TIFF Giveth and TIFF Taketh

I've been more than a little frustrated with TIFF.  The latest thing is that I've been trying to call the box office to follow up on a few points.  Each time, when I got to the computer switchboard and punched '3' (because I wasn't a TIFF member), the automated voice said there was no one available to help and ended the call.  No option to hold or to leave a message.  Very unprofessional...

Fortunately, I work close enough to TIFF that I can swing by after work (or theoretically even over my lunch break).  While I was running a bit late (to make it in time for swimming at Matty Eckler), I stopped in at TIFF.  I found out that, indeed Raiders of the Lost Ark was going to be playing at TIFF for roughly a week, starting June 16.  They didn't have all the dates and times nailed down yet, but this should all go on-line June 7, so I'll check back in about a week.  I'm definitely planning on seeing it and hopefully taking my son.  This would set me up to see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny or whatever it is called.

Since I was there, I asked if any tickets to Spirited Away had been turned in.  I certainly wasn't expecting anything, but there were actually 7-10 tickets that had been freed up for the Sunday afternoon show (which is the English dubbed version).  So I snatched one of those up.  If I absolutely love the movie, I will at least consider watching it again in October when it shows up in the regular theatres as part of Ghibli Fest.  Anyway, this ended up being a particularly productive trip over to TIFF unlike my past several trips to the box office when everything was sold out.

I still think TIFF could be a lot better, and I find the Paradise actually punches above its weight, at least for movies that interest me.  (In fact, there are two more Pedro Almodóvar films that are going to be screening at the Paradise, and I think I should be able to make it to both, so that's quite exciting.)