Cinemas

It was ages ago since I watch a movie in a cinema ....... anyway it is impossible to do that now cause all the cinemas in Malacca is gone. Cineplex is now the big screen and I have not been to one yet mainly because I am not a movie kind of person. Most or almost all movies on the big screen nowadays will make its way to the television after awhile so no big deal ya!!

My first experience with the big screen was maybe more than forty years ago in Federal Cinema. At that time this was the newest cinema with air conditioning and the sound system ....... err no idea just too young to know the difference then but one thing for sure it was really loud. It was a family outing and the movie was my father's choice and being a big family we occupied almost the whole row!

The movie was a Mandarin movie entitled "The One-Armed Swordsman". I remembered there were lots of violent in this movie and the hero only had an arm. His weapon was a broken sword and literally singled handed he killed almost the whole army. Till today I still cannot understand why he cut himself across his own body almost severing it into two while annihilating the army. Crazy movie.

In those days air conditioning was really a big thing and it put you a class above the rest if you have it. Cinemas at that time were equipped with powerful industrial fans and even on a hot day it was not hot in the cinemas, a little warm maybe.

Sitting were divided into circle seats, first, second and third class. Circle seats were located on what we call the mezzanine floor today, the most expansive and comfortable place to watch the movie from. The first class was the furthest most from the screen on the ground floor, the second class is in between the first and third class closest to the screen. During our school days we were able to watch a movie at a fraction of the cost with some special signals to the usher...... hehe!!

Today these once magnificent buildings are left to rot with the exception of Kammah and Lido. Kammah had been turned into a social club while Lido into a supermarket. Rex, Central, Sun and Savoy demolished while Federal and Cathay is in a real sorry state. What is left of Capitol were just it's walls and Oriental is just a place for the ghost.