Disclaimer : 1) I am no great connoisseur of movies and hence the so-called-advices to be taken with a pinch of salt :)
2) These are not advices. These are just some experiences I want to share..
3) The situations given here bear resemblance to the life of one "reviewer" and incase you find glimpses of your own life, it is purely coincidental and unintentional ;)
4) Most of these experiences are related to Bollywood and Indian theatres!
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There was a time
~ when cables and dishes had not yet invaded India.
~ when VCP and VCR was still unaffordable.
~ when Doordarshan had only 2 channels and those two would promptly begin at 6 and end by 10.
~ when every friday had a "chitrahaar" at 8.
~ when only a sunday would mean a movie. Hence, there was an unwritten rule at home that my father would treat all of us to a movie in the theatre every alternate friday!!!
Those were the days when we truly cherished each and every movie we saw, however bad the halls were, however bad the movie was. The impact of a movie was felt for days like the tremors following an earthquake !
Hence I learnt : the mood is important to enjoy the movie. Are you really interested in seeing the movie or is it just to while away the time or are cine-theatres the safest place to be without being spotted (;) you know what I mean!!!)
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Oh wow!!! todays newspaper says that Sony is going to telecast "Swades". Somehow I had missed seeing it when it got released. Now is a good chance for me to catch it up. So, at the appointed time, I promptly sit in front of the idiot box. Before the titles end... ding dong, the bell rings...the doodhwala.... oof I go to kitchen and keep the milk, missing scene 1. After sometime, ding dong, its the dhobi....grrrrrrrrr I count the clothes, give him the money and proceed with scene 4, I missed scene 3. After sometime, the neighbour’s daughter comes to play with mine.... and I decide to switch the TV off ;)
I learnt : Better to go to a theatre if you really want to feel the movie and not merely watch it!!! Plus you wont be encouraging piracy and terrorism. Terrorism? Read the review by Harsh alias Thakurman.
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To tell you the truth, however vulgar he may be, I like to watch Govinda movies just for the laughs. On the other hand, "Asoka" of Shah Rukh disappointed me to the core. The reviews in the media was just the opposite.
I learnt : Its better not to get biased by some critic. I will not deny that many writers here on MS have been successfully tilting my decision one way or the other but I try my best to check out the facts myself if the movie interests me :)
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Imagine a really serious scene where you want to listen to each and every dialogue. Just as the hero opens his mouth, waaaaaaaaaaaaaail - a baby starts crying and his poor parents have a tough time trying to "mouth shut" him/her. You dont know whether to sympathise with the parents or yourself!!! Just when the baby intelligently decides that it should sleep rather than watch the movie, you neighbour’s mobile rings and maybe its an interview-call cos he decides to attend it!!!!
I learnt : 1) Children who cannot differentiate between Shah Rukh Khan and the sabji wala are best not to be taken to the movies :)
2) Mobiles are no source of entertainment.
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I learn : The following items are very useful to carry with you when you go to watch the movie
Popcorn : They come handy when you want to distract your bored kid ! or even when you want a break.
Hanky : A must-carry for souls like me who are so soft hearted that they cant see the hero/heroines carrying so much burden in life and want to share it ;) If you are wearing salwar/saree, no need to carry hanky.
Flowers and coins : When its a Rajnikant movie, it helps to prove your loyalty to him. You can throw the flowers and the coins at the screen. For the people who want to see the next show as well, they can sit in the first row and collect all the coins ;)
Whistle : For the poor souls who cant whistle for nuts even if it is Rakhi Sawant or a Mallika. Shame on you but its OK!! God invented whistles only for people like you.
Inflatable pillows : There are times when you would rather catch up on the much-needed sleep rather than watch ’em .. These pillows can come handy!!
Nailcutters : For people who go to watch the Great Indian Comedy Show (read that as horror movies by Ramsay brothers)!!! Why trouble your teeth!
So, am all set to watch Jaan-e-man tonight. How about you ;)