After the Movie

So the movie was basically what I thought it was going to be, a nice storyline but way too much singing and over dramatizing of the plot. The plot actually was kinda screwy and jumped around a lot but it was easier to follow once you knew the difference between Linda and Lila. The popcorn was pretty good and everyone was really helpful once you entered the theater because I had about five people ask what I wanted. I enjoyed going back to the theater after all this time though and seeing how much had changed over the past years. Somehow I think I actually sat in the same seat as the last time I went to the theater with my family. Also, I think the same old man was the ticket giver like he always has been. As for the movie experience, it just felt good to get out of that bitter cold weather and get inside somewhere and try to have some entertainment for awhile. Each person's voice was rather unique when they sang and it felt kinda weird to see where the song White Christmas first got its popularity. Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire both sang really well and it was pretty cool how the plot covered many holidays in it. The two ladies in the film do a really good job in their parts as well but I had trouble remembering which one was Lila and which one was Linda because they jumped back and forth between the two guys about 3 times it seemed. There were lots and lots of performance-like events in the movie, with many of them taking place at the Holiday Inn and the last couple at Hollywood. I was not really a fan of how much singing there was but at least it was not one of those musical films where they randomly bust out into song and somehow synchronized choreography. Instead, the plot was based around the singing so it at least went with the story and did not hinder it. Of course, as in basically all old Hollywood movies, the film had one of those touchy, never could be real, "Happily Ever After" endings where everyone ends up with who they should be with to live a happy life. I was kind of happy that I went because it gave me a break from my real studying while still giving me time to go out after as well. I am also glad because the ticket was only 5 dollars so I kind of think of it as only spending 5 more dollars to keep an A, which I think is a pretty good deal. One thing I would change at the theater, however, is that they did not have the lights on for the night show AND they did not use the vintage box office they have out front to sell tickets. Instead, they had the lights off and you had to get your ticket from the guy at the stand once you got inside the theater lobby. Overall, though, I did kind of enjoy my experience with the movie and going back to the theater and I would consider going there for another showing of a different movie sometime.

Before the movie

I did a bit of research on the movie, which is called Holiday Inn. I mainly looked at IMDB and Wikipedia to try and see what it was about. After reading about the legacy and the effects of the film in America and the rest of the world, I am kind of intrigued to see it. However, I am not big on musical films, especially ones from the the black and white days, so I am unsure what exactly to expect. I grew up here and have been to the Normal Theater a couple times with my family, but the last time I went was well before I was even in High School. I assume that they have probably made some changes since I had been there last so I wonder what differences there are since my mom dragged my brother and I out to watch another Christmas movie back in the day. Hopefully this experience will be a little different than that one. Going back to my research, I found that lots of pop culture things arose out of this film. The immensely famous song "White Christmas" was actually popularized by Bing Crosby in the film when he sings it on stage. One other special note about the movie is that the Holiday Inn chain owners named their hotels after the film. Well, I hope this is not a waste of two hours and that I actually kind of enjoy it. Also, I am hoping that the weather won't be too bad on the way out there, especially while trying to walk with my bad leg. Time to go see if this film is worth all of the praise it got back in the day