Movies

The genre of movies during my childhood days were typically stereotypical.

The English moves on TV or the big screen would feature lots of cowboys, police stories, war or some animals. Think Lassie (a collie of a dog), Black Beauty (stallion), Rin Tin Tin (Alsatian), Bonanza/Rifleman/For A Few Dollars More/The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, The Lone Ranger, Hawaii 5-0 (Steve McGarett saying Book him Daniel), Magnum PI, Streets of San Francisco, etc. And do you remember Combat starring Vic Morrow?

Chinese movies ranged from the sad and tragic love stories, ghost stories, lots kung fu sword fighting stories where revenge is the main theme. The love stories of my parents' generation were mostly truly and extremely tragic. The lady would be bullied by the mum-in-law, suffered much for the hubby, molested by some neighbour and yet accused of being unfaithful, frowned upon by everyone yet she would find strength to earn some money to help her hubby pay off some debt and ended up stricken sick with a deadly disease and the ungrateful hubby who is now successful would abuse her by throwing stacks of cash at her.

As if not enough, there would be thunder and heavy rain to pour more misery.

Perhaps this was a common feature of life in that time with lots of recurring theme due to hardship of life in those days. While sobbing to the core when engaged during the movie, most people may find a sense of identity in their own life but feeling a wee bit better because the other fellow in the movie was usually much worse off. This may have given them strength to press on.

The more modern love stories after that usually starred the usual suspects - Chin Hsiang Lin, Chin Han, Lin Ching Hsia and Lin Fong Chiao. Hey, we have moved on as the problems were different. The sword fighting communities of old makes me feel like going back in time to their era where people don't have to work, travel on horse back (no ERP) and can park anywhere they want and this includes the cowboys who just left the horses outside the inns or salons. 


You'll be eating and drinking quite a bit but life can be short, real short as there would be plenty of gun or swrod fights erupting suddenly and where survival depended on how skilled you are a gun fighter or swordsman. From here, we progressed to dropping the swords in favour of fist fights till we found the ultimate fighting machine in Bruce Lee.

We also have the funny guys to thank especially the Hui brothers with their version of comedy that the man in the street could identify.

Last but not least, we have ghost stories.

Yes some English horror movies can frighten you a bit but I always thought the the Chinese or just say the Asian ghost stories are a wee bit more frigtening somehow.

Don't just believe me. First look at Dracula and compare him to the Chinese Vampire. Even the costume of the Chinese ones looks more scary and that includes the coffins too or the sound the make if we compare apple with apple. This is perhaps the reason why you would find many Asian horror movies being remade for Western audiences. The Japanese, Thai and Koreans are quite good at it too. Some day I would like to compile mine too and maybe it could be released as movies. Dream on.

Today, when you look at the movie world, it has been totally transformed. Even cinemas are different. Large painted giant posters used to front the cinemas of yesteryears and tickets made from thin paper were issued from a booklet with your seat numbers scribbled so badly that only a doctor issuing MCs could decipher since they have the same handwriting. It defies logic that in those days they actually allowed smoking in the theatres and people bring their own "kueh chee". Smarter cinema goers knew better than to touch the curtains fronting the washrooms as the stench of cigarette smoke soaked in it would require you to be washed with dettol to get rid of.

The variety, the budget, the special effects and computer generated tricks are all simply awesome. You don't have to travel all the way to Orchard or Lido just to catch some movies, you can book on line or you may simply wish to wait for the VCD or DVD release and play them at home or from your PC or laptop.

We have a rating and classification sytem in place for PG, NC16, M18, R(A), etc.

I think in the old days, we only get to watch movies up to the level of NC16, hee hee and that includes adults. Those who wish to catch some other movies banned here would have to travel to JB to get a glimpse. I remembered watching the same movie but in two different versions with the other being a local one and realised what a big difference it made in the angle and meaning of the movie. A case in point would be to look at two recent movies such Apocalypto and 300, remove the nudity and violence and they would not seem as realistic or poignant. 


When you can't get to feel the pain or agony, you can't get the full story. Incidentally, both movies I have mentioned above - Apocalypto (director Mel Gibson has come of age), 300 (Gerard Butler was solid) are must watch ratings.

So do Eastern Promises (Viggo Mortensen was awesome) and No Country for Old Men (by Coen brothers). Clint Eastwood showed his genius in directing "Flags of Our Father" and "Letters From Iwo Jima".

Well, they make movies faster than you could watch them mate.

Be of good cheer.