The Beauty Of The Cinema

 

There are many experiences one can have, maybe seeing their favourite singers, bands or stars live in concert, going on a fun vacation, going to see your favourite sports players play, especially if one meets them or gets really good seats that can be shown on live television, seeing a great play especially if it’s someone you’re a big fan of, so much more. There is a kind of experience that may be kind of ordinary because a lot of people do it every day, but it can still be great, and that experience is going to the movies.

I had been going to the movies for a long time, it began when a man took his 4 year old daughter to see Winnie The Pooh on the big screen in Piglet’s Big Movie, the little girl brought her dolly with her and though it was a new experience for her and couldn’t quite fully remember it, it was a nice one, she especially loved dancing to the credits, where Carly Simon sang, “With A Few Good Friends.”  The best part of the screening was that before it began, the father had seen a trailer for Pixar’s upcoming movie, Finding Nemo and he knew this would be another one to take his daughter to. So a few months later, they did, the little girl had a bit of an idea of what the story was about, she had a couple of books based on the movie but she didn’t even know it was a movie, after she saw a poster, the two went inside and the little girl was so amazed, even though she didn’t fully understand some things, she still loved it. As time went by, she had been going to the movies at least once a year, with one of her parents, sometimes with both them and her younger brother, at birthday parties, until she was 13 and was old enough to see movies with her brother, friends or alone without any adult supervision, the only times she would go with a parent was if it was for something special (like how she and her dad went to see Finding Dory since he took her to see Finding Nemo) or if she was with some rowdy kids.

Ever since my first time going, I always had a blast going to the movies. It was something I missed when COVID hit and the theatres closed down, I think the lockdowns had me appreciate it even more because as fine as it can be to see movies on streaming sites or even on home media (which rules don’t get me wrong), it doesn’t beat the joy of seeing movies in cinemas because it has some kind of magic that home can’t always offer.

This is why we’re here today, I would like to talk about the beauty of the cinema and why it’s an experience I think everyone should have at least once in their life.

 

Entering The Cinema

The first thing that comes with going to the movies is just entering the place, sometimes it can be so neat to see, from the arcades, the posters of current or upcoming movies, the merchandise they sell like blankets or stuffed toys of characters, the screens sharing fun facts about upcoming movies or even celebrity birthdays, sometimes it feels like you’re entering a new world as a nice brief escape from the dark and cynical world we can live in. Especially if you are a kid or young at heart. The cinemas I went to are always great to be in, any cineplex I would go to are great spots to be in, especially when they have arcades or yummy snacks to eat. The Landmark Cinemas have a lot more to offer, like a huger bunch of merchandise to offer and the chance to choose your own snacks without waiting in line, the only time you do wait in line is when you go to pay for it, and being able to relax on those recliner seats when you come in, in Cineplex they have recliner seats in VIP, and those are for those aged 19 and up. Plus, the retro cinemas make you feel like you’re going back in time and it can feel really cool. You know a place can be really good if you instantly feel enamored and enchanted the moment you enter.

The Snacks

Another thing people love about the cinema is that they can serve really tasty refreshments. As good as microwave popcorn is, it cannot beat the tastiness that is the ones they serve at games or at the movies, that popcorn machine manages to make this snack so tasty and savouring, or easy to devour. That’s usually my favourite snack to eat at the cinema, along with one candy, like Swedish Berries or chocolate mini eggs. I can’t mention refreshments without mentioning the candy spot at the Landmark Cinemas, because it has it’s own “factory” where you can scoop up some candy and put them in one bag, it reminds me of the candy stores I’ve been to over the years like Bulk Barn or this once candy store I used to go to a lot for candies or Pez dispensers, called Sugar Mountain. The addition of the treats makes the experience of going to the movies whether you’re alone or if you’re sharing this time and treats with someone who’s gone with you a lot more exciting!

Pre-Shows

While we can get excited to see the movie, it can also be fun to see what is coming soon. Seeing the previews can be kind of mixed, sometimes one can get excited to see movies they want to see because it could be a sequel to a movie they loved or the concept looks really interesting, on the other hand it could look kind of stupid or boring that one could be so eager for the trailer to end and decide they don’t want to see it. I loved seeing certain previews in cinemas and here are some examples. Whether I saw a good or bad movie, seeing the Kung Fu Panda 2 trailer had me so hyped every time and once I had the joy of seeing it, I was satisfied, had a great time, even seeing the teaser where Po has a staring contest with the viewers, was still enough to get me excited, how I miss the days I was excited to see Po.

