From theatres to streaming

MOVIE watching has dramatically changed in the last century, from the 19th century’s silent films to the 20th century’s CGIs. And it has drastically changed in recent years from watching it on the silver screen to the palm of your hand.

We grew up watching movies as our form of entertainment. Our extended family is one big fan of it. We have been following the Academy Awards (The Oscars) and the Golden Globe Awards. We wait for the list of winners either through the late-night news on TV or in the newspaper the following day. Today, we can now watch it live or as it happens.

My Tito Emmy up his game by bringing it to another level. He checks the director, the scriptwriter, the editor, and the cinematographer, to name a few. Yes, he was a critic. Maybe that’s where Ivan got it.

Ivan, when he was at a very young age, around six or eight, used to criticize even TV commercials. I remember him saying, “What a stupid commercial.” When I asked why, he replied, “It didn’t make sense.” It made me think I needed to make sense at all times when talking to him.

My Papa and Mama are big fans of action movies. Mama, to this day, still watches action and even violent action movies at 84 years old. Sundays have always been movie dates for us. Even when we were already teens and in College, we still watched movies with them and kept the movie allowance for rainy days or something else.

Movie watching then was double fun because you could watch two movies per screening schedule, but you only pay for one. You can rewatch it till sawa. Theatres then were Nation, Rizal, Kairo, and Roket. Gotic and Skyhi came in in the ’80s.

I remember my friend Nancy was a big fan of Sharon. Ethel, Chiel, and I were not. She wanted us to watch a Sharon movie with her. We ended up watching since she paid for the four of us with one condition, “walay mag comment or mag reklamo while watching.” Of course, we did not. Only after.

The options then were limited. We watched movies either in theatres or on TV. Then Betamax came, then VHS, VCD, and DVD. We rented tapes, and it was like borrowing books from a library. The difference, though, is that you need to be a member before you can borrow. My son loved going to these rental shops after dinner.

Today, movie-watching is more convenient and cheaper because of handheld devices. You can watch it while on a road trip and even if you’re up in the mountains. However, nothing beats watching it inside the cinema with family and friends, popcorn and a cola in hand.

From theatres to streaming, the venues may have changed, and the experience has changed, but the range of emotions that movies provide will always be there, from joy, sadness, and fear to excitement.