Popcorn & Prejudice: A Movie Blog
Seattle Times writer Moira Macdonald muses on moviegoing
Comments (2)
E-mail article
Print view
Share
Life, movies, and what we don't see
Posted by Moira Macdonald
In "Public Enemies," which opens today, we see a movie rarity: people in a movie actually going to a movie. It was inevitable: John Dillinger was famously gunned down outside a movie theater after attending a screening of "Manhattan Melodrama" (which I recommend, though not the gunning-down part; it's a fun 1934 movie that stars the great "Thin Man" couple, William Powell and Myrna Loy). But in general, with the exception of the occasional dating montage, we don't see people in movies actually going to movies; presumably it's not sufficiently visual or dynamic. We also rarely see people reading, typing at their desks (unless they are investigators tracking down a murderer, which is apparently done through Google), commuting, paying bills (unless they are broke and unable to pay them, in which case we see a sad shoebox of bills and a woebegone expression), doing laundry, going to the bank (unless said bank is being robbed), deciding what to have for lunch, and wandering the hallways at work in search of Diet Coke. It dawned on me this morning that most of my life is not the stuff of movies. Ah well. Perhaps today, the Coke machine will turn into a Transformer, and I will turn into Michelle Pfeiffer. Or perhaps not. I'll keep you posted.
Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company
Oct 26, 09 - 4:11 PM
As P & P slips away for a few weeks, let's talk Oscar hosts
Oct 26, 09 - 9:42 AM
Monday morning "Mad Men": Gypsies and hobos
Oct 23, 09 - 1:57 PM
Scary Movie Week continues: Remakes? What remakes?
Oct 22, 09 - 9:22 AM
Scary Movie Week continues: A look at "Psycho"
Oct 21, 09 - 9:28 AM
Scary Movie Week continues: What's new?


- Flags were key link to cop slaying, bombings
- Suspect shot as city mourns slain officer
- Briefs | Soccer: New Mexico suspends hair-pulling player Elizabeth Lambert
- McGinn pulling away as late ballots come in
- Using anti-shooter tactics, civilian Army police officer brought down gunman
- Huskies suffer another heartbreaking loss to UCLA
- Consortium on verge of owning Eastside railway land
- Suspect in officer's slaying shot by police
- Heavy snow in Cascades shuts down roads
- Stormy weather to continue today in the Seattle area
- UCLA game thread
937 - Suspect shot as city mourns slain officer
389 - Weapons, bomb-making materials found in suspect's apartment
332 - Troubling portrait emerges of Fort Hood suspect
286 - Decision day for health care in the House
193 - McGinn widens lead over Mallahan in Seattle mayoral race
183 - Schools emerge as new tactic in gay marriage votes
99 - Huskies suffer another heartbreaking loss to UCLA
90 - Referendum 71 show's Washington's strategy for marriage equality is working
74 - Using anti-shooter tactics, civilian Army police officer brought down gunman
71
- Suspect shot as city mourns slain officer
- Flags were key link to cop slaying, bombings
- McGinn pulling away as late ballots come in
- Consortium on verge of owning Eastside railway land
- Guest columnist | Cut the South Carolina jokes, Seattle. Get ready to compete
- Practical Mac | With new features, Apple's MobileMe is worth the price
- H1N1 vaccine for high-risk group coming to King Co. pharmacies
- Shoreline man killed when struck by falling tree part
- Suspect in officer's slaying shot by police
- Movie review | 'An Education' you won't forget


