I don’t go to the movies very often anymore.  Before this afternoon, I had not been to a movie theater since June 2011, when Bill and I visited a theater on a whim while vacationing in Portland, Maine.  I recall we saw Midnight in Paris because my back was hurting and I didn’t want to walk anymore.  It was a good film, but it didn’t make me want to go to the movies again.  For whatever reason, I just don’t enjoy them that much… at least not in a theater.  I’d rather watch movies at home on my couch, where no one blocks my view, talks too much, or gets mad when I need to get up to pee.

The place to be if you want to see movies in their original language…

Still, even I couldn’t help but notice all my friends gushing about Bohemian Rhapsody.  I happen to love Queen and am very grateful that I was born at a time when there were still so many legendary bands in their prime.  Freddie Mercury was a genius.  I remember when he died, just one day after he told the world that he was suffering from AIDS.  I grew up at a time when a lot of great people were dying from AIDS.  He was just one of many beautiful souls who died much too young.  Bohemian Rhapsody is the story of Queen, and how Freddie Mercury made that band his family, creating amazing music that was distinctly its own.

The official trailer…

Bill loves to go to the movies, so he was only too happy to reserve tickets for us at the Corso Kino, which is a movie theater in Vaihingen that shows original versions of films, sometimes with English or German subtitles.  I had heard a lot about the Corso Kino over our time living in this area, but today was the first time we ever actually saw a show there.  I must admit, although I still don’t necessarily love the movie experience, I’m glad we paid a visit today.

Before we went to the movies, we stopped by The Auld Rogue for one last Sunday lunch.  The Auld Rogue is an Irish pub in Vaihingen, very popular with Americans because the staff all speaks English, the menus are in English, and the food is not German.  They also offer music, whiskey/whisky and beer tastings, and sports.  When we first moved to this area in 2007, The Auld Rogue was a Greek restaurant called Taverna Faros.  We used to love eating there during our six week stay at the Vaihinger Hof.  Taverna Faros didn’t last, though, because the proprietor didn’t pay his taxes.  It later turned into a club, then became the Irish pub we all know and love.

It had been awhile since our last visit to the popular pub, but we managed to have a decent lunch, even though they were unable to make me a Black and Tan.

Bill was still full from breakfast, so he had nachos with cheese.  They were a lot more than he was expecting.  I went with the chicken Caesar wrap.  It was the first time I ever ordered it and I mostly enjoyed it, although it didn’t taste like it had any Caesar dressing.  It kind of needed something to jazz it up a little.  Still, it wasn’t bad.  I’d get it again.  Not sure why my camera is suddenly sporting lines on my pictures.

Bill and I each had a Fuller’s London Porter and a Guinness.  I probably shouldn’t have bothered with the Guinness, but I kind of got it on a whim when the waitress said she couldn’t make me a Black and Tan.  The London Porter was awesome.

My favorite veteran.

 

We parked at the Schwaben Galerie and walked from there to The Auld Rogue, then from the Auld Rogue to the Corso Kino.  A lot of people came to see the matinee of Bohemian Rhapsody, but it wasn’t a sold out crowd.  We didn’t have to reserve our tickets, after all.

It’s not the most user friendly cinema.  To get to the two theaters, one must climb down a couple of flights of stairs.  The bathrooms are small, cramped, and not sparkling clean. The concession stand shares its space with the box office, so the line has a tendency to be a little obnoxious.

But the popcorn smelled wonderful and there was beer to drink.  We even noticed that if you weren’t sitting in the front row, you could put your stuff on a little ledge anchored to the seats in front of you.  We chose to sit on the front row on the left side.  It probably wasn’t the best choice to sit there, since people had to pass us to go to the bathroom or get snacks.  Still, at least I wasn’t sitting behind someone tall, like I usually do when I go to the movies.  I also enjoyed the jazz they were playing before the show started.

I took this photo from my seat before the show started.  

Our view before the movie began.  The seats reclined a bit and were quite comfortable.

As for Bohemian Rhapsody, I thought it was an excellent and entertaining movie.  It will be one I add to our personal library.  The story is very poignant; the soundtrack rocks; and there are a lot of great lines in the script.  In short, I laughed; I cried; it became a part of me…  A friend told me that I would probably cry watching it.  I didn’t cry, but I will confess that I came a bit close toward the end.  Tears don’t come as easily for me these days.  I think it’s because I’m getting old.

Here’s a picture of our dog, Zane, before he got his morning walk.  As you can see, the tumor removal he had during his dental the other day hasn’t slowed him down a bit.  He’s obviously the king of our household.

 

I enjoyed our visit to the Corso Kino, and if we ever have the chance to go again, I will gladly go… as long as they’re showing something I want to see.  This is yet another nice way to spend a Sunday in Stuttgart.