I also remember when I saw the trailers for my favourite DreamWorks movie Rise Of The Guardians, when I saw the first trailer when I saw Madagascar 3 (that was the first movie I saw in cinemas without a parent to watch me), it looked kind of interesting, when I saw Hugh Jackman’s name, I was really hyped to see him voice act for DreamWorks again (though this time it was DreamWorks alone), and when I saw the second trailer, which showed our true protagonist of the movie, Jack Frost, I instantly figured out Hugh was the Easter Bunny in this one, for 2 reasons, 1. He had an Australian accent, as Hugh is an Aussie and the part where Bunny was screaming on the sleigh I wanted to scream out loud, “THAT’S HUGH!!!” because his scream sounded like his character Roddy St. James from Flushed Away (the movie that introduced me to Hugh and started my love for him), whenever he was screaming like in the boat chase scene, it was enough to make me go to see Guardians, and once I did, I had a blast, I did it for Hugh, but I stayed for a great movie.

I also remember when my mom took me to see the first Kung Fu Panda and the Madagascar 2 trailer played before the movie, I was already excited when I saw the trailer featuring Ben Stiller on the Bee Movie DVD, but it just hyped me up even more, the thought of seeing the Zoosters on the big screen was enough to hype me up since I didn’t see the first movie in cinemas, it made the waiting all the more worth it!

 Even getting to see some of the Pixar teasers on the big screen could be exciting too! I remember seeing Up and the Toy Story 3 trailer played before the movie, just the fact that the toys were going to be back was enough to make me want to see it. I remember when I saw the teaser for Inside Out, it showed the many emotions Pixar’s characters have felt over the years, and then showing the main emotions, I was instantly amazed and I knew I wanted to see it, and I’m so happy I did! The times I saw the Finding Dory teaser just made me feel so happy, it was nice seeing it on YouTube, but seeing it at a cinema felt so emotional, it took me back to when I saw Finding Nemo as a little girl and had me more than eager to see it. even with the regular theatrical trailers from Pixar were enough to get me hyped up and see so much more from the beloved company. I even remember when I went to see the Minions movie, they played the Secret Life Of Pets teaser and it had me in stitches with some of the pets’ antics like Chloe trying to resist and eventually eat all the chicken or Leonard the poodle playing rock music, it was a great appetizer of laughs before non stop laughter with the minions.

Plus, since I mentioned Pixar, I can’t not mention the shorts playing before the movies like Partly Cloudy before Up, Lifted before Ratatouille, Piper before Finding Dory and Carl’s Date before Elemental, heck when I saw Finding Nemo on Labour Day, they played the Partysaurus Rex short before the movie, which played in the 3D re release for Finding Nemo back in 2012, those shorts are great appetizers to the main course of movies.

Another thing they would do is have more pre show entertainment, you could play trivia games, or be quizzed about upcoming movies, back then Cineplex used to have a game called Timeplay, where you could be quizzed on different things, like choosing 3 characters that match the description or multiple choice, you wouldn’t exactly win any prizes or maybe you could but either way, it was always fun, I remember doing it with my brother or with my friend, it was always so much fun! And who could forget some of those classic PSAs warning viewers not to use their phones, talking or being too noisy during the movie, I don’t have AMC, but I’ve seen a lot of those ones on YouTube where different characters like the Minions, the Madagascar crew or even a Finding Nemo one where Bruce threatens to eat anyone who uses their phone during the movie. It can be an entertaining way to get the viewers to behave properly during the screening.

You know you’re in a good place whenever what comes before the movie, is as entertaining as the movie itself.

 

Enjoying It With Others

Another great thing about going to the movies is that you can be surrounded by a lot of people who enjoy whatever you’re seeing, even if you are shy or introverted you can still feel like part of a community or group. I would like to talk about some of the best times.

The times I’ve gone to see some movies I loved growing up in cinemas whether it was at a local one or an independent cinema, it’s been really fun to hear others react to certain moments, I think it’s always fun to hear people laughing at funny parts or everyone applauding when the movie comes to an end. I can name some great examples of the best times I’ve heard reactions in the cinema. When I went to the Mary Poppins sing along, it was not only fun to hear people singing along to the classics from The Sherman Brothers, but it was also great to hear the sounds of laughter at some parts like, Mary’s medicine being rum flavored, that joke (if you’ve seen the movie I think you know which joke I’m talking about!) or when Mary declares to Mr. Banks that she never explains anything.

