The Magic of the Cinema

I love going to the cinema and would love to go more often, but for one thing I am home alone all week so have no one to look after the boys and secondly, I would probably fall asleep during the film!! Also, I would not be able to sit there and enjoy a cup of tea like I can sat at home on my settee!! But it was a place I would go to often with my friends or boyfriends past and present, for a night out. I just enjoy the whole experience – from choosing which film to see, buying popcorn and a big bag of sweets – it is the only time I justify eating so many sugar filled treats in one sitting !!

I think my love of the cinema stems back to my childhood. It was such an exciting place to go as a youngster, and the first film I went to see was Pinocchio when I was fairly young. I am unable to pinpoint my exact age, but I think my Nanny took me. I do remember seeing many great films at the cinema though; Dumbo, The Fox and the Hound, ET, Ghostbusters, Back To The Future, Annie and Home Alone are just some of the films I remember going to see as a child. I lived in Newbury back then and as I got older, so I would have been 11 maybe (??), when I was at last allowed to go the cinema without my parents. I remember that my brother and I went to see Back to the Future and Young Sherlock Holmes with our friends from school during the summer holidays. We walked the 20 minute journey to get to the cinema, and it felt such a big deal, like we were really grown up to be allowed to go by ourselves!!!

I asked some blogger friends if they remembered the first film they went to see at the cinema, because I think it is something that really stands out in our minds and memories. Or if they were unable to remember that far back, then the first time they took their children to see a film on the big screen:

My first film I went and saw was Toy Story, still my all time favourite
Chloe

We took Sophie to a kids screening of The Smurfs 2, which is possibly the worse film I have ever seen! I really can’t remember the first film I saw at the cinema – possibly Beauty and the Beast, that’s the first one I remember anyway! 
Andrea

Will never forget seeing the Jungle Book with my Dad, or Mary Poppins with my Mum. I don’t remember the films so much as the feeling of stepping back out of that world into reality after!
Penny

A double bill of Watership Down and The Dark Crystal – talk about traumatised
Cat

Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, it is still one of my favourite films to date. I took Rhys (Kyd) to see Nemo first and Robin (Rocky) to How to Train a Dragon 2… both about the same age (2) but with completely different outcomes. Rhys was immobile still and was so happy to be there. Robin sat for 15 minutes at a time, then ran riot in between. I vowed never again. I will eventually though
Alice

My dad took me to see Bambi for my first cinema trip
Annie

Mr Nanny with Hulk Hogan
Cas

My first was Santa Claus the Movie
Clare

I saw Annie for my 7th birthday
Aly

Jurassic Park was the first film I saw at the pictures and that scene where the dinosaur breathes on the kitchen window made me so scared that I cried
Cass

My parents took me to see the Disney films too – but the first time alone I went with school friends to see Kramer vs Kramer. I bet no one here remembers that one! I cried
Mari

I went to see Disneys Snow White and we took the kids to see 101 Dalmatians
Mary

Star Wars and Snow White on the same day by different people my uncle to star wars and my aunt to snow white. We haven’t taken the kids to the cinema yet I am terrified as they can’t sit still during a TV programme let alone a movie.
Cerys

As a child it was The Land Before Time. The first film I took the kids to was Frozen
Steph

ET – when I was 4. I went with my Dad. I loved it. But cried for hours when I got home and my mum told my dad off for it!!! But I loved the film !
Liz

Oh goodness this will age me terribly. .. Bed Knobs and Broomsticks! and I have very fond memories of seeing ABBA the movie with my Mum, and having a matching cassette-shaped soap!
Ali

I saw Watership Down & cried and cried!
Michelle

Mine was The Rescuers. I was 4. Showing my age here
Kate

Lady and the Tramp was mine
Nikki

The Little Mermaid!
Lucy

Mary Poppins at the cinema in Harpenden (which shut in 1983!) 
Jenny

Awww that brought back some great movie moments for me reading all of those titles – although some made me feel very old!!!

I want my boys to have the same magical memories of going to the cinema when they are grown up, to remember the first film they went to see on the big screen. I don’t expect them to remember seeing Frozen at the cinema the first time around, but I am certain they will see some amazing films as they grow up which they will look back fondly on one day, as I do now.

I am planning on taking Burton and Jenson to the cinema during the Christmas holidays, and there are some great films for us to see: Paddington, The Penguins Of Madagascar and Nativity 3.

I cannot wait to be honest because seeing a film at the cinema is so much better than at home, even if I cannot make myself a cuppa!!  I am still waiting for one of the boys to shout out a comment about a film loud enough for other cinema-goers to hear, just as I did when I went to see Ghostbusters.  When the giant Marshmallow man came onto the screen, I turned to my Uncle and said loudly “why don’t they just eat him?” lol!! Classic child comment!