Wednesday 14 March 2012

Dogs and films.




First to Tess. Yesterday we had her trimmed - well perhaps that is an understatement - we had her shaved. She looks very smart but you can tell she is a little overweight and needs to go on a diet to slim down a bit. I gave her two biscuits at bedtime instead of three and she was looking for the third one. Does that mean that dogs can count? I have posted two photographs (above) before and after. Neither one is a good one but it is difficult to get her to stand for a photograph and I didn't want to disturb her - but I am sure you get the general idea.

Now to the film 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'. A lady writes in the Letters Page of today's paper that she was very disappointed as it was so bland. Surely that was part of the point of it - retirement can easily lack excitement unless one goes out of one's way to make it exciting and surely these retirees did just that. The cinema holds a hundred people and I would say there were about eighty there and the average age was probably around seventy - certainly the farmer was one of the youngest. In many places the one-liners really struck home and a great guffaw went through the audience.

We loved it. We loved the incredible colour, dirt and noise of India, which assaulted these six travellers as soon as they stepped out of the airport and we loved the way each of them tackled the problems of living there. The film was a delight from beginning to end.

What makes our Station cinema so enjoyable too is that there is a restaurant as well as a range of artisan shops. There are two screens, each showing a different film and each seating just 100 people. The seats are steeply tiered so that nobody's head gets in the way for viewing.

We went to the 5.30 showing, arriving at four-thirty to give us time to have two pots of tea and a Croque Monsieur, together with a nice basket of fries. We sat and relaxed and ate our tea before going into the cinema about five minutes before the start. What could be better?

15 comments:

H said...

I hadn't really considered going to see this film but I think I would enjoy it! Unfortunately, I can't see Ben agreeing with me, so who to drag along..?

John Going Gently said...

Pat.. Iwill see it on your recommendation!!!!!

Gerry Snape said...

Oh Tess! things will get better!
as to the film...I'm longing to go since being in India last year!!

Heather said...

The film sounds delightful. The only other person I know who has seen it is probably 50ish and she loved it too, so it's not just a film for us 'oldies'.
How civilised to have a restaurant attached to the two screen cinema - a perfect evening out.
Tess looks very smart - I hope she doesn't feel the cold now the sun has gone into hiding for a while, and I'm sure she can count!

ArtPropelled said...

Indeed, what could be better? My mouth is watering and I will definitely see the movie.

Rachel Fox said...

You're so lucky to have a local cinema!
We had Zoe clipped just last week so they are a matching pair of smart dogs now.
x

angryparsnip said...

Does you cinema take reservations ?
Because in America if you walk in right before the showing of a first run movie you will have to sit in the very front.
I didn't get to comment about your life in the city/village post... Your area seems to have lovely amenities. To have a cinema, nice restaurant, art gallery sounds lovely. Where I live the movie theaters usually are multi screens and in a huge mall. Not as nice as yours.

cheers, parsnip

Crafty Green Poet said...

Ah we always like a cinema with steeply tiered seats as Crafty Green Boyfriend is so tall he annoys whoever sits behind him otherwise!

Tess looks so sweet with her new hairstyle!

Pondside said...

I'd like to have a cinema like yours over here! I rarely go anymore, since the small one in downtown finally closed its doors. Now all we have are the giant multi-plex cinemas that require a steep climb to one's seat and the running of the gauntlet of fast food and ticket line-up before that climb. I guess I'll wait for the film to be out on DVD and watch it at home.

BilboWaggins said...

Of course dogs can count but they're not too good on portion sizes.

If you break her two biscuits in half she'll think she is getting FOUR treats instead of three . . . what a great way to make a diet look like a gift, if only it worked for humans!

Bovey Belle said...

Glad you enjoyed the film. It's one I'd like to see, but I will probably have to wait until it's on TV. Middle daughter (the one in Swansea) doesn't trust the films I pick any more, ever since we went to see Mama Mia together!!! As we sat down she hissed at me, "Mum, you are NOT allowed to sing!"

EB said...

I think dogs' counting ability is selective rather like their hearing. And now I so, so want a croque monsieur, I can just taste it! And I think Tess looks very smart. The extra plumpness must come in handy in winter...

thousandflower said...

I just watched the movie trailer. I want to see this - Judi Dench and Maggie Smith and India!

Cloudia said...

I love dogs and traveling via imagination!


Aloha from Waikiki
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The Weaver of Grass said...

Thank you for the comments. I shall certainly try cutting the biscuits in half so that Tess thinks she is getting more rather than less.