The Amazing Spiderman came out in Greece last week and our group decided to go see it at the theater in our neighborhood. The cool thing about this theater? It's outdoors! So we walked into the movie right at 9 o'clock when it was scheduled to start (we're starting to understand this whole "Greek time" concept). It was not at all what I was expecting from an outdoor theater but it was really cool. The "theater" was a small courtyard full of rows of semi-comfy folding chairs. Up front was a giant projector screen where the moviewas played (duh). There was a little booth where you could buy small popcorn, soda, even alcohol, but I was shocked to see that they didn't have candy. The prices were cheap compared to our movie theater prices back home. I bought a drink and took a seat close to the front to watch the movie. At first there was still a little daylight so it was difficult to see (it doesn't get dark in Greece until 9:30ish). But once the sun was down completely, I could see perfectly. Most Greek people (excluding children) speak pretty good English, so the movie was in English with Greek subtitles, thankfully. What really surprised me despite the fact that I knew it was coming was the random "intermission" right in the middle of the movie (in the middle of a pretty intense scene nonetheless). There wasn't any sort of fading, or warning, the movie just cut off, out of nowhere and started playing a very weird advertisement for Domino's Pizza. It was strange, but allowed for restroom breaks and snack breaks, if necessary. I liked that I didn't have to sacrifice movie time to go to the restroom. The intermission lasted about five minutes, after which the movie resumed, once again with no warning or indication.
One thing I noticed while watching the movie was that Greeks don't seem to mind talking during a movie. Personally, I hate when people talk in the movies if they can't keep it to a whisper...and I don't think Greeks know what whispering is. But this was only a problem at the beginning of the movie; they quieted down after a while. The theater was about half-full but the majority of the people there were Greeks. I'm not sure if Greeks actually have interest in Spiderman (we were told superhero movies aren't really a big deal here), or if they were just there because it was the only movie playing, or if maybe movies are another form of social interaction that helps them maintain their "in group" but it was cool to see so many locals enjoying a movie that is probably a big deal back home.
The outdoor theater was a very different experience but it was pretty cool. I can't say that I wish all theaters were like that back home (the heat and bugs were enough to bother me) but it would be nice to have a few for nice days. Although I don't miss the incredibly expensive tickets and overpriced concessions of the theater back home, I do miss having candy to eat during movies...
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