Movies

This is the oldest movie that can remember. The movie theater is called King's Theater 亞洲戲院 in Ongpin St of Manila Chinatown. At that young age of six or seven, I was really bored. But I made through it. Many years later, I do not know what happened to my taste of movie or culture, I actually love it. Right now, I can still hum some of its tunes. I guess it is still recorded in the back of my brain.

Bruce Lee became my idol and hero after I watched this movie. Of course, I subsequently watched every movie he made. When I was growing up, I was skinny and shy. When I was bullied by some Filipinos, I would pray that I turn into Bruce Lee and give them a lesson. Learning martial art was out of the question. Aside from studying, my past time was reading, no sports, no martial arts. Interestingly, I attended four sessions of karate class at the age of 53. I had to stop due to my knee problem. 

Before Ang Lee's award winning movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", we had Jimmy Wong's "One Arm Bandit". From that movie on, I watched many other sword fight movies. The theme was always the same. Revenge! If you harm my family, I will track you till the end of the world and kill you. In Chinese, it is 報仇. 

Later on, when I was in high school, romance movies was the hit. There was always a new film and another old film showing in one of the four movie theaters in Chinatown. After dinner, we would watch two movies! 

Movies allowed me to escape from whatever challenge I am dealing with in life. That is one of the influence I got from my father. During college, on Friday nights, I would walk to the busy street of Avenida, take a jeepney to the corner of Recto St where there were four theaters to choose from. It was my exposure to the American culture. James Bond, Saturday Night Fever, Zorro, Poltergeist... 

 

Movies, up to these days, it is my favorite past time. There is a movie that will always remember, and that is Forest Gump. I remember that I was in Pontiac, Michigan. It was a long movie. When I walked out of the theater, I was lost. I remember saying: Where am I? It took me awhile to return to reality.

Thus I am child in the candy store every time I visit Universal Studios in Hollywood. My favorite part was the studio tour. Even though I have done it many times, there always something new each time I pass by. To help me understand movie making more, few years ago, I signed up to be a movie extra. Albuquerque, New Mexico has become a good place for movie makers due to the tax break that they receive. I became an extra in the movie "Spare Parts" starring George Lopez. It was a story about four high school kids from Phoenix, Arizona who joined a national underwater robot competition. The scene was supposed to be Santa Barbara, California. It was shot at West Mesa Swimming Center in town. I was one of the audience standing and cheering!