Northern Lights Theater Pub

I have to admit that I'm not much of a movie goer. Okay, I'm not much of a movie watcher at all. To me, movies are an event. So when I do have time to see a movie I like the whole movie theater experience. Generally, I enjoy movies at Salem Cinema which is near my home, but last night I decided to go to Northern Lights with a friend. We really wanted to see The King's Speech and it was playing at Northern Lights. And at exactly the right time for our schedule!

I haven't been to Northern Lights in some time. I forget how much I like it. Its a local theater with second run movies for $3. I love that you can order food to be delivered during the movie. I like the happy, helpful staff members. I like the fact that I can get a beer or a glass of wine to drink during the movie.

Maybe its because I'm just not a movie buff, but I can't imagine spending $10 on a movie at the Regal theaters here in town. At Northern Lights I could get a movie, popcorn, AND a soda for that same $10. And I'd be supporting a local business in the process. Sounds like a win/win situation to me.

Oh, also, if you haven't seen The King's Speech, you should go see it right away. Amazing. That is all.

Support Salem Cinema

All right folks, by now many of you have heard that Salem Cinema (and theaters in general) are having a hard time staying in business. Personally, I love being able to see an array of films for a reasonable price right in my little ol' hometown of Salem. I would like to continue doing so. With that in mind, I'm organizing a little Support Salem Cinema event or two. The local Twitter gang has been chatting about times and dates that might work for the most people. Obviously, we can't fit everyone's schedule, but it looks like the most popular times are this Thursday, August 5th, and next Tuesday the 10th (this date has the most votes so far). Here is what I'd like to propose:

Two Salem Cinema support groups. One Thursday for anyone who is available on short notice, and one next Tuesday to give you a week to prepare. I know this is quite a radical suggestion, but I think it might work. :) You can come to one or both nights. Doesn't hurt to support them twice!

Details

• Meet at Salem Cinema at 7 PM for snacks and socializing
• Pick a movie (There are 3 that start at 7:45)
• Watch your movie
• Discuss with friends afterwards at Boon's if you wish (optional, but always fun!)

Leave a comment below to RSVP. Hope to see you all at one of these nights!

P.S. They have some deals going on. Check the website before you go so you don't miss out. Go to http://www.salemcinema.com/index.html or click on the image at the top.

How to Beat the Heat In and Around Salem

For the most part, Summer in Salem, Oregon is just about perfect. Warm days, cool nights, little humidity, and a few bugs. But then every once in awhile we get a "heat wave", as Oregonians call days in the 90-100 degree range. The reason it really feels like a heat wave is because almost no one has air conditioning since its really more of a luxury than a necessity around here. Since I've been surviving Oregon "heat waves" for my entire life, I thought I'd share some of the local secrets to staying sane in the heat.

1. First of all, there's the window/door air-conditioning trick. Open all the windows and doors early in the morning with the fans blowing the cool air in, then close them up quickly when the temp outside starts to rise above the temp inside the house. My mother is an expert at this, standing in the middle of the doorway one arm held outside and the other inside to test the temperatures. :) Then make sure you keep all your windows closed and blinds and curtains closed until the temp drops in the evening again. 
2. If you have a basement, move your mattress down there and sleep in it on the hottest days. My entire family and an assortment of friends would have slumber parties in our basement on the days that just wouldn't cool down. 
3. Go to the beach or up to Detroit Lake. Both the mountains and the beaches can be 20-30 degrees cooler than the valley. So pack a cooler and head out for the day, just remember you won't be the only one, so expect traffic.
4. Go shopping. The one place that is always air conditioned is the mall. 
5. Go to a movie. Pick a long one and make sure its about mid-afternoon so you miss the worst of the heat. (The hottest part of the day in these parts is usually between 4-6 pm).
6. Make friends with people who have pools (pretty uncommon around Salem) or join one of the community pool clubs. I know there are a couple in Keizer, one in West Salem, one out south and I'm sure lots of others. They can be pretty spendy, but non-members can sign up for lessons which are MUCH cheaper. You don't get full access, but you can stay cool for awhile.
7. Head over to one of the splash fountains around Salem. The largest fountains are at Riverfront Park and River Road Park. There are smaller splash fountains at Fairmont, Northgate, Wes Bennett, West Salem and Englewood neighborhood parks.
8. If all else fails, take a cool shower and then sit in front of a fan. Repeat as needed.

Have fun, enjoy summer, and be safe. And don't forget to hydrate!

A Night at the Cinema

There is just something really fun about Salem Cinema. I love the new building, although I really liked the quirky, old building on High Street as well. I love that the location is close to my home, and that brewer's yeast is an optional add on to your popcorn. Most of all though, I love the quirky movie selections. 

