Friday, May 26, 2006

Summer of '85 -Part2

(After a frustrating two days of trying to post this rant, i finally discovered that blogger seems to have some sort of word limit on the posts, so here comes the latter half of the Summer of '85 )

Now, to let you into a secret, you wouldn’t find a greater fan of horror movies than my mom. Two decades and more later, she still thrives on them -- a fortnight or so ago, she thoroughly enjoyed watching Darna Zaroori Hai.

So when Poltergeist was released, she immediately summoned Something-Swami. With two kids in tow, she made it to the evening show at Ratna Theatre. This is the one movie that I have not forgotten in a long, long time.

The evening show at Ratna Theatre started at seven and after about an hour and a half, we embarked on the drive home in our rickety jeep.

The scene from my window in the jeep was a perfect setting for an eerie movie – trees lined up on either side of the road and casting long shadows, dim light and no other vehicle in sight as far as the eyes could see. I started shivering.

Tucked in my bed beside my sister, my tender eyes would not close for me to sleep that night. Just outside the bedroom window, the swaying branches of the eucalyptus tree served to remind me of a tree in the movie. The next morning, my parents were shocked to see that I was running fever -- 103 degrees, no less. The fever continued for nearly a week and I refused to sleep in the dark and without my mom next to me. And, dad gave mom a sound warning to refrain from watching ‘stupid’ movies.

I watched Poltergeist on TV recently and was all smiles as it brought back memories of the first time I had seen the movie.

16 comments:

Shruthi said...

Hey, I don't think there is any such word limit... I have some pretty long posts myself, and I have come across very long posts.. There must have been some other problem.

RT said...

Word limit? I dont think so. Somethings gone 'spooky' with your blogger, it seems..;-)
Talking of Poltergeist, that was my first and probably last encounter with horror flicks. The movie had scared the shit out of me back then. And it probably would even now. Haven't brought myself to watch another horror flick after that ever..:-)

Trevor Penn said...

Darna zaroori hai is not scary... not one single time... it's a waste of money in anticipation of thrills... it's more of a please-be-scared kinda plea...

Anu said...

Never watched horror films.I dont think I ever will. Scared that I will be scared :) But it made you smile now....:) so cant be that scary?

Deepak said...

nothing spooked me like The Ring.

I'm glad you updated the "currently reading" section. Nobody spends THAT much time on east of eden ;-) (I'm reading that now btw)

anumita said...

Bringing back memories for me too... sigh!

Crouching Tigress said...

Haha I like horror stuff!

Anonymous said...

er! horror ..
rather ride up a one way on full throtle at peak hour.
:)

Mr. J said...

Hey.. you back. hmm.. Ratna theatre.. Aww.. brings back memories of bunking college ;) And I definitely wouldn't wanna watch a movie with your mom.

Mukund said...

looks like u were a real bayanthangoli :p and darna zaroori hai can never be termed as a horror movie!

Swathi Sambhani aka Chimera said...

@shruthi
patha nahi, perhaps i was jinxed - i tried too many times for a single post n then finally i had to post as 2 parts

@rt
oh i love watching horror flicks with mom - i wud b shit scared and she wud be laughing away to glory...

@seashells
agreed 'bout Darna Zaroori Hai but wat 'bout Poltergiest??

@anu
havent watched any horror movies??? common, u shud experience all kinds, so y dun u pick up the DVD of 'The Ring' tonite?? :))

@deppe
oh! my blog doesnt imitate my life at all... if it were 'am sure noone wud visit it (so u know by now i wud've finished even The Bell Jar)

@anumita
wud luv to hear 'bout those spooky kinda memories

@c tigress
i can imagine u lapping up every bit of a horror movie.

@zombiee
now now dun get to comparing traffice between London n B'lore, we all know those type of horror stories.

@me
so u seem to know a whole lot 'bout Ratna theatre, ***wonder**wonder**

@mukund
u called me 'bayanthangoli'
***sob***sob***

Anonymous said...

Compare.. naah.. Londons no match for the paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty. :), and traffic... oh.. now no place is perfect :D isnt it?

Mukund said...

u did admit to being one in ur post, didn't u? :P

Ganesh Ranganathan said...

People getting fever from horror movies...that's a new one...nowadays horor movies are even funnier than comedies

Weary Hag said...

Great story. I'm sorry you were ill back then, but I'll bet you didn't anticipate blogging about it this many years later, did you? :)
It's neat how things that happened to us long, long ago are now great blog material, yet we never knew it back then.

Poltergeist WAS a scary movie back in those days!

Swathi Sambhani aka Chimera said...

@zombiee
wat can i say when u love b'lore so much?

@mukund
but remember i was jus a kid then (not that i am any less frightened these days :))

@ganesh
i guess we can pardon an 8 year old for falling sick after watching a really horrifying flick of the 80s

@W Hag
i now i think all things nostalgic make amazing blog posts