THEY DON'T WATCH MOVIES THE WAY WE DID

[kampanaryo_spy]

I’ve always loved movies. And I'm lucky to have parents---God bless their souls---who considered movies as a medium of learning.

When we were in elementary, usually on a Monday, Mama and Papa would give us money, on top of our usual baon of course, to embark on a business of selling popcorn to our classmates. And because we had sacks of corn from our farm, all we had to buy then was cooking oil and the brown supot. Then when Saturday came, we'd account our money and go watch a movie in Tandag. And if the money was not enough, Mama and Papa would pay for the balance.

Then on the following Monday, the cycle began again.

Watching movies in movie houses has become a lost art, and it pains me so. It’s over 10 years now that Tandag's Timber City and Moonglow Cinemas had closed their doors to cineastes like me. I remember watching movies during the last dying years of Timber City Cinema, braving the heat and cigarette smoke, the scurrying rats the size of cats, and raindrops falling from the holey roof. During heavy rains, a puddle would form at the orchestra, in the space between the first row and the screen, and I would watch the movie unfold not onscreen but on the puddle’s reflection.

For me there’s no greater experience than watching movies the old fashion way. Time was when the thought alone of going to Tandag to watch a movie was enough to make me pee from excitement. And upon reaching either Timber City or Moonglow Cinema, I’d lose myself in a visual feast, gawking at the “Now Showing,” “Next,” and “Coming” still pictures that were tacked on both sides of a large plywood. Swirls of smoke smelling of grilled bananas, popcorns, peanuts, and melted butter would fill my nose. Sliced mango and pineapple displayed on tables would seduce my eyes, and it would take a greater resolve on my part to hold on to my extra money---which my parents intended actually for my snacks----because I had decided to use it to buy Hiwaga Komiks at Chona’s Reading Center.

And when the metal gate of Timber City Cinema creaked open, I would run to the ticket booth ahead of the rest so that I would be the first one to enter the movie house and get to choose the prime seat, which was the balcony’s fourth row.

The music would play as people streamed inside. And once the light dimmed, I’d be ready to be transported to a world distant and unknown. But the moment the screen lit up, that was when my heart would quicken because I knew that the lady with a sword would emerge, like this--



or the lion would roar, like this---




or the globe would spin, like this---




And when the movie ended, I would again linger at the lobby, squinting my eyes from sudden exposure to light, to find out if every single still picture was shown in the movie. And if there were some that weren't, I’d feel shortchanged. I was too young then to know that still pictures are taken long before the film goes for final editing and that some stills don’t make it to the final cut.

Watching movies of yore needed focus and undivided attention. A little distraction here and there would mean missing a scene or a dialogue. And because unlike today’s technology where instant playback is possible, I had to “review” the movie, which meant another three hours of waiting because it was always a “double program.” When this happened, it was a painful choice between watching the movie all over again and missing the last trip to Tago. The latter would mean I had to walk with faith in my heart all the way home and make myself part of a live movie where Pitang lived, one that involved flying coffins and starred in by spooky creatures of the night.

The best movie days for me however dated back to the time when Tandag didn’t have movie houses yet and we had to wait for this panel---




Waiting for the Darigold panel was like waiting for Christ’s second coming: We didn’t know when, but we sure knew it would come!

And when the panel eventually arrived mostly during Friday afternoons, we would be restless inside our classroom because we couldn’t wait to go out and tail the Darigold panel as it went around Tago, announcing that a movie was going to be shown.

Chaos would seize every home but all activities ceased at 6 o’clock when everybody would carry either a stool or a bench and head for the town plaza. And there, underneath the acacia tree or at the rotunda where the medium-sized screen was placed, Jess Lapid would pump lead into Max Alvarado’s nose, and then Jess Lapid would whack Pacquito Diaz in the face with his smoking cuarenta'y cinco. As the famous bemustached, arc-browed villain puked blood and breathed his last, we would clap our hands until they turned red and sore.

For the whole week Tagon-ons would rave about the movie, and my friends and I would tell the movie to each other as though one of us hadn’t watched it.

Until this very day, my love affair with the cinema continues. But I wonder when will I get the hang of watching movies in the confines of my home or my room. The concept of home theatre doesn’t appeal to me, and that’s why I make it a point to watch movies every time I’m in the city. Never mind if there are not enough still pictures for me to gawk at, point is, I can relive every single experience I had when I was young.