I went to see Young Victoria this week. This is probably one of the least quirky movies I've seen at the Cinema. It was very well done though, and a great period piece which nicely portrayed the vulnerability and strength of a young queen. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to others. Especially if you get a chance to see it at Salem Cinema. 

We went on a Monday evening. There were about 10 people in the theater, but it still felt cozy. My friend got some popcorn with the added brewer's yeast. I also picked up some Cinebucks, aka Salem Cinema gift certificates, as a birthday present for a friend while I was there. They only come in $5 increments, so I got two. I figured it would cover a movie and a small snack. Prices are definitely lower than at big business movies theaters, so you can actually afford to watch a movies AND eat a snack. 

One thing I noticed about the previews was that they were absolutely unhelpful. I had read reviews on a couple of the movies previewed and I still couldn't figure out what the previews had to do with the story. The previews seemed to consist of random images from from movie without any real point. So, save yourself some energy and just check out the reviews on the website.

The Grand Old Theaters of Salem

Salem is blessed with some very beautiful old theaters. In downtown Salem we have both the Grand Theater and the Elsinore Theatre. They are both wonderful places to spend a few hours immersed in the culture of Salem.

The Elsinore has a Classic Film Series which shows on Wednesdays for $5. If you haven't been to one of these films yet, I suggest you get right out and get in line for the next one. The films have been remastered and are shown on the big screen. They even have silent films with organ music in the background! They also have an array of other events on their schedule.

The Grand Theater is home to the Progressive Film Series as well as concerts and other events. Their newest addition to the schedule is a monthly musical film sing-along. I am super excited about this. I know that sounds a little corny, but I can't wait to sing along to my favorite musicals and not have people try to shush me! :)

So, if you're looking for a little culture, or maybe just a little entertainment, in downtown Salem, check out the website schedules for these two cool, old theaters and great events they have going on.

Going to the Movies

So, I wanted to see a movie last weekend. This is actually quite an event for me. I might see two movies a year. I'm just not a big movie person. But, I had heard good reviews of the movie (500) Days of Summer.

Fandango.com said it was playing at Santiam 11 on Lancaster, so off we went to the movies. I must say, every time I go to a movie, I am shocked at how expensive it is. And then, the food prices!! Good lord, I can't pay that kind of money for popcorn! Fortunately, I wasn't hungry since we went to dinner beforehand at the Ram. (I love their patio and their Amber Ale Chicken Burger, but that's a whole different post!)

When we get inside the theater I am surprised to find that there is a whole row of pre-teen boys behind us. Uhhhh...this is a PG-13 movie, but it is a romantic comedy drama and not exactly meant for kids. Technically they stayed through the whole movie, except for the 18 billion times they got up to go get refills or something!! Now I remember why I rarely go to the movies and when I do, I prefer to go to the evening shows at Northern Lights that are over 21 only.

So, if you want to know about the movie, I'll give you my opinion. Remember it did get quite good reviews. I just didn't find it very satisfying. Slightly depressing, a little contrived, and overall a disappointment for me. I'm sure that many people will find it interesting. It is basically a romance gone wrong, but from the guy's point of view. It does make some interesting points, but altogether I just felt like I've seen too much of that kind of stuff in real life to make it an interesting movie for me. It mostly made me sad to see that kind of self-delusion portrayed as romantic. Okay, so now you know about my cynical side. :)

"Taken" at Northern Lights

Last night I was convinced to go see the movie Taken with Liam Neeson at Northern Lights. We arrived just in time to see a preview for He's Just Not That Into You, which reminded me of how hilarious that movie was and how I'd like to see it again (looks like I might be going back soon!).

The movie was exactly what you would expect of an action flick. The hero is a loner who has secret skills honed in the special forces of the military. When his daughter is abducted by evil human traffikers while traveling in Europe, he shows them what-for with his single-minded attempts to find her. He ends up killing a lot of people, getting chased by police, and generally surprising his enemies with his amazing fighting skills and sheer luck.

Even though it was a traditional action flick, there were a couple of things thrown in that sort of surprised me. There was some interesting political commentation about immigration since the evil people he was dealing with had immigrated from Albania to France and he sort of loses it at one point and shoots an innocent person, which you don't see much of in hero action movies.

I thought Liam Neeson did a really nice job of portraying a father distanced by divorce, trying to regain a relationship with his daughter.

Apparently, Taken was a surprise hit, which just goes to show that people still love a story where good triumphs over evil.

