In my ongoing attempt to have more fun, I went to see Spider-Man 3 last night instead of staying home to edit. After all the reviews I had read, my expectations were very low so I expected to be pleasantly surprised. I loved the first hour or so, but found the rest of it to be a huge disappointment. The ending was so disgustingly maudlin and contrived that I doubt I’ll ever watch this movie again.
However, the presentation and pre-show were excellent. This shouldn’t come as any surprise because the Alamo Drafthouse is one of the few theaters in the country where you can always count on great picture, great sound and a cool customized pre-show. The only drawback, is that this time I enjoyed the pre-show so much that the actual movie paled in comparison. Here’s one highlight that actually looks like more fun than Spidey 3.
A few things about Spider-Man 3 that I did like:
- Bruce Campbell’s appearance in the French restaurant scene. This scene is a perfect example of the comic timing that Raimi and Campbell have down to a science when they work together.
- Sandman rising up out of the pile of sand. I thought this was a really nice, scene that was made so much more dramatic by the way it was shot rather “quietly.” Thomas Hayden Church was pretty great throughout and brings a lot of gravity to this strange character. I wish they had spent more time on him.
- Grilled 3 Cheese Sandwich. I don’t know why I ordered grilled cheese since I haven’t eaten one in years, but this was one of the best I’ve ever had: Havarti, Swiss, Double Gloucester Chive and Roasted Tomatoes on Sourdough bread. It doesn’t beat my favorite grilled cheese sandwich which is the grilled cheese with granny smith apples at The Red Cup in Oklahoma City – but it came pretty close.
