Oriente fan

LET me write about something closer to home for a change. Two blocks from the office on P. del Rosario St. to be precise. Yeah, I'm referring to Colon. Many locals love to boast that it's the oldest street in the country, although there's nothing old about it. Most of the facades of the buildings that line it look old but only because these are covered by inches of dust and pollution from diesel-guzzling jeepneys and other vehicles that ply it.

Some architectural gems survive, albeit they're so few and far between and in much need of a face-lift. But there are exceptions.

To those who don't know, the Oriente theater at the corner of Colon and Pelaez is very much alive and doing brisk business.

I know it had a somewhat tawdry and itchy reputation several years back, which turned off a lot of movie lovers, but that has all changed.

Anyone who has watched a movie in one of its two theaters get a brief history of Oriente. How it came about. How it has risen from the ashes more than once. Literally. How it has undergone renovations so the quality of the movies its two theaters offer is at par with those in the cineplexes… at a much cheaper price.

After all, Oriente is the first to install a digital multiscreen cinema in Cebu, offering its viewers 2D and 3D experience. Whatever that means.

But hey, as long as the movie I'm watching looks crystal clear and the sound is crisp and clean, and only P150 to boot, then I'm a happy camper. And it looks like I'm not the only one.

Since management cleaned up Oriente's image—figuratively and literally—it has attracted many students and families.

And when the feature is an action flick like “Deadpool,” which I watched earlier this year, the viewing took on a new sensation.

There was audience participation. People behind me were speaking the dialogue out loud, word for word. Some people might find that annoying, but that's the difference between going to the movies and watching it in the comfort of your own living room. Where else can you collectively “oooh” and “aaah” at the dizzying special effects and cringe at the extreme violence while guffawing at the ribald jokes?

And if you miss something during the first screening, where else can you wait for it in the next one? For free. You see, Oriente doesn't kick out its spectators, who can stay and rest in the lush seats to their hearts' content.

It's quite obvious I'm a fan of the establishment. Let's put it this way. I watched all of the recent Marvel and DC movies at Oriente, the last one being “Dr. Strange” a couple of weeks ago.

Then last Sunday, I was able to get off work early so I caught the last show at 8:30 and watched “Fantasic Beasts And Where To Find Them.”

Oriente is a survivor many times over. While its contemporaries had long folded up, it continues to provide the latest local and international movies at an affordable price.