Movie viewing in Phily
Eden has challanged me to blog about my experience watching "The Firm" in Center City Philadelphia in 1993. This is the most bizzare movie viewing adventure I have ever had. And one of the scariest times of the four years living in Philadelphia as a med student.
It was a Friday night and my friends and I didn't want to keep studying or go to the bars too early. So we decided to go see the movie "The Firm". Now, in Center City Philadelphia, there are only so many theaters. The fancy theaters in the safer area showed artier movies. These theaters are near Independence Hall. Most of the popular films played in areas that were less safe. Of course, safe is a relative term living in any big city. So we went to a theater at 19th and Locust (which was demolished not long afterward; it was a dump).
There were four of us who went. R and S were Asian Americans. E and I were white guys. The rest of the audience were African American. No big deal. Except, several people were acting like gangsta's. And in all honesty, they probably were gang members. In fact, several auguments occured across the theater prior to the film starting and we all commented later how we all thought bullets were going to fly.
Anyway, the gang like persons would shout out comments as the movie ran. Some of these were like the play by play in a sporting event. During the chase scene toward the end of the film, the Tom Cruise character beats up the Wilford Brimley character using his foot and briefcase. But the play by play was given by an audience members as this: "Damm, he ( the TC Character) fucked him up with his bag and his boot!" Fortunately, no bullets flew in the theater that night. And, I have that comment always occuring in my mind when I watch that movie.
I have't had a more ominous movie experience since then.
It was a Friday night and my friends and I didn't want to keep studying or go to the bars too early. So we decided to go see the movie "The Firm". Now, in Center City Philadelphia, there are only so many theaters. The fancy theaters in the safer area showed artier movies. These theaters are near Independence Hall. Most of the popular films played in areas that were less safe. Of course, safe is a relative term living in any big city. So we went to a theater at 19th and Locust (which was demolished not long afterward; it was a dump).
There were four of us who went. R and S were Asian Americans. E and I were white guys. The rest of the audience were African American. No big deal. Except, several people were acting like gangsta's. And in all honesty, they probably were gang members. In fact, several auguments occured across the theater prior to the film starting and we all commented later how we all thought bullets were going to fly.
Anyway, the gang like persons would shout out comments as the movie ran. Some of these were like the play by play in a sporting event. During the chase scene toward the end of the film, the Tom Cruise character beats up the Wilford Brimley character using his foot and briefcase. But the play by play was given by an audience members as this: "Damm, he ( the TC Character) fucked him up with his bag and his boot!" Fortunately, no bullets flew in the theater that night. And, I have that comment always occuring in my mind when I watch that movie.
I have't had a more ominous movie experience since then.
posted by Hawk at 9:03 PM
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