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Welcome to my film critic's blog! A lifetime of loving movies has enabled me to do this. Enjoy!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

The trials of Movie Man!


Looking through this blog, I see a lot of film ruminating but very little of the unique life experiences connected with movies - so here are select pages from the diary of a movie enthusiast. 

Some are born movie buffs, some achieve that exalted status and some have film enthusiasm thrust upon them. On my part, it was very much a confluence of these three factors that have made an impact that is likely to last a lifetime. This trifecta was created by influences ranging from the family to cinema-going happenings and life experiences tied to movie memories. Here are some singular recollections:

The age rating does matter: Many people these days scoff at age ratings - they indicate that kids see so much on TV and are exposed to the internet, so anything goes with films. While I see their point, it still doesn't excuse disregarding age ratings. What if I told you that my earliest memory at the age of four was watching Jaws 1, 2 and 3? Granted it's an extreme example but it could not be more relevant because it's true that you never know what sticks in a child's mind. Let's just say that seeing a film like 'Jaws' before being able to spell 'shark' can have very bad consequences. But hey, sometimes that's how film buffs are born!

The beginning is the end is the beginning....: Movie buffs are drawn to strange tendencies and unusual incidents; like never being able to watch a movie from the middle (unless it's one you've seen before). Related to that is the abhorrence of being late to the cinema and missing the start of a movie. Case in point - it was a really hot day in one of the GCC States and I was rushing towards the cinema hall. Due to a minor miscalculation, I was as I dreaded 15 minutes late to 'MI:3'. Ticket prices there are a lot dearer than most would like but at that point I had been wanting to see the movie for so long that I could not imagine missing it. I rushed in with my ticket and caught most of the film. I loved all of what I saw but I had missed the opening action scene. That knowledge hung in the pit of my stomach like an itch I needed to scratch. As I walked out, I did a 360 and strolled right back in. Yes, that's right - 'MI:3' twice in consecutive shows. Do I regret it? Not for a single second!

Lather, rinse, repeat: Though movie buffs generally like to dwell in 'be kind, rewind' mode, many repeat performances are not the result of planning but the ordinance of a greater power. How about the time when I, as an early bird, booked six tickets to a summer blockbuster (which shall remain nameless so as not to offend concerned parties). I was given a rude awakening on the eve of said show with the news that the five remaining persons would not be in attendance. Fastforwarding past the hurried explanations and desperate bids to sell tickets on flick day, I watched the movie spread over six seats. But the tale is not done, here's the kicker. One of the other five bought six tickets the following day and insisted I tag along. Okay, so I saw the same movie twice in two days and paid for eight tickets. As I walked into the theatre on day two willing the events out of my mind, I was slammed head-on by the higher power. Two different people stopped me and posed the question I would have killed for just 24 hours earlier - "Say pal, would you happen to have a couple of extra tickets you could sell?" I looked up at the heavens and smirked: "You're up there laughing at me, aren't you?" 

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