The Ate Shawie Effect

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I finally treated myself to watching one of those classic Sharon Cuneta movies, particularly "Bukas Luluhod And Mga Tala". Must say, I can't seem to find any of the newer local flicks today which can compare with such a masterpiece. Of course, I'm not the best resource person for this opinion as I have steered clear of most of the local productions since the late 90's. I did watch "Mano Po", "Muro Ami" and even that Rizal flick, I'd take Ate Shawie anyday.

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Talking of movies, I'm almost ashamed to admit that I haven't patronized the silver screen since "Happy Feet". I've contented myself to watching films on the smaller screen, both on DVD and features on the limited number of movie channels that I have access to. I just can't get over the exorbitant prices that come with the big screen experience, specially not when the prices of DVD's have become dirt cheap thanks to video pirates, as well as online streaming and downloading divX files off the internet. Cinemas, I feel, are now reserved for those cheesy boyfriend/girlfriend dates that give both parties the opportunity to hold hands in almost complete darkness, with the option of loading up the bases of course.

Maybe it's because I belong to a generation of kids who remember fifteen peso movies, a time when even the market vendors would take time off and close early to catch their favorite actor or actress in their latest flicks. That was a time when Hollywood didn't necessarily dominate the theaters, and certainly weren't able to compete with FPJ, Ate Shawie, Nora Aunor nor Vilma. Heck, even Weng-weng raked in a respectable following. Video piracy then was limited to a few copies on Betamax, usually a full month or two after the movie had concluded its run in the theaters.

Hmm, but then there's the indie wave that's been popular as of late. Yes, it's still something that only the intellectual elite are able to appreciate, but at least it's a start. This being a departure from the tall tales that are popular at the box office, maybe the masses will soon learn to find themselves in these low-budget features? I don't think so. For starters, it's this realistic element of the indie genre that may prove to be it's greatest flaw. People go to movies to watch something out of the ordinary, either a reflection of their hopes and ideals or a reminder of the worst that is to come. If average Joe wanted a reality check, why go to a movie theater when he can just stay back home and humor himself with real life?

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Wow, I seem to be in a preachy mood, aren't I? Maybe I should stick with my original topic, which is my current disdain of movie theaters. Or maybe I should just stop altogether, save myself from the embarrassment of exposing myself as a fraud when it comes to movies and films. After all, how can you talk about something which you admit to have not patronized for the longest time?

Ah yes, better check myself, something I should have done several paragraphs ago...