Sadly. . . Splash Mountain was closed. Such is life. But, I was wholly satisfied with the rest of the experience. All my other favorites held up great in the light of adulthood: Pirates Of The Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Picked a great time of year to go, too; My girlfriend and I never waited longer than 15 minutes for any ride.
However, even being in a slow season, hell is other people. Were people really this obnoxious the last time I was here, or is it getting worse? I’ve got the American Nightmare family sitting in front of me on “It’s A Small World”; Father flashing a photograph every second, while his daughter is recording the whole thing on her cell phone. Is that what it’s come to? Are we preserving precious memories of things that we’re not actually experiencing with our own eyes? My impersonation of the average Disney guest would be to walk backwards through a crowd while simultaneously texting with one hand and blindly taking pictures with the other.
The rules for rides, particularly atmospheric rides like Tower Of Terror, are simple: Shut the fuck up, and put your cell phone away.
Upon my return from the Great Red South, I immediately made my way to the first possible showing of Shutter Island. Very classy. The mystery wasn’t much of a mystery, because I’ve seen a movie before, but the script really seemed to be beside the point. This was an exercise in style; Marty tipping his hat to Carol Reed, Hitchcock, Welles and Powell/Pressburger.
Even some of the weaknesses are strengths in another way. Take for example when Patricia Clarkson is introduced; The dialogue is repetitive, and the scene seems to drag. But the way you’re watching her behind the flickering fire, it’s almost as if you’re being sucked in. . . Deeper. . . Your eyelids are heavy. . .
I don’t think that Shutter Island is for everyone, particularly if you need non-stop stimulation. I found it to be a technically flawless piece of work, and appreciate it more every time I think about it. It made me feel very uncomfortable while watching it, and this has a strong chance of being on my favorites of 2010 list.