Watching Movies on the Big Screen

Tuesday, 9 January 2007

Happy New Year! My first posting for 2007. I was thinking what it is like watching movies back in the past and the present millennium.

Before I turned into a teenager, my 2 younger brothers and me often go into the Lutong Cinema on Saturday afternoons and watched movies, free of charge. The cinema was only a few minutes walk from our home. We saw all kinds of movies and luckily at that time, there were no obscene acts!

There were 3 entrances into the hall, which led to 3 different priced seats. We are bless with a fatherly figure, who was familiar with the 3 of us, who knew our parents, who checked tickets at the entrance leading to the cheapest price seats, would let the 3 of us in, once the light inside the hall were off. We would then look for empty seats. Sometimes we sit in the front rows because they were the only rows that were the least popular therefore less occupied being too close to the screen. Most times we could find seats further away from the screen and also among the highest priced seats!!

Watching movies on the big screen is fun. There were no television then so there was nothing to compared with. I enjoyed the "Sound of Music" (1965, starring Julie Andrews) very much. Went to see with my brothers, went with my classmates and went with Dad in the Lutong and the Miri cinemas. It was shown in the cinema for a number of weeks. I can't remember how long. We now have DVDs of the movie, at home. It has remain my favourite film. But I think I would enjoy better on the big screen!

Technology increased - the quality and sound of the movies improved as the time passed. Watching "Jurassic Park" (1993) in a cinema in Melbourne was indeed an experience for me. It was the first time Lian and Yean, who were only 12 and 7 years old respectively have their first experience of watching a movie on the big screen. It was as if we were inside the Jurassic Park!! The animals looked so real!

Likewise, we enjoyed "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000, starring Chow Yun Fatt) at a Golden Screen cinema in Kota Kinabalu.

Recently I got the opportunity to watch movies at the Golden Screen cinemas again!

Wednesday, 3 January 2007
I should thank Brother Nelson for this. We had the tickets, he couldn't attend the show because he had to work, so I jumped in. Friday's show was sad but today's was sheer hilarious. Released 28 December 2006, "Night at the Museum" to me is a very good show for the whole family. I don't mind watching it again!! Also, this is my first time at the Golden Screen cinema in Mid Valley Megamall - Kuala Lumpur.

Friday, 29 December 2006
Thanks to Yean, I got to watch "Curse of the Golden Flower" at the Golden Screen cinema in Leisure Mall in Cheras-Kuala Lumpur.

Released 21 December 2006, it is deemed as the most expensive Chinese film to date (budget $45 million), chosen as China's entry for the academy award for best foreign language film for the year 2006.

It is a tragic story that we see happening everywhere - the result of betrayal of trust and love in a family unit. What I don't like in the film is the clothes that the maids of the palace wore - the necklines are so low, which looked to me stopped just above their nipples with half of their breasts showing. I am sure that the ladies during that period do not dress like that!!! I hope that viewers do not get the impression that the Chinese girls are dressed that way in those times!