I remember when I saw Finding Nemo on Labour Day last year, to celebrate the 20^th anniversary, it was not only so amazing to see it and understand it better than I did when I first saw it in cinemas back in 2003, but it was also kind of interesting to hear laughter at some of the jokes that flew over our heads when we were kids, like the part when the mines blow up and we cut to two pelicans where the explosion causes a bubble to pop near one of them and the other flies away annoyed, or when Gurgle nearly says a naughty word when the tank got dirty (2 years before DreamWorks did it with a certain zebra), or even when the kid in the waiting room hears the chaos from the dentist’s room and gets the wrong idea! I also recall some non laughter reactions, like in the scene when Marlin and Nemo have an argument which ends with Nemo saying the three words no parent ever wants to hear, and those words are, “I hate you,” I remember while I whispered, “harsh” as I always do, the cinema went silent and I could hear a few gasps, no doubt that came from the parents, because that is the last thing a parent wants to hear from their offspring. I also think I remember hearing someone go, “Uh oh,” when Bruce smelled Dory’s blood and went savage. Those bits added to a great day for me!

When I saw School Of Rock for the 20^th anniversary last year, I remember 2 reactions. At the part when Lawrence tells Dewey off by insulting his appearance and body odour, I remember hearing laughter, I not only snicker at that but I also make a Kung Fu Panda reference, by quoting Po calling Shifu out for insulting him in the hall of heroes, because let’s be honest, Lawrence’s line is basically what Shifu said to Po before he attempted the Wuxi Finger Hold on him, it was also nice to hear others react to it. Plus, at the scene where Dewey admits he’s a fraud and tells the parents that he had been touched by his kids and he’s touched them, I remember silence and then laughter, because well, we all knew what Dewey meant, he just didn’t use the right words, it sounds wrong out of context, I remember not understanding that as a teen and now it has me in stitches, to be able to see one of my favourite movies in cinemas again but to hear everyone else laugh and enjoy themselves, it’s just great!

Another one I can mention is that a week before my birthday, the Revue was having their February Throwback Cinema and their movie for the month was Ratatouille, I was more than eager to go, and I had a great time, it was great to hear people react or laugh at certain scenes like Remy gagging when he smells the soup Linguini clumsily doctored, Linguini screaming over Remy’s bites, or Emile horking the piece of cheese down, but to me the icing on the cake was when the health inspector showed up and saw the rats, there were sounds of laughter, and I heard someone say, “they’re screwed” or something like that, that restaurant was going down! It was of course, even more funnier when the rats tossed the health inspector and Skinner in the food safe. I’m happy to have seen it again in cinemas and enjoyed it as much as I did back when I was 8 years old and seeing it again in cinemas as an adult, was just awesome and also hearing others really enjoy it!

Another time I can mention was when I saw The Emperor’s New Groove at the Revue last year, the theatre was nearly packed but that’s a good thing because it is one of the funniest movies from Disney, and a lot of the movie was drowned out by the sounds of laughter, from the classic lever scene, the waterfall, Kronk playing jump rope with Pacha’s kids, Kronk pointing out a certain plot hole or Yzma turning into a cat, if the movie you’re playing is drowned out by the sounds of laughter, than you’re doing it right!

This is why when I saw Shrek 2 last month, while I did have a fun time, I was a bit disappointed that there weren’t many people there, it was just me and a family of 4, parents and two little princesses. Now don’t take this the wrong way, I’m happy to see little kids enjoying something I loved as a kid, I just was hoping to hear a lot of laughter at some parts like Donkey making those popping noises (especially the last one where he puts his snout in, Fiona braces for the inevitable explosion Donkey pops and Shrek blows up), the dinner fight, Puss coughing up a hairball or Pinocchio wearing a thong, but I’m happy those little cherubs got to see this movie, and it was nice to see it in cinemas again with new eyes.

It’s also nice when you might talk to some people who come to see the movies too, it could be children or adults but it is nice to see others enjoy the movie as much as you do. I remember when I saw the Lion King at the revue, while I was waiting in line at the concession stand, there was a family and the kids saw me dressed like a princess and asked me if I had seen the movie and I said that I have and they said they enjoyed it too, it’s so nice to see kids today experience the magic we all saw as kids, shows that the magic at Disney is for everyone of all ages and their classics will remain timeless, I pray for the future of Disney to go well.

At the Ratatouille screening I met this woman and her son who came all the way from another part of Ontario, we actually spoke before the movie, her son loves to take transits, like me and the mother loves films, we even sometimes spoke when we heard, “Don’t You Forget About Me,” (my mom loved the Breakfast Club) playing in the background before the movie began and I even told her about the Ratatouille concert I saw years ago, hopefully maybe they can see a movie concert in the future. And who knows?  Maybe one day I could take a day trip to Burlington and see them again or hopefully run into them in Toronto again one day.