A Long and Busy Week

Wow, I can't believe what a bad blogger I've been. I haven't had a new post for over a week! What will all my lovely readers do without my wise words about life in Salem?? Okay, I'm sure you were all fine, but I'm back now.

The Salem Film Festival was a great success. At least by my standards as a consumer of the event. It was pretty well organized, very well attended, and the films were fantastic. Most of the films I saw were either packed to the hilt with extra chairs set up in the theaters, or there was a second showing added. Sometimes both. It was really exciting to see that much attendance. The one thing I noticed was that I was often the youngest person in the room. Where were all the college students? It was actually pretty cheap, so that can't be it. I bought a Ten Flix pass and it turned out to be $60. That's $6 per film. And you could share it with as many people as you wanted (I took a friend to each film and they just paid me their share. It worked out really well).

I saw five films in all and I would recommend all of them. Well, technically one was a bunch of short films in one sitting, so I actually saw more than five. A couple of those I might only recommend to artistic types, but most of them were excellent.

So here's the list of films and my recommendations:

Crossroads on the Columbia - My pick from the short films. It is a documentary about giant Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) stations that investors want to install along the Columbia River. Right in salmon habitat. Hmmm. A very bad idea! You can find out more about LNG at Columbia Riverkeepers website. A

Kabei: Our Mother - A wonderful, touching film set in 1940's Japan. It was a poignant look at how the war affected life in Japan, and specifically the life of this family whose father was arrested for thought crimes. It was an emotional and wonderfully well-told story. A+

Sita Sings the Blues - An animated film done in three or four different animation styles, which makes it rich as well as a bit chaotic at times. It is the story of a modern women's life and breakup that plays out alongside an ancient Indian story about a woman named Sita who loses her love. Oh, and it's pretty much a musical that uses 1920's blues music as a backdrop. Can you see how it could be chaotic. It's pretty well done with great animation and a humorous narration style though, so all in all, I would recommend it. B

Good Dick - Yes, there are definitely adult themes in this one. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone under 16 and that only if they are mature. It is about a woman who has been molested as a child and how it affects her current love life. The guy who has his heart set on her is in for some very dark and sad situations, but he has a few dark spots in his soul as well, so he is up for the job. It is quirky and a little bit disturbing, but overall the film is extremely well made. The actors/producers/writers were there for questions afterwards and that was really interesting, as well. A

Ready? Ok! - This one was a film I would watch again. And again. And again. Seriously. It was full of quirky characters who are all dealing with their own inner demons, but it has such a positive overtone that I could watch it over and over. I don't usually re-watch movies that are too emotional or dark. Although, they might be excellent movies, I just don't like to cry that much. :) This one did not make me cry, but it did make my heart swell at times and that I can deal with. It centers around a young boy who would rather be on the cheerleading team than the wrestling team. The people around him strive to come to terms with their own lives and issues as they help him work through his. A+

I hope you got to some of the films at the festival, but if not you can still see some of them as they come through for real runs at Salem Cinema. The new theater is a beautiful, art deco style and with it's three theaters, will be able to show lots more great films.

Movie Theater Popcorn

I never buy food or drinks when I go to the movies. It's just too expensive and I figure that eating mindlessly, while absorbed in the movie, is probably not the best thing for my girlish figure. But last night I got a reminder about just how bad an idea movie popcorn really is.

I went to see Mamma Mia with my sister and brother-in-law. The movie is cute if you like campy musicals, ABBA music, and happily-ever-afters. Sometimes I happen to like happy, campy, ABBA musicals so I actually quite enjoyed it.

Now, I also like popcorn. My sister decided to buy a large popcorn with extra butter. Can you see where this is going? The popcorn was there. The movie had my attention. And my hand just kept reaching out to grab more popcorn. I swear I didn't even know what it was doing. Pretty soon there would just be more popcorn in my mouth, so I would chew it and swallow it and...what-do-you-know? Then it would happen all over again. I think they put something addictive in that extra butter.

We ate a light dinner at La Perla Tapatia, my favorite Mexican food place. I just ordered a couple of tacos since I wasn't really hungry after the popcorn.

Flash forward 3 hours. I'm lying in bed, not feeling so well. I realize it probably wasn't a good idea to eat that much popcorn, then add tacos with hot sauce, and about half a gallon of water (I was thirsty after all the salt). Suddenly I realize that the popcorn doesn't want to be in my stomach anymore. Apparently I don't really digest that much popcorn very well. You guessed it. It all came back up. Ewww. But at least I felt better after that. :)

So from here on out I plan to go back to my normal movie tradition of not eating snacks. Apparently, I don't multi-task well.