Cineplex - DO BETTER - Your Movies are WAY TOO LOUD

Dear SilverCity Customer Service, I am writing to express my frustration regarding my recent movie-going experiences at your theatre. Unfortunately, this is the second consecutive visit where the movie volume was so excessively loud that it significantly detracted from the experience. During my most recent visit to see The Odyssey last evening, I measured sound levels of approximately 90 dB using a sound meter app. Sitting through nearly three hours at that volume was not only uncomfortable but also concerning from a hearing health perspective. I now feel compelled to bring earplugs to every movie simply to avoid potential hearing damage, which should not be necessary in a cinema. I would appreciate an explanation as to why movies are presented at such extreme volume levels. Is there a technical standard or company policy that requires this? I genuinely do not understand why the sound needs to be so loud. Because of this issue, I have almost completely stopped going to the movies. I now attend perhaps one or two films a year, despite previously enjoying the theatre experience. The people I attended the screening with last night shared the same opinion—that the volume was uncomfortably and unnecessarily loud. I hope you will take this feedback seriously. I believe many patrons would enjoy the cinematic experience more if the sound were reduced to a comfortable level without sacrificing the impact of the film. I would appreciate a response explaining your theatre's approach to sound levels and whether this issue is being considered. Thank you for your time.

Some of My Favorite Photos of the North Shore Region

 

Welcome Islands (Thunder Bay off in the Distance)

MacKenzie Falls - Shuniah

Prince Arthur's Landing Sunrise - Winter

Kakabeka Falls

Battle Island Light House - Rossport

High Falls - Pigeon River Border

Swing Bridge - Kaministiqua River

Sleeping Giant - Winter

Camp Life - Pass Lake

Lupins - Chippewa Sandy Beach

Spring Fowl

Fishing Boat with Bike - Silver Islet

High Falls - Pigeon River - Winter

Lake View atop Sleeping Giant

General Store - Silver Islet

Sea Lion - Sibley Provincial Park

At Anchor - Slate Islands - Rossport

Aguasobon Falls - Terrace Bay

Eagles - Kakabeka

High Falls - Autumn

Thompson Island Anchorage

Sleeping Giant - Sunrise

Bella - Lake Superior

Watched It Somewhere Near Greenland, Forgot It Somewhere Near Ireland

 I was reluctantly pulled back into the Krasinski universe of Jack Ryan. I enjoyed the TV series well enough, thanks in large part to supporting players Wendell Pierce and Michael Kelly, who do much of the heavy lifting here too.

Unfortunately, Ghost War feels like a "the gang's all here" reunion more than a standalone film. The whole thing has the compressed feel of a television season squeezed into two hours, rushing through plot points that might have had room to breathe in episodic form.

It's perfectly watchable, but never quite finds its own identity. Krasinski ends up stranded somewhere between James Bond and Ethan Hunt—competent enough, but lacking the charisma, style, or spectacle to stand alongside either.

That said, I watched it on a flight somewhere over the North Atlantic, probably not far from Greenland, and that may be the ideal venue. It's exactly the kind of movie that makes a few hours disappear at 35,000 feet without demanding much of your attention. By the time the plane lands, you've mostly forgotten it—and that's not necessarily a criticism.

 Netflix cracked the Hallmark Christmas movie code — and somehow broke the mold while they were at it. I loved this.

Yes, yes… my half-Italian bias is definitely showing, but still: Christmas in Rome is a Hallmark-style movie that isn’t made by Hallmark, and that alone feels like a small miracle. It walks a familiar path without blindly following the checklist we’ve all grown used to playing bingo with.

The characters are believable, the charm feels earned, and the film smartly dances around the usual clichés instead of tripping headfirst into them. I kept holding my breath, waiting for the inevitable “Hallmark misunderstanding” — the one that sends the newly star-crossed lovers spiraling apart until the final 10-minute reconciliation.

It never fully goes there. And for that, I was genuinely delighted.

Quite possibly my new favorite Christmas movie. 🎄

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https://letterboxd.com/s0bad/

The Secret of Secrets is your next Page Turner

 

A surprisingly refreshing return to the Robert Langdon universe. After finding the post–Da Vinci Code sequels only “fine,” this one felt like a genuine rejuvenation of the character. Dan Brown strikes a better balance of adventure, history, and pacing, with far less of the usual “I’m Robert Langdon — the expert!” energy. The real cleverness is in shifting the emotional focus to the secondary character, letting Langdon support rather than dominate. It makes the story feel fresher, tighter, and more engaging than the last few outings.

Running Man meets 1984

 

Is it good? Yes.
Worth seeing in a theatre? Absolutely.
Am I familiar with the 80s Arnie movie? Yep.
Does it compare? Not really—this is its own thing.
Have I read the book? Not yet.

---

Edgar Wright’s adaptation is tight. Exposition lands cleanly, and the pacing never drags. Glenn Powell is perfectly cast as the relatable everyman, Lee Pace is straight-up kick-ass, and Josh Brolin brings a charismatic charm to a very likable “bad guy.”

PMG’s 80s version took huge swings—because it was the 80s. Wright’s take is far more grounded, which somehow makes it even eerier because it gets so many details uncomfortably right. Will this version hold up in 20 or 30 years? Hard to say—but the future feels close enough that it might.

I got shades of Children of Men and Andor in the bleak, bureaucratic hellscape of the co-ops. What really struck me was how much of the movie happens in broad daylight. I’ve walked grey, empty big-city streets in the fall, and it was easy to imagine this world bleeding into ours.

The “future tech” is refreshingly understated. Nothing glossy or over-designed—more knobs and tactile hardware, with the occasional SpaceX-style sleekness sprinkled in. Nothing felt sensationalized.

What did stand out was the frictionless TikTok-style social media layer. It’s disturbingly natural—everyone casually participating in tracking and identifying runners. It’s 1984 meets influencer culture: a surveillance state turned up to 11, not through force but through engagement and normalization.

On the surface, it’s a fast-paced action romp. Beneath that, it’s a sharp commentary on the near future—one we’re inching toward if we’re not paying attention.

I’m looking forward to reading Stephen King’s novel, written over 40 years ago, to see how his nightmare stacks up against today’s world. And I’ll definitely be rewatching Wright’s version to catch the little nods and Easter eggs I know I missed.

Greyhound

They did it!

I was just having a conversation about the state of films and how everything needs a crazy exposition or twists and turns.

I've been beating the drum that we need 'sometimes' to be given a bare bones story. "Here's the plot laid out in the first few minutes... character x needs to accomplish y. Go!"

Audience now on edge of seat/couch glued to screen to see if character can pull it off.

Done.

This Tom Hanks character is a first time captain charged with escorting a convoy. Guard it against u-boats across the Atlantic to supply the war effort. Will he succeed?

Bravo! You did Apple! Tight one act story full of action!