I also remember when I got to see the 1998 stage revival of Oklahoma in the cinema, (this screening felt like seeing a stage pay because they had a real intermission), I spoke a bit with some of the other people after the movie and they commented on how young Hugh Jackman looked in the play, he was like almost or was 30, and this was just before he became Wolverine or more well known worldwide, and how amazing it was to see him at that time, I’m so thankful a lot of folks, especially Hugh lovers got this once in a lifetime chance to see this play in cinemas, it was quite the experience!

Interactive

Though it doesn’t happen too often, whenever the movie screening is more interactive, it can be so much more fun! Last year I attended at least 3 interactive screenings and I’m happy to talk about them.

I already mentioned the Mary Poppins sing along but I didn’t mention how amazing it was to see everyone sing along to the classics like The Perfect Nanny or Let’s Go Fly A Kite. Plus, there were not only the lyrics on the screen, but the screen also included actions to do in the song like, when Mr. Dawes Sr grabbed Michael’s money, we were all supposed to yell, “Give it back!” we were encouraged to tap during the classic scene where Bert dances with the penguins, snapping our fingers during Spoonful Of Sugar or stomping and clapping during Step In Time, the ability to see Walt Disney’s masterpiece on the big screen was already amazing enough but having it also be a sing along, just makes it more magical, I’m sure Walt Disney himself would be happy to see people still enjoying it to this day.

Another one was an interactive screening of Shrek. Though I had seen it already at the Fox Theatre earlier that year, the idea of an interactive screening was so exciting, I invited a childhood friend of mine who loves Shrek and we were able to take a walk down the beach before we entered and it was a great time, we were given prop bags and a prompt sheet, we were given crowns and there were a lot of people and families there too, when the movie began it was so fun, we got to sing along to All Star, a couple other prompts included, yelling “Get Out Of My Swamp!” when the fairytale creatures invade the swamp, I think I shouted it before Shrek says his iconic line, but I think after he said it, I heard a lot of kids yelling, “get out of my swamp!!” and also, at the scene where Shrek and Donkey cross the bridge, the prompt said that the ground was lava, I heard kids screaming, “the floor is lava!” I lifted my seat up to avoid getting my feet “burned” until Shrek and Donkey enter the dragon’s keep, we even got little candies like gumdrops to eat in the classic gumdrop buttons bit or a gummy worm for when Shrek sits down to dinner, we even got to wave our glowsticks during Hallelujah and we even got to sing along to I’m A Believer at the end and everyone applauded once the book closed. It was also nice to hear laughter at the jokes, like the compensating for something joke or after the Duloc song, and Shrek and Donkey’s photo is taken and once the picture comes out, everyone laughed! I also think at the scene where Shrek and Fiona tell each other they love them and they share a kiss, and the but where Thelonius writes some words on the board, I think everyone in the cinema said, “Aawwww!” While I did have a fun time when I saw Shrek there earlier that year, it was even better not only with the interactive screening but also to experience it with a great friend!

My favourite one ever would have to be when one of my million dreams came true, ever since I saw it almost 5 years ago, I loved The Greatest Showman, it’s my favourite musical ever and I was hoping one day to see it if it ever got a re release but on one condition, if it was a sing along because the songs are hard not to sing along to and it would be torture for me to not be allowed to sing along to the songs, there was an outdoor sing along at TIFF in September of 2022, unfortunately, it was way too late at night, and I found out on the day of it, the same day I got to see Hugh at the premiere of The Son, but then a year later, I got my wish. There was going to be a sing along at TIFF on December of 2023, I was so happy, unfortunately, it was at the same time I was going to see the Muppet Christmas Carol concert, luckily my dad found out about it and was able to book tickets for the later concert and he got me a ticket for the sing along, which I am very grateful for. Once I came in, I along with the others attending, got a prop bag, and before the movie began the host helped us practice the songs and gave us different cues, the prop bag included a ticket to the Barnum Museum which we had to hold out and say, “Sold out!” when the show was sold out, an invitation to see the queen which we had to hold out when Phillip told the crew, hand clappers for after every song, a party popper to pop when Phillip and Anne kissed, a glowstick shaped like a candle to wave during a Million Dreams and we had to hold it to our hearts when Barnum makes the wishing machine and the girls make their wishes, we were also given white coasters which we had to rip and turn into snow to throw at the scene when Barnum shows up to his daughter’s ballet recital on an elephant! That’s not all, we also were given cues, we had to cheer when Hugh Jackman shows up, do a wolf whistle when we see Zac Efron as Phillip Carlyle, boo when we see Charity’s snobby father, hiss as Mr. Bennett the critic, howl when Dog Boy shows up, shout, “Daddy!” when the girls run to their father and especially sound distressed when Barnum runs into the burning building, and whenever Jenny Lind gets flirty with Barnum we had to shout, “Never! Never!” It was so fun, when Hugh shows up as Barnum everyone cheered and some folks including me shouted, “I love you, Hugh!” when Phillip showed up, we did the wolf whistle and someone behind me shouted, “Troy!” and I went “Link!” (I hope to see a Hairspray sing along someday), I also remember when Charity’s dad still called Barnum a nobody after Jenny Lind’s performance, we not only booed but a kid behind me said, “Screw you!” goes to show that kids are much smarter than we think, they have values. Plus, I don’t want to pat myself on the back but when they had Charity telling Barnum he doesn’t need everyone to love him, I used the clapper and some others joined in, because that is a very important saying especially today in the age of social media. I had hope for this for a long time, I just had to wait a few years, but it was worth it, to not only see my favourite musical movie as a sing along but also to hear other people enjoy it too, I even got to briefly talk to the girl next to me, even let my Barnum Funko Pop give her a kiss and let my plushes I brought along wave to her, I think it would’ve been a bit better if Hugh was hosting the sing along but I don’t care it was a fun day I will never forget!!

