Not Going To The Cinema...

The last time we went to the cinema was when' Michael Collins' was released...it was showing at the Odeon in Sligo. We couldn't get in to see the film because by the time we reached the ticket office the cinema was full...

That was years ago.

A newly acquired acquaintance invited us to his cottage because he had the DVD...we walked in to be greeted by a pentagram painted on the wooden floor and a rather iffy altar draped in black cloth and adorned with sheep skulls and black candles...I suddenly realised that I had a migraine coming on...having never suffered from them either before or since...and we made our way hastily out to the car, while our new friend was exhorting us to stay because he had a 'herbal remedy' which would cure me...

We did see 'Michael Collins' eventually when I bought the DVD from a stall at the cat boot sale.

When I was a teenager, it was practically the rule to go to the cinema on a Saturday night...there were two in the town...one was the flea-pit. It had rows of double seats right at the back and a girl who came round in the interval with ice lollies and little tubs of ice-cream to be eaten with a wooden spoon. It only showed one film...the rest of the programme was the Pathe news, which made all the lads drum their feet on the floor and throw their ice-cream cartons at the screen.

The other cinema was slightly more up-market but across the town from the 'bus stop, which meant we had to run to catch the 'bus as soon as the Queen appeared on the screen. It cost 2/6 to see a film there, so if a boyfriend said he'd meet you outside it meant he'd pay...if he told you which row he'd be sitting in, it meant you were expected to pay for yourself.

There were two films...one the main attraction and the other was a 'short'...you could buy popcorn and chocolate bars as well as ice-lollies and ice-cream. My friend adored Elvis, so we used to go and watch his latest film there.

Once I'd left school and was working in Birmingham the world of films really opened up...there were highbrow Art House cinemas and those which only showed foreign language films...others played non-stop cartoons and there were a couple which specialised in showing films banned by the censor...I saw A Clockwork Orange in one and a truly horrific film in French about a hitch-hiker...can't remember what that was called now. And The Last Tango in Paris...that was slightly eye watering actually...saw that with the hairdresser who'd only that afternoon cut my very long hair off...he was holding my hand throughout...his hand getting more damp by the minute.

One of my favourite films of all has to be Ryan's Daughter...the totally stunning photography...simply gorgeous. A field of Marsh Marigolds...Bluebells in the woods...the bright scarlet petticoat hanging on a washing line...

And I did like the stories which abounded later on of Robert Mitchum smoking pot on the street in Dingle and Sarah Miles having a hissy fit because the man who played the British soldier didn't fancy her.

Some films educate...some you might wish you could un-see... others are frightening...but there are those which you can simply wallow in for a couple of hours, whether you enjoy an all action with a super hero or a gentle love story...

Much like books actually.

[starveycat]

Also in our day you got dressed up to go to the cinema, and if you were very lucky your boyfriend bought a small box of cadbury milk tray, which they proceeded to scoff

[Azure_Sky]

I think I saw the French hitch hiker film. The policeman was the murderer.

Michael Collins was a great film. As was Ryan's daughter. I've never seen Last Tango in Paris, and only bits of Clockwork Orange.

When I was at college 1980-83, part of the course was media studies. We were made to watch films like Deliverance, Deer Hunter, Halloween and Apocalypse Now. The most frightening of all was Assault on Precinct 13. To this day, I always check the back seat before getting into a car.

[scorpiolass]

I love Ryan's daughter; eveything about it . Brilliant, I have a DVD and watch it every 3-5 years. We also have the wind that shakes the barly; sometimes grim but so was history. x

[whit]

last time i went was to watch the original psycho: when was that early 60`s? i think

Anthony Perkins and Janet Liegh

[Nikkers]

Aah, memories! When I was a teenager we went 2 or 3 times every week - but we were lucky to have 5 cinemas where I lived. As kids we had "Saturday morning" pictures, which were great. It cost 6d to sit in the stalls, but everyone used to say I was "posh" because I always went in the circle and that cost 9d! The reason I sat "upstairs" was because I liked to watch and hear the film and all the noisy b******

sat in the stalls, and most times only went to mess around or pick fights with kids from another part of town.

[bayleyray-uk]

When I saw ET, cried my eyes out at the end and still do no matter how many times I watch it on sky.

Trouble is I have a very vivid imagination and tend to get pictures in my head of the bits you can't see - the Ipcres file was a nightmare when they tried to brain wash Michael Caine - I passed out and hubby had to carry me out of the cinema and an ambulance was called. It happened again when we went to see the Hannibal Lecture film, John called a halt after that, no more going to the cinema.

Sue