Going to the Movies Parisian Style
We Luv UGC Going to the movies in a foreign country can be both fun and amusing before you even get to sit down. Paris has its own way of doing everything, and the cinema is no exception. Similar to the States, you can stand in line, buy a ticket, get overpriced munchies, wrestle for the best seat, then sit through thirty minutes of commercials. But unlike the States, there are Men with Microphones. Mr. Hall and I have grown quite fond of the UGC Les Halles Man with Microphone, who wanders amongst the crowd waiting in line to buy tickets, saying something that we can't understand (this is the same person who gives very important, yet severely muffled, information over the Metro intercom). Maybe he's describing a movie, maybe telling us that the M&M's have gone on sale, but I suspect he is telling us all how many spaces are left for each film. Which is odd, because we can all see it for ourselves on any of the screens above us. Another favorite trend at the UGC Les Halles (which is a huge cineplex like the one at Place D'Italie) is the long-running Happy Pop and Extrême Ice Cream commercials, always on one right after the other. I saw them for the first time in 1995, and they're still going strong into the new millenium.
The Basics for First-Timers For Anglophones venturing out into Parisian movieland for the first time, there are a few things to consider. First of all, many of the movies you'll see advertised are Anglophone films, usually a few months later than the States and the UK. Second, if you DO want to see an Anglophone film, make sure it says V.O. (version original) where you buy the tickets, or else you'll have to try and read the dubbed-over lips. Third, Wednesday afternoon is a horrid time to go, because all of the children are out of school early. Thursday evening tends to be a big movie night for Parisians, and the weekends are pretty hairy after 8pm. Finally, if you think the prices seem a bit high, there are discounts for students with I.D., discount cards (where you buy at least five tickets at once), and of course, some cinemas have matinée and mid-week discounts.
What's On? The best way to find out what's on, where, and how much, see the Pariscope listings (paper edition costs 3ff at any news kiosk). Another of my favorites is Allo Ciné. See what's on in Paris, where, news, interviews and reviews, buy videos, chat in the forums, and you can buy tickets in advance. To get the Auto-translator version in Franglais, replace the www.allocine.fr with www.allocine.fr (funny, but a bit garbled). Also, their AllocinéTV will soon be up and running, to give you little peeks into the movie world, if you're computer has the plug-ins.
Latest Articles