn't been anything worth you paying $9-12 to go see. Weekdays we only sell between 200-300 tickets for the entire day. Weekends we're somewhere around 1500-2000 per day. Normally a weekend would net 3,000 and up per Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Even before the writer's strike Hollywood was struggling to get people to the movies; things are not improving with time.
The movies to watch out for this summer are: Iron Man, Narnia - Prince Caspian, Batman, Wall-E, and the new Indiana Jones movies. It may not be a big hit, but M Night Shyamalan, The Happening is a movie I'm looking forwards to. The theater is already gearing up to hire an additional 20 employees to help with the summer traffic.
As for now, here's a run-down of how current movies are trashed:
21 - 4 Tubs
The Forbidden Kingdom - 4 Tubs
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 4 Tubs (this is a really stupid movie - save your money unless you enjoy looking at a man's genitals).
88 Minutes - 3 Tubs
Prom Night - 3 Tubs (great for me - teenagers' baggy pants continue to spill coins under the seats)
Horton Hears a Who - 3 Tubs - down from 5 tubs, but near the end of the run
Smart People - 2 Tubs
Shutter - 1 Tub (another waste of money)
Street Kings - 4 Tubs
Leatherheads - 2 Tubs
Nim's Island - 4 Tubs (Jodie Foster sucks at comedy)
Meet The Browns - down to 3 Tubs near the end of the theater run
Sorry I've been out of pocket for so long. I'll try to find something worth writing about in a couple of weeks:).
DMC
Another reason that I haven't written in awhile is that there hasn't been anything worth you paying $9-12 to go see. Weekdays we only sell between 200-300 tickets for the entire day. Weekends we're somewhere around 1500-2000 per day. Normally a weekend would net 3,000 and up per Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Even before the writer's strike Hollywood was struggling to get people to the movies; things are not improving with time.
The movies to watch out for this summer are: Iron Man, Narnia - Prince Caspian, Batman, Wall-E, and the new Indiana Jones movies. It may not be a big hit, but M Night Shyamalan, The Happening is a movie I'm looking forwards to. The theater is already gearing up to hire an additional 20 employees to help with the summer traffic.
As for now, here's a run-down of how current movies are trashed:
21 - 4 Tubs
The Forbidden Kingdom - 4 Tubs
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 4 Tubs (this is a really stupid movie - save your money unless you enjoy looking at a man's genitals).
88 Minutes - 3 Tubs
Prom Night - 3 Tubs (great for me - teenagers' baggy pants continue to spill coins under the seats)
Horton Hears a Who - 3 Tubs - down from 5 tubs, but near the end of the run
Smart People - 2 Tubs
Shutter - 1 Tub (another waste of money)
Street Kings - 4 Tubs
Leatherheads - 2 Tubs
Nim's Island - 4 Tubs (Jodie Foster sucks at comedy)
Meet The Browns - down to 3 Tubs near the end of the theater run
Sorry I've been out of pocket for so long. I'll try to find something worth writing about in a couple of weeks:).
DMC
Friday, April 11, 2008
Stop-Loss - 4 Tubs
As you might expect from MTV, this is a political movie; another anti-war waste of $9 bucks. I had high hopes for this movie; and in some ways it does justice to the characters. The emphasis on sticking by your team mates is very much a part of being a soldier. What isn't realistic though is to portray the majority of soldiers caught up in a stop-loss as being anti-establishment. A soldier learns early on that the mission is more important than a soldier. We're taught to always complete the mission, regardless of whether it's popular with the folks back home.
As for the condition of the theater auditorium after viewers have left, there must be a mindset to those who are attracted to this sort of movie to protest anything and everything. These patrons pony up the bucks to get in, but they complain the whole time and then leave their trash as a way of getting out of personal responsibilty. The movie attracts mostly white viewers, both male and female; mostly middle-aged or younger. These viewers grew up hearing about how their parents burned their bras and draft cards when they were young and this is the way the Busters (post-Boomers) choose to protest: by being irresponsible. Unlike the Hippies of the Sixties, this generation doesn't know what it's protesting against. Could be anything: George Bush, capitalism, corporate greed, Christianity, democracy, God, family values, etc. They come and watch a work of fiction and believe it's the way the world is.
You might notice that I'm not trying to be funny lately. After months of cleaning up behind people, I don't find it funny anymore. It's depressing. Every cup left in the seat, every popcorn tub spilled on the floor; all that buttery topping to cause you to slip and fall, all the salt on the seats, the McDonald's wrappers, the chicken bones, the vodka bottles, the occasional messy diaper or condom - it ain't funny any more. It's pitiful.
I think Michael Moore, that fat, rich sorry excuse for a human that he is, should make a documentary about theater goers. If he spins it right, G.W. Bush could be blamed for all the popcorn and soda containers filling our landfills.
OK, I've vented. Now I'm getting out of here so I can think about good and positive things - like my fiance:) Save your money and don't buy the DVD - you're too smart for the propaganda.
As for the condition of the theater auditorium after viewers have left, there must be a mindset to those who are attracted to this sort of movie to protest anything and everything. These patrons pony up the bucks to get in, but they complain the whole time and then leave their trash as a way of getting out of personal responsibilty. The movie attracts mostly white viewers, both male and female; mostly middle-aged or younger. These viewers grew up hearing about how their parents burned their bras and draft cards when they were young and this is the way the Busters (post-Boomers) choose to protest: by being irresponsible. Unlike the Hippies of the Sixties, this generation doesn't know what it's protesting against. Could be anything: George Bush, capitalism, corporate greed, Christianity, democracy, God, family values, etc. They come and watch a work of fiction and believe it's the way the world is.
You might notice that I'm not trying to be funny lately. After months of cleaning up behind people, I don't find it funny anymore. It's depressing. Every cup left in the seat, every popcorn tub spilled on the floor; all that buttery topping to cause you to slip and fall, all the salt on the seats, the McDonald's wrappers, the chicken bones, the vodka bottles, the occasional messy diaper or condom - it ain't funny any more. It's pitiful.
I think Michael Moore, that fat, rich sorry excuse for a human that he is, should make a documentary about theater goers. If he spins it right, G.W. Bush could be blamed for all the popcorn and soda containers filling our landfills.
OK, I've vented. Now I'm getting out of here so I can think about good and positive things - like my fiance:) Save your money and don't buy the DVD - you're too smart for the propaganda.
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