Bond in Cairo – Wednesday 22 Nov 2006

Well tonight we went to the cinema to see the new Bond movie with one of the girls from work. She picked us up in her BMW (seems like government employees do ok!) and took us to a cinema about 20 mins away.

Not a bad cinema, but not exactly the height of technology. The screen was fairly small…big enough to appreciate the explosions and construction yard chases, but small for a cinema. Chris wasn’t coping with the fact that the ‘projectionist’ had to change reels between the shorts and the film. When they slipped off the shorts reel and changed to the feature he’s all ‘What the?!’ and I said ‘They’re just changing the reel…’ thinking he thought it was broken and then he goes ‘Reels?!?’ it seems Egypt hasn’t moved to the digital era that the States so enjoys…

I liked the new Bond… a sexy blue eyed Bond, but a bit gritty… not as polished. But then he’s suppose to be just starting out as a 00, he’s not suppose to be all shiny and smooth. I liked the movie… you just have to suspend the rules of time and space and disregard how much damage a kick to the abdomen can do – same as any good Bond movie. It was a bit slow at times, but they were setting up the character I guess… given I’d never seen the original it answered some questions. But then I’m easily pleased at the movies :)

Also, it was an interesting insight into the Egyptian culture. Firstly, smoking in the foyer - but then over here they smoke everywhere (including in the toilets at work – so gross. I go to the bathroom and come out reeking like I’ve spent 4 hours partying in Spurs). Secondly, they have a 5 minute intermission in the middle of the movie – again so people can go have a smoke. Can you imagine the carry on if c-max or Village tried to stop a movie half way through just so the ashtrays could be filled up again? There’d be an outcry from all the people who like their lungs pink and not black and clogged. Although, I was interested to discover they weren’t allowed to smoke actually IN the cinema – I thought there was a distinct possibility that we’d have to watch the film through a carcinogenic haze.

The other thing was the general rudeness of the people. The people behind us talked through the whole movie – the girl from work who was with us told them to shut up twice. The cinema was loud (at times REALLY loud), but you could still here this bubble of chatter going on - friggin annoying.

Anyways, I love the movies so I can cope with intermissions and chatter (particularly when the popcorn is only £5 LE so about $1.20!! – yumo)