When Mike and I go to a performance of some kind, while waiting for curtain-up we often pass the time by guessing the average age of the audience, and updating it as more people arrive.
For instance, when we saw Someone Who'll Watch Over Me last week, we guessed the average age to be somewhere in the 40's (usual for a play in Malta), until a whole gang of young 'uns filed in and dragged the average down to, say, late 20's.
When we go to the cinema, it's generally 9pm on a Saturday night, and the average age is about the early 20's, and thankfully it's not that often that we are stuck with ill-behaved teenagers like the yobs who find it neccessary to comment loudly on all the scenes and snicker at the romantic moments. It is generally 20-something men who spend the first half trying to take photos of the screen using their mobile phones, and 20-something women who check their (really, really, bright, as in incandescent) mobile screens for new messages every ten minutes or so.
Yesterday we watched Memoirs of a Geisha at the cinema in Paceville, and it was a pleasant surprise to see that the average age of the audience was at least two decades greater than usual. Most people there were my parents' age, which is very unusual for the cinema. There were young people there too, but there were also two women just in front of us who were definitely old enough to be our grandmothers, and I thought that was very cool.
Actually those two made me laugh because at one point they brought out their snacks... bziezen!
Last night I realised that one thing about teenage cinema-goers which is actually a good thing is that they tend to slump down in their seats, which is great for someone sitting behind them who is slightly vertically-challenged, like me. Last night the 40-something guy in front of me sat ramrod-straight for the whole film, and I estimated that his head was obscuring about 10% of the screen. Large amounts of gel carefully applied had added another half-an-inch to his height, but looking at the screen through it provided a rather interesting effect.
The film itself was great, by the way. Besides an interesting story and good acting, the cinematography was also fantastic, which is something you don't get too much of these days.
You made me laugh when discussing the average age of cinema and theatre goers. It is a shame really that the theatre is usually frequented by the 'older' generation. I think the theatre is a brilliant way to keep young people away from drink and drugs. But that is my opinion. As for Memoires, you should read the book. It is brilliant. Much better then the film. I will lend it to you when we meet :))
Posted by: | February 06, 2006 at 08:58
SLIGHTLY vertically challneged?
Posted by: Cory | February 06, 2006 at 14:01
If enough efforts are made to make it appeal to the teenage generation...
Posted by: Kenneth | February 06, 2006 at 16:29
isma bella, u r making assumptions that "older" people would be interested in watching a movie about japanese high-society prostitutes -I may be of an older generation that you but my tastes havent changed for decades (call me stuck in my ways pervert...oh oh that hurt watch me cry....*pffffft*). And what a load of SH*YT about cinema keeping youth from drink and drugs...getta grip! I'm not youth and I went straight from the cinema to a bar and downed several rounds of jolly juice to enhance my orgazmic relish of such a beautiful movie...and promptly assaulted every bartender within a 5-mile radius with my sexually enhanced inuendoes....let it be known that i didnt get ANY of them pregnant ...lol
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | February 07, 2006 at 04:19
heres a bit more about anti-teen rage and its not government sponsored! ALLAHU AKBAR ITS FREE! Christ get down to Bay City Radio NOW! Know that all post-16 yr olds dont necesarily use egg-nog to enhance their a
hair-spikes...noooo, common spit works just as well and its free....hey maltA gIRL i',M GIVING YA DA ANGST! dIVERSE IS MY uNVIRSAL FLAG AND raMBLINGS IS MY STAtE OF MIND XXXX
Posted by: OUTLOUDANDPROUD | February 07, 2006 at 04:55
Comment deleted by MaltaGirl, who will put up with a lot from commenters but some people just go too far.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | February 07, 2006 at 05:13
Dear Anonymous First Commenter, I am still trying to think who you are lol. If you are the person I am meeting on Friday morning, hooray, and if not, well, I'm still in the dark.
Cory... :-P
Posted by: MaltaGirl | February 07, 2006 at 18:11