“Movie Nights at Home: The Perfect Weekend Activity”
Captain’s Log: Day #19 of my 30-Day Challenge to write a 500-word article every day for the next 30 days.
Watching movies have always been a favorite pastime in our household. When I was younger, every Saturday or Sunday or whenever there were no classes in school, we would always rent out a video and watch it along with the whole family.
My father loved movies a lot and he bought a Betamax player at the time. And since I was the one always tasked to go out and rent the movies, I’d always be the one with the membership card. When I got older and was earning a little bit, during the VCD era, we would rent out a movie and watch it every weekend.
It was always a treat because we got to enjoy our favorite movies in the comfort of our homes. And while we did not eat popcorn, every movie time was a delight. The neighbors would always hear us laughing out loud or screaming our lungs out at horror movies.
When my brothers had kids, we would watch DVD movies of Disney films and Dora The Explorer, or whatever cartoon character they were fond of at the time.
When I had the house to myself, I would often watch my favorite Filipino movies, mostly FPJ, Dolphy, or other comedy films. I still watch those movies from time to time even if I have already watched them several times.
Watching movies can be a great way to build your imagination and critical thinking. Sometimes, I try to guess why the character tried to do or act that way. Or why the plot was written that way.
It can also be a good resource material for story-telling. If you’re reading the tagline above, I actually got that from the movie “The Last Samurai” where Tom Cruise was writing in a diary about his daily experience while being trapped in a village by the Samurai. I just adopted it to the one used by Captain Kirk in StarTrek since I learned that he also did that at the start of every episode.
Nowadays, with Netflix, HBO, and other streaming sites, it’s much easier to watch your favorite films. No need to go out to the video store and return the tapes or CDs or DVDs after a few days. Although sometimes you also miss that feeling of going out and seeing what other people might be watching as well or what the crew at the counter has to recommend for a Saturday movie night.
While times may have changed, nothing will substitute hanging out with friends or family in front of the TV and watching a good movie. It’s also interesting that sometimes even if you’re all watching the same movie, each one of you still experiences it differently. They may have a different take on the subject of the movie or how the character behaved. I loved having those discussions with my brothers and friends.
So if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, maybe hanging out at home and catching your favorite feel-good movie may be an interesting activity to enjoy with your family or friends or even just by yourself. Maybe next time I might share some of my favorites too. For now, I’m heading over to the couch to prepare and watch Harry Potter. Have a great weekend!
