A friend of mine once told me that you don't watch movies at the cinema unless it's a show with superb sound effects. That's because with VCDs(and pirated ones at that) being so popular and accessible nowadays, we only have to go to the cinema to enjoy the wide-screen effect and sound system. It's really a cheapskate but spending $7 or more for two hours of entertainment does seem a bit steep of late. It's kind of sick to have blown the money when just a few months later, you get to catch the movie again on TV... That's why I'm also cutting down on shows, except on Tuesdays, where the price drops to $5(anyone knows why?).

Another thing about watching movies is that it is not a very friendly pasttime at all. You just sit in this dark theatre and mind your own business enjoying a good watch. There's no interaction at all! So you can't watch it with a mate. And you shouldn't watch it with a group of friends also, since you can't get everyone to like the same show nor do I see a need for a gang in a cinema. Yet again you wouldn't want to watch it alone right!? What a paradox!

There's usually quite a clear distinction between movies which I want to watch and those which I don't. I don't really have a preference for any particular genre, it depends more on the plot, director and cast. Action is usually a safe bet, as are screenplays from novels. But comedy, romance, sci-fi, thrillers and the lot are all fine actually. I tend to like movies with strong themes and which deliver messages, preferably something realistic which I can relate to, like Chungking Express, Dead Poet's Society, Graduate, Reality Bites, Hard Boiled... Something like a play. Ultimately, I think movies should reflect real life, since they are played out by living people after all. You can have a great fictional thriller with fantastic plot and special effects, but at the end of the day, people will only remember it as a piece of entertainment. Better to make the audience think...

Cinema Recommendation

Very personal review and not entirely accurate, especially since GV Grand and Eng Wah Suntec were not tested yet. Much as I would love to watch every movie at Lido's THX+rocking-cushion theatres, tickets absolutely have to be bought at least FIVE hours before the show starts. I used to arrive an hour before to find the tickets for the next show also sold out! This is also the only cinema where there is perpetually a ticket queue, yes even at night. Orchard is the next best (and closest to town) option, with superb seats (survived Titanic here) and THX sound. Century at Tampines is the only decent neighbourhood theatre around, with truly the best seats of them all and a standard sound system, which more than makes up for it's poor location. The rest are the other cinemas near town where I frequent, mostly because there're other amneties nearby.

Realm | Personal | Favourites | Pandora's Box | Field Signals | Eudaemonia | River Styx | Photo Gallery | Guestbook | Links | Epilogue