Ex-Megamallrat
We hauled ourselves to Megamall to watch Tulad Ng Dati, only to find that it was no longer showing at the digital cinema. All the theatres were showing Spider-Man 3 (remember to hyphenate). I understand that it’s the most-awaited movie of the year, and I myself intend to watch it, but does every single cinema in the city have to show Spider-Man 3? What happened to giving the audience a choice?
While we tried to digest the fact that we would not be seeing Tulad Ng Dati after all, we got another text message reminding us that Tulad Ng Dati was showing at all SM digital cinemas! Support Filipino cinema! How are we supposed to do that when the movie isn’t even showing?
I used to go to Megamall a lot. I practically lived there between 1993 and 1997. The first time I went there, when it was newly-built, I thought, Wow this place is huge how can they ever fill it up? During my Megamall years I shopped, ate, watched movies, and did all my chores there. My friend Henry used to have this astrology booth in the basement, and we would hang out there when we had nothing to do, which was most of the time. (Ever see that awful Kevin Smith movie Mallrats?) It was the grunge era so we wore a lot of black, layers, and Doc Martens. (And yet I thought I was immune to fashion.)
One day Ruthie and I were leaving the cinema when we heard two guys bickering at the snack bar. (This was before SM took over all the snack bars at the theatres.) They were having a hilarious debate over the merits of the Wachowski Brothers’ Bound. That’s how I met the filmmakers Patrick (who was Ruthie’s cousin) and Noel (who was Patrick’s cousin, but not Ruthie’s). Patrick had David Lynch hair and glasses, and Noel had a metal plate in his head from when he was run over by a truck. Noel could recite entire movies, including Spartacus and Planet of the Apes. Inevitably we would run into the Alamat Twins, Budjette and Brandie, who produced comic books.
Henry closed shop years ago. Ruthie died in 2002. I have no idea where Patrick and Noel are. Budjette and Brandie, who are not actually twins, work in ad agencies. I hardly ever go to Megamall anymore.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
May 1st, 2007 at 21:16
hi jessica. same here. i went to megamall for Tulad Ng Dati only to find out they’re showing nothing but Spiderman (almost). i thought today’s the last day of showing.
May 2nd, 2007 at 07:09
Before I got married, the six friends with whom I shared an affordable two storey condominium unit (of which only one storey was hospitable) with only one toilet (that wasn’t home to wasps) used to walk to Megamall all the time during the summer, because it was only two cigarettes away and we were too cheap to spring for airconditioning. (I know, we sound like clichéd refugees from some barely readable collection of short stories chronicling the travails of the poor saps who get to live out an “urban lifestyle”, but we really do exist!) Our Megamall itinerary always began with the golden triangle (Filbar’s, Comic Quest, Booksale) in the basement, then up to uh, the other golden triangle (National Bookstore, Goodwill, Powerbooks), then finally up to the movie floor so we can check out the screening times so we can make it in early enough to catch all the trailers.
Your post made me realize three things:
1. I should have called the second golden triangle the isosceles triangle, but I still hesitate to do so because geometry was never my best math subject and I’m too lazy to google it.
2. I practically posted my birthdate on this post, because younger moviegoers would simply watch movie trailers online, and would never deliberately come early unless they’re on a date.
3. I miss the old Megamall.
Thanks for the memories! :-)
May 2nd, 2007 at 08:40
Bigla ko tuloy naalala ang Twisted radio show every Sunday at K-lite, freshman ako nun..sayang wala na kaines!! I used to send messages pa to the k-lite beeper to ask astrology questions to Henry..Naalala ko din yung theory ni Henry about eating chicken and large breasts..at sumakit ang panga ko tuwing guests sina Ige, Danton at ang Nestle twins..
May 2nd, 2007 at 13:05
megamall was a mystery to me back in the day…it was too big…but when i got to work in ortigas, it was just a way to get to the MRT…
…i remember henry and the other guy, the psychic guy other than henry..he said that we had pink paint in our house (which was for real back then) and that he saw my lola (in spirit)…those were the days…i go to festival mall now after work..but i miss being in makati…glorietta..
May 2nd, 2007 at 23:53
Panget ang spider-man 3. I liked the action scenes so I endured the non-action parts to watch them again. During the 2nd run before the chubby checker song was put on by Harry (he got what he deserved later for this!), two male viewers (came in before the 2nd screening started) sitting beside me were already snoring loudly. All the characters were annoying the 2nd time around, close to torture I think. James Franco’s left eyebrow is not worthy of Bella Flores, not even Gladys Reyes and I thought I saw Peter Parker’s track of tears dried up too quickly when he and Aunt May were at the police station. Or maybe I was just sleepy…
Sana ibalik nila na nila ang ibang palabas…
May 3rd, 2007 at 15:01
betson, wait ka lang until after the weekend. magnunumbalikdiwa ang mga ayaw sa gagamba.