tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6496460488742488789.post7988030323499758480..comments2024-03-18T10:29:46.055+00:00Comments on Ken Armstrong Writing Stuff: Two Memories of Toy Story 2Ken Armstronghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07775956557261111127noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6496460488742488789.post-83705485907206478532014-12-18T23:17:39.300+00:002014-12-18T23:17:39.300+00:00This is the main reason why I wanted to have child...This is the main reason why I wanted to have children. Going to the cinema, buying books, and generally doing wonderful things like this. Sadly it wasn't to be. <br /><br />Merry Christmas, and all that, Mr Armstrong, sir.amrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06989069072691867142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6496460488742488789.post-17721373138110928002014-12-16T20:15:08.767+00:002014-12-16T20:15:08.767+00:00Son's first film was Casper (1995) at the 1st ...Son's first film was Casper (1995) at the 1st multiplex in Bristol. He was 4 and sat, enthralled, throughout. Can't remember his 2nd film a few minths later, but it was watched in "my" cinema - home town, 2 screen flea pit. We (my parents, myself and Jake) settled down. Before the Dadadada...dadadada dadadada..da (Pearl & Dean signature tune) had even finished I was asked "Mummy, why is my seat hard and doesn't move? Why is the TV (screen) small? Why isn't the wind blowing (no air-con)?" "Well Jake, this cinema is really old, so it hasn't git those things - I used to come here with Nan and Grumps when I was little." "Oh, so it's *really* old....? I like it better than the big place." I have no idea why this memory sticks...but it still makes me smile, and wish for more innocent/less technological times. Another memory is myself, Jake and his Dad/my ex watching Lord of the Rings going to watch Lord of the Rings trilogy as they were released....Jake and I picking them apart (he'd read, I'd re-read) after each one, and laughing at his Dad when he cried when Gimli dies....! I miss going to "the pictures" with my boy :-(Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01988443320442936848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6496460488742488789.post-80429384194625686942014-12-14T14:53:26.923+00:002014-12-14T14:53:26.923+00:00Jim, Jurassic Park seems like jusy yesterday to me...Jim, Jurassic Park seems like jusy yesterday to me. I saw it in Leicester Square and did what I often did back then, went in on the week before it opened and bought ten tickets for the first friday night and invited some pals along. We saw loads of films like that, way back as far as Ghostbusters and Gremlins. <br />Ken Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07775956557261111127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6496460488742488789.post-83377353485538469922014-12-14T14:32:35.796+00:002014-12-14T14:32:35.796+00:00I was also a movie dad. I’d’ve preferred to’ve bee...I was also a movie dad. I’d’ve preferred to’ve been more but since I only saw my daughter every second weekend for most of her life and in a completely different town I never got to see her in plays or on sports days or anything like that. I suppose I could’ve made more effort but her mother never went out of her way to give me anything more than my legal due and so I never forced the issue. At the time I felt cheated. I still feel cheated. Thirty-odd years later I’m still royally ticked off about the whole thing. I didn’t have a daughter so I could be a part-time dad. But we did get to go to the pictures together although the only instance that jumps to mind was the time we saw <i>Jurassic Park</i> in East Kilbride and it was showing on <i>every</i> screen in the multiplex. Never seen that happen before or since. And I have to say we were both completely blown away by the visuals. Dinosaurs strolling across our screens that looked like real live dinosaurs. <br /><br />I’ve never kept a diary. Never thought I had anything worth recording. But then you never know what you’ll realise was precious until it’s too late. I could look up on Google when <i>Jurassic Park</i> came out in the UK and calculate my daughter’s age but I’m not going to. It would be nice if I’d written down something at the time. What was the first film we ever saw together? I can’t remember. Again I could see what cartoons came out in the early eighties and that might jog a memory. [Changes mind. Does just that.] I remember seeing <i>Return to Oz</i> and <i>The Care Bears Movie</i> both from 1985 (so she’d be five) and <i>The Never Ending Story</i> from 1984 but nothing older than that jumps out. Can that be the first film we ever saw together? The last film we saw together, just the two of us, was <i>Closer</i> in 2004. It was supposed to be <i>A Very Long Engagement</i> but I’m not sure what went wrong and we had to pick something else from what was on that day and <i>Closer</i> was what we ended up going with. An odd daddy-daughter film I have to say.<br /><br />I miss going to the pictures with or without my kid. It was such a big thing growing up. Every Saturday as children there we’d be in a queue outside The George with the manager marching up and down the line keeping us in check. But now I hardly ever go. The last time was to see <i>Star Trek Into Darkness</i> and I think I was either completely alone in the cinema or there were just two of us; I’m pretty sure it was just me, myself and I.Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.com