morwen | (no subject)

Went to see Ghostbusters at the newly-opened Hackney Picturehouse with

timeplease. I had forgotten how good a comedy the film is: 10/10.

The cinema just opened on Friday, in what was the old Ocean. I joined as a founder member, and consequently my name is on some artwork in the ceiling in the booking area. I went along last Sunday for the open day, and it seems pretty good. Screen 1 is epically big, and I look forward to seeing the big popcorn films there. Ghostbusters tonight was in screen 2, which is a rather smaller scale but still a very big screen for the size of the auditorium. Screens 3 and 4 I recall being rather smaller. I'm sure I will become more familiar with these in time. And, best of all, it's five minutes' walk from the Pembury. It'll be so nice to be able to meet there in advance of the movie, or adjourn there after the film for a drink and a chat about the cinematography.

It was a digital print of Ghostbusters, which is being re-released, apparently. I'm no revisionist, but am slightly disappointed that more work was not done. Most of the effects were fine (if dated), but the new clean copy meant three particularly dodgy composites became really obvious. And more's the pity, they could have been done with the material at hand, by me, even. Two of these were bleed throughs, and in another, the side of a building was flickering between perspectives oddly. I think it's a shame to tout something as "digitally remastered" and to make howlers like that more visible.

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That reads like fun. I'd like to go see a film there soon, if an interesting one is showing.

There will hopefully be many such films.

It was awesome, but I was kind of taken aback by the misogyny. Were all the classic films of our childhood that casually sexist? I mostly mean the way Bill Murray's character is a complete sleaze, but eventually 'gets the girl' despite her saying No lots, and how that's all OK really. Also how she only expresses sexual desire when she's possessed, because women with libidos = frightening/hilarious, amirite?

I think that the "you can get the girl if you pester her enough" attitude is prevalent in a lot of 1980s stuff and frankly persists today :-( In those scenes, I was just glad that Venkman resisted to the extent he did, which is perhaps not much to take comfort in.