where: AMC BAY STREET 16 in Emeryville, CA
when: Monday, October 11th, 2010
show: 9:10 p.m.
costs: $11.00 Ticket + $6.25 Kid's Pack + $1.25 Parking Garage Fee + $5.00 Carquinez Bridge Toll = $23.50
auditorium: 16
seat: 4th row, 6th column
synopsis: On October 23rd of 2006, a truck driver from Hastings, Michigan, Paul Conroy ( Ryan Reynolds ), found himself bound, gagged, and buried underground in a makeshift coffin. He used a cell phone to call for help as he was slowly losing his air supply.
noteworthy scenes: 1.) Lighter; 2.) Arabic script; 3.) 911, Youngstown, Ohio; 4.) Chicago FBI; 5.) "Five million money"; 6.) "Donna"; 7.) Seaworld; 8.) "Make video"; 9.) Retirement home; 10.) Female hostage; 11.) "Send video"; 12.) Trouser "surprise"; 13.) Fire; 14.) Call to prayer; 15.) English option; 16.) Incoming video; 17.) 47,000 hits; 18.) Explosions; 19.) "The situation is I'm in a coffin and it's pretty contained"; 20.) Two hours ago; 21.) Recorded conversation; 22.) "Weird ... knowing ..."; 23.) Last Will and Testament; 24.) Driver's license; 25.) Finger; 26.) The search and rescue; and 27.) Bonus Scene after the Ending Credits.
favorite scene: I loved the part where he pretended that he was sorry that he yelled at "Donna" just so he could get a very important number from her.
audience reaction: The audience laughed at Paul Conroy's sarcastic remarks and funny comments.
recommendation: This claustrophobic thriller is a well-written and well-acted movie. Go see this movie if you're a fan of this genre.
spoiler alert! With his hands bound together, how was he able to get the cigarette lighter? Why didn't the abductors just make everything readily accessible to their kidnap victim? When he yelled for help, his voice didn't sound hollow and confined like how it should, considering where and in what predicament he was in. The lit lighter and the fire should have accelerated the oxygen consumption in the limited air supply, especially after he plugged-up the holes. The temperature inside the coffin should have risen considerably because of the lit lighter, the fire, and Paul's forced movements, to the point where he would have suffered from the effects of hyperthermia. There was no smoke as a result of the fire. Someone he talked to on the 'phone said that he was getting reception because he was not buried deep enough, meaning that he was in a shallow grave; and this point was driven home in the part where he could hear the call to prayer on a loud speaker.
I don't want to add anymore to this or I'll just give the ending away.
fyi: I always thought of Ryan Reynolds as a comedy actor. But this movie shows that he has a considerable acting range.
After the Opening Credits, it will be dark and soundless for about a minute. Nope, there's nothing wrong with the projector.
word of advice: Don't put yourself in harm's way for the sake of money.
tidbits: After work and before going to see this movie, I drove all the way to my friend Hector's house in East Oakland, California, to drop-off a flea collar for the stray cat--not a fancy collar this time. And I made a quick dinner for everyone with two tubs of Safeway Signature Cafe Chicken Enchilada Soup and some French bread. And I also showed Hector three websites that talk about the special soap that I've gotten myself hooked-on.
On a side note: One of Hector's nephews visited him a few days ago and used, without permission, the reserved-only-for-me "Super Sexy, Studly Samoan" mug. And it was nowhere to be found so I guess that he took it with him. And being that the mug was made in China and has a crack in it, I hope that this particular nephew of his will end up with Lead poisoning. L.O.L. Now, I'm gonna have to find a suitable replacement for it and keep it hidden from his "sticky-fingered" nephew.
Well, they still call it a "Kid's Pack" at AMC Cinemas. But at Regal Cinemas, it's now called a "Zap Pack". And it's known as a "Snack Pack" at Century Cinemas. I prefer "Snack Pack" a lot better. But whatever name that the theatre chains call it by, its buyer will either be a "Smart Buyer" or a "Cheapskate". I think that I like "Smart Buyer" much better.
There was a talkative couple in the auditorium during the first half of the movie. Thank God that they left us to enjoy the rest of the movie.
I had to rewrite this whole thing because Blogspot.com acted-up again and erased what I had almost finished writing a few hours ago on this particular movie.
