2012/02/06 New York
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Shame

This was a rather bizarre evening.
I went to Chelsea Cinemas on 23rd Street to see the movie “Shame”.
There is no better night to see a movie in New York than Super Bowl evening.
Shortly before the movie started an attendant appeared, he stood before the screen and he gave a short speech. That he was happy that we were there, that we should not forget to silence our cell phones and that he would personally escort us to the emergency exit in cases of emergency.
I waited for the movie to begin, but nothing happened, and after five minutes another attendant appeared who gave more or less the same speech.
After the movie I went to St. Ambroeus to have dinner. Besides the manager and the waiters nobody was there.
“No Super Bowl for you?” one of the waitresses asked.
“No Super Bowl for me,” I answered.
After the Giants won the Italian manager offered me a glass of champagne.
“Give this guy a glass of champagne,” he shouted through the empty restaurant.


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7 comments Last_comment
Champagne for the loner; a non addict to Super Bowl.
You are an honourable outcast of the USA now.
said Bernard f 06/02/2012 10:50 (Updated 10:53) • x
No comment about the movie? I could not get it out of my head for some days - especially some facial expressions.
said Safari Barbara 06/02/2012 13:30 • x
happy loner
Sometimes it actually feels good to be a loner and/or outcast. The same feeling as when you go to an afternoon movie in Kriterion (Amsterdam) and have the place to yourself. Choosing your own chair in an empty cinema is great.

On the other hand your story brings to mind Menno ter Braak, who apparently said:
'het geeft mij een aangenaam gevoel bij een voetbalmatch als intellectueel onder de massa aanwezig te zijn. Het maakt mogelijk mij boven die massa verheven te voelen.'
said Simon N 06/02/2012 15:18 (Updated 15:18) • x
En in Nederland de elfsteden-gekte. Ik ben wel dol op dergelijke massa psychoses. Eén worden met de massa, je laten meeslepen op de golven energie, de ziel uit je lijf schreewen. Soms ,Arnon, moet je niet willen nadenken , maar gewoon doen: Doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg.
said Mieke Dutoit 06/02/2012 19:59 • x
Shame
Arnon, did you like the movie?
said Vera M. 06/02/2012 20:50 • x
Vera
It was worth seeing.
said Arnon Grunberg 07/02/2012 06:56 • x
Shame shows the consequences of nowadays' society. You don't have to watch the movie to conclude this. Although no movie reviewer seems to notice this. But what can you expect of people who are trapped in their own system.
(Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, thinking of angels, sometimes with these sentences, it depends.)
said A. Derks 07/02/2012 07:42 • x
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