Bubbagump on the movies

[KenC]

Bubba,
This is in response to your post below regarding taking a RW to the movies here.  My suggestion is to worry less about the content on the movie and more about the "culture" of the crowd.

Lena's first movie experience here was an eye opener for her.  Going to the "cinema" is an event worthy of a RW's best outfit.  Of course perfect make-up and hair is also a "given".  No RW would ever leave the house without THAT.  The real shock came once inside the theater.  I got the impression that she felt like she was sitting in the stands at an Oakland Raiders game.  LOL.  Pop swilling and popcorn munching is not good theater ettiquete in Russia.  As a matter of fact, ANY type of eating or drinking would be considered "uncultural" let alone gallon sized sodas and bushelbasket sized popcorn.

For the record, the movie was "American Pie" which she enjoyed a lot.  Most first run movies are available in Russia in pirated tapes almost immediately upon release here.  These tapes also have the crowd noises (like laughter) on them.  Lena has told me that it is funny that the Russians laugh at the humor in the films, but it is usually at different times than the American laughter.  Another comment was regarding some of the American situation comedies that Russians watch.  The "laugh tracks" are funnier to them that the shows.  They want to know "who are the people laughing?" and "why are they laughing at this?"  Of course, I have often wondered that same thing too.  LOL.
KenC

[BubbaGump]

... in response to Bubbagump on the movies, posted by KenC on Jan 7, 2002

We keep talking about the culture gap between the US and Russia.  They read lots of classic literature, go to the museum, attend ballet and theater.  We read comic books, watch action movies, go to the mall and try to decide which of the 60 channels on TV we want to watch.  I definitely have a cultural inferiority complex with them.  They ask me what I read and I say, uh, engineering and investment books.  That's what I like.  Sick stuff huh?  

Anyway, I am concerned about really offensive movies and I know I'll be more concious about it because I don't want them to think we are this vast cultural wasteland that we think we are.  

I don't think our having kickass technology is gonna impress them unless I marry another engineer.  

[KenC]

... in response to It's that culture thing we keep refering..., posted by BubbaGump on Jan 7, 2002

Bubba,
RELAX.  Just be yourself.  My wife LOVED American Pie.  How much less cultural can a movie be?  Lena likes most movies except horror ones.  In the begining, because of the language difficulties, I knew she liked more action/slapstick type movies.  More action and less talking.  But now after almost 3 years, she "gets" all the subtle humor in shows/movies.  Her tastes range from Politicaly Incorrect & Howard Stern to Discovery channel and some scientific report shows.  The regular shows that she enjoys are Sapranos, Sex in the City and Six Feet Under.
KenC

[Zink]

... in response to It's that culture thing we keep refering..., posted by BubbaGump on Jan 7, 2002

Just don't marry a rocket scientist. They're supposed to have the best rockets in the world even though they're lacking in other areas.

Maybe the older ladies really show the high culture side of Russians. But the young ones I know weren't really any more into the arts and literature than many people I know here. I watched lots of TV and movies with my friends and found that they liked a lot of the same tasteless crap that I do.

My only complaints were that my girfriend hated anything science fiction. And I was getting tired of endless hours of Brazilian soap operas. Although it was amusing to watch those latinas kick the h3ll out of something pretty much every episode. Honestly some of those women's lives seem to revolve around their favorite TV shows.

I lived with a 50 year old woman for 10 days this last trip. Her apartment was full of books from Tolstoy and others. She also spoke fluent German. But when she turned on the TV what we watched was Bolshaya Steerka(big washing). It's kind of like a toned down Springer.

I think that KenC might have had it right when he said it would be the people at the theater who would be the real shock, not the actual show itself.

The more I think about it I'm starting to doubt the average RW could adapt to my lifestyle. It's just too different from anything they've seen. Anybody know where I can find a nice, computer literate cossack girl? That's what I need.

[Cold Warrior]

... in response to Bubbagump on the movies, posted by KenC on Jan 7, 2002

My favorite movie based around the Russian Revolution. Boris Pasternak poems are great. My girlfriend's parents in UA used to read Pasternak secretly since his booKs were banned. I also like Tolstoy.

[micha1]

... in response to Dr Zhivago, posted by Cold Warrior on Jan 7, 2002

Because we are talking about russian litterature and that I was weaned on it, while in school, I like to tell myself
that I will get along well with them, when I do set foot there.
As for the the board here, mainly composed of North American, I do have a question, perhaps a catch for certain
people.        
When was the word "roebuckers" coined in the litterature of the USA, by whom and what was he referring to?
Perhaps a litle help for the younger set,  the department store Sears use to be Sears and Roebuck.
There was also a Dodger pitcher name like this, but it has nothing to do with my question.

[BubbaGump]

... in response to Re: Dr Zhivago, posted by micha1 on Jan 7, 2002

My search showed the meaning of roebuckers is: dentures, or false teeth.  I can only assume they were some type of cheap false teeth purchsed through the Sears and Roebuck catalog.  I have no idea where the term originated.

[micha1]

... in response to Word meaning, posted by BubbaGump on Jan 7, 2002

You got it, from a Steinbeck book.  The old man was waiting for his roebucker to eat walnut.
Can you think  (imagine) having to but false teeths through a catalog.  In that book, the old man is talking to
his daughter and saying that "he hopes they arrive soon, so that.............
You are a sharp cookie and good  at researching.  Where did you find the answer, please.

[BubbaGump]

... in response to Re: Word meaning, posted by micha1 on Jan 7, 2002

No big secret.  I always use Goggle.com for internet searches.  Altavista.com is another common search engine.  The word was in several online slang web sites.  It sounded like the term could be common in Texas.  

I learned about Goggle.com from reading this board last year.  dtk (Dave the Kiwi) referred to it often.  It was easy to guess it might come from a Sears and Roebuck catalog because that was how many Americans had to buy things 100 years ago.

[Ryan]

... in response to Bubbagump on the movies, posted by KenC on Jan 7, 2002

When I was in Lugansk Ukraine watching this war movie with my friends father.  The Russians were fighting in a war against someone probably the Germans but anyway there was a lot of action fighting WWI type stuff etc.  The final scene is where the Russians had the other guys whipped they had this one last guy cornered and all the Russians surrounded him.  My first reaction was “Kill the bastard” I even sort of jumped out of my chair and made the motions with my hands.  Instead one of the Russians pulled out his cigarettes put one in the mouth of the guy they had cornered and lit it for him.  All the Russians surrounding him started laughing.  That was the end of the movie.  I was sort of embarrassed with my first reaction.  Ah so I am a heartless American…  Could be worse.
Ryan