Props from the interactive screenings

 

Weirdness

Another thing I like to do whenever I go to the movies is sometimes dress up in a way that can connect to the movie, I find that when you do that you can embrace your weirdness especially if you like going to the movies. I’ve been doing that a lot of times whenever I went to the movies, even before that I could. When I saw Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3, I dressed in all black so I could be a ninja, I especially remember doing it when I saw the second movie, the day we saw it happened to be on Angelina Jolie’s birthday, I found out just as we went to the cinema, had I known before, I would’ve replaced my black shirt with a red top or maybe dressed pretty, but I think maybe the ninja outfit was perfect, I could be a badass girl like Tigress for the day, knowing it was Angie’s birthday made it all the more better. Nowadays I still do these things, I dressed like a princess whenever I went to any movies with royalty whether it was the Lion King or Shrek, I would wear my mom’s pink Disney shirt when I went to see Turning Red on Mother’s Day, the second time I saw Turning Red on Chinese New Year, I wore a panda shirt and a red skirt, or when I saw Mary Poppins, I wore my Disney hat for the latter, I wore my mom’s other Disney shirt that had Mickey holding different mouse shaped balloons of different parts of the world, no doubt an Epcot shirt, when I saw Ratatouille and Luca, since the shirt has a French and Italian flag, I wore my Monsters University Sweater when I went to see The Emperor’s New Groove (since John Goodman was in that one) and Soul (since it’s directed by Pete Docter), I wore my Jessie costume and wore a mask when I saw The Incredibles, dressing like a cowgirl when I saw Toy Story 1 and 4, wearing my Coraline costume when I attended the screening at the Fox Theatre, I wore a blue shirt over my orange dress when I saw Finding Dory, I dressed in rocker like clothes when I saw School Of Rock, and when I saw Finding Nemo last year, I wore my blue dress and a yellow sweater so I could look like Dory. All in all it can be fun to do these things at the movies, it can make going to the movies so much fun and good people will admire that.

Howdy partners! Cowgirl me seeing Toy Story 4!

I want to shout out one of my heroes, Jack Black who likes to do these things whenever he’s promoting a movie, like the panda like outfit he wore when promoting recent Kung Fu Panda projects or the Bowser jacket he wore at the premiere of the Mario movie, or the costume he wore at the Kelly Clarkson show, or even his Bowser outfit whenever he sang the Peaches song, this guy is willing to embrace his weirdness and I gotta love him for that. He's such a big kid at heart, and that makes him so happy in life, and it also helps him be a great family man, from what I've heard, it's helped him be a great dad to his sons. We need more people like him, if we all embrace those aspects we can make our world a much more comfortable place to be in. Jack, I don’t know if you’re reading this but continue to be awesome and make the world a better place!

 

All of these things are why going to the movies is a great thing, even in today’s digital age, it still is a great place to go to, from just getting out of the house, the snacks, the arcade, being around others who are love the movie too and if you’re lucky, a sing along or interactive to make it more exciting. If there are any new movies coming out that you’re interested in, or if you get a chance to see a movie you love in cinemas, go for it, you will have a wonderful experience!

What do you like the best about going to the movies? What was your favourite movie to see in cinemas? What was the best time you had? Feel free to answer.