What does the term 70 mm conjure up for you? Popcorn-laced evenings, spent in the cool comfort of a movie theatre with the flick of your choice keeping you company? Well, to me it meant pretty much the same thing, until a few years back, until the multiplex mania hit mera Bharat mahan’s movie market, that is.
Though high-heeled movie buffs will snigger in scorn, yet to a person used to buying a “hall ticket” at a measly sum of seven rupees not so long ago, the multiplex glitter indeed comes with a price. A baby’s day out at a nearby multiplex now costs no less than three hundred rupees with movie, popcorn and the works.
Now I confess: I am one who needs my regular dose of framed masala. Either I scour for it in free screenings at film fests or I queue up at wallet-denting shows in the “mall”-igned venues. But then, life need not necessarily operate in extremes. Middle path was always the preferred way of the middle kingdom. So I too found my way out. Yes I’d buy a dvd player, is what I decided!
But then another irritant raised its ugly head. “Dvds also come with a price. Didn’t you know that?” winked this petulant upstart of a question and managed to leave a football-sized crater in my ego. I took the challenge like a true “knight” and googled vigorously for the next couple of minutes. My search results showed “seventy mm”.
For those who tuned in late, seventy mm is an online video rental service that has operations in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Chandigarh and Hyderabad. It has a fairly good collection of Hollywood and regional movies and is in the process of building its “international” collection as well. Two kinds of memberships are available: limited (just 4 movies a month) and unlimited. Let me assure you, if you are one who needs a regular cine fix, seventy mm will seem godsent to you.
I was never a social person. Bangalore has made me an unsocial beyond redemption. Thanks to seventy mm, I am living my (dis)reputation to the hilt!
6 comments:
Finaly, some one who understands the Mall-igned world we live in. Whatever happened to queing up in line and getting tickets! Hyderabad tops the problem list with only 4-5 multiplexes showing english and hindi movies..so the choice is already lmt. And then people who have no appreciation for the art of movie-watching buy all the tickets online way on advance. That why we have bough a 29inch tv and local hometheatre system and a dvd player...entire cost 15,000....pop corn cost extra...entertainment value PRICELESS!
But I still miss big screen...imagine watching Zurassic park in small screen.....chipkali aya heh heh
Friends friends I have recently discovered bit torrent a movie collection server from where some other resourceful friends (as in people with a broad band connection) are downloading the films for me and burning it on a DVD and mailing me across the country. As a result of which I have seen scores of films new as well as old ones, in the recent past. And have completely stopped patronising theatre viewing primarily the reason being high cost and secondly where is the material which makes you sit up and say "WOW! What a great film."
meeaaaoow i know home theatre is probably settling in for much less, but i guess tht's the optimal solution... btw i can imagine wht it'd be like surround sound et al...
illusions ... can i plzzz borrow some such illustrious friends of yours for a while? (with their resources of course!)
ha ha surely I can pay it forward the only hitch is that these can be watched only on the comp.As single DVDs are still very dear, but shall see what best I can do.
illusions ... u r a sweetheart ... as always!!!
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