Planet Of The Bored

I did the unthinkable last evening...I went to a movie at the Cineplex in Fredericton. Apart from selling my soul to the Mulroneys, it's perhaps the second less likely thing that I would choose to do. Nevertheless, that is exactly what I did last night.

You might wonder....'what glorious movie was showing last night that would be so riveting as to drive our beloved Leisurologist from the comfort of his couch? Better yet, whose idea was this in the first place'?

In my defence, it was not my idea. It wasn't Julian's idea either, as he's not one to run to the movie theatre too often (if ever). It was the idea of Julian's friend, Colin, who I happened to stumble upon in the Fredericton Mall parking lot. Colin, a bluenoser who hails from Nova Scotia, but is now working in Alberta on oil rigs, was visiting his grandparents in Cambridge-Narrows. Feeling slightly under-stimulated, he hopped in his pimp-mobile and drove to Fredericton looking for fast women, junk food and some simian satisfaction. He found two out of three.

Colin said to Julian and me 'do you want to go watch the new Planet Of The Apes movie'? Julian was first to answer...a resounding 'no'. I hummed and hawed, mostly because I wanted to go (having been a chump chimp myself when the first wave of Ape movies blessed our movie theatres...1968-1973). Colin then announced that because it was Tuesday, it was cheap ticket night. Julian, hearing the beat of distant bagpipes approaching, warmed to the idea. It wasn't until I goaded him into going that he relented. He probably thought that I would pay for his ticket, but when we got to the ticket counter I only bought one ticket for myself. I out Scottished him! That said, he didn't looked too pained when he reached in his sporran and drew out a few quid.

The movie itself was entertaining but, like so many movies, it left me with the lingering question of 'why bother making that movie'? The answer, as is always the case, is because humans are bored and they need to be entertained. It's that simple. We no longer have to swing through the jungle looking for bananas....we have time on our hands. We're collectively bored because life is too easy....and that's why we go to the movies. It also explains eTalk.