You say I’m a sentimental fool? Then sue me!

[sughac]

K-spy,

every piece you wrote, sparks livewires in my memory. i felt like ... i've gone through Doc Emitte Brown's time machine, did i spell his name correctly? keep it up !!!!

[kampanaryo_spy]

K-spy,

every piece you wrote, sparks livewires in my memory. i felt like ... i've gone through Doc Emitte Brown's time machine, did i spell his name correctly?!!!!

sugz,

i'm glad i've created some sparks, and yes, i love the livewire metaphor.

am doing the spell check only because you asked me: if you're referring to Robert Zemeckis's 1985 film "Back to the Future," at a time when Michael J. Fox didn't know how to spell Alzheimer's yet, then it's Dr. Emmet Brown.

[sughac]

K-spy,

every piece you wrote, sparks livewires in my memory. i felt like ... i've gone through Doc Emitte Brown's time machine, did i spell his name correctly?!!!!

sugz,

i'm glad i've created some sparks, and yes, i love the livewire metaphor.

am doing the spell check only because you asked me: if you're referring to Robert Zemeckis's 1985 film "Back to the Future," at a time when Michael J. Fox didn't know how to spell Alzheimer's yet, then it's Dr. Emmet Brown.

k_spy,

i got it ! thx . i'm wondering how's Michael J. Fox doin? i havent heard much about him. siguro amo da na dekono na kun molingolingo. it's been quite awhile since he got diagnosed.

[kampanaryo_spy]

k_spy,

i'm wondering how's Michael J. Fox doin? i havent heard much about him. siguro amo da na dekono na kun molingolingo.

hahahahahahaha, yatis kaw, ag sa lang kita hibut-ukan!

[Alibangbang]

K-spy,

every piece you wrote, sparks livewires in my memory. i felt like ... i've gone through Doc Emitte Brown's time machine, did i spell his name correctly?!!!!

sugz,

i'm glad i've created some sparks, and yes, i love the livewire metaphor.

am doing the spell check only because you asked me: if you're referring to Robert Zemeckis's 1985 film "Back to the Future," at a time when Michael J. Fox didn't know how to spell Alzheimer's yet, then it's Dr. Emmet Brown.

k_spy,

i got it ! thx . i'm wondering how's Michael J. Fox doin? i havent heard much about him. siguro amo da na dekono na kun molingolingo. it's been quite awhile since he got diagnosed.

K-Spy,

To get in line with Sug’s "livewire" I, too, was JOLTED with NOSTALGIA. Thank you very much. Excellent exhibit of photojournalism.

You guys, the word is Parkinson’s disease (not Alzh.....'s )
He’s doing very well, still very active in the entertainment industry.

Recently read in one of my husband’s magazines that his foundation (The Michael J Fox Foundation) has funded/directed more than 95 million dollars in research that can lead to the creation of better Parkinson’s treatment. Very nice guy he is!

[sughac]

abb,

thx for the info.how come caucasians are prone to this ailment? i've seen only a few on Asians ( the late iya meling garcia was one of them).in most cases , the old folks got hit on this ,right ? Hope that someday, they can find a cure cz i cant imagine this world, full of people shaking their heads, as if, nothing is goin right. it's just like,,, everyone is in a hopelessness case!!!

[kiboglets]

k_spy,

yakadumdum pa kaw sa una nan silingan pa kita na mag sakaw mag sine-sine. an imo gamiton taraw kay karton ginunting na korteng tao tapos tuhugon taraw nimo nan stick, may telon kaw na sabanas na puti. adto sa iyo kuarta sa ubos na madugum para may lambong lugar an mga tao-tao mo kay may suga sa sa likod nan telon mo.

pero dili haw libre iton imo sine-sine kay magkaw magpabayad sa amo lakip yaon mga taga sapa pero dihaw kuarta an amo ipabayad kundi palito nan posporo!

ay-ay grabe an imo love sa movies pati na sa business. hahahahha

[yobob]

k_spy,

i'm wondering how's Michael J. Fox doin? i havent heard much about him. siguro amo da na dekono na kun molingolingo.

hahahahahahaha, yatis kaw, ag sa lang kita hibut-ukan!

sugz,

am sure k-spy is not really close to michael j., iban kami perme maniyangge, sugod pa nan gakita kami ka iyo david bisan gasilib da kami sa bintana yag kakila na kay kami. hangtod kuman close pa guihapon kami pero may home theater na ako, tapos madamo an pirated dvd, tuloy gatos da raba. slight correction dr emmett (dobol m dobol t).
pasensya na grabe ka delay an reaction, musta na?

