Was eating dinner with a friend last night and he just suddenly casually remarked to me: “Are you a cinephile?” (someone who watches a lot of movies)
Me: “Hmmm… I don’t really consider myself one.”
Friend: “How many movies have you watched in the last month?”
Me: “In the last two weeks I’ve already watched five movies in the cinema.”
Friend: “Ok you’re a cinephile.”
*laughter*
Again, I don’t really classify myself as one because there are LOTS of movies, especially classic titles from the past, that I haven’t watched. Always wanted to watch Casablanca but I haven’t. I’ve never even watched Citizen Kane, hailed as one of the greatest movies of all time. Back when The Last of Us was released, the videogaming press were calling it “The Citizen Kane of videogames”, a bombastic, nonsensical description that I have been lambasting ever since. But that’s an argument for another day.
I’m just someone who loves to be entertained. It can be from any form of media or recreation: videogames, music, movies, books, sports, board games and card games, etc. All of them have their own advantages over each other: Games are an interactive escapism that allows the player to have some influence and input into the outcome of the story; Books are linear but can stoke the viewer’s imagination with far greater depth than any moving picture; TV and movies are all about enjoying a performance — watching how several actors come together to bring a director and writer’s story to life.
It’s just a happy coincidence that soooooo many good movies are coming out one after another. Also, I live very near a shopping mall, Serangoon Nex, that has a decent cinema. It’s very convenient for me to walk out of my house to the theatre, buy a ticket for whatever timing I want (usually in the late morning or early afternoons where I can avoid big crowds), and just spend 2-3 hours watching a movie whenever I feel like it.
Just remember to keep your mouth shut and turn off your phones. Don’t be that dumbass patron sitting next to me and ruining my experience with your distractions.