We almost went out to dinner for Liz's birthday last night, but at the end Liz switched her mind and we went to the movies instead. We saw that new movie Made of Honor. But we went to the fancy-schmancy "Gold Class" theater at Mall of the Emirates, where you get cushy recliners and waiters and stuff (for the Mainers in the crowd - it's kind of like Chunky's/Smitty's).

The flick stars Maine's own Patrick Dempsey, better known to the ladies in the crowd as McDreamy on Gray's Anatomy. Overall it was cute enough, but if you've seen My Best Friend's Wedding you get the idea, although it's not really as clever (Bob Mondello of npr said it was full of "formulaic lo-jinks" - get it? Not 'hi-jinks'! 'Lo-jinks'!).

But the weirdest part was at the end of the movie, after the lights come up and the theater starts to empty. Who was in the back row but four mid-30s Emirati guys in full dishdashes.

What?

Can you imagine that conversation? Because I can:

Guy #1: "Ooh! It's Tuesday! Let's go to the mall."

Guy #2: "Dude, we always go to the mall."

Guy #1: "What if we go to the movies??"

Guy #3: "Yeah! Iron Man just opened!"

Guy #4: "Iron Man!"

Guy #1: "Welllll, I was thinking more Made of Honor."

Guy #4: "Sweet, I love Patrick Dempsey. He's awesome as McDreamy."

Guy #3: "What?!"

Guy #4: "I mean, Michelle Monaghan is kind of cute, too."

Guy #2: "I'm on her Wikipedia site now. Huh, I don't remember her in The Bourne Supremacy."

Guy #3: "You're thinking of The Bourne Ultimatum. Let's go see Iron Man."

Guy #4: "It's known that 90% of people confuse The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum."

Guy #2: "Ooh, Made of Honor was written by Josie and the Pussycats' Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan ..."

Guy #3: "Um ... is that supposed to sway me? I still vote for Iron Man."

Guy #1: "But Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said the on-screen appeal of Dempsey and Monaghan "is always more than pleasant to experience". Isn't that a nice compliment, if poorly worded and confusing?"

Guy #4: "It's known that 90% of Kenneth Turan's sentences are worded poorly."

Guy #3: "Dude, stuff blows up in Iron Man. Let's go see that."

Guy #2: "Weird, Michelle Monaghan's birthday is exactly a week before Josh's."

Guy #1: "Josh who?"

Guy #3: "Josh who?"

Guy #4: "Josh who?"

Guy #4: "It's known that 90% of us don't know Josh."

Guy #3: "What? Isn't that more 75%? One in four? Who cares. Let's go see Iron Man."

Guy #2: "Did you know Michelle Monaghan was supposed to be in Syriana but her scenes were cut?"

Guy #3: "ARGH!! Iron. Man."

Guy #2: "Oooh, and Kadeem Hardison is in it!"

Guy #1: "Kadeem who?"

Guy #3: "Kadeem who?"

Guy #4: "Kadeem who?"

Guy #2: "And they have kilts."

Guy #4: "It's known that 90% of Scots wear kilts."

Guy #3: "Kilts? Okay. I'm in."

And we're done.