I've been trying to see Iron Man 3 at the cinema in Baiyin.
It hasn't been easy...
Attempt Number 1
The poster outside the
cinema, though mostly outside, includes the names of English films in
English and the date they will begin showing them. A couple of days
after Iron Man 3 was due to be shown I went to see it only to be told
(by phoning a friend and having him translate) that it wasn't
actually opening for two more weeks.
Attempt Number 2
About two weeks later I
returned, intending to see the morning showing on a Saturday. I was
told (this time via a combination of mime and pointing) that there
was no matinee performance this week and that it would be on at two
thirty.
Attempt Number 3
Because it was a nice
day I went and sat in the park for a couple of hours and returned at
two twenty. I was now told (via a helpful passing school student)
that there would be a showing that night at 7:30.
Attempt Number 4
I didn't feel like
going all the way back over to the cinema at 8:00 pm so it was a week
later when I tried again. Big things had happened in that week
including my finding a Chinese girlfriend who could now talk directly
to the staff. We went to see the 8:00 pm showing on Tuesday only to
be told that it had started at 7:30. We could go in if we wanted but
who wants to miss the first 25% of a movie. So we went to the bar.
Attempt Number 5
The next day we showed
up at 7:15 only to be told that yesterday's information was wrong.
There was no 7:30 showing, nor indeed an 8:00 showing. There never
had been. We were misinformed. There was a showing at 10:15.
We went back to her
apartment and watched The Life of Pi on DVD instead.
Attempt Number 6
We went yesterday to
the 10:15 showing. At the ticket desk we were told that we were the
only two customers and they wouldn't show it unless at least three
turned up. Luckily a couple more turned up and, at 10:20, they
actually started the movie.
And what did I think of
it after all that?
Pretty good actually.
It has a couple of flaws and we don't get to see nearly enough of all
the cool alternative Iron Man suits that feature rather prominently
in the trailer and the advertising but it was pretty good. Definitely
worth seeing.
Worth trying six times
to see? Maybe.
Next up will probably
be when I attempt to see The Man of Steel.
