Movie Double Feature

We finished off our last night in Bangkok with a movie double feature.  Bangkok is known for their pimped out movie theatres and we wanted to check it out first hand.  We bought tickets to see 2012 at one of the theatres that we thought would have the best set-up.  After we bought tickets for the 9:50 pm show, the cashier informed us that the movie was 3 hours long.  Yikes!  Our flight was scheduled for 6:30 the next morning.

We implemented Plan B and bought tickets to see Ninja Assassin in the late afternoon at the MBK cinema.  We opted for the "Sweet Seat".  There were five of them in the theatre and they were spread out along the back row.  It was like a big couch built for two -- very plush.

The sound system and digital video also made for an amazing experience.  Ninja Assassin was a formulaic, violent martial arts movie but the venue made it really entertaining.  We popped into an arcade after the show and played a quick round of a Taiko drumming game.

We did the tour of Patpong Market that I already described between our two films.  We then decided to check out 2012 after all.  We figured we could sleep on the airplane.  The theatre at the Siam Discovery Center was much less exciting.  Their "Honeymoon Chair" was simply two seats next to each other where the armrest could be pulled up.  Now that's classy.

We were a bit hungry and decided to try some of the more local snacks instead of opting for popcorn.  We bought some hot and spicy crackers which we soon learned were cuttlefish flavored.  All the varieties were cuttlefish flavored -- the plain, BBQ, hot and spicy, etc.  I definitely did not find them appetizing.  We left the crackers behind and bought some corn chips to munch on instead.  Much better!

The other unique thing about Thai movie theatres is that everyone stands and they play the national anthem before the film starts.  An inspirational video complete with distinguished shots of the king accompanied the music.

2012 held our attention and we stayed until the end.  We walked the few blocks back to our hotel along quiet streets at 1:00 am.  We slept for about 90 minutes and then awoke to head to the airport for our long flight home.