A mainstream film in a rundown cinema.
(Photo grabbed from http://manila-hop.blogspot.com/2012/02/one-day.html)
A Chinoy friend of mine shared that he earned his first gay experience while he was a 17-year old high school senior in a movie theatre in Quiapo, in the early 2000s. A film enthusiast, he discovered that there were at least three old movie theatres along there as he regularly buys dibidi across Quiapo Church, near the Muslim area.
One boring half-class, no-uniform day, he decided to buy new movies before going home in Quezon City from his school in Binondo. As if magneted, his eyes got glued in a painted Sylvester Stallon movie poster, advertising its run in one of the run-down cinemas along Quezon Boulevard. He got a ticket and got in without interrogation.
“Wasn’t the place seedy?”
“Not that I cared.”
It was not long after settling in a seat in the Orchestra that a man approached and sat beside him. A tall, fit, dad-type, wearing a Lacoste shirt and crisp denim pants. The man gave a reassuring tap on his right thigh and a caress in his back. He felt relaxed with the gesture, something he hasn’t experienced before as a child of very busy, business-like, often-detached Chinoy parents. Very few words were exchanged between the man and him, with the man instructing him “relax ka lang.”
“Teka, alam ba n’yang estudyante ka?” (Did he know you were a student?)
“Sinabi ko 19 ako.” (I told him I was 19)
“Sinungaling ka at malandi.” (A liar and a whore!)
The man gently unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned his pants, unzipped his fly, pulled up his shirt, and pulled down his pants and underwear. With his young chest and dick exposed while sitting in the dimly lit theatre, the man flickered his tongue against his tiny nipples and gently jacked his dick…somehow expertly as he was bursting within seconds.
Just as he was recovering from exhilaration, the man wiped his hands with a hanky, stood up, and left.
+++
Having attempted to complete a post-graduate degree in Philippine Studies, I made it a point to immense myself on the historical and scholarly aspects of Philippine Art, particularly in film studies and architecture. One interesting but somehow overlooked topic in studying the connection between the two is the shift of distribution of movies from its early stand-alone structures to the now modern multiplexes.
With the Philippines’ long and rich history of entertainment, Manilenos in particular has had its share of majestic stand-alone theatres, some of them have proudly withstood time – and its patrons. These have served as recreational spots for the landed, the culturati, the working man, and the masa. Some structures were even designed by budding National Artists.
Other bloggers/websites have nicely-written articles and photographs about these stand-alone theatres. Take a glimpse of them here:
Senor Enrique’s “Quiapo and the Golden Age of Filipino Movies”
The Urban Roamer on Cubao’s Old Theatres
The Urban Roamer on Manila’s Old Theatres.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Video 48 on Manila Theatres in the 50s
Video 48 on Manila Theatres in the 60s
Studying film and architecture are two of my favorite passions, so giving my insights about these stand-alone theatres is something that I have long planned writing in this blog. However, I may not be the best person to talk about their history in our society – with only a couple of subjects in university and post-grad, intermittent enthusiasm over the subject, and lack of an encompassing and interesting literature about them – but I can sure claim that I am an enthusiast living in the remnants of its colorful past.
+++
These old stand-alone movie theatres, however, cater to one more thing I love – raunchy explorations with men who love men.
Now here comes a confession: After my Chinoy friend’s confession, I had the curious urge to step inside one. It happened when I was 19, in 2003. And I never stepped back!
But I won’t say that I am an expert of this *wink wink* So far, I have only stepped inside three – Remar Theatre in Cubao, Ginto Theatre in Quiapo (this has since been torn down), Dilson in Sta. Cruz, and Alta Cinema, also in Cubao.
+++
Most surviving stand-alone theatres usually show second-run R-18 local mainstream films from the 1990s to early 2000s; some show new international releases; but most recently, independent film producers have seen these movie theatres as a venue to run their recently-released, usually gay-themed films. These theatres usually screen two films, which run for a week. Also, most of these theatres have shifted from film to digital projectors (no longer grainy, but usually dim). The sound quality is very lamentable (don’t expect surround sound, ok?).
By my own estimate, such theatres are visited by at least 200 people on a sleepy weekday (which can go to as high as 500 during weekends definitely), despite of their decay, disrepair and below-par facilities (no air-conditioning, unupholstered chairs, obvious filth on the floor).
And far from its old reputation from being family-friendly destinations, everyone knows that these places now provide entertainment beyond its silver screen. Some bloggers/websites have documented their own experiences visiting such:
GMA News Online’s History of Manila’s Grand Movie Theatres
Raunchy Adventure’s adventure in Alta Cinema
True Life Conversations’ horrifying experience in Alta Cinema
Babaeng Mamboboso’s stint as a “princess” in Alta Cinema
Dungisngis’ rather homophobic view on his visit in Alta Cinema
+++
In the next entry, let me tell you about my own story…
Ken Loves to Write... 