[ruchelou]

I was not able to experienced what you said but I do remember that I was able to watch a movie in Tandag and thats the first movie that I watched unfortunately I forgot the movie title and all I remembered was that they were laughing because I shouted, "Wow kadakoi nan TV!!!" hehehehe

[gapalibatlibat]

hahahahaha ay-ay isab si ruchelou.........

[Alibangbang]

all I remembered was that they were laughing because I shouted, "Wow kadakoi nan TV!!!" hehehehe

Hahahaha...an ako isab experience amo ini.

Sa Moonglow. Diba an sinihan sa ato nan una, inday koman, sud-lugwa an mga tao ma beginning, ma middle or ma towards the end nan salida? Tunga-tunga na yadto nan pag sud namo. Gikan sa gawas, haitin suga di pag sud namo dugomi. First time lagi di tagawi ako. Iton koman kay tinirohay an scene --- paw, paw, paw --- basta kay pagkayas ko pasa gayod mohapa na garo ako para dili kig-dan nan bala. Then it dawn on me, it's just a movie, pero hapit ako makaihi nan kalisang.

Di didto na kami, paga flashlightan an bakanti na ingkodan nan kaig na laki, wearing a faint smell of what I know now as aramis, disapatos, puti an polo nan gada kanamo sa sud.

Ingkod na kami, iton koman kay apikihi sa kami sa screen, basta kay, gawas na yagkalibat-libat ako, kada agi nan jeep, madly driven by a man with moles on his face that resembled raisins, an ako lawas, in reflex mo takilid kay hadlok basin maligis. Ayay kamamawi ko gayod. The movie was by Fernando Poe and Max Alvarado.

[kiboglets]

all I remembered was that they were laughing because I shouted, "Wow kadakoi nan TV!!!" hehehehe

Hahahaha...an ako isab experience amo ini.

Sa Moonglow. Diba an sinihan sa ato nan una, inday koman, sud-lugwa an mga tao ma beginning, middle or towards the end nan salida? Tunga-tunga na yadto nan pag sud namo. Gikan sa gawas, haitin suga di pag sud namo dugomi. First time lagi di tagawi ako. Iton koman kay tinirohay an scene --- paw, paw, paw --- basta kay pagkayas ko pasa gayod mohapa na garo ako para dili kig-dan nan bala. Then it dawn on me, it's just a movie, pero hapit ako makaihi nan kalisang.

Di didto na kami, paga flashlightan an bakanti na ingkodan nan kaig na laki, wearing a faint smell of what I know now as aramis, disapatos, puti an polo na gada kanamo sa sud.

Ingkod na kami, iton koman kay apikihi sa kami sa screen, basta kay, gawas na yagkalibat-libat ako, kada agi nan jeep, madly driven by a man with moles on his face that resembled raisens, an ako lawas, in reflect mo takilid kay hadlok basin maligis. Ayay kamamawi ko gayod. The movie was by Fernando Po and Max Alvarado.

mana abb,

madayaw gani kay wara mo singgiti si FPJ nan " BANTAY YAOY TAO SA LIKOD MO"

[Alibangbang]

mana abb,

madayaw gani kay wara mo singgiti si FPJ nan " BANTAY YAOY TAO SA LIKOD MO"

Santa baby!!! Kibs, amo gayod ini basta mag touch-and-go (ayroplano) dalidali ag magkadisayop inin ako post.

Anyway, hahaha… Oh Kibs, I would have been drummed out of the theater. Daan dili kaw makig saing kanako kon motan-aw nan basketball. Ad-on ako all out …”shoot the ball!!!!”

Paki komusta kan duchess

[kiboglets]

Anyway, hahaha… Oh Kibs, I would have been drummed out of the theater. Daan dili kaw makig saing kanako kon motan-aw nan basketball. Ad-on ako all out …”shoot the ball!!!!”

Paki komusta kan duchess

mana abb,

on the contrary! amo yaon ako gusto na saing kun mangita nan sports kay masuta man kun may mas wild pa kanako. hahaha. Looking forward to watch basketball with you.