Saturday Matinee: There and Back Again, with Martinis

Here’s a trick question for you - how long does it take for the earth to rotate once around its axis? The answer is about 23 hours 56 minutes.

Like me, you might think, whoa, dude, doesn’t it take, like, 24 hours from noon to noon? Yes, I say the word “dude” that way.

It does take 24 hours from noon to noon, and we’re used to thinking of it that way. The earth revolves around the sun, right? So, like, the sun is fixed, right?

Right - except we’re revolving around it - at a rate of about four minutes per day.

I don’t think it would be so much of a trick question before the telegraph and the railroad, back when every town would have something like this.

This is a sundial that I walked by on my way to the Secret Saturday Matinee on Saturday. It’s in playground in a park by Ravenna ave. A hundred and fifty years ago, every town would have had one of these to tell local time. Inevitably, there would have been a time-nerd who would explain to you, if you couldn’t get away, how, if you measured according to the stars, a day is really only 23 hours and 56 minutes long.

So, I got off the bus and headed south toward the Grand Illusion. It was a sunny day, and I wanted to walk. As I went down University Way (“the Ave” to those of us who remember Mr. Nose). I walked through the Saturday farmer’s market (which is not a secret) to the theater to buy my series pass and popcorn. A few years back, when I bought a series pass, there was an actual series pass - a bit of paper that said “Series Pass” on it.

Now, they just take your name and write it down - and they kind of recognize me, anyway.

And sat down and took my picture.

I’ve already talked about Doctor Satan’s Robot, so let me say a bit about the serial for this series. Last year was a Zorro serial and the year before was Buck Rogers and the Planet Outlaws.

This year, it is Batman and Robin - this week, Episode 4, in a sprint:

Batman is electrocuted twice and falls down a hill. Robin infiltrates the enemy’s, er, cabin, and sees The Wizard, a masked villain who wants the formula for an explosive to use as an industrial energy supply. The local news media spills secret information about the location of the formula and the duo fights guys in suits to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

There is a photographer in this episode named Vicky Vale. Kim Basinger was nowhere to be seen.

But who is The Wizard?

So, the film is out and - I went over to the District for a martini. The District is an agreeable martini bar in an art deco hotel. Unfortunately, it doesn’t open until 5:00. I should have consulted my sundial.

Instead, I met my wife at Kai’s Bistro, a fun place with a friendly bartender a few blocks away. We’ve only ever had drinks and appetizers there, but it is always a hit.

I had this and my wife had a gin drink with a cherry.

So ends my first week of this year’s series. Next week, a Fritz Lang movie that isn’t Metropolis. Yeah, surprised me, too.