Curiouser and Curiouser...

3-21-2010
Day 14 of 365: I finally did it. After one previous failed attempt, and in celebration of surviving 2 weeks without Texas BBQ, Mexican food, video games, my 2008 Honda Civic coupe, and Americans...I finally went to the movies yesterday to see Alice in Wonderland. I had tried last Saturday to see the film, but was stumped by the lack of English signs or instructions, so I walked back home easily defeated. Trying again yesterday wasn't any easier, but maybe I wanted it more this time. I walked up to the girl at the box office window only to get grouched at (in English) by an old Korean woman who told me that I needed to pull a number and wait until it was called. I grabbed my number and walked back up to the girl when it was my turn. She didn't speak English of course, so I just said 'Alice' and she understood. The movie was in 3D and cost 13,000 Won, which is around $11. After paying her, she turned her monitor toward me and motioned for me to point on the seating chart where I wanted to sit. The movie theaters here have seating charts?

Once you have your ticket, you wait in the lobby until 5 minutes before the showtime, then your theater is announced as 'ready' and you're allowed to enter. I just figured that part out by watching other people, because again, there is no English. However, the one place there was English was at the concessions stand. It was very general, but I inferred enough to order myself a large popcorn with no problems. I wasn't brave enough to try to order a hot dog, and they don't sell candy at the movies in Korea. They have nachos, popcorn, hot dogs, and sodas, but no candy. Instead they have Roasted Squid. Yup. Yellow package, cartoon squid on the front. Perfect for the little ones. I should add Sour Patch Kids and Reese's Pieces to the things I'm missing at the top of the page.

Upon entering the theater and finding my seat, the big mystery for me was the question of what language the movie would be in. Turns out it was in English with Korean Subtitles. From what I can tell, all American movies here are in that format, which is a nice discovery. Sitting in that theater made me feel like I was home for 2 hours. I may make this a regular thing. As for the movie itself, I thought it was imaginative and the special effects were great. I'd give it a B+. It's very different from Disney's cartoon version, and I'm wondering now if this version is more true to Louis Carroll's original story. I may try to find it, in English of course.