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An open thread in the Slacktiverse got me to thinking about movie firsts.
What was the first movie you remember seeing in the theater? I wanted to say Star Wars but I was nine and I'm sure I saw something before then. I'm not sure I remember the experience of it anymore (repeated viewings over the years have overwritten that part of my brain) but I do remember that before it I was bitching to my parents that we had to see it - I wanted to see Sinbad. Afterwards I remember thinking Star Wars was the best movie ever! While I don't think that anymore, I still think it was a pretty good movie. I never ended up seeing Sinbad.
So what did I see before that? Given I was a kid, it was probably a Disney movie (even though Disney movies largely sucked in the 70's). I looked back at the Disney releases and I think it might have been Escape to Witch Mountain. I can picture snippets of the movie and I can remember that I found it somewhat confusing (I was seven) and therefore didn't like it.
I also remember my mother taking me to a movie and a restaurant meal as a reward of sorts for being good at a doctor's appointment. Possibly the same doctor's appointment where I got prescribed Ritalin and was turned into a zombie for a few weeks. Was the movie Witch Mountain? Was my Ritalin prescription that early? I know the doctor's appointment was at the 8th & 8th medical center. I know that the lunch was at a restaurant that doesn't exist anymore (it's now the parking lot on the NE corner of 8th avenue and 5th street) which means we probably went to the Uptown (which I find kind of groovy - it's still my favorite Calgary theater - and it still exists).
Memory is a funny thing. Am I conflating multiple events into one? Every time you remember something, your brain modifies it a little - optimizes it really. Memories merge or are lost, you begin to remember the narrative more than the reality.
Anyway, other movie firsts:
The first movie to ever scare the crap out of me was Don't Be Afraid of the Dark it was playing in the afternoon one day when I was home from school sick.
The first movie I saw without parental supervision was probably one of the Marx Brothers movies. The Odeon Theater in Calgary (now the Marda Loop strip mall where Casablanca Video is) used to show comedy retrospectives when I was a kid and that's where I grew to love the Marx Brothers. Strangely Laurel & Hardy and Chaplin never did it for me. I suspect I've always been a fan of surrealistic verbal humour.
The Odeon was also the site of the first "restricted" movie (that is, requiring parental supervision) I ever went to. Grandma McGillis took me to see Blazing Saddles. Given that Blazing Saddles was released before Witch Mountain, I must have seen it during a re-release. I'm certain I was a tween when I saw it.
The first movie I ever skipped class for was The Wrath of Khan, which was playing when I was in junior high. This is noteworthy as also being the only movie I took a real risk in skipping class for - the next year I was in Bishop Carroll which was somewhat slack in taking attendance.
I also remember watching movies in a lot of old Calgary theaters:
I saw The Empire Strikes Back opening weekend in the old Palliser Theater (now the live Vertigo Theatre).
The Palace Theater (now Flames Central was where I saw numerous movies. I especially remember bringing three little girls I was babysitting for a weekend there to see Return of the Jedi.
The Grand Theater is now the home of Theatre Junction. I can't recall any specific movie I saw there, though I do remember that I thought the upper theatre was one of the nicest in town (for largely the same reason I like the upper theatre at the Uptown - it was a former balcony that was steeply set.
Calgary Place Theatres (now the Metropolitan Center) was where I saw Meteor. The things you had to suffer through being an SF fan in the late 70's/early 80's.
I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark about a million times one summer at the original Chinook theater. I think the last thing I saw there was Who Framed Roger Rabbit, just before they closed it for good.
I have fond memories of seeing Titanic at the Banker's Hall Cinema. I'm not sure what they ever did with that space when it closed, but I suspect the health club beside it took some of it over.
Esso Plaza was where I saw Porky's Revenge!. 'nuff said about that. It's now Fifth Avenue Place.
Westbrook Theatre (now the home of Jubilation's Dinner Theatre) was where I saw Jurassic Park. Dinosaurs! Whee!
I can't remember anything I saw at either Northland Cinema or Market Mall. I just wish they still existed as both malls are within walking distance of my house. Northland is especially missed because it was a second-run theater like Moviedome, but with less drive-by shootings.
I'm a little sad that some of these places have gone, but at the same time, they probably can't generate the profit they'd need to survive now.
What was the first movie you remember seeing in the theater? I wanted to say Star Wars but I was nine and I'm sure I saw something before then. I'm not sure I remember the experience of it anymore (repeated viewings over the years have overwritten that part of my brain) but I do remember that before it I was bitching to my parents that we had to see it - I wanted to see Sinbad. Afterwards I remember thinking Star Wars was the best movie ever! While I don't think that anymore, I still think it was a pretty good movie. I never ended up seeing Sinbad.
So what did I see before that? Given I was a kid, it was probably a Disney movie (even though Disney movies largely sucked in the 70's). I looked back at the Disney releases and I think it might have been Escape to Witch Mountain. I can picture snippets of the movie and I can remember that I found it somewhat confusing (I was seven) and therefore didn't like it.
I also remember my mother taking me to a movie and a restaurant meal as a reward of sorts for being good at a doctor's appointment. Possibly the same doctor's appointment where I got prescribed Ritalin and was turned into a zombie for a few weeks. Was the movie Witch Mountain? Was my Ritalin prescription that early? I know the doctor's appointment was at the 8th & 8th medical center. I know that the lunch was at a restaurant that doesn't exist anymore (it's now the parking lot on the NE corner of 8th avenue and 5th street) which means we probably went to the Uptown (which I find kind of groovy - it's still my favorite Calgary theater - and it still exists).
Memory is a funny thing. Am I conflating multiple events into one? Every time you remember something, your brain modifies it a little - optimizes it really. Memories merge or are lost, you begin to remember the narrative more than the reality.
Anyway, other movie firsts:
The first movie to ever scare the crap out of me was Don't Be Afraid of the Dark it was playing in the afternoon one day when I was home from school sick.
The first movie I saw without parental supervision was probably one of the Marx Brothers movies. The Odeon Theater in Calgary (now the Marda Loop strip mall where Casablanca Video is) used to show comedy retrospectives when I was a kid and that's where I grew to love the Marx Brothers. Strangely Laurel & Hardy and Chaplin never did it for me. I suspect I've always been a fan of surrealistic verbal humour.
The Odeon was also the site of the first "restricted" movie (that is, requiring parental supervision) I ever went to. Grandma McGillis took me to see Blazing Saddles. Given that Blazing Saddles was released before Witch Mountain, I must have seen it during a re-release. I'm certain I was a tween when I saw it.
The first movie I ever skipped class for was The Wrath of Khan, which was playing when I was in junior high. This is noteworthy as also being the only movie I took a real risk in skipping class for - the next year I was in Bishop Carroll which was somewhat slack in taking attendance.
I also remember watching movies in a lot of old Calgary theaters:
I saw The Empire Strikes Back opening weekend in the old Palliser Theater (now the live Vertigo Theatre).
The Palace Theater (now Flames Central was where I saw numerous movies. I especially remember bringing three little girls I was babysitting for a weekend there to see Return of the Jedi.
The Grand Theater is now the home of Theatre Junction. I can't recall any specific movie I saw there, though I do remember that I thought the upper theatre was one of the nicest in town (for largely the same reason I like the upper theatre at the Uptown - it was a former balcony that was steeply set.
Calgary Place Theatres (now the Metropolitan Center) was where I saw Meteor. The things you had to suffer through being an SF fan in the late 70's/early 80's.
I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark about a million times one summer at the original Chinook theater. I think the last thing I saw there was Who Framed Roger Rabbit, just before they closed it for good.
I have fond memories of seeing Titanic at the Banker's Hall Cinema. I'm not sure what they ever did with that space when it closed, but I suspect the health club beside it took some of it over.
Esso Plaza was where I saw Porky's Revenge!. 'nuff said about that. It's now Fifth Avenue Place.
Westbrook Theatre (now the home of Jubilation's Dinner Theatre) was where I saw Jurassic Park. Dinosaurs! Whee!
I can't remember anything I saw at either Northland Cinema or Market Mall. I just wish they still existed as both malls are within walking distance of my house. Northland is especially missed because it was a second-run theater like Moviedome, but with less drive-by shootings.
I'm a little sad that some of these places have gone, but at the same time, they probably can't generate the profit they'd need to survive now.
