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Unlike most of those other older cinemas, though, the Logan survives.
It doesn't have much in the way of modern amenities. It doesn't have stadium seating. There are no flavored toppings to sprinkle on your popcorn. The snack selection is limited. The men's bathroom has urinals that run all the way to the floor, the doors on the stalls don't close quite right and the ventilation fan is loud. The lobby and screen rooms are not exactly opulent. The huge neon sign pictured above (and, for that matter, below) hasn't been lit in years, and the seats have the magical ability to make my ass fall asleep within the first half hour, no matter what position I contort my body into.
However, the Logan has its pluses as well. It's clean--the lobby, screen rooms and bathroom all seem well maintained. The staff is friendly and polite. It's easy to get to by public transportation--the Blue Line subway has a stop half a block from the Logan, two bus lines run right by it and two more are a short walk away. And admission? Only three bucks. You could buy a medium popcorn and a bottle of Cherry Coke and still pay less than the ticket price alone at any of the downtown multiplexes.
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The Mummy sequel wasn't bad, either. Not great, maybe--well paced, good special effects and Brendan Fraser's big-luggish charm go a long way toward covering up a poorly used Jet Li (appearing only fleetingly after the prologue), a miscast Maria Bello (taking over for Rachel Weitz, who has an actual English accent, as opposed to Bello's, which is pretty obviously fake), and the fact that Fraser's character has a son who looks nearly as old as Fraser is--but does every movie have to be great to be enjoyed? I don't think so. And when the pleasant, affordable cinematic surroundings put you at ease, even a mediocre sequel no one really asked for can seem more than passable.
1 comment:
I think I may have seen a movie at the Logan back in the mid-90s, but I have no clear recollection of the experience. You and Dee have mentioned seeing stuff there. I love those old movie houses, as you know, the Davis being my favorite. Used to have a dream of owning one, but I've read that the upkeep and operation costs outweigh the profits, making it very difficult to maintain ownership.
I won't be seeing the Mummy sequel at the Logan or any other theater. This one I'll see at the crib. I've become a DVD 'ho. Thank gd I don't have to wear a thong!
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