ABBA The Movie story

Hi everyone, Well, we had a rip-roaring time last night (Nov. 12, 2005) at the IFC/Waverly Theater in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, seeing the regular (not restored) version of ABBA The Movie (ATM). Though it was the version we'd seen before, the sound was magnificent; the best I've ever heard ABBA songs. I could hear nuances I didn't know were there. It was powerful, rich, and penetrating. It's a wonderful movie, especially if you can get into the DJ part (very frustrating sometimes that I see it; other times, cute). Attending were Bill, George and Mitali, Laura, Laszlo, Lars-Erik, and myself. I'll empty the couple of pictures I took with my camera soon and let you know they're on my website. Bill said he would take me home if I took the train in, so I did, but kind of got mixed up on the subway. I thought I got on the subway going the wrong way, but it was the right way, and in a matter of moments, I was on the street looking at the theater. But I was still late because the train ride in from New Jersey was halted at a bridge that leads to New York. The train was delayed 45 minutes, which ate up all the cushion of time I had planned. I got to our appointed meeting spot in front of the theater about 15 minutes late, but Lars was even later, so I didn't feel so bad. We went to a nearby restaurant called Pachino's or something like that. It was very crowded (Saturday night crowd), but we got fairly decent service anyway. Then it was back to the theater and the movie. We were among about 12 other people in the theater, some of who had never seen it. I could tell because they laughed at all the funny spots, like when the DJ got out of bed to show his teeny-weeny briefs. We sat along the penultimate row in very comfortable chairs. The thing about ATM is that it gives those of us who never saw ABBA a little idea of what the group must have been like in concert. Agnetha and Frida are so sexy, much more sexy than any porn movie, and so powerful in their singing. We all spoke at length about Agnetha's bottom, and how it played so significantly into the movie. How could she not know what it looked like (She says "I never saw it" at the news conference). I mean, did she ever hear of a mirror? I still find it almost impossible to buy into Agentha's later "sweaty and obsessed" comments, or her deep fears of the public because she looked so sure of herself in the movie, so happy, so in charge, so feeling the surge of the crowd, so beautiful in a way that would not be possible if she were also harboring those hearty fears. I just can't buy her story. The crowds were anything but threatening. Now, of course, I wasn't there, but the look of the people was exquisitely benign and loving to the point of severe adoration. Why would she think they would break through and attack her? I suppose one could ponder this a long time, but I chose instead to "live" in the moment of these two wonderful women, each one clearly the best singer in the world. How was it possible that they could be matched in the same act? What events triggered the chance that these elegant voices would end up on the same stage? The sound was spectacular in this theater, recently refurbished. The tone of the singing was right on; it penetrated the listener in a way that was strong and deep but not shrill. I could watch this movie every Saturday night and not get tired of it -- sort of in the same way my daughter is part of the cast in the northern New Jersey troupe of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. She never tires of the music either. After the movie ended, we split, each going their separate way. Bill and I had to snake through some Village streets, which were totally filled with people at 2:15 in the morning. New York is such a city! Eventually we got to the Holland Tunnel and into the bright lights of it. Finally, we emerged into the darkness of New Jersey. On the way home Bill told me his father recently wrote a book of Bill's family history, and that he would send a copy to me. That should be fun to read. He said there is a picture in it of ABBA because his father noted that Bill was a fan. Bill said his father got the members' names wrong, but it is still so cute for him to have included that little snippet about Bill's interest.