Hello! I am Raquelle’s husband, Carlos. Raquelle and I share a great passion for movies. She primarily reviews movies made in the 1920s though the 1960s. I concentrate on movies mostly from the 1960s to the present. Between the two of us we have every decade covered!
The Indiana Jones movies have been a passion of mine since 1981, when Raiders of the Lost Ark was released. All four Indiana Jones movies were being shown for one Saturday only. The reason for the rerelease was to drum up business for the upcoming Blu-ray box set. These movies were extremely well received by audiences who were treated to exotic locations, a wise-cracking archaeologist, and nearly unattainable ancient artifacts.
I asked my manager for a Saturday off. This is a rare treat in the world of retail. Saturday’s is the busiest day of the week so it is all hands on deck. I joke with customers who ask if I work on Saturdays. I tell them if I’m not at work on a Saturday it means I am either on vacation or dead! He gave me the ok and I purchased two tickets, one for myself and my Dad. I invited Mrs. S. but she declined.
Knowing the popularity of the movies and not having been shown in the theaters for a quarter century, I wanted to get there as early as possible. We arrived at the movies around 9:45 am and the gate to the entrance was down. There were about 40 people waiting to get in. I was expecting more fans of the movie to turn out for this once-in-a-lifetime event. At 10 am the gates were raised and everyone shuffled in. We were corralled into a line, so we could be given a commemorative poster and lanyard. The lanyard was more functional as it was an indicator of our paid admission. There was a 30 minute break between movies which gave us the opportunity to eat and stretch our legs.
Back of the Lanyard
Front of the Lanyard - This is the idol that Indiana Jones almost acquires in the first movie.
Movies:
As a movie buff where I plant my ass in a theater is of utmost importance. Almost to the extent of where and why Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory sits. I need to sit in the center of the theater about three quarters of the way up. In this location my eyes are level looking at the center of the screen. Also my ears are treated to a perfect balance of sound. I located the most centrally available seats and settled in with my Dad to my left.
The lights go down...Raiders starts! It was a thrill to watch this movie again after so many years. We stayed for the first three movies, but we skipped “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”. I had seen it in 2008 when it came out.
Before “Last Crusade” an Indiana Jones trivia contest was held. The prizes were commiserate with the questions. Here are the questions:
- What is Indiana afraid of?
- What is Indiana full legal name?
- How does Indiana get the grail?
- How did Indiana get the scar on his chin?
- How did Indiana get the fedora?
(See answers at the bottom of the post)
The best prize was the box set of all the movies on Blu-ray. I only knew the answers to questions 1 and 3.
Sunday previous I trekked to the same theater for a special screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was being promoted for a special screening on Imax for one week only. I know what you are thinking: you went to see Raiders of the Lost Ark on Imax and a week later you go back to see Raiders of the Lost Ark AGAIN and the three more Indiana Jones movies!
Watching a movie on an Imax has no equal as it represents the zenith of current digital movie technology. It is engineered for the highest degree of high definition and 6 channel uncompressed audio. There is a catch however. The are two types of Imax’s: Classic Design and Multiplex Design. Classic Design is built in a certain manner to take full advantage of the experience. This is not your grandfather’s movie theater. Important features include seats set at a steep incline, a very large screen, 72 x 52.8 feet, and the seats placed much closer to the screen. Multiplex Design is a regular theater has been turned into an Imax. It does not contain the important attributes needed for the full experience. As I entered the “Imax theater” I stopped in my tracks and wondered if I went into the wrong theater. I was expecting a Classic Design Imax, but I was in a regular theater. I went back out and asked the man who took my ticket if I was in the right theater. He explained it was “technically an Imax”. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and went back in and found my seat. The movie started and I kept waiting for the Imax experience to kick in. Within five minutes I realized that was not going to happen. I stayed through the entire movie, disappointed. When I returned the next weekend for the marathon, I explained what happened to a supervisor and she returned the cost of the ticket, $16. Lesson learned! If you want to see a movie on an Imax, it must be on a Classic design not a Multiplex design.
Answers:
1) Snakes
2) Dr. Henry Walton Jones Jr.
3) The notes in his father’s diary
4) A whip used to hold back the lion
5) Given to him by the treasure hunter who found the Cross of Coronado
