My Realization When Watching A Movie

Last night, I was at Waltermart Makati watching the last full show of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest with my mom. This piece, however, is not about the movie (for what it's worth, though, I loved it).

My realization is that sometimes you HAVE to choose the theater where you're going to watch a movie. I never really thought about this before. It never really mattered. Well, let me qualify. It mattered when I didn't have too much money, so I have to watch in a cheaper theater. What is cheap is, of course, relative, but to my mind the following theaters are the least costly (where I had the pleasure of watching, I mean. There could be others that are even cheaper.): Robinson's Movie World (Galleria and Manila), SM Cinemas (all except in The Mall of Asia), Glorietta I and Waltermart Makati Cinemas.

These are really not bad theaters to watch in, except for some that have disgustingly sticky floors. But what I'm getting at is not just the place... what's even more important is the crowd.

I'm not one to discriminate. This is not in my nature (and I'm not trying to be proud here). But I take watching films as serious entertainment. It seems oxymoronic, I know. After all, entertainment is supposed to be fun and wacky. What I simply mean is that, when I watch movies I want to be entertained to the full extent that the movie can provide.

Take for instance, I absolutely hate people who talk during the length the movie. A little conversation with your company is fine; but dear Lord, stop trying to be interactive with the film the entire time! What's worse is people who tell the story of the film while watching. For crying out loud, if you can't shut up, rent the damn video and watch it on your own!

More often than not, I really don't mind. But a person can't be passive forever; especially when that person has been waiting for so long to be free enough from any kind of obligations to get a chance to watch a film that s/he has been waiting to watch in the theater.

Now, as I was saying, one has to choose the theater one is going to watch in. It would ultimately depend on the mood of the person and the movie to be watched.

Let me give you an example that actually happened. The Pirates film was really funny and I had so much fun watching it. But I didn't get that ultimate enjoyment that the film could offer. This is because I didn't get to openly laugh when I wanted to. There were funny scenes that the people around me didn't seem to understand. There was even a time during the movie when I laughed and realized that I was only one laughing. It was so weird because they didn't get what was so damn funny. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm kind of sorry for them.

The point is, sometimes I get embarrassed and keep the laughter under my breath. You might be thinking that I shouldn't care what people will think or say about me laughing hysterically when they aren't. The thing is, I do care. And you should too. It's a public establishment and we should all be sensitive to the other people watching. In fact, this is a universal rule.

We should be sensitive to how people will think or feel when we're in public. I don't think it's a correct notion to say, "wala naman akong ginagawang masama sa kanila." Physically, maybe, but the torment that you bring because you annoy and you scandalize is simply a case of harrassment.

So basically, I have realized that when I am going to watch a comedy in the english laguage, I should probably just reserve a seat in Glorietta or Greenbelt. The people who go to these theaters think in the same wavelength as I do (not tryng to be high and mighty here.). By watching with them, I get to appreciate the movie even more. Forget the price of the ticket. The important thing is, I get to have fun.

I remember, a teacher in college said that there's a different experience when watching a movie in a theater than when watching a movie at home. Inside the theater, every person watching is not a stranger. For an hour or two, all of you become acquaintances, connected together by that one film you are watching. It didn't matter whether you are poor or rich, ugly or beautiful, locals or foreigners; what mattered is that you are all bound by one experience. And with just that short moment, we may not know it, but they have already been embedded in our lives.

Anecdotes (Ganda!)

Thanks to Karla Garcia for these. I got them through text. Titles are my own. Some points are edited.

ONE GLASS OF MILK

One stormy night, there was a child knocking at an old woman's door. The child was wet from the rain and seemed unphased. The old woman prepared for him a glass of milk. She knew that the child's name is HOWARD. After which, the child was very thankful.

Several years later, the old woman got very sick. But she was now all alone in the world and no one could take care of her because she couldn't afford to hire a nurse. One day, she was admitted to the hospital. The whole time, she worried because she might now be able to pay the bill.

She woke up one day in the hospital and was told that her operation was a success. This baffled her because she never agreed to such since she didn't have any money to pay for it. She then saw a note that laid by her bed. With trembling hands, fearful that it might be the bill she has to pay, she took the paper and looked at it.

The note read:

Your bill has been paid with just one glass of milk. - Dr. Howard.

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A BESTFRIEND'S SACRIFICE

When the baby boy was born, the family got a puppy to be his best friend. As the boy grew to be a handsome man, the puppy also grew to be a loyal dog to him. The boy eventually got married and had a family of his own, still the dog remained with him.

One day, the man went to the fields to work. His wife asked him where the baby was. He answered that he left the baby sleeping with the dog. The wife got mad and instantly scuffled to hurriedly head home.

When she arrived at the house, she saw the dog by the door with its mouth soaked in blood. Without second thought, she stabbed the dog to death and hurried towards the baby. She stopped in surprise when she saw that the baby was sleeping soundly with a dead snake lying next to her baby.

Pirates 2 Surpass Box Office Records

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest broke U.S. Box Office Record for both the single-day and first-3-days sales, beating Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith and Spiderman, respectively.

For the single-day sales record, the amount to beat was $50 million. Dead Man's Chest hauled $55.5 million at the end of July 7, 2006. As for the first-3-days sales record, Pirates exceeded 2002 hit Spiderman's $115 million by summing up sales at $132 million.

Read more about it at ABS-CBN Interactive.