Another year begins, and with it another round of Temeku
Cinema’s Flashback showings. The manager
selected an excellent way to begin with the first half of Quentin Tarantino’s
martial arts epic, Kill Bill Volume 1. While it wasn’t the first of Tarantino’s
older films I managed to see on the big screen---that honor goes to my favorite
QT film, Pulp Fiction—the number two
spot is fitting considering this was the film that introduced me to
Tarantino.
I
caught the Saturday showing. I
originally planned on seeing it Friday after work, but opted out after careful
deliberation (I’m still dealing with the last effects of a cold). I showed up over an hour prior to show time,
as arriving late is a pet peeve of mine—it gives me high anxiety—and I didn’t
want the show to sell out. This second
worry was misplaced, as this was the smallest audience I’ve seen since I’ve
attended Temeku’s showings. Maybe it’s
another symptom of January. The ticket
was free, as I used one of the two I won during trivia back in October when I
saw Halloween.
Like always, Trvia was
fun. Most of the questions were obvious
to film buffs—release date, assassin code names, etc.—but it helped set the
mood. I did attempt to answer the last
question and raised my hand before the manager finished speaking, but sitting
in the back row played against me. I
didn’t notice if I raised my hand before the person who was called on, but if
seated closer I probably would have been noticed better (for those wondering,
the question was what film was Tarantino filming when the inspiration for Kill Bill struck).
While I
agree with one of my contemporary’s assertion that a great film you can watch
and enjoy anywhere, there is something about watching a film you enjoy on the
big screen that home viewing cannot replicate.
It allows one to further appreciate the technical aspects. Like Pulp
Fiction before it, this viewing did just that. Giddiness welled up inside me as the film
played. From the anime depiction of
O-Ren’s origin to Hanzo’s argument with his assistant—which drew forth the most
noticeable rise from my fellow movie goers—I savored each moment as they rolled
out onto the screen. I admired the cinematography,
choreography and practical effects work of the end battle already, but seeing
it unfold on a larger screen amplified said enjoyment. It was also exciting to hear the score emanating
from a louder source.
If this
viewing had any negative, it was my fellow movie goers. Like I mentioned before, the crowd was small
compared to past viewings. While not necessarily
bad, they hardly gave an audible reaction.
At times, I felt like I was the only one laughing at Tarantino’s
one-liners. Maybe it was because I sat
in the last row, or those in attendance were too spread out for noise to carry
well. Either way, it did negatively
impact the experience, even if only slightly.
Despite
this one negative, I toughly enjoyed myself and clicked another film off the
Theater Experience list. Hopefully next
January Temeku shows Volume 2, as it’d be a shame to watch one half but not the
other. If not, I’ll have to wait for New
Beverly to show The Whole Bloody Affair
again. As for Temeku, February’s film is
John Carpenter’s The Thing. I’ve missed several past showings over scheduling
conflicts, but this is one I won’t be passing up.
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