Food and Films - Is This The Future?

Mark Lawson, for The Guardian, discusses a slight-change in cinema viewings at a shopping centre:

"However, a new initiative at the Odeon atop the Whiteley's shopping centre in west London tantalises cineastes with the possibility one day of an evening's movie-going that is both Oscar-nominated and Michelin-starred. Chef Rowley Leigh, from nearby Le Cafe Anglais, is introducing a range of superior at-seat meals including a fillet-steak burger and red mullet risotto. Ordered on arrival, these will be served by waiters "during the trailers", which, given the picture houses' current recession-led desperation to advertise everything arriving in the next year, would allow time for a five-course banquet in many venues."

Read the full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2011/dec/05/cinema-restaurant-rowley-leigh

The idea of huge meals in the cinema, initially, sounds ridiculous. Loud, monstrous-munching of a burger and crunching of salad accompanying the soundtrack of cinema. No way.

But then look - consider the 'delivery' of the food during the trailers ... consider the regular 20-minute length (maybe more...) of the adverts and trailers before the film. You'd be finished before the opening credits. Or at least all the big-munching and crunching would be finsished - at the start of the actual film, you would merely be picking at the left-over chips or small vegetables that are sat on the side.

The idea of utilising the ever-growing trailer-time might be a great change to a cinema night out.

Then again ... what about the smell ... 

Is There An Anti-Spielberg Trend?

Phil Hoad, on The Guardian, seems to jump on the Spielberg-bashing band-wagon by writing a small piece about whether 'Spielberg has lost his Mojo'.

"Is it true? Is the main man's career headed for the great script conference in the sky? It's arguable. He's still raking in the big bucks; among recent works, only Munich went close to a loss. But he had a patchy noughties: by my count, two successes, both in sci-fi (Minority Report, War of the Worlds); one middling film (Catch Me if You Can); three washouts (Indy, AI, Munich). I haven't seen The Terminal, but that doesn't alter what looks like a pretty indifferent hand. Even supporters of the new Tintin made constant mention of atoning for Crystal Skull, and how the adaptation was the real successor to the vintage Indiana Jones adventures. The real reference points for Spielberg, worryingly, seem to be in the past." 

The irony is how The Adventures of Tintin has come up Number #1 across Europe with mid-to-positive press reviews - 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. It seems The Guardian are the only newspaper trashing it so much (Xan Brooks and Peter Bradshaw both giving the film 2/5).

At any rate, I enjoyed it, and I will continue to sing it's praises ...