A night at the flicks!

We went to see Daniel Radcliffe in the film version of ‘the Woman in Black’ the other night. Made by a newly launched Hammer Studios, it’s a good old fashioned ghost story which literally does make you jump out of your seats. The bloke behind me was crapping himself – hopefully not literally – at some of the better fright moments. And Daniel was very good too, although there is the slight feeling that every time the poor lad opens his mouth, all you hear is Harry Potter!

This weekend, we hope to get to see the wonderful Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Celia Imrie, Penelope Wilton, Tom Wilkinson, Ronald Pickup and others in the much vaunted Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. What an array of acting talent – how could it be bad?

We really enjoy going to the pictures and when we both worked in Crawley a Friday evening used to be a quick meal in the local Wetherspoons on a cheap deal straight from work, and then a trip to the multiplex down the road using our season tickets to see whatever was new out that week. We paid a tenner a month for them and could go in as many times as we liked – a real bargain.

When I was a kid, the local cinema here was a proper treat. They didn’t sell sweets there in those days because the owners believed sweets rotted your teeth, but would sell you an apple or a tangerine at the box office when you bought your tickets. There were no fizzy drinks, no popcorn, but unbelievably in those unenlightened times adults were allowed to smoke inside so you watched the film through a haze of cigarette smoke and came out with a strong dose of passive smoking.

The cinema is now, of course, much more expensive. Locally it’s between £8 and £9.50 a ticket, depending where you sit, sweets cost the earth and don’t even think about getting a glass of wine there unless you want to take out a second mortgage. As a consequence, we smuggle in miniature wines from the supermarket which we drink with a straw and our own Maltesers purchased from the 7/11 Co-op store over the road. You’re not really allowed to do that, but it would be a brave usher who asked to search my bag! And if you charge such extortionate amounts for items which we all know cost them pence, because they buy in such huge volumes, what do you expect?

I’m pleased to say that my youngest daughter has inherited  my love of the movies and is a regular attendee, although prefers to go to the large multi screen cinema in Crawley and then goes to Nando’s afterwards (she must be made of money!). The both of us look at the future listings and plan our viewings – this year the new James Bond (Skyfall) is out in the autumn, another Batman and for her, another episode in the Twilight saga (doesn’t do it for me, all those brooding looks and shaggy eyebrows are a real turnoff).

Of course you can’t beat live theatre, but big screen entertainment, when done well, comes close. I’m very much looking forward to another year of good viewing; better start saving up now!