Cinema Effect

Last Saturday night, we had a late-night movie on the laptop in the room. (The boys are always thrilled for such occasional late-night movies which WY calls 'cinema effect' - a term he had coined with CP when he stayed over for weekends at CP's house last year.)

The movie was "Lady & The Tramp".



I explained to WY that I first watched this classic on Children's Day when I was in K1 or K2. I remember it was a Children's Day treat for us, and the teachers had brought us to the cinema near my kindergarten located near Playfair School.

In fact, I remember that we were also given goodie bags packed with assorted biscuits, packet drinks and some sweets. All these were snacks which we got to eat only on special occasions like CNY. I think some basic stationery items like erasers and pencils were also handed out, too. (One year, there was even ice cream!)

Back then, I did not really understand the storyline of Lady & The Tramp. I almost did not speak any English, remember? But I was fascinated by the graphics of the Disney classic anyway.

And I think it was the experience of watching the movie at the cinema itself, which made the movie so memorable. Cinema-going was always a rare treat in those days.

Just to recall, the cinema was called 'Bright Theatre' (光明戏院), I think. It was nestled amongst those low-rise factories facing PLR and within a 10-minute walk from my PA kindergarten.

The exterior of this cinema was rather 'standard' - a glass-panelled ticketing booth with some posters mounted on the mosaic-tiled walls + a kacang putih cart by the side. The ticket seller would use a blue/red colur pencil to cross out some 'seating-plan' for tickets sold and she would scribble something quite illegible (presumably seat numbers, I am not sure) on the tickets before she handed the tickets out through that hole in the glass panel.

The interior of the cinema was similarly sparten - no carpets or cushioned chairs like what we have these days. The floor was cemented (and often littered with groundnut shells). There were oscillating wall fans mounted on the sides and patrons were seated on long wooden benches! Benches were good because I remember that on our first 2 or 3 visits (Father and Mother brought us there), the then-skinny HA didn't need a ticket - we just sat 'more compactly'!!! This would have been impossible if individual chairs were used then, right?!

WY and WF were delighted with Lady & The Tramp. So we decided that we would have our late-night 'cinema effect' again soon.

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Yesterday, both WY and WF kept their deal and finished their respective work by early evening. So we had another of our late-night 'cinema effect'.

This time, we watched Forrest Gump.



Before the 'cinema effect', I briefed WY and WF what the story was about - how a boy who at first could not walk properly learnt to do so and even went on to run very well. Ok, this may not be the only or main focus of the movie but for their (especially WF's) purposes, it should be good enough a summary for now.

WF was squealing with excitement when he saw how the bullies chased Forrest during his walks home. And saw to his amazement how Forrest broke free from his clumpsy leg braces during that run!

But WF could not keep still for most parts of the movie last night. When it was those war-planes bombing out the jungle and those stormy seas scenes, he ran to take cover amongst his pillows and bolster!

WY, on the other hand, was completely immersed in the story. I think he enjoyed the movie very much, although some parts (eg how Forrest's mother finally managed to get Forrest into the public school, and why Jenny wanted to get away from her father) remain un-understood.

During the movie, I spotted WY turning red-eyed and a little 'sniffy' during some touching scenes (eg when Forrest's good buddy Bubba died in the Vietnam war, and when Forrest 'spoke' at Jenny's tomb and placed his son's letter by the tomb). Sigh, WY is still such a sentimental darling..... nope, I am not complaining.