Random Factoid #160

4 01 2010

While browsing the Entertainment Weekly website yesterday, I came across a picture (above) from a photoshoot with “Up in the Air” stars George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, and Vera Farmiga.

The caption of the photo reads:

What do the jet-setting cast members of Up in the Air do first when they check into a hotel room? ”I look at the view,” says Vera Farmiga. Adds George Clooney: ”I check out the channels on the TV.” As for Anna Kendrick? ”I’m probably a bed-tester. I want to know if it’s going to be a good bed. That’s the only thing that matters in a hotel.”

This inspired a factoid!  So, what do I do whenever I check into a hotel room?

I instantly run to the TV and check what in-room movies are available.


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Random Factoid #159

3 01 2010

I have a new pet peeve of moviegoing, so naturally, I shall vent it here.

At the AMC theater which I attend, there has been a pandemic sweeping the halls.  No one closes the door to the theater!

This may not seem like a big deal, but when you hear the sounds of Taylor Swift and Reba MacEntire ever so softly while you revel in the beautiful silences of “Bright Star,” it is incredibly distracting.  I can now count the number of times I have gotten out of my seat in the middle of a movie (which I never do if I can help it) to shut the theater door so I can focus on the movie.

If anyone who has any say at AMC reads this, I am more than willing to have a face-to-face conversation about this.  We can do it by phone, too, if you wish.


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Random Factoid #158

2 01 2010

A trite, yet startling moment at the box office this afternoon.

As I purchased my ticket at AMC Studio 30, something struck me.  AMC had changed the shape of their tickets completely!  My instant feeling was panic – will this fit in my collection?  Thankfully, it is the same height as most of my tickets.  Crisis averted.


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Random Factoid #157

1 01 2010

The first factoid of 2010 is more like an episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition – HOW DID THEY DO THAT?” than my norm.

So, how did Marshall come up with his top 10 lists of 2009?

To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure how to do it.  I cleared off the bulletin board and began fiddling.  I wrote all the contenders for the ten slots on notecards and began to mix and match.  After three days of playing with the order, I settled on the order that you saw.

And this factoid comes with … ILLUSTRATIONS!  Below are pictures of how the board looked after each of my three days of negotiation.

Day 1 - Still debating between "Up in the Air" and "Up"

Day 2 - "The Cove" and "The Princess and the Frog" come into play

Day 3 - "Inglourious Basterds" in, "Avatar" among others out


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Random Factoid #156

31 12 2009

When I leaf through my 14-page ticket collection, I like to be able to read the stubs.  But often times, the ink fades to a point where it gets hard to discern the text.

In order to combat these disappearances, I often write over the words on the stubs in pen.

Tacky?  Probably.  Helpful?  Definitely.


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Random Factoid #155

30 12 2009

Today, I discovered Redbox.

I really wanted to see “District 9” again but didn’t want to hassle with Blockbuster.  I stumbled upon a blog that gave me codes for a free rental, so I decided to try it out.

Boy, some of those boxes had next to no movies.  I practically had to scour the town to find “District 9,” but I managed to find it at a Walgreens.

I’m not sure if it’s worth the hassle (and yes, I know that I can reserve them online), so we’ll just see Redbox keeps my business.


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Random Factoid #154

29 12 2009

Ever since I have had a laptop, the desktop wallpaper has been predominately movies.

Now, it is adorned by “Up in the Air.”

On my current laptop, the wall has been owned by “Funny People,” “The Hangover,” and “Star Trek.”

My previous laptop featured “The Kingdom,” “The Dark Knight,” and “Pineapple Express.”


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Random Factoid #153

28 12 2009

On Christmas Day, I hit triple digits on my AMC MovieWatcher card.  I felt like a Ryan Bingham in the making (if you don’t understand this reference, you need to see “Up in the Air” NOW).

I was rewarded with a free night at the movies: a ticket, large popcorn, and a soft drink.  Here’s to many more.


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Random Factoid #152 / Shameless Advertisement #7

27 12 2009

I usually don’t eat popcorn unless I am at the movies.  I feel like eating it at home makes it feel a little less special when I munch on it at the theater.

When I do eat at home, I usually don’t have a preference of brand.  My mom buys Pop Secret, and I taste very little to distinguish it from any other brand of popcorn.

However, after seeing this commercial tonight, they are officially my favorite brand forever.


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Random Factoid #151

26 12 2009

Guess what I got for Christmas?

Guess.

Just guess.

$150 in gift cards to movie theaters.  I’m so glad my friends and family get me.


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Random Factoid #150

25 12 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

As I write this factoid at 8:53 P.M., I will admit to being completely and utterly exhausted.  My, what a day can do to you!

My family has two “traditions” on Christmas Day.  The first is eating enchiladas from our favorite Mexican restaurant on our fine china (although today we were tired and just ate them on paper plates).

And, with a few exceptions, we join almost every family in America at the movies.  Keeping with the spirit of being with your family for the holiday, the choice is usually something that everyone will enjoy together.  This year’s selection was “The Princess and the Frog;” in previous years, we have attended “Marley & Me” and “Cheaper by the Dozen.”  By far the most memorable Christmas at the movies was “Dreamgirls” in 2006, the only time I have ever heard an audience applaud in the middle of a movie.


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Random Factoid #149

24 12 2009

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!  I hope everyone is able to spend some time with family or loved ones and really catch the spirit of the season.

In my family, Christmas Eve follows a pretty set routine.

In the morning, we usually do some hard-core baking.  At 2:00, we go to the Christmas Eve service at church.  Before we go to a Christmas Eve party that we plan with three other families around dusk, we all gather around and watch a Christmas movie.  This year, we watched “The Polar Express.”  Previous years’ selections have included “Elf” and “The Santa Clause 2.”


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Random Factoid #148

23 12 2009

I was faced with a tough decision regarding my ticket collection on Monday.  I attended an advanced film screening at the Angelika Film Center, as the last two factoids have informed you.  To gain entrance to these screenings, I usually have to present a piece of paper which they confiscate upon entry.

However, they did things a little differently.  We had to exchange our pass for a real ticket that didn’t have the name of the movie on it, only “SPECIAL EVENT.”

What was I to do?  None of these other advanced screenings had real tickets.

In the end, I decided to leave it out.  But I didn’t make the decision haphazardly; I thought long and hard, weighing my options thoroughly.


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Random Factoid #147

22 12 2009

I sat for over an hour at a screening yesterday watching a trivia reel on a loop.  I complain about the pre-show entertainment and the endless advertising, but having to sit through the same trivia questions dozens of times could drive Gandhi mad.

However, once, I managed to make trivia entertaining.

At the 8:10 opening night show of “Bruno,” the projector broke (I think I called it a “mercy killing” in my review).  While the AMC staff slowly worked to fix the projector, they flipped on the trivia reel.

The first time, my friends and I offered our guesses at who said what quote.  But by about the third time around, it was getting reaaaaaaaally boring, so we had to spice it up some.  It was fun for a little while by yelling out BS answers to the quotes, yet even that got old.

We walked out.


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Random Factoid #146

21 12 2009

As I sit here waiting for my screening to begin, I give thanks to the Angelika Film Center for having lots of movie-themed postcards out to grab. I was able to save four seats using my “An Education” and “Broken Embraces” postcards.

I grab these postcards whenever I can at movies. I’ve only sent one, and it was “Milk” themed. I have a few sitting in my desk


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