NogaNote:

I spent the afternoon at the movies with my seven-year old daughter, watching a rather silly and predictable new movie about Santa Clause, hopefully the last installment in Tim Allen's Christmas trilogy. Why hopefully? Because one wonders what else can anybody squeeze from the original story. There was enough material for a movie, but three of them, repeating, stretching, the same old schtick? My daughter enjoyed the movie as she does an episode in an animated series she would see on TV, with medium attention span, medium interest and forgotten as soon as it is over.

But one cannot expect high quality all the time and there is something to be said for the whole ritual of going to the movies, getting the tickets, buying the popcorn, finding a seat, as other people, strangers, join you for two hours. It has a self-justifying charm, which makes up somewhat for a dull movie. Afterwards, we can always make fun of the movie, complain it was a waste of time and money, dissect it to pieces, whatever. And Sunday afternoons are always glum and empty, anyway.