Picturegoers

[GoogaMooga]

***PICTUREGOERS***

I used to love going to the cinema. It was a rare treat when I was a child, but from my teen-age years in Tokyo, right up to a few years ago, I was a firm believer in the big screen experience. I was one of those movie geeks who would stay until the last screen credit had rolled past. In fact, often I was the last person to leave the theater. I know, stupid, but that's how I felt. I was, as the British would say, a "picturegoer".

From the second run theaters in Tokyo to the repertory houses in London, I was there. I had some wonderful times at the National Film Theatre at the South Bank, I would catch the Saturday all-nighters at the Scala in King's Cross (quintuple bills !), and back in Copenhagen, the Cinematheque became my second home. I was there several times a week.

All that came to an abrupt halt a few years ago, when I had invested in a return ticket to Copenhagen and the admission ticket to see "Spectre" at the prestigious Imperial, the largest cinema in Scandinavia. I ended up falling asleep during the opening titles, and slept right the way through the film, pissing off the guy who sat next to me because of my snoring.

Then I knew it was time to stop. I had wasted half a day and found myself twenty-thirty pounds out of pocket. It just became too expensive, and I realized I could get the DVD for far less and enjoy the film in the comfort of my own home.

This was when physical product was released in the correct aspect ratio, and the flat screen TV's became the norm. Suddenly the picturegoing experience had lost its allure. There simply was no point in continuing. It was far too expensive and time-consuming with the train ride and all.

So I don't see myself ever going to the cinema again. Those days are over. I had some wonderful times at the cinema, but now I care more about convenience and comfort. However, there is one thing which could lure me back to the cinema. Should any of my three films make it to the big screen (as one of them actually did), I would surely splash out on a cab ride to Copenhagen and back.

I shot all three films on 16mm, because that was all I knew. They were meant to be seen on the big screen, but in reality, I was lucky to get TV screenings of all three. I never made a dime's profit from my films, but it was a good experience for me. It shaped my character and led to better things, so in the end